To Kill A Mockingbird

Out of all the pieces of literature we read in English this semester, my favorite would have to be To Kill A Mockingbird. Even if the book was not as interesting in the beginning, it became more engrossing as it continued. While the novel may have been hard to read at first, it became easier to read as it got further into the chapters. Not all books leave a good impression because of how dull or thoughtless they can be, but the novel seemed to prove otherwise in my opinion. I loved the transition of Scout as she grew up and the realizations she came across about society and everyone around her. I admired the fact that at such a young age, Scout was not oblivious or ignorant with her surroundings. Instead of Harper Lee making Scout a weak character, which most authors seem to do with female characters, she did the exact opposite. One part that made me love the novel was the lessons I learned from it. Throughout the book and mostly towards the end, Atticus Finch tells Scout to look at people and things from a different perspective; to look at people as if she were in their shoes. With this point in the novel, I learned one lesson that will always stick with me. Everyone goes through something different and has their own story, therefore we should not judge or treat them differently because we do not know what they are going through. Another part that I loved from the novel was that through the chapters, one major event seemed to pile up to lead to the climax, which became a shocking twist to the novel. To Kill A Mockingbird will always remain with me as one of my favorite novels read in school.

Young Girl Held As a Sex Slave

- "Couple accused of holding girl as sex slave face court hearing" by Tony Perry
- Published on December 1, 2012
- The Los Angeles Times
- http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/12/couple-accused-of-holding-girl-as-sex-slave-goes-to-court.html

    At the age of twelve, a young girl was kidnapped from Mexico and taken to the United States. Marcial Garcia Hernandez and Inez Martinez Garcia, the couple that had kidnapped the young girl, held her as a sex slave and forced her into being a prostitute. During the two years she was taken, she was not only forced to become a prostitute and provide pleasure for older men in order to receive money, but was also forced to provide care for the three children of the violent couple, cook and clean as well, and also have sex, when told, with Hernandez. If she were to refuse any requests or not have sex, then she was beaten and abused. Even though she was underage to work or have a job, she was also forced to lie about her age to work at a restaurant and hand the money, that she had received for her hard work, to the couple. On Thursday, the couple was arrested for sexual assault on an under age fourteen year old girl and for thirteen felonies. For almost two years, the young girl was beaten and abused, both sexually and verbally, all because she was kidnapped. She has finally returned to Mexico and has joined her family again after not seeing them for two years. During any time of the day or at any second of the twenty four hours we live through, someone is either being kidnapped, abused, or killed. We need to be careful at all times to prevent and avoid the dangers from our surroundings and situations, such as the catastrophic experience the young girl had to go through.

An Affecting Memory

     May 28 may be a normal date for many people and not have a meaning at all. For Armenians, it is a day of our independence and for the students in our school, it is another day off. Though for me, it lost those two meanings two years ago. I was excited and happy to not have school for a day, but had to spend the day at my aunt's house. While working on my English project next to her, the next phone call she would take was not anything we would have expected. It could have been anyone and if only it was. As my aunt picked up her telephone, I watched several emotions cross her face. They ranged from confusion, worry, sadness, devastation, to being completely hopeless. Tears welled up in her eyes and continued to spill as she continued to talk on the phone, while my sister and I worriedly waited to hear what was happening. After what felt like hours, we impatiently had asked what happened and tried to calm her down. Apparently, her doctor had told her that she had cancer. Shock and grief were the only emotions that I felt at that moment. Knowing that I may lose my aunt and my second mother who had raised me since I was born, spread worry in me. Even when I tried to be strong for her and provide her support with my cousin and sister, you could still see the intense fear in her eyes. Of course, she thought that this was it for her, that the cancer would take over her body as it did with millions of people, and that she would soon die. Though the only thought that kept crossing my mind was why. Why did this innocent, caring, and forgiving woman who loved to help everyone had to have a disease inside her body that could easily take her away and kill her any day? She tried to forget about the cancer as family members visited her to offer support and love, but we all knew that we may not be that lucky as others had been with their own cases.
     This day made me realize how precious life really is and to truly appreciate it. Anyone could be easily taken away from you and you may not have another chance to see them or to tell them how much you really love them. It made me look at life in a different perspective because I got to see the more important things in life, which at that moment to me was my family. I learned to not take anything or anyone for granted because if you do not appreciate them enough you will never realize how important they were to you until they are gone.
    As the days passed by, my aunt learned to accept that she had cancer and turned to God for strength. The doctors helped her get better and soon the cancer had left her body. I was proud to tell others that my aunt was a cancer survivor and it warmed my heart to know that she was healthy and happy again. My aunt continued to look for God in every problem she had and I began to do the same. God had listened to my aunt's prayers and made her life longer, making me realize that He will always be there for you if you are in need. Of course, it was all too good to be true. The cancer had come back in my aunt's body and took her away from my family and me last November. From the day of May 28, 2010 to November 26, 2011 I had learned a lot about life from this experience. It can end as quickly as it had started, therefore appreciate everyone and everything around you because they will not be around forever.

