Literature

     This year we have read a lot of pieces of literature that I had found interesting. My favorite out of all of them would be Edgar Allen Poe's work. To be specific, my favorite work was "The Raven". I like it because first, it is a great work of poetry. Another reason why I like it is because it is mysterious and dark. I do not find Edgar Allen Poe to be a creep. He is a great author who has written interesting pieces of literature that can captivate one's mind. 

    My least favorite piece of literature this year would have to be Death of a Salesman. This is simply because I was not as interested in this piece of literature as I was with the others. Death of a Salesman was an alright book, but I personally prefer to read Night. In the story Night, a lot of interesting events took place that made a change to the main character's thoughts and beliefs. In Death of a Salesman, the poor man wanted to kill himself. This can put some negativity on the reader. Then again, there are not always going to be happy endings. This is similar to reality as well. 

English AP Class

     Well, I can not choose my favorite part about our English class, but the humor was definitely enjoyable. The class was controlled very well and we got everything done on time. One of my favorite parts of the class was reading poetry. I am an Edgar Allen Poe fan so it was interesting for me. I also liked the challenging part of the class. One would think that the class would be easy but it is actually more than that. It was a good way to get students motivated.
     As for the "cons", I do not have any really. I think the class was great overall this year. It was better than the other classes I had because it was more fun. It is easier to learn when the class is not bored by the subject. It would be better if we had more practice worksheets for the AP exam because they are really helpful and give us an idea of what it is going to be like.

Man in Charge of Feminist Movement

    The following information can be found in TheOnion. It has been a long time since women have been fighting for their rights. But it seems like having a female leader is not good enough to catch people's attention. A 58 year old man definitely does not think that the Feminist Movement is working so well. That is why he has taken charge of this, and is now the chief of the initiative for women's rights. A man by the name of Peter McGowan is full of confidence, and is ready to make a change for women.
    Peter has decided that the first thing he is going to take care of is sexual harassment. He puts this before securing reproductive rights and promoting healthy body images for women. He feels that it is the most important out of the rest. Peter claims that he is going to bring more attention to women's sports as well. It seems funny how a man is trying to take action and advance on the women's rights initiative. Maybe this unordinary action will catch more people's attention.

Coyote Vs. Acme

     This essay was written by Ian Frazier. It is about  the law-suit of Mr. Wile E Coyote. The plaintiff is Wile E Coyote and the defendant is the ACME company. Throughout the essay, some of Coyote's accidents are explained with details.  According to Coyote, these accidents happened due to ACME's products. The reason why Coyote is getting into many accidents is because he is not following the directions or reading the warnings of the ACME products. The purpose of this essay is to show how in some cases people get taken to court for stupid reasons. It is also to show how people defend themselves and interact in court. 

    The tone of this essay is humorous and informative. Frazier's statements are mostly sarcastic, which keeps the reader interested. The audience is the people in the court and the jury. Ian Frazier shows how much of a fool Coyote is in the essay but commenting on many of Coyote's excuses and reasons for his accidents. 

Happiness = Success?

     The following information can be found on CNN. The author of this article is Shawn Achor. Shawn Achor has written the book Happiness Advantage. He has studied at Harvard for 12 years, and is a current CEO of Good Think Inc. The article which he has written on CNN is about happiness. The idea of this article is whether happiness is scientifically beneficial or advantageous towards success. If one smiles and feels happy, they can do their work much better than those who do not feel happiness. 

    In the Article he has written the following challenges which one should do, in order to prove themselves that happiness is a big boost and advantage. He has said to exercise 10 minutes a day, write about positive experience for two minutes a day, meditate for two minutes, support a friend, and so on. I personally believe that happiness can have a positive affect on a person, especially when they are trying to accomplish a task or live their life. 

Language

     The way a person chooses to speak says a lot about them. You can tell a person is confident whenever he or she speaks loud, and articulates his or her words. If a person is shy, they tend to speak rather low. This does not mean that every person is like this. Those who stutter during times when they are considered "guilty" are possibly liars. When one does not make eye contact while speaking, it usually means that they are trying to stray from your eyes so they will not be afraid to lie.
     Armenians speak Armenian, but there is more than one type of Armenian language. This can give an idea to the listener of what type of Armenian he or she is. The accents differ the Armenian language. I get told a lot that I am considered a quiet person. That is because I choose to speak whenever I know my words will matter, be helpful, provide information, or make a difference.

