The Last U.S. Soldier Killed in Iraq

      As U.S. troops finally leave Iraq, people remember and commemorate those that were lost in the eight years that soldiers were at war in Iraq. This article, written by Don Babwin and Tom Breen on Sunday, and found on Yahoo News, was titled "NC soldier, 23, was last US troop killed in Iraq". David Hickman, of Greensboro, North Carolina was the last of the war casualties in Iraq. He was killed in November by an improvised bomb because of which many soldiers died in Iraq. Hickman was known as an enthusiastic, kind, and funny. He was a physical fitness fanatic, who jokingly called himself "Zeus" because even the gods would be jealous of his body. His funeral took place in Greensboro, where the church was packed with friends and family.
      As Hickman's funeral took place, many other families remembered the loss of their loved ones throughout the various stages of the war.  Vicky Langley's son, Jonathan Lee Gifford was one of the first casualties of the war, killed just two days into the war. She still feels the pain of his loss. Many other families feel the same way. Most wish to believe that the loss of their loved ones was for a good cause. This article is important, because it is our duty to commemorate the brave soldiers that laid their lives down for our country. We must honor their actions and their lives.

" The Fall of the House of Usher"

      Edgar Allan Poe is known for writing dark, Gothic literature. One of his most famous works was "The Fall of the House of Usher". This story follows the frightening events that happen to the narrator, Roderick Usher, and Madeline Usher in the Usher house. As Roderick Usher is dying, he sends a letter to his friend, the narrator, asking him to keep him company in the final weeks of his life. The narrator accepts this request, not quite fully knowing what he is getting himself into. He finds himself in a dark, dreary, frightening house. The characteristics of the house, as well as the mental instability of Roderick Usher add to the suspense and Gothic elements of the story. Usher is extremely superstitious, and also psychologically tormented. Usher's state of mind, including how he feels about the house and what is happening to himself also add to the Gothic aspect of the literature.
      As the story progresses, the events taking place become more and more mysterious and frightening. Madeline dies with no clear explanation as to what the cause was. Usher mentally and physically continues to degrade. He also becomes more psychologically tortured. Then one night, a terrible storm hits. Usher and the narrator are discomforted by the storm, so the narrator begins reading Usher a novel. In this novel, the main character has to dig himself out of a grave after being buried alive. As this is happening in the story, the narrator begins hearing noises from beneath them where Madeline is buried. The two men soon realize that they had buried Madeline alive. As she finally comes up the stairs and collapses on Usher, the narrator flees from the house just as it crumbles above the Usher siblings.

"Tiniest babies are growing up healthy despite odds"

      On December 11, an article was posted on Yahoo written by Lindsey Tanner, titled "Tiniest babies are growing up healthy despite odds". This article was written as a followup to what happened to two of the tiniest babies ever born in the world. Both babies survived despite all odds and are now in healthy conditions. At the time, Madeline Mann was the tiniest baby, who was born in 1989 weighing only 9.9 ounces. The world record now, is Rumaisa Rahman, who is now seven years old, weighing only 9.2 ounces. In order to be considered a "tiny baby", the newborn must weigh less than an ounce. In most cases, the babies do not survive. In the latest report, it showed that about 7,500 babies are born each year in the United States which weigh less than a pound, and only ten percent of them survive. The cases of Madeline and Rumaisa are extremely unique, and doctors know not to set them as examples, but as miracles.
      There have been about one hundred twenty four listed babies born less than one pound since 1936. Doctors usually try to resuscitate babies born around twenty four weeks of pregnancy, although even at that age chances of survival are still slim. Many newborns weighing that little can become blind, or have mental retardation issues. When reporters checked back in with Madeline Mann, she was in college studying psychology, weighing just sixty five pounds, with a height four foot eight. However, her only health issue is asthma, and she is healthy in all other aspects. It is important to know about this, because it is always intriguing to learn about the miracles that can take place in hospital, and the lengths which some people may go through to save a life.