Dumping a Baby

-"Mother who dumped baby in O.C. restaurant trash bin gets 15 years" by Rick Rojas
- Published on November 9, 2012
- The Los Angeles Times
- http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/11/mother-sentenced-killing-baby.html

     On December 22, 2009 a baby girl was born to grow and have her own life. However, that idea and purpose was vanished once her own mother had killed her. When women give birth, it is usually in a hospital, where the baby can be treated right after it is born and can be in a safe environment. Except, how can that happen, when a mother could care less about her own baby that only got to live no more than half an hour? It is not usual and it is not an innocent act for a mother to suffocate, kill, and throw away her own baby as if it is an object. Juana Perez Valencia was only nineteen when she gave birth to her daughter in her workplace, a Mexican restaurant's restroom. The day after giving birth, Valencia was treated at the Anaheim Hospital and lied saying that she had fallen instead of given birth. After being contacted by the hospital, sheriffs from the Orange County Department had later on found the baby in the back of the restaurant's garbage bin. Two years later, Valencia is found guilty with murder and child assault with fifteen years in jail. Valencia's punishment is not surprising to me. She deserves every bit of it and more than what she got for hurting her innocent baby, who never got the chance to live.

Three Virtues

     Benjamin Franklin's thirteen virtues each have their own message and explanation, as to how it can help us have or live a better life. While Benjamin Franklin tried to do all thirteen virtues, I picked three: temperance, sincerity, and tranquility. Temperance means to not excessively drink or eat, or to overindulge yourself with food or alcohol. Sincerity is to be nice and truthful; if you have nothing nice to say, then do not say it at all. Lastly, tranquility means to be peaceful. I picked these three because they each play a role in my life, which I can make better with these three virtues.
     I picked temperance so I can stop indulging myself with sweets and snacks, and maybe try to manage my eating habit. At often times, I tend to be blunt about something and say it to the person using sarcasm. I realized that was one thing I would have to change, sincerity, because I would not want to hurt someone's feelings and have them feeling bad. I do not have a lot of patience when I am trying to hold in my anger. This is why I picked tranquility, to manage my anger and try to be calm.
     For temperance, I was successful. Like I stated before, I had chosen temperance to stop indulging myself and to manage what I take in. I was successful because I watched what I ate and managed to not eat anything that would be extra to me, when I was already full. I tried my best to avoid my cravings and realized that I did not need any of the fattening foods that I was craving. Though, I was not as successful with tranquility as I was with temperance. As much as I tried to stay calm, I still felt annoyance or anger towards someone because of their actions. Even if it was going to happen anyways and just make me feel worse, I still felt annoyed and angry, leading me into not being able to change these vices. However, I was successful with sincerity. Instead of being blunt and saying rude comments with the use of sarcasm, I decided to stay quiet about it and not say anything at all. The person most likely did not need to hear it and it would not make me a better person either. I realized that I would not want someone to treat me the way that I would treat others with my bluntness and chose to avoid commenting on anything that seemed too immature. Basically, I did not want to hurt anyone's feelings and did not say anything rude to the person, so they can stay happy as they were.
    During these three days, these three virtues taught me that I needed to have a better personality, change my eating habits, and control my anger. Even if some did not work out, I tried my best for all of the virtues. In order for me to live a better life, I hope to one day change these virtues.