Great Gatsby SOAPST

     We are currently reading the book Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald. There are many books that have captivated my mind and interested me to continue reading it. This would be considered one of those books. Nick, the speaker, introduces us the behaviors of people with different social classes. There is a division between West Egg and East Egg. West Egg is where the wealthy, illegal drinkers live. East Egg is for the people who are much more wealthier than West Egg, and their money is inherited.
     The occasion of this story is New York during the 1920s. At the time, this was considered the "Jazz Age". One could picture a scene of flappers, dancing, and alcohol during this era. I consider the tone to be descriptive and mysterious. The story involves dealing with love, money, judgement and so on.

Jay Gatsby

     If I were as rich as Jay Gatsby and had a party I would spend my money on the most expensive stereo and music equippment. I would make sure that the music plays loud and the guests enjoy it. I would order an exaggerated amount of the best food I could find. The house would be decorated and would look sophisticated.
    On the outside of the house, there would also be decorations. Signs would be everywhere that welcomed anyone who wanted to enter. There would be dancers and people who served drinks. Statues would be standing nicely in the front yard. The house would look welcoming.

1920's Prohibition

    Nowadays, alcohol seems to be a very popular drink for celebrations involving adults. The required age to be able to consume and purchase alcohol is 21 and over. Some may say that alcohol is beneficial, while others may disagree. The 1920's Prohibition was the banning of alcohol. Immigrants thought that alcohol was beneficial, claiming that it can help people with socializing. On the other hand, reformers and Protestants were not okay with drinking. They thought that alcohol caused corruptions, anger, uncontrollable behavior and so on.
     What people did not expect was the irony of the banning of alcohol. Instead of solving problems that were already there, the Prohibition Act caused even more problems. People who were addicts could not control themselves. Businesses were going down because alcohol was to be banned. Personally, I think alcohol should be available to those who have control, respect, and use it for a good purpose.
   

Pastor Near Death

     The following information can be found on CNN. The author of this article is Dan Merica. People have different ideas and beliefs of life and death. Some are aware of how short life could be, while others are not. A pastor by the name of Ed Dobson has ALS, which is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS affects the nerve cells in the brain, as well as the spinal cord. Dobson was asked to quit being a pastor. By doing so, he has realized his purpose for living.
     Dobson was emotionally hurt because he had not received calls after the day he had quit being a pastor. He claimed it was rough feeling unwanted, and it made a person question their purpose of living. However, he did not lose hope. Now that he has the time, his purpose for living is following Jesus. Till this day he is a very religious man and wants nothing more than to help others. Also, he said that some people in this world think that they are going to live forever, when in reality they are not. This could send a message to people to experience all that they want and do what they love, not necessarily what others expect from them.

Barbie In Black

     The following information can be found on CNN. The article was written by Sarah Springer on February 10, 2012. For many years, Barbie has been sold as a Caucasian doll. She has had many costumes such as a rock star, a princess, a bride and so on. Young girls love to play with these dolls, but some do not realize that Barbie could be a bad influence on children. Some young girls might try to be "perfect" like Barbie, and possibly lower their self esteem.

     A woman by the name of Stacey McBride not only thinks that Barbie is a bad influence, but has noticed that Barbie is only advertised and sold as a Caucasian. She has started to design new dolls which have features and skin tones that represent many other races other than Caucasian. McBride thinks that by doing this, children of all races will be able to play with dolls and get rid of racism. The dolls will also be a good influence for young girls.

Appreciating Nature

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Hero For Another Heart

     The following information can be found on CNN. The article is written by Rick Martin. Nowadays there are a lot of people who try their best to help their friends and family. Whether it be for protection, for health, or for a sickness. A man by the name of Mike Ainsworth has saved a life of his neighbor. To most, he is now looked upon as a hero. He has made many people think more about how much they actually help people around them.        
     While a woman was trying to get into her car, a man with a gun in his hand had tried to steel the car away from her. When Mike had heard screaming, he had immediately let go of his kids, and had ran towards the gunman to defend the woman who was being attacked. Sadly, Mike had been shot in the action of defending. When the gunman had started to flee, Mike had tried to run after him, even though he was struggling to move. Ainsworth fell on the yard of one of his neighbors and passed away. He will be remembered as a  great hero, and as a great father and husband for his kids and wife.