"The Raven"

      This week we read the poem "The Raven" written by Edgar Allan Poe. "The Raven" is one of Poe's most famous works. It is about the conversation a man has with himself as well as a raven perched on top of his door. The man is slightly psychotic, and believes the bird is talking to him and is bringing back memories of his lost love, Lenore. The man has become hopeless, thinking that the bird will leave him just like everything else in his life has abandoned him. However, this bird stays with him forever as a constant reminder of his disappointments, losses, and especially Lenore.
      Edgar Allan Poe was known for writing gothic, dark, and somewhat discomforting literature. This fits in perfectly with the theme of Gothic Romanticism. In gothic literature, the setting is somewhere bleak and depressing. This poem takes place in a dark, scary, remote place. Another characteristic of gothic literature is that macabre or violent events happen. The loss of Lenore can be associated with this. The man is tormented by the loss of Lenore, and believes the raven is talking to him, which connects to the psychological aspect of gothic literature. Finally, when considering the supernatural aspect, the raven talking or the room getting stuffy because of the presence of a ghost can be thought of. Edgar Allan Poe and gothic literature were made for each other.

"Southern California Braces For More Dangerous Winds, Red Flag Warning Issued"

      This past week, Southern California has been experiencing some of the strongest winds it has had in a very long time. This article, found on KTLA's website, states that the windstorms are not over just yet. The worst of the winds started on Wednesday and reached up to a hundred miles per hour. Wednesday's windstorm caused thousands of people to lose electricity and power in their homes. Up to forty thousand people still had no power until late Sunday night when LADWP finally restored power for all their customers.
      Weather reports show that strong winds will probably start up late Sunday night and continue all the way until Tuesday, including temperature drops into the low thirties.This article is important, because it is crucial for people to know about what is going on around them, especially when dealing with safety issues. Natural disasters can cause devastating damages if precautions are not taken. Many people were concerned with the possibility of spread of wildfires because of the unusually strong and dangerous winds that are uncharacteristic of Southern California.  Los Angeles County issued a Red Flag warning from Sunday through Tuesday warning people that live in brush areas to be careful especially while outdoors and to report fires immediately.

My Favorite Part

      The Scarlet Letter is the first novel we read this year for our English class. It was about a woman, Hester Prynne, who has an affair with the town's minister, Arthur Dimmesdale, while her husband, Roger Chillingworth, is far away in London. This secret affair leaves Hester with a child, who she names Pearl, who becomes her one and only treasure after she is forced to wear the letter "A" to mark her as an adulteress. The novel displays the various emotional, moral, and physical effects the affair has on these characters. Hester eventually comes to lead a life of helping others, Chillingworth makes it his life's passion to seek revenge on the man Hester slept with, and Dimmesdale's guilt eats him up for so long, that it slowly and painfully kills him. The novel gave a very interesting point of view to what happened to adulterers back then, and how differently or in some cases similarly they would be treated nowadays.
      The novel had many twists and turns, as well as surprises in store for readers with the turn of every page. I think one of my favorite parts was when Roger Chillingworth finally discovers that Arthur Dimmesdale had branded himself with the same letter "A" that Hester had been forced to wear for the rest of her life. By that point, I think readers already suspect that Dimmesdale is the father of the child, but what Chillingworth discovers confirms those suspicions. It is also interesting to finally be able to connect why Dimmesdale constantly had his hand on his chest, and to know why he is doing that while some of the other characters, such as Hester do not even think twice about it. This part was my favorite part because although we realize that Dimmesdale was feeling guilty about what he had done and not taken the blame for, we did not realize the extent to which his guilt had tortured him, that he had to inflict physical pain on himself as some form of comfort or admittance.

Dimmsdale and Chillingworth

      This week in class, we continued reading the novel The Scarlet Letter. We learned new facts about the characters, and saw the plot develop even more. Two characters that people may sympathize for are Arthur Dimmsdale and Roger Chillingworth. Roger Chillingworth is Hester's husband, while Arthur Dimmsdale is Pearl's actual father, and the person that Hester had an affair with, while cheating on her husband. Both Dimmsdale and Chillingworth have their secrets, and neither of them are perfect, especially in the moral aspect.
      I sympathize more with Arthur Dimmsdale. Despite the fact that he knowingly did something wrong and morally corrupt, he realized his mistake and had to live with the guilt, torture and unhappiness for over seven years. As the story develops, Chillingworth seems to become more evil, colder and harder to sympathize for. Although he was cheated on, it is hard to feel bad for him, because of his character and his actions. While Dimmsdale morality seemed to be corrupt for that time that he had the affair, it seems as though Chillingworth's moral values have no importance to him. The quote that convinced me most was: "Ye have both been here before, but I was not with you. Come p hither once again, and we will stand all three together" (Hawthorne, 126). This is when Dimmsdale asks Hester and Pearl to stand on the platform with him. It shows how he is finally ready to move forward, and take responsibility for what he had done.

