for my final blog of the year, i decided to write a story for everyone. enjoy!

            Outside, it was another scorching hot summer morning in Arizona. Ned slowly rolled out of bed to prepare for yet another horrible day. After making his way through all the clutter, he was finally able to reach the bathroom. He looked into the mirror and saw an overweight, bald, tired, and depressed looking man staring back at him. This was just one of the many things that Ned hated about his life. After he was done showering, eating, and putting on his clothes, he was finally ready to start work. He slowly walked down the stairs that lead to his tiny apartment dreading the day ahead of him.

            When Ned arrived at work, he was pleasantly surprised to see that he had been given a very small workload that day. Usually, he is stuck with the most work among all the other mail man. After only a few hours of work, Ned was done and ready to go home. At least that’s what he thought. Just as he was pulling away from the last house and breathing a sigh of relief that his day was over, a piece of mail slid out from under his seat and into sight. It was from a town he had never heard of before. He pulled out his map, and found that it was way out in the desert and was going to add another four hours to his day. Most people would have screamed and cursed after discovering this but Ned was used to this type of thing happening to him so he just went along with it without saying a word.

            After two hours of driving, it was getting dark out and Ned had no idea where he was. It seemed like he had been driving in circles and there was no where in sight to ask for help. He finally pulled over his car and got out to try and get a better look at the map. As he walking around and examining the map at the same time, he felt his toe hit something causing him to fall down.

            “Ouch!”, he screamed as his face hit the ground. He turned around to see what it was that he tripped on and couldn’t believe what he saw. Half-buried in the ground, was a tiny lamp. He was very curious to get a better look at it so he got up and dug it out of the ground. It wasn’t very big and was very oddly shaped but to his surprise, it was made out of gold. His eyes lit up at the sight of this and began to brush off all the dirt. Just as he was doing this though, the lamp began to shake and glow. Terrified, he let go of the lamp, but what he saw then, only scared him even more. The lamp didn’t fall to the ground as expected. Instead, it floated in mid-air. Ned was white as a ghost and couldn’t move a muscle. All the sudden, a man appeared from the bottle. He was wearing very odd looking shoes and pants and wasn’t even wearing a shirt. The man turned to him and said, “You have freed me from that prison. I can now grant you three wishes.” Ned was still very shaken up and didn’t know what to say at first. Although he still didn’t truly believe what was happening, he blurted out, “Well, I hate my life and I hate my job. If I could wish for anything it would be to change those two things.”

            “Your wish is my command,” the magical genie said and before Ned could even blink an eye he was lying in his bed. When he opened his eyes, he couldn’t believe what he saw. He was in a very big and clean room, nothing like his apartment building. The bed he was laying on was very soft and the sheets were clean. He got up and headed straight into the bathroom. He was even more shocked when he looked in the mirror. Instead of a depressed looking bald man staring back at him, it was a young and happy looking man. He was starting to get very excited and after he showered and put his new clothes on, he headed out to go to his new job. He didn’t know what it was yet, but when he stepped into his car, it was as if he had been doing this for years and knew exactly where to go. After about twenty minutes of driving he saw where he was headed and a smile appeared on his face. His dream ever since he was a kid was to be a UPS man, and he saw that his dream was about to come true.

            When he walked into the building, every person he walked by greeted him and shook his hand. He was practically like a movie star there. It wasn’t until he put on his uniform until it really hit him that he was finally a UPS man.

            His job as a UPS man was a lot better than when he was a mail man. Everybody respected him and he always had the best routes. He also enjoyed being able to deliver the packages to people. He finally had the perfect life….. At least that’s what he thought. As time went on, he became a very self-centered person. People started losing respect for him and he began to hate his job. He hated having to get out of his car every single time to get packages. He stopped showing up for work so his boss fired him. He was still able to live in his house for a couple of months, but without work, he quickly ran out of money and had to sell it. He was now broke, and had to live on the streets.

            He had lived on the street for years until one day when he was begging for money, a mysterious man approached him. He was wearing a very nice suit but his face was very familiar.

            “I have been looking for you Ned,” the man said, “you still have one wish left.” Ned’s eyes lit up. He had completely forgotten about the magic genie and there was only one thing that he wanted now.

            “All I want it my life back.” Ned said. Just like that he was lying in his bedroom in again. He opened his eyes and was happy to see that he was back in his rundown apartment in his messy room. He went straight to a mirror to look at himself and sure enough, he was back. After showering and eating, he walked out of his apartment and headed off for his job looking forward to the day.

choosing a car

Picking a car is extremely important for a teenager. It gets you everywhere you want to or need to go. It gets you to work, to the movies, to restaurants, to a friend’s house, etc. It isn’t easy to choose a car, though. You have to consider how it looks, safety, and performance. It is hard to find a good balance of these elements so I chose three different cars from three different categories (sports car, luxury car, family car) to find the best. The three cars I have selected to choose from are the Honda Odyssey, Lexus IS, and Mazda RX-8.