Father Being Abusive to Five Week Old Daughter

- "5-week-old baby suffered multiple broken bones; father arrested" by Alene Tchekmedyian
- Published on October 27, 2012
- The Los Angeles Times
- http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/10/5-week-old-baby-suffered-multiple-broken-bones-father-arrested.html#more

     At some point, people are verbally or physically abusive in their lives. Though, would you ever hurt your own baby? A five-week-old baby girl was taken to the hospital after being physically abused by her nineteen year old father. The baby suffered with many broken bones and brain injuries, which may bring out the possibility of her being paralyzed. Even if Matthew Wojcik, her father, tried to get out of the situation while pleading being innocent, Los Angeles's Children's Hospital advised the police of the baby's critical condition. Matthew Wojcik was given a life sentence in jail with the bail of one million dollars, which previously was $100,000. Child abuse is a serious problem over the world. Every day and every hour, someone is being abused somewhere in the world. Not only does this affect their physical appearance and their well-being, but also their lives after being abused and when they are older. Matthew Wojcik deserved what he got because he should never have harmed his innocent baby daughter due to his anger. What he received as his punishment is fair for the way he treated his own daughter, who is barely one month old.

Sympathies for Chillingworth

     The Scarlet Letter holds many moments of shock. Though throughout the book, and towards the end of the book, I began to realize that I could only sympathize for Roger Chillingworth. Chillingworth, who was married to Hester Prynne, decided to leave for two years and meet Hester back in Boston. During this time, Hester should have stayed committed to her husband and not cheat on him with Arthur Dimmesdale, the minister. Dimmesdale, who is committed to God by being a minister, should stick with God's rules. It is both Hester's and Dimmesdale's fault in committing this sin. They both had someone to stay loyal to; Hester with her husband and Dimmesdale with God. I sympathize for Chillingworth because he left his wife for two years trusting her and expecting to come back to Boston, probably hoping to start a family with her. Instead, he comes back to Boston seeing her at the gallows, being punished. Of course he would want revenge, maybe to show Hester the pain he felt when he was cheated on or to show Hester and Dimmesdale how wrong they were to do such a sin. At the end of the book, Chillingworth gives half of his inheritance to Pearl. Instead of seeking the revenge he hoped for, he realized it would not work and decided to give Pearl his belongings after passing away. Maybe he cared about Pearl after all. Even if she was not his daughter, she was still a part of Hester, which is why I believe he cared for Pearl, because he probably loved Hester all along.

The Scarlet Letter

     "Let the black flower blossom as it may!" (119-120). This quote was said by Roger Chillingworth in response to Hester Prynne's question. When Hester asks Chillingworth if he could let go of the revenge he holds onto for Reverend Dimmesdale and her, his answer is no. Even if he would say yes, fate would still be there. That is where he says the quote, to show Hester that this is their fate. The black flower compares with Chillingworth, it will continue to blossom, letting out all its evil or revenge it has for Hester and Reverend Dimmesdale. One day it is going to grow and become Hester's fate, which can either be good or bad, though since it is black, it will most probably be bad. Everything is going to happen on its own and their fates are what they have chosen, their mistakes and decisions in this life. The quote not only shows how important fate is to people and how it can affect them in the end, but it also foreshadows that their lives will probably have a bad ending, and what is yet to come later on in the book.

Thanks to Neural Stem Cells...

- "Neural stem cells successfully implanted into the brains of four boys" by Jon Bardin
- Published on October 12, 2012
- The Los Angeles Times
-http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-stem-cells-implanted-into-brains-of-four-boys-20121012,0,32171.story

     I can only imagine how heartbreaking it would be to hear your child has a disease or a disability, where their brains cannot carry normal functions, affecting their movements. But I would think it to be miraculous if I heard that there was a chance for my child to be treated and be able to carry out everyday movements again.  
Maybe that is how the parents of these four boys felt when they were given the chance for neural stem cells to be implanted into their brains. The Pelizaeus- Merzbacher disease was the reason for these four boys to not think or move normally. Greatly influencing many people's precious lives, the Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease takes away the myelin around the brain cells. Myelin, which is fatty, helps carry out the messages in the brain at high speed. Without this substance around the brain cells, everything becomes much slower. The information that is supposed to be sent for your body to carry out, is sent at a slower pace rather than the fast pace it goes at for everyone else. Eventually, this affects the movement, coordination, and cognitive skills- functions that we do everyday.
     Luckily, researchers have found out that neural stem cells can be implanted into the brain without any complications. The neural stem cells that are implanted usually turn into one of the types of brain cells called oligodendrocyte, which produces myelin. After experimenting this on mice, researchers were ready to experiment on humans. They were later on implanted into the brains of the four boys, which has shown no complications yet. The implantation has shown improvements to the boys, as they slowly start improving in their movements and are producing a larger amount of myelin around their brain cells. This study may be able to help others with this disease or others who have a problem with brain functioning. Researchers come up with anything everyday, helping everyone and taking our lives to the next step.