Newspaper Article

      This article found on Yahoo!News was titled "Egypt closes Great Pyramid after rumors of rituals". A couple of days ago it was announced that Egypt was closing down its Great Pyramid, also known as Khufu. People were suspecting it was closing it down, because there were rumors of spiritual rituals that wanted to be taken place around the pyramid. These rituals are said to have corresponded to the day 11/11/11/. For many people this day is thought to be 'magical'. However, another worry was that people wanted to do a 'pyramid hug' where over a hundred and twenty people would join hands and hug Khufu. Officials claim that they would be closing it down for maintenance reasons.
      Despite all these, Khufu still remained open on Friday. Officials kept security extra tight, and guards were patrolling the grounds. Some security guards with machine guns were stationed around the pyramid. It is important for people to know about this, because it is important to understand different cultures' ideologies and customs. It is interesting to discover other's ideologies. Another important reason is to know that measures will be taken to preserve ancient, historical artifacts important to the history of the world.

American Romanticism

      This week we started reading the novel The Scarlet Letter. The novel is about Hester Prynne and the consequences she has to face after her affair is discovered. The novel is written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and corresponds to the genre of American Romanticism. It is Gothic literature, because there is a sense of mystery and darkness throughout the entire story. An example is the prison door. The prison door sets the tone of the story. It is ugly, old, gray, and has spikes all over it. It makes the tone very gloomy, and also somewhat apprehensive, because you now know that it will not not be a happy story.
      Another example of the story being Gothic literature is when Ann Hutchinson is mentioned. Ann Hutchinson was a woman who was accused of heresy, then exiled, and finally killed. The author compares Hester to Ann. We can foreshadow, that Hester's life is not going to be an easy one, and that it is probably not going to have a happy ending either. It shows how her life will be sad, lonely, and troublesome.

Seven Deadly Sins

      This week we started reading the book The Scarlet Letter. The book deals with the idea of committing a sin, and dealing with its consequences. To go along with this, we learned about the seven deadly sins. These are: lust, sloth, wrath, gluttony, greed, pride, and envy. There were many people,especially in older times, that believed committing any one of these sins would be punishable by death. I think one of these sins that I have committed is sloth. Sloth means laziness, and I believe that at times I can be lazy. For example, sometimes when I do not feel like doing something for no particular reason, I keep putting it off and procrastinating until the last possible moment when I have to rush to get it done. I think that a way I can work on this is by setting out goals to get things done, and actually following them through.
      In the book, the main character is forced to wear the letter 'A' on her clothing wherever she goes, as a constant reminder to herself and to those who surround her, of what she had done. I would hate to be in a position like that, where I would be constantly reminded of something wrong that I did. The thoughts would be with me wherever I went, and I would never be able to get closure and move on. The humiliation and isolation would also be terrible. People would be hesitant and afraid to come into contact with me. I think putting someone in that situation would be cruel because of the constant pain and reminder of things they had done in the past that they regret.

"To My Dear and Loving Husband"

      These last couple of weeks in class, we have been focusing on Puritan poems and literature. We have started reading The Scarlet Letter, as well as read a couple of poems in class. One of these poems was title "To My Dear and Loving Husband". The author of this poem was Anne Bradstreet, who wrote it in Puritan or colonial times. She writes to her husband, explaining to him how much his love means to her, as well as how her love for him can never be quenched. She states that his love is more important to her than all the money and riches in the world. Bradstreet also mentions that she believes their love is so strong, that even when they die they will still be together.
      The tone of this poem is very emotional, loving, and romantic. This completely goes against what Puritan literature is typically supposed to sound like. Puritan literature is very practical, direct, and straightforward. Its topics are usually about religion or useful ideas, and especially not love. Puritan style is very simple and basic, and hardly ever appeals to the senses. This is why Bradstreet's poem is drastically different from most literature written at this time. She focuses a lot on her personal thoughts, and especially her feelings and emotions, instead of being very religious, unemotional and simple.

