Nature Blog

I am sitting in my back yard as I view these different unique things that seem to be viewing me as well. As I watch these different trees, bushes, grass and birds I realize they all are alive just as much as I am. They might react to situations very differently and live a completely different life from what I live but they all are alive. I realize that these things need to breathe, eat, and reproduce as well to survive. I feel as though I am completely different from these things but at the same time I have some type of connection with all of them. In some way I do envy them because of how easy it is for them to live. But in their view it might be difficult for them to go through their life, but i will never be able to understand that no matter what experiment I practice. As I look around me I see an old pine tree that has been there in my back yard before I even moved into my home. Behind me there is a monstrous palm tree that rocks back and forth with the wind. To my left there are three small rose bushes. Only two of them actually have roses growing but they seem to change day by day. The floor that I am sitting on is covered with grass, but not only one type of grass there are long pieces, short pieces, and thick pieces. There are parts of the yard where grass does not grow as well as other spots, which makes me curious of to why it does not grow in that particular spot. The birds all around me fly from tree to tree playing, which brings me deeper into my envy of how easily these natural things can live. Throughout my experience I realized many things, but the one thought that would not leave me alone is the one that made me doubt that us humans are living naturally. Are we supposed to be living the way that we are living? If we are then why is it so difficult?

Rainstorm could be Los Angeles' worst in years.

Rong Gong Lin II
February 23, 2014


The winter storms are coming in late this year. It is predicted that LA will be experiencing its worst rainstorm in 2 years. It was reported that on Wednesday this week 0.91 inches of rain will drop. There has not been that much rainfall in LA since March of 2012. The rainstorm is said to leave by Thursday morning, but it might come back Friday night. The storm that is said to visit LA on Friday is supposed to be stronger than the one on Wednesday. To give people an idea of how long it has been since the last rainfall like the one that is coming on Wednesday, the latest iPhone that was out in stores was the iPhone 4s. The storm is said to be so large that it will cover most of the state and drop many inches of snow in the northern mountains. The average temperatures are said to drop to low 60's throughout the state. Instead of enjoying the high 70's that we have daily we will have to dress warm and prepare for this winter storm that is so different to us.

Community

There are many different communities throughout all of society. There are communities of ethnicities, sport groups, different age groups. Every person is a part of a community or even many. One of the most influential communities in my life is my Armenian community. A community is made up of different individuals. Without individuals working to make a stronger and better community there will never be a strong community. Without a community an individual seems to be separate. Both need each other to be strong and successful. My Armenian community is a community which fights for a cause. Our main cause is to have the Armenian Genocide recognized by the world. The community needs each individual to fight for their rights and protest and do whatever they can to make a difference in the community. There are many young people who want to be known as the person who made a difference in our community. The Armenian community is not a large one. So we are very involved in keeping the traditions and language alive. One of my major parts in helping the community is going to an Armenian school and being involved in many Armenian cause related programs. A community is a place where a person is most comfortable and is at their strongest.

Flu Deaths in California reach 243

LA Times
Eryn Brown
February 14, 2014

The flu has always been an issue throughout the world. Each year there is a season in which the influenza is diagnosed to many people. Most people do not die from the flu but they do suffer harsh symptoms. Usually a person that has caught the flu can get through it quite quickly if they acquire enough rest and stay hydrated. If one's immune system is weak or they do not properly take care of themselves throughout the period that they have the influenza they might have to be hospitalized. If a person has been carrying the flu for a long period of time and it becomes a very serious case it could actually cause that person to die. The 2013-2014 flu season has ended and just in California there have been 243 deaths. This death rate is higher than the 2012-2013 flu season. The number of deaths this season are all people under the age of 65. This increase of deaths has made scientists study why this many people died. Scientists are starting to slowly conclude that the H1N1 virus also known as the swine flu has adapted and has become a stronger strain which is more harmful in younger people. Hopefully they will create more effective vaccines or medicines to help people that have already been infected with the influenza.

Suspected Drunk Driver Kills 6 people

Early Sunday morning at around 4 AM a woman named Olivia Carolee, 21 years old was driving on the wrong side of the freeway. Driving a red camaro, going eastbound on the 60 freeway westbound side, it was said that she was driving at about 100mph. Authorities are still trying to figure out the sequence of the crashed but it is sure that there were three cars involved in the accident. Four people were pronounced dead at the crash site, and two people died after getting to the hospital. The first initial crash was involving Olivia in her camaro and a ford explorer SUV. The crash was said to be completely preventable after finding alcohol in the initial vehicle that was speeding. One of the officers said that it had been the most horrific crash he had ever seen. The cars were in pieces all around the freeway and were barely able to be recognized. The crash was so extreme that it sent debree hundreds of feet away. The accident caused the freeway to be closed until 1:30 Pm. The suspect is now being tried for DUI.

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby movie was very entertaining. The movie kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to see what was going to happen next, even though i already knew what was to come. It was very interesting seeing what you just read be played out in front of you on a screen. One of my favorite things about the movie was how the actors that were chosen to play the rolls fit the characters perfectly. Leonardo is a great actor who can pretty much mold himself to play the role of any crazy character. The story and the movie were actually very similar and matched up almost perfectly. The movie was very dramatic and matched the scenes of the book greatly. The only thing that started to become a little over played was how dramatic every scene was. Everything was amplified down to the way the actors were breathing. Other than that the movie was very enjoyable and entertaining. I was into the movie throughout the whole thing and was always upset when we had to stop watching.

CES 2014 "Audis self-driving car"

The birth of cars was in 1886 in Europe. From then on cars have become more technologically advanced than ever. Each year a new car comes out with new technology that us civilians have not heard of. The engineering of a car is very amazing. These machines are able to reach speeds of up to 200mph. Cars now have computers and cameras throughout the whole car. Each year engines and computers are made to be at the next level and impress customers throughout the world. This year at the 2014 CES Audi presented a new car that will be able to drive itself. This new technology was presented with a beautiful Audi A7. The car is equipped with front facing digital cameras, laser scanner and radar system. All these systems are connected to a very high-tech computer that controls all of them. Each system is very elegantly equipped onto the car to make it look like another beautiful machine. The car's automated self-driving system takes control only until the car reaches 40mph. Once the car exceeds that speed limit the driver must take control of the car. It is said that the sensors and radar system can detect anything in their path. If the driver of the vehicle closes their eyes, the car reacts by ringing a loud buzzing noise to wake up the driver and make sure that their eyes are on the road just in case something happens. Once the driver takes control of the car while it i

US Abortian Rate Drops

By: Saba Hamedy
LA Times
February 2,2014


Since 1973 the US abortion rate has dropped to its lowest in 2011. It has dropped a total of 13%. Before the year of 2011 the abortion rate was very high. About 16.9 women out of every 1000 pregnancies were aborted. The study was done off a basis of women from the ages of 15 to 44. In 1973 the abortion procedure was legalized in the US. From that year on the abortion rate kept increasing and eventually hit its max in 2008. From 2008 to 2011 the rate of abortions dropped about 13%. In 2011 alone there were 1.1 million abortions which has been the lowest number of aborted pregnancies since the year it was legalized. There have been multiple report and reasons for why these abortion rates have declined. For example, many couple and single women have confirmed that since the recession took place they could not afford a legal and safe abortion process. Many of the abortions were also executed by a medicinal process which caused many harsh side effects for women across the country, which is another reason why most women decided not to go through with the abortion.