Predictions for The Scarlet Letter

     All books have their own ending, whether they are good, bad, shocking, or boring. Halfway through The Scarlet Letter, it is both hard and easy to guess the ending already. One part that I can guess, is that Reverend Dimmesdale is the father of Pearl. It is not hard to see that he is behind the sin that Hester had committed. When Hester was brought out for her punishment and was asked who the father of Pearl was, Reverend Dimmesdale was silent and seemed as if he did not want to pressure Hester into saying anything. When Hester visited the governor, Reverend Dimmesdale was there as well and he helped persuade the governor and minister that Hester should keep Pearl. He was on her side and told them that Pearl was a blessing from God. If he is complimenting or being nice about Pearl, then one can easily see the connection and that maybe he is being nice since he is her father. I am guessing that towards the end, Roger Chillingworth will definitely find out who Pearl's father is and set out to take revenge, maybe even kill him.

Danger for The Great Barrier Reef

- "Great Barrier Reef under great threat, researchers say" by Jon Bardin
- Published on October 2, 2012
- The Los Angeles Times
- http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-great-barrier-reef-under-grave-threat-researchers-say-20121002,0,1421691.story

     Who would have thought that small, little, and innocent creatures would cause harm? No one, simply because it was not expected.  Starfishes, small, star shaped sea creatures, have been behind the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef. These predators are attacking and feeding off of sea life. The Great Barrier Reef, located in Australia, is one of the natural attractions that shows tourists or anyone the beauty of the sea and its creatures. Though lately, it has been odd to see that the corals have been disappearing. Who is to blame now? Not only the starfish, but the people as well.
    For years now, people have been warning each other about global warming. One of the reasons for the destruction of this natural attraction, is because of global warming. Maybe if we treated our planet the right way, then global warming would not happen and would not affect The Great Barrier Reef. This goes to show how much of an influence global warming has on Earth. It continues to affect the temperatures in the water and the cyclones, which are added as reasons to the continuous destruction of The Great Barrier Reef.
   Since starfishes are the main reason as to why the Great Barrier Reef is being ruined, scientists believe controlling them would be the first step into saving the Great Barrier Reef. Though it is also our job, as people, to take action; start with small steps and help make our environment a better place, to not only save humanity, but other organisms as well.

                                                   - The Great Barrier Reef in Australia

Underwater Adventures

- "Google Street View dives into the deep blue sea" by Deborah Netburn
- Published on September 27, 2012
- The Los Angeles Times
- http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-virtual-diving-thanks-to-google-street-view-goes-under-water-20120926,0,1584705.story

     Have you ever wanted to see what the view is underwater? To see the different fishes and their different colors; to see the different treasures that lie underwater? Google has yet again taken another step in technology. First with Google Earth, then with street views, and now you can virtually go underwater. It includes places such as, Australia, Hawaii, the Philippines, and many more. In Heron Island, located in Australia, one can virtually walk on the beach, dive into the water, swim around with sea creatures, and walk back out on the beach again.
    We can thank the Catlin Seaview Survey, who took the pictures, for this advancement. The pictures are taken with a SVII camera, which has high resolution. The special camera shows the pictures with a wide view and a broad landscape.  Not only does this underwater adventure give one an underwater view, but also a quick vacation as well. It is a relaxing moment, where one can walk on the beach for a break or do as they please because of one advancement in technology.

Seasons Come and Go...

- "First day of fall 2012: Autumnal equinox is here" by Rene Lynch

- Published on September 21, 2012

- The Los Angeles Times

-http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-autumn-equinox-first-day-of-fall-20120922,0,2968313.story

     Finally, a new season has arrived! When we think of Fall or Autumn, we think of leaves falling from trees or the different holidays that come with the season, such as Halloween or Thanksgiving. We never stop to think that on the day of September 22, there is an Autumnal equinox. An equinox happens when the sun hits the plane of the Earth's equator and makes the time of night and day at almost an equal length all over the Earth. Earth's two hemispheres, the Southern and Northern hemisphere, receive the rays of the sun equally this way. This only happens twice a year, during spring and fall, or specifically on the days September 22 and March 21.