"Woman accused of trafficking 30 pounds of cocaine in cake mix boxes"

      This article, found on CNN's website, states how a woman is accused of trying to smuggle almost thirty pounds of cocaine into London late last week. Ayesha Niles was travelling back to London from Jamaica when airport security found it suspicious that she was carrying twenty four boxes of cake mix in her luggage. Upon further inspection, airport security discovered that there was approximately 29.30 pounds of cocaine mixed into the cake boxes. If this reached London, it would sell for approximately $650,000,000. When asked about the cocaine, Niles claimed that the cake mix boxes were put into her luggage by someone, but she did not know what was actually in them. Since Niles will turn eighteen later this week, she is most likely going to be tried as an adult. She may serve fifteen years in prison.
       This article is important for people to know about, because it informs them of everyday dangers. This shows how people must always be ready for any case in which they can be in danger. Instead of cocaine, there may have been something else in the suitcases such as bombs or guns which cause more immediate danger. Having a reliable, safe security system especially at airports is extremely important. This way, many dangers, crimes, and acts of violence can be prevented.

"Letter From Birmingham City Jail"

      This week in class, we have been reading many letters. We read a couple of personal letters from John and Abigail letters. We also read a public letter written by Crevecour addressed to many people. Another one of these public letters that we read was written by Martin Luther King Jr. titled "Letter from Birmingham City Jail". This was written on April 16, 1963 in Birmingham City Jail while King was in prison. His purpose for writing this letter was to inform, persuade, and explain. It was written as a response to a newspaper article written after King's arrest defending the policemen. Martin Luther wanted to show a different side of what had really happened.
      Martin Luther King Jr. was a constant, passionate advocate or civil rights and freedom. This was also the subject of his letter. His tone in the letter was calm, encouraging, and very emotional. He preached to his followers that the road to freedom and racial equality was a difficult one, but it could be achieved if they tried hard enough. He believed  in achieving this goal with nonviolence. He realized that just because they were being nonviolent as protesters, it did not mean that policemen or other white Americans would show them the same respect or courtesy. Many times they were beaten, shoved, pushed, not allowed to eat, and even had dogs unleashed on them, yet Martin Luther kept strong belief in what he wanted, and encouraged others to do so as well.

"Largest study on cellphones, cancer finds no link"

      Over the past few years, there have been constant debates and arguments over whether or not cell phones can cause cancer. An article written by Maria Cheng, a Medical Writer for AP, which can be found on Yahoo! News discusses a recent study conducted to determine if it is true that cell phones cause cancer. The Danish Strategic Research Council conducted a study on more than 350,000, and concluded that cell phone usage does not increase chances of cancer. They proved that cancer does not have a high enough amount of radiation to be considered dangerous, nor is it more likely to get a brain tumor near an area which is more exposed to  a cell phone than any other area. Despite this study, and various other studies conducted around the world, many people are still uncertain as to whether or not cell phones increase chances of cancer. They claim that these studies are not long enough to determine long-term effects of cell phone usage. However, there has not been an increase in cancer in people since cell phones have come in use.
      It is important to know about studies like this, because they can be crucial to our health. There will constantly be new discoveries about everyday objects, which can affect the health of the millions of people who use it. Cell phones are just one of these objects, and will continuously be tested to determine all health side effects. It is important for us to know what is beneficial to our health, what is harmful, and what will neither benefit nor harm us. Articles like this help  provide us with that information.