First off, I’ll start with the Honda Odyssey. The Odyssey is a mini-van and is one of the best family cars out there.  It comes in nine different colors and is priced at 26,355. It has 244 horsepower with a V-6 engine (Honda Webpage). The Odyssey delivers one of the best combinations of power, handling, and interior versatility in its class.

Safety is by far the best feature of the Honda Odyssey. “U.S News” gives it 9.9 out of 10 on safety and got 5 stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Honda makes sure that their cars are as safe as possible.  Anti-lock braking system (ABS) with Brake Assist is just one of the many features that make it safe. Other features include Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with traction control, Advanced Compatibility Engineering, front 3-point seat belts with automatic tensioning devices, and front side airbags (Honda Webpage) which all help protect the people inside. The Odyssey is one of the safest cars out there.

Performance is a feature that is often overlooked in the Odyssey. “U.S. News gives it a 9.4 on performance and many reviewers say it is powerful, fuel efficient, and handles extremely well (Honda Webpage).  It has a 244-hp, 3.5-liter, 24-valve SOHC VTEC V-6 engine, Tire Pressure Monitoring System Vehicle Stability Assist, and Michelin PAX System which allow you to run on a flat tire for up to 125 miles. These components make this car perform extremely well.

Many people like to make fun of vans because of their unfashionable exterior. The Odyssey may not look so cool on the outside but has many nice features on the inside. In “U.S. News” viewers said The Odyssey’s exterior is not very stylish and gave it a 6.7.However, viewers were very impressed by the interior and scored it at 9.1(U.S. News Rankings and Reviews). Bluetooth Hands Free Link Technology, passenger’s seat with 4-way power adjustment, Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System with voice recognition, and Honda DVD Rear Entertainment System (Honda Webpage) make its interior look more like a luxury car than a van. Although it’s exterior lacks some style the interior more than makes up for it.

The next car I will analyze is the Lexus IS. The Lexus is a luxury sedan and starts at $31,155. It has a 302 horsepower engine and comes in nine different colors (Lexus Webpage). The Lexus provides great safety, performance, and style.

Safety is one of the Lexus’s best features. It earned four out of five stars on the crash safety test and earned 8.4 out of 10 from “U.S. News” (U.S. News Rankings and Reviews). It offers Pre-Collision System (PCS), Daytime Running Lights, Reinforced Body, Direct Tire Pressure Monitor, and vehicle stability. These features make the Lexus one of the safest luxury cars on the market.

The Lexus also got high reviews on performance. “U.S. News” gave it an 8.3 in this area and viewers said that the IS offered them an amazing driving experience (U.S. News Rankings and Reviews) A few performance features that the Lexus offers are Performance Brakes, Four-Wheel Disc Brakes, a V6 Engine, and All-Wheel Drive (http://www.lexus.com/models/IS/features/performance.html). The Lexus can perform better than most other sports cars out there.

Surprisingly, “U.S. News” gave the Lexus an 8.2 on the exterior and a 7.2 on the interior (U.S. News Rankings and Reviews) I completely disagree with this. I think the IS looks very sleek and even has turn signals in the side mirrors (U.S. News Rankings and Reviews) On the inside, it has Satellite Radio, a Backup Camera, Push-Button Start system, and Heated/Ventilated Front Seats (Lexus Webpage). I think the Lexus deserves a lot more credit on its exterior/interior than what “U.S.” News gives it.

The final car I will evaluate is the Mazda RX-8. This sports car is mainly known for its performance with a 197 hp and very affordable price at $24,470 (U.S. News Rankings and Reviews) “Autos” gives it a 4.3 out of 5 from the experts, but reviewers only gave the resale value a 2.0 (Autos). The RX-8 is on e of the safest, best performing, and most stylish sports car.

            The RX-8 is extremely underrated in safety. It earned four stars on the driver protection test and five stars on front-passenger protection (U.S. News Rankings and Reviews). “U.S. News” gave it an 8.7 which is by far its best rating (U.S. News Rankings and Reviews).  Active safety restraints, DCS/TCS systems, and side impact protection (Mazda Webpage) are the features that make the RX-8 an extremely safe sports car.

            Performance is a characteristic that the Mazda is especially known for. This trait earned it an 8.5 from “U.S. News” although test drivers didn’t like its lack of power and speed, (U.S. News Rankings and Reviews) but an agile engine, unique renesis rotary engine, good weight distribution, and limited-slip differential make up for it. The RX-8 is also extremely easy to handle and performs extremely well overall.