      From the early days of Earth, people have been aware of the sun's shift or the changes in the sky by carefully observing them throughout the year. The Machu Picchu, located in Peru, is one of the first observatories made by these people to track down the progress of the sun. The observatory, which is named   the Intihuatana stone meaning "for tying the sun", indicates the two days when the equinox shows up. There are multiple signs that make it easier for everyone to notice the equinox on these days. One easy sign is that summer is gone and winter is next. Dawn comes in later and the sun sets earlier than usual in the Northern Hemisphere. The days are much chillier than before and the sun has an arc, as it shifts towards the south. The plants continue their growth for the end of the year and change as they grow. These signs for the equinox in Autumn are usually spotted in nature.

     From the beginning of time, people have studied and observed the skies for a long, period of time to notice each change or shift. These different studies in astronomy with stars or skies help people notice things they may have not known before. Since everyone is always in a rush these days, no one stops to look around them and see how the Earth can change daily in it's nature. Now that Autumn is here, we can finally say good-bye to hot, sweaty days and hello to the chilly air and cold, winter days!

SOAPST for "Sinners in the hands of an Angry God"

     One speech that definitely tries to persuade its readers is "Sinners in the hands of an Angry God" by Jonathon Edwards. It's speaker, Jonathon Edwards, was a religious leader having his own strong beliefs in religion. Even if his speech might have been monotonous, it did not fail to send that fearful or threatening message to those that were listening. His point was to show these people how strong God is and how much he can actually influence your life and where you end up, when your own life ends. Is it Heaven or Hell? It all depends on your actions in life, but according to Jonathon Edwards, we are all ending up in Hell either way. The occasion was set in Conneticut, during the Great Awakening in the year of 1741. The Great Awakening, is known as the enlightenment period for religion; the period where religious ideas all came out. The timing greatly affects the speech because it is when everyone is paying attention or is learning about religion. This way, they understand religion from the religious leader they listen to and follow their ideas possibly until the end of their lives. The subject of the speech is salvation. The hope to be saved or wanting to save the people is set in the speech. Edwards tells his listeners that the only way to seek salvation or to be saved from Hell, is to believe that there is a God. God controlls that one choice that can affect our afterlife for the better or worse. It can be seen how Edwards is trying to save his people from the terrifying place that is called Hell.

Staying Overnight for a Fire

- "Firefighters to work overnight to contain Rustic Canyon blaze" by Nicole Santa Cruz
- Published on September 15, 2012
- The Los Angeles Times 
-http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/09/firefighters-rustic-canyon-blaze.html

     Throughout these past years in Los Angeles, multiple fires have been spread around. Whether it is a wildfire or from the 'hot weather', there are times where the fire has no reason as to why it started. Once again, a fire was seen yesterday at Rustic Canyon. Desperately trying to put out the fire through the whole night was a determination from the firefighters. Thirty acres of land had been already burned by 8 P.M. yesterday. Over a hundred firefighters stayed overnight, hopeful to put out the fire. “We will be aggressively battling flames at the crack of dawn,” said Brian Humphrey, spokesman of The Los Angeles Fire Department. The fire, which started on Saturday afternoon, has no evidence to why it started in the first place. Thankfully, no houses or people had been harmed. The firefighters hoped to put out the fire by Sunday afternoon. Eighty percent of the fire was put out today. The rest of the fire is hoped to be put out by tonight, where it will finally be over and gone.

Wandering Around...

- "Montrose freeway-crossing bear tranquilized" by Frank Shyong
- Published on September 9, 2012
- The Los Angeles Times
- http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/09/montrose-bear-tranquilized.html

It really was unexpected when a bear was seen wandering around on the 210 Freeway in Montrose, at 8:30 A.M. The freeway was closed by the California Highway Patrol to prevent the bear from any possibilities of escaping. Though it still managed to get out of the freeway, ending up in a residential area, where it drank water from a sprinkler. Luckily, the bear did not harm anyone. A helicopter and sheriffs were sent out, followed by a canine unity with the administrators of the California Department of Fish and Games, which were spread out to find and stop the bear. It was soon found at Florencita Lane and Montrose Drive. At 10:30 A.M., the bear was sedated and calmed down. Around eleven o'clock it was put in the back of a truck, which was to be taken back to the forest. The bear is now in the Angeles National Forest. It is amazing how quick the patrol is in Los Angeles to help us or to keep us safe. Since this area is close to the Angeles National Park, these bear sightings are usually common. Would you be afraid if you saw a bear wandering on the freeway you were on?