Speech Presentations

      This week in class, we gave speech presentations on various speeches in the past years. The presentations given by everyone were interesting and well thought out. I learned many new things about the background of when these speeches took place and what was going on in the world at the time. One of my favorite speeches was the one done by Gareen and Patil about the importance of women's rights. This speech was given by Hillary Clinton, titled "Women's Rights are Human Rights". This speech was given on September 5, 1995 in Beijing, China. This was a time when women were still looked upon as inferior to men, especially in China. This speech was one of my favorites because I agree with the subject of the speech, describing how when human's rights are given, it does not only apply to men, but to women as well.
      Hillary Clinton gave this speech in a very demanding and firm tone, which helped emphasize her point, and her stance on the subject. We got to see a portion of her speech in class. She used loaded words, and her speech was full of emotion and passion about her beliefs. Since she uses such strong and powerful language, it demands the listener's attention, which is exactly what she needed to get people to listen to her side of the situation. I believe that women's rights is a very important topic, that sometimes goes unnoticed when compared to the rights of men. I think it was important for someone like Hillary Clinton to stand up for women's rights and demand that people take notice of them and do something about the injustices done against women, simply because they are not men.

My Five Virtues

      Nobody can be perfect. No matter how hard they try, they can never achieve perfection although rarely some people may come close to it. Benjamin Franklin strived for moral perfection, but even he believed he could not accomplish it. He made a list of thirteen virtues, and created a chart which he could use to mark his progress. I believe in many of his virtues. Five virtues that are very important to me are Punctuality, Honesty, Justice, Determination, and Loyalty. I think that it is important for people to be on time, because it helps them stay on track and be organized. People should also be honest not only with others, but also with themselves. Justice is also very important, because you must always treat others fairly, as well as how u want to be treated. If someone did not have determination, they would never achieve anything that was difficult. You must always try your hardest to achieve something, no matter how difficult it may seem . Loyalty is important between family and friends, because it keeps a strong, honest, and reliable bond between each other.
      These past couple of days I have been trying to work on these virtues. I learned that sometimes I do not even realize that I am not following the virtues, and I mess up. The one I had most difficulty with was punctuality. I was late a couple of times this week, and I  left my homework until the last minute on a few days. When you are consciously trying to work on these virtues, you realize that it is actually much harder to do them, however to become a better person, you must always work on improving yourself.

"Straw into Gold"

      Turning straw into gold is like doing the impossible. That is what Sandra Cisneros believed she did throughout her life: achieving the impossible. This week in class we read an excerpt from her autobiography titled "Straw into Gold: The Metamorphosis of the Everyday". Cisneros gave an introduction to her life, and wrote about her successes and accomplishments. Her travels and family greatly influenced her writing. Her mother and father also shaped who she would become. She inherited her father's love of wandering and sappy heart, as well as her mother's intelligence and strong will.
      This autobiography was written in a very simple, personal tone that flowed. Cisneros makes it easy for the reader to understand her emotions and thoughts throughout the different events depicted. For example, Cisneros explains how, throughout her life she accomplished things that she thought were impossible, such as passing her MFA exam or even making something as simple as a corn tortilla. She went against all the traditions of her family and culture to do what she loved, which was writing. Against all odds, including her grades in school and her family's beliefs, Cisneros went on to become a successful writer with many years of hard work.

"The Autobiography"

      This week in class we read "The Autobiography" written by Benjamin Franklin. He began writing his autobiography when he was already well into his sixties. He was never even able to finish it because he was constantly politically active, or  working on something important. The portion of his autobiography we read in class was taken from when he was about seventeen years old. The main subject of Franklin's autobiography is moral perfection, and him striving to me a morally whole person. He wants to inform us about his life, and the various ways he tried to achieve moral perfection.
      Benjamin Franklin makes a list of thirteen virtues that he believes he needs to work on in order to achieve his goal. He makes a chart with all thirteen virtues, and marks what he accomplishes every day. In the end, although he believes he did not completely achieve moral perfection, he became a better person simply by being aware of what he had accomplished and what he still needed to work on. Throughout the autobiography, Franklin's tone is informative, descriptive, and also practical. He explains what he wants to achieve in life with simple, honest thoughts.

Next Stop: Hawaii!

     Do you want to know the most amazing place to travel to? Well, the answer to that is easy! The best place to travel to is Hawaii. If you are looking for a place with the best beaches, the best weather, and the best relaxation spots, then your place is Hawaii. It has always been known for being one of the most popular tourist spots, and there is a reason for that. Many people go to Hawaii if they want to relax, or to soak up the sun. It is also a great place to make everlasting memories. I have been there three times with my family, and have great memories and experiences that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. You would never regret visiting such a magical, interesting and soothing place. Do you want to have the best, only the best, and nothing but the best experience on your next trip? Then, Hawaii is your next stop. 