            Style is also one property that does not go well with this car. “U.S. News” gave it a 7.6 on exterior and an 8.0 on its exterior (U.S. News Rankings and Reviews). I agree with these ratings. I think the RX-8 is very flashy and is way too small. Although this doesn’t mean that it has a few good features. Bluetooth technology, navigation systems, and audio systems are just some of them (Mazda Webpage). These components are not enough though to make up for the rest of it and is its worst feature by far.

            The Honda Odyssey, the Lexus IS, and the Mazda RX all got very high reviews from viewers. Overall, the RX-8 got the lowest scores from “U.S. News” so ill have to make it between the Honda Odyssey and the Lexus IS. The Odyssey easily beats the IS in safety because of all the safety features that are put into it. The Lexus may have more horsepower and speed than the Honda, but according to “U.S. News”, the Honda has better handling than any other car (U.S. News Rankings and Reviews). The Lexus clearly has a better exterior, but the Honda has way too many components in the interior and beats it in that area. With all that considered, I would choose the Honda Odyssey.  Its safety and interior are too good to overlook. This was very tough to decide but I think I made the right choice.

Marijuana is an illegal drug in the U.S. that many people have debated on whether or not it should be legalized. Marijuana should be legalized in this country. The legalization of marijuana would greatly reduce crime rates. Weed (a slang term for marijuana)  is less harmful than tobacco products and alcohol and they are both legalized. Law enforcement would be much more efficient without laws restricting marijuana use. The largest cash crop in the U.S. is marijuana and the country can not benefit from it without it being legal. Marijuana provides many beneficial medical uses.

If marijuana was legalized, it would help reduce crime rates. Marijuana is one of the most sold illegal drugs. This is because it is easy to get and is easy to sell. Because of this, many criminals sell it. They use the money they earn from this to provide them with weapons and other things that promote criminal activity.

Marijuana is much less harmful to one’s body compared to tobacco products and alcohol yet they are not illegal. Tobacco and alcohol cause much more harm to an individual than weed. Both can result in a physical addiction that is very hard to break. Marijuana does not cause any type of physical addiction and a person can stop using it anytime they want. Although marijuana has been proven to potentially cause harm to those that smoke it, he/she can easily stop before any actual harm is caused.

If marijuana was legalized, law enforcement would become much more efficient. Marijuana related charges are very common which forces police to focus more of the their attention and resources on cracking down on weed. Police should be more worried about more important crimes than catching some kid for smoking weed. If it were legalized, police would be able to focus their time and resources on preventing other crimes that could potentially cause harm to people’s lives.

Marijuana is the largest cash crop in this country but the government will not get anything from it as long as it’s illegal. Billions of dollars are spent on the production and sale of marijuana every year. Unfortunately, the government is not able to benefit from it. If it were legalized, the government could put a tax on it and could get a large portion of this billion dollar industry. Also, it is actually costing money to try and keep illegal marijuana use under control which is very similar to the prohibition era. The government should learn from its own history and legalize it.

The opposition states that smoking marijuana can be very harmful. However, marijuana has been prescribed to many people for multiple different illnesses. Many states have already legalized medical marijuana. Weed has been proven to help people with certain illnesses. Marijuana has not only been used for medical reasons recently but has been used throughout history. Since marijuana is a plant, people such as the Native Americans used it for many years. The fact that it is a plant also means that there are not any adverse side effects, unlike most legal drugs.

In conclusion, marijuana is a very beneficial drug which is not being utilized in this country. Marijuana needs to be legalized for this country and its people to benefit from it. Legalizing weed would help reduce crime rates. Tobacco and alcohol are much more harmful than marijuana. Legalization would make law enforcement much more efficient. Marijuana is the largest cash crop in the U.S. and if it were legalized, America would get billions of dollars from it. Marijuana provides many safe and beneficial uses.

Whether or not people should be hunting animals has always been a big debate. Regulated hunting is a good thing that affects everyone in a positive way. Hunting is actually the most humane way of killing animals. The amount of money that hunters pay for equipment and gear greatly benefits the economy. Without hunting many forest’s would be destroyed. Predator hunting helps the lives of farmers. Deer hunting can save many lives.

Hunting is the most humane way to kill an animal. In nature, prey have many natural predators that keep their population in check. In a lot of areas, prey do not always have a natural predator that can keep their population in check. Without them, they would be greatly over populated and the particular food source for that animal would diminish within a short period of time. Many of the animals would become extremely weak and many would eventually die of hunger. Starvation is a long and painful process in which a deer should not have to endure. Hunting will give the animal a natural predator to prevent it from becoming overpopulated and prevent it from possibly suffering from starvation.