Did you see the blue moon?

- "Blue moon on Friday: What it means and how to see it online" by Deborah Netburn
- Published on August 31, 2012
- The Los Angeles Times
- http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-blue-moon-friday-20120830,0,2507710.story

     How long ago has it been since the last time you saw a blue moon? It was said that a blue moon was to be seen on the night of August 31st on Friday night. A blue moon, which rarely every happens, occurs when there are two full moons in a month. On August first there was a full moon, the second full moon was on Friday night. The website, Slooh.com, showed a live video of the blue moon from a variety of telescopes around the world. For those who missed the chance to catch the sight of the blue moon, could have easily watched it from their phones or computers. It gives us an idea of how helpful this can be to  us for future occurences on the moon or any astrological happening. Even if it is called a blue moon, it may not exactly be the color of blue, but instead a pale white and gray. The time when it actually turns blue is mostly after a volcano errupts or when there is a fire in a forest. Blue moon is also used as a romantic term or a way of saying heartbreak. The next time a blue moon is guessed to be seen is in July in the year of 2015, as it rarely happens.

- Video about blue moons made by NASA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4HRKl0fa2dg
- Picture of a full moon.

I Scream for Ice Cream

     If any one were to ask me what my favorite ice cream flavor was, I would simply say chocolate. If I were to be specific, I would say chocolate fudge brownie flavored ice cream is my favorite flavor of ice cream. Mixed with delicious and small bite-sized brownies, this chocolate ice cream is enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. Would you like to eat brownies or have ice cream instead? It is not a hard question to answer because then you can easily have the chocolate fudge brownie ice cream.
    Even if it is too much chocolate, it is good enough for a quick dessert. Having low sodium, high fiber, and including many other vitamins in this ice cream, it can be healthy as well. This 250 calorie dessert has 6.7% of protein. Breyers Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream is now even included in the United State's smart choice of foods as number ten. The ice cream can make anyone smile in a minute or cool them down on a hot, summer day or probably even make their day after a hard day at work. If you are craving it you can easily eat it to satisfy your needs, if you are sad after a bad day it can help you feel better, or if you are simply hungry for something small it can fill your stomach. When a girl is heartbroken, this ice cream can help her feel better. The ice cream puts smiles on numerous people's faces and lights up their day. After a tiring day on a hot day, it can cool anyone down. Its small brownies and fudge chocolate add up to how much more delicious it is. Why not try some next time?

"The Declaration of Independence" by Thomas Jefferson

     One of the most important documents in our American history is "The Declaration of Independence."A document based on a hopeful change for the lives of the colonists, has brought our country independence since the year of 1776. Although it was mainly written by Thomas Jefferson, including others, it is set to be written not only by him, but by the colonists from the time of 1776 as well. Speaking from the colonists point of view, it helps to show their agreement together as one, and how much they really want their own independence as a country, free from England's rule. While the audience is mainly set on King George III, it is also for the colonists too. Not only can King George III now see his mistakes as a king, but the colonists as well. Giving a list of all his wrong doings and how he has treated the lives of the colonists, he wants England to set them free. The Declaration persuades the colonists to fight and shows what they are fighting for too. The subject of the Declaration is as clear as ever. Based on independence, it is written down as a letter to give enough reasons as to why these colonists, living in the thirteen colonies, should have their own independence. "The Declaration of Independence" has changed our history in its right path and brought us independence with freedom.

Bear Attack

-"San Diego Man Was Photographing Bear Before Fatal Attack" by David Zahniser
- Published on August 26, 2012
- The Los Angeles Times
- http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/08/san-diego-man-photographing-bear-attack.html

    Most people enjoy taking trips, hiking, and taking pictures of the wilderness. The Denali National Park in Alaska is known to have grizzly bears populated in its environment. Even if grizzly bears seem harmful to most of us, this grizzly bear may have seem harmful to forty-nine year old, Richard White. Hikers are usually supposed to stay a good 300 yards away from bears, but White was only fifty to hundred yards away, making it easier for the bear to launch itself at him. White was taking pictures of the bear he had spotted before he was mauled and killed by the 600 pound bear.
    A camera and backpack, along with blood and ripped clothing, were found by three other hikers. Reporting their findings to the park rangers, helicopters were sent in search for White. The remains of his body were assumed to be dragged where the bear usually kept its food. The next day, his body remains were picked up and taken from helicopters. This has been the first bear attack in years. While there have been a few injuries from bear attacks, no one had been killed by one in the Denali National Park before.