The Best Ice Cream in the World

      Have you ever heard of anyone who does not like ice cream? If you think about it, it is usually pretty difficult to actually find someone who does not like ice cream. Most people you know probably love ice cream. However, even though ice cream is amazing, there is one specific flavor that my taste buds always love. That is chocolate ice cream. Why is chocolate ice cream the best? The answer to that is simple. It has the richest flavor, the creamiest texture, and the warmest color. Chocolate ice cream is one of the more simpler ice cream flavors, but there is elegance in that simplicity. Chocolate is the classic flavor for ice cream. No other flavor compares, let me repeat, no other flavor! Chocolate ice cream is so good, it is like eating from flowing, heavenly pools of  creamy chocolate, frozen to the perfect temperature. Next time do not even bother thinking twice about which flavor to eat, because chocolate will never disappoint you.

"Speech in the Convention"

      This week in class, we have been focusing on speeches. We have read a sermon, and also an oratory. One of them was titled "Speech in the Convention". This speech was given by Benjamin Franklin at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. He gave this speech to the colonial representatives that were present at the convention. He wanted to persuade them into unity as well as into agreeing on the the Constitution.  At the time, Franklin was already eighty one years old, yet he was still fighting for what he believed in.

      Throughout the speech, Benjamin Franklin maintains a calm as well as a reasonable and logical tone. He is considered the "Father of the Constitution" because he was among the oldest and most experienced representatives present at the convention. He explained how the older he got, the more he began questioning other people's motives. Franklin explains how he may not agree with everything in the Constitution, however because he wants it to work, he is willing to put aside his doubts and urges the other delegates to do the same. Franklin stresses that the only way their Constitution is going to work is through unanimity and the well-administration of its laws.

"Mission Update"

This week one of the narratives we read in class was title "Mission Update." The author was Steve Squyres. He was writing about the landing of the spacecraft Opportunity on Mars in 2006. Squyres's purpose for writing this blog was to inform and interest his audience, which in this case is the entire world. He writes about how Opportunity lands on the Victoria Crater, and is going to take pictures of the land on Mars. He and his fellow astronauts want to move to a different part of Mars before communication is lost between NASA and their shuttle.

The tone of this narrative was completely different from the tone of some of the other narratives we have been reading lately. Steve Squyres wrote in a detailed and descriptive tone, but it was also more exited and enthusiastic. He was enjoying every second of being in space, and witnessing what Mars actually looks like. What made the experience even more amazing was that he could actually blog while all of this was happening. We live in a time now where an astronaut can actually blog from space, where only some time ago people believed that even going up to space would be almost impossible.

Beaches Along the California Coast May Soon Disappear

The title of this article is “Rising Seas Expected to Wash Out Key California Beaches” written by Emmet Berg. It was found on Yahoo! News. The article states that by the end of the century many of California’s most famous beaches will be washed away. These include Venice Beach, Malibu, Carpinteria, and other beaches along the San Diego coast. Researchers in the economic department of San Francisco State University have been conducting studies to understand how costly the damage could be and what can be done to be prevented. So far they have realized that Venice Beach would have the most expenses, resulting in about $96 million in losses over the next 90 years. They believe that building or improving sea walls and levees may prevent some of the damage, but doing so can cost up to $14 billion dollars.

Not only will the beaches be affected, but also many areas surrounding them. For example, real estate, property and roads will also be washed away, or damaged, drastically increasing the cost for repair. Economists from the San Francisco State University have been researching about this for approximately two years, and have discovered that increase in global climate has a huge effect on rising sea levels around the California coast. It is important for people to know about this, because economists have realized that an estimated number of about 500,000 people and $100 billion worth of property along the California coast may deal with the aftereffects of flooding that could occur because of the rising sea levels. Many of these people may want to move, or reconsider living in these areas because of the inevitable dangers.  

"A Journey Through Texas"

This week, one of the three narratives we read in class was titled "A Journey Through Texas", written by Cabeza de Vaca. Cabeza de Vaca writes about his explorations through Texas in 1528, as he travels along with his companions, meeting various Indian tribes. He writes about their culture, customs, and daily lives. Cabeza de Vaca mentions how they grow crops such as maize, squash and beans, and some tribes even have permanent settlements.  Some of his observations include the way one of the tribes cook their squash without even using a pot. He was interested in the type of lifestyle  the Indians led in Texas. He constantly refers to religion and God, because he knew that his story would be shown to the king and queen of Spain, who are Catholic and provide him the money for his explorations.

Throughout the narrative, the tone changes a few times. At first, it is more informative and descriptive. Cabeza de Vaca is writing about what he witnesses and experiences while spending time with the tribes. Later on, it becomes slightly angry. When Cabeza de Vaca and his companions wanted to visit another tribe, who were enemies to the current tribe they were living with, they had to send along women first who would not cause a fight. At one point when the women become hesitant, him and his companions become upset at them so they do what they want. However, the tones changes again and becomes happy. As de Vaca spends time with the new tribe, he learns about their customs, and sees that they lead comfortable lives. The narrative ends on a happy, content note.

Possible 9/11 Threat

As the anniversary of 9/11 nears, many people are put on edge. Everyone remembers the tragedy that took place approximately 10 years ago. As the date gets closer, people are becoming more cautious and weary, and new threats are not helping their situation. An article titled "Officials Confirm 'Credible but Unconfirmed' 9/11 Threat" found on CNN.com explains about this situation. This article was written by Barbara Starr, Mike M. Ahlers and Lesa Jansen.  The article goes on to talk about how U.S. officials recently received information about potential attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. The officials stated that they believe the threat involves three individuals, who would  attack using explosives found in vehicles. One of the three individuals is thought to be a U.S. citizen. U.S. officials have been busy increasing security and inspections all over the United States, especially in New York and Washington, D.C., although they are telling people to go on with their daily routines and not to panic.

This article is important, but the information discovered comes at a very critical and uncomfortable time. Sunday is the tenth anniversary of the disastrous 9/11 attacks, and people have already beginning to feel uneasy, but these threats add to their discomfort. It is important for everyone to be aware of what is going on, but also not to panic because that would only cause more trouble. Threats have always been targeted at the United States, and officials are prepared to deal with any problems that may occur. Although it is a tough time for everyone, especially those who lost loved ones in the attacks, they must believe that the government can protect them, while being alert themselves.

My Favorite Book

Reading books is one of my favorite things to do. I love to read and I do it any chance that I get. I have so many "favorite books" it is hard to pick just one. If I had to pick one of my favorite books it would be A Thousand Splendid Suns. This book was written by Khaled Hosseini, the same author of The Kite Runner which is also another of my favorite books. A Thousand Splendid Suns is his second book. This book is about two Afghani women, Mariam and Leila and how their lives intersect in the most unpredictable way. At first both lead a somewhat happy, comfortable life, but both their lives are turned upside down by heartwrenching events. Mariam's mother commits suicide, and afterwards she is sent to live with her father, who had kept her hidden for years, because she was his illegitamite child. Mariam is soon forced to marry a much older man, Rasheed, who becomes abusive after she can not have children. In the meantime, Leila is a much younger, beautiful, educated young woman who is enjoying her life. She had just fallen in love with her childhood friend, Tariq. As she is moving with her family because of the beginnings of war in Afghanistan, a bomb explodes on her home, killing her parents and destroying her life forever. Believing that Tariq has also died on the way out of the country, she is forced to marry Rasheed as her only means of survival, especially since she is already pregnant with Tariq's child. Leila and Mariam slowly begin a friendship over the years. Leila eventually finds out that Tariq was actually alilve and Rasheed kept this a secret from her. One day, when Rasheed becomes especially abusive, and becomes a deadly threat to them all, Mariams kills him with a shovel. Mariam confesses to killing Rasheed, so she can divert attention from Laila and her children, and she is executed.  Leila escapes with her children and finds Tariq, and soon they are married. 

This is one of my favorite books, because it shows the lenghts that people would go to to save their loved ones. Maria loved Leila and her children so much, that she even sacrificed her life for them, knowing that it was what she was meant to do. And in turn, Leila honored her memory by naming her third child after her. This book is inspiring. It shows no matter how terrible, terrifying, or hopless a situation may be, if only you have the faith and the strength to go on you can overcome anything.