"Salvation" by Langston Hughes

     As a part of our AP English Language and Composition class, we were to read "Salvation" by Langston Hughes. The essay, told in a brief way with a point style, tells us about a specific event in Langston Hughes's life. Hughes's describes to us how his hopeful connection with Jesus was a failure. While reading, we had to fill in the SOAPST: speaker, occasion, audience, purpose, subject, tone. Three aspects of these that seemed to clarify the essay to me were the purpose, subject, and the tone.
    The purpose of the essay was to inform, to document, and to reflect. Since the essay only talks about an event in his life, Langston Hughes looks back upon the event to describe the story, therefore using the three types of purposes - to inform, document, and reflect. He informs us about his loss of faith in Jesus and reflects upon the day where it all happened. Feeling confused as to why he is not seeing Jesus and guilty for lying about making the connection with Jesus, he emphasizes his feelings of guilt and confusion.
    The subject of the essay was the loss of faith. When Langston Hughes does not make his connection with Jesus, he eventually loses his faith in him because Jesus was not there for him. Since Hughes's was expecting to literally see Jesus in front of him with his own eyes, he had the wrong idea of the connection he was supposed to make with Jesus.
    The tone is the atmosphere set by the author. During the essay, the tone shifts numerous times. Going from confusion to sadness to guilt. Like how I said before, his expectation to see Jesus was not what he thought it was. Due to this, he was confused because he did not literally see Jesus in front of him. He was sad because Jesus was not there for him. Eventually, he lied about making the connection with Jesus and stood up to join the other children in church. With this lie, he felt guilty for lying yet lost his faith in Jesus.

How Far Has Technology Gone?

- "Robot Inspired by Invertebrates Has Amazing, Squishy Possibilities" by Deborah Netburn
-  Published on August 17, 2012
- The Los Angeles Times
- http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-camouflage-robot-20120817,0,308264.story

     As the years go by, technology catches on with us and improves as we go. Whether it is new versions of the iPhone or 3D televisions, technology never seems to disappoint us. With all these inventions in technology, it is not surprising to see a newly invented robot. Created by the researchers at Harvard, one of the top universities in the United States, this robot is probably the first 'soft' robots. Unlike most robots and how we vision them to be, this robot is built without a hard shell. Inspired by the creatures that inhabit the sea, the robot is built to look like the invertebrates in the sea, such as starfishes and squids. Not only is it small, but is soft, squishy, flexible, changes it's temperature, can change color, can camouflage, and glows in the dark! Since small shapes of cylinders are placed into it's body, it starts to move with the pumping of air into these cylinders. With all these remarkable parts of the robot, it will someday be useful to us. "If you were trapped in a collapsed building, one of these squishy robots could be sent squeezing itself into the rubble, glowing and obvious, to lead you on a path to safety" (Deborah Netburn, The LA Times). While this robot is yet to be used, it definitely does not fail to prove to us that technology will keep getting better and does so.

Video of the robot: http://video.sciencemag.org/ 

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

     Reading is one of my favorite things to do in my spare time. One of my favorite books would have to be Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Since half the girls in my sixth grade class were reading it, it immediately grabbed my attention. I definitely wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Once I had my hands on the paranormal romance, it had me loving the story by the first chapter. Soon it had me obsessed with it, making me fall in love with the characters as well. The love story based on a human falling in love with a vampire, was a dream of the author's brought to life in a novel. The main character, Bella Swan, moves in with her father at the age of seventeen in Forks, Washington. Going to school, she expects to have a normal life like others, until she is captivated by the one and only Edward Cullen, who carries a secret with him. Not only does Bella seem to be interested with him, but the same with Edward. Throughout the book we are shown how the two get closer, until it is impossible for them to be away from one another. We find out his shocking secret: he is a vampire, with the power to read minds. Except he cannot read Bella's mind, which is one of the reasons why he was interested and curious about her at first. The book is a page turner, with romance and action combined together. I am glad Twilight was the first love story I read, in the beginning of my teenage years, because it led and encouraged me to read more books like Twilight. It is and forever will be one of my favorite book because who can resist a good, irresistible, and forbidden love?