Hunters pay a lot of money every year which helps the economy and the environment. Hunters require many things before they are even able to start a hunt. They need a weapon, some type of camouflage clothing, a hunting license, and sometimes even more depending on what he/she is hunting. The expenses will greatly benefit the economy. Also, the taxes on these things will help the country and even will go toward wild life conservation sites. If hunting were taken away then thousands of businesses would go under leaving even more people unemployed. The unemployment rate would increase even more, leaving many people without jobs. The money made from hunting is necessary for the economic growth of the country.

Deer hunting prevents the destruction and aids in the repair of forests. Hunting deer is one of the most popular types of animals to hunt. A reason for this is simply based on the sheer amount of deer out there. Many people complain about deer destroying their garden or landscaping but, in some areas, there are so many deer that they actually end up destroying the environment around them. They will eat so much vegetation off the forest floor that other animals will have nothing else to eat.  Many animals would become very weak and hungry and could create a domino effect on everything in that ecosystem. Often times the deer leave it almost impossible for the forest to repair itself. As deer continue to overpopulate, more and more forests will be destroyed. The forests are very important and should be protected against this type of destruction.

Predator hunting prevents the destruction of a farmer’s livestock. Predator hunting is very important for farmers. Farmers’ already have to worry about their livestock being attacked even in places where there are less hunting restrictions, which can seriously affect the amount of income that a farmer makes. Without predator hunting, packs of coyotes, wolves, and other animals would attack farmer’s livestock even more and could greatly affect their income.  Predator hunting keeps these attacks down and protects the farmer’s way of living.

The opposition states that hunting is unnecessary and unethical. However, hunting is the exact opposite because it controls the population and can even prevent many deaths and accidents. Most people who drive have either hit a deer or have known someone who has. In most cases, the damage is not severe and the passengers are not injured. Unfortunately, this is not always true. Deer have been known to crash through the windshield and seriously injure or kill the driver and/or passenger inside. Accidents like these happen every year especially in rural areas where the deer have become extremely overpopulated. The only effective way to keep the population of deer down and to prevent accidents like these from happening is by hunting.

In conclusion, hunting is a necessary thing for humans. Hunting is legal, and will always be legal. Hunting prevents animals from starving and kills them in a humane way. Hunters spend a lot of money every year which is very beneficial for the economy. Hunting protects the forests from being destroyed. Predator hunting protects farmers’ livestock. Hunting prevents car accidents and saves lives.

paying college athletes

People have debated on whether or not to pay college athletes for years. College athletes should not get paid. Paying college athletes would take away any chance a small school would ever have of going to a BCS bowl game, players already get paid through their scholarships, and it simply would ruin the innocence of the college game.

Small schools like TCU and Boise State will never have a chance at getting to a BCS bowl game again if college players received paychecks. Bigger schools have a lot more money than smaller ones and would be able to spend more on better players.

Athletes are already paid hundreds of thousands through their scholarship money. Not only do these scholarships cover tuition, but they cover room and board, food, books, etc.

The opposition states that college athletes bring in millions of dollars to their universities and don’t receive any of that money that they deserve. However, a major reason people love college sports is because of the fact that most of those kids out on the court/field are playing it simply because they love the game. By paying college athletes money, it would ruin everything that makes college sports great.

In conclusion, colleges should not have to pay their athletes because it would ruin the “little guys’” chance at getting to BCS bowls, they already pay them by giving them scholarships, and it would ruin the innocence of college sports

The NFL has become America’s most popular sport in the past 20 years. The popularity of the NFL will soon decline and will no longer be the most popular sport in the U.S. A possible lockout, the new hit policy, and the long term effects of concussions will lead to the NFL’s downfall.

It is highly likely that the players union and the owners will not be able to come to an agreement which would lead to a lockout next year. In recent history, hockey and baseball have both had strikes and both sports are still hurting from it today.

The NFL has begun fining players for helmet to helmet hits. The new policy will have a great effect on the league because it will prevent big hits and will also set a precedent for more rules to be created to protect the players.

The opposition states that football is America’s sport and that it couldn’t lose its popularity. However, every year there is new research on the long term effects of concussions which will lead to even more rules that will hurt the popularity of the league. Concussions have become the new big topic of the NFL and there have already been many new rules that have angered players and fans.

In conclusion, the NFL will no longer be the most popular sport in the near future because of a possible lockout, the new hit policy, and the concussion research

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/19/AR2010101904741.html

aluminum bats in college

In College baseball, aluminum bats are still being used. Aluminum bats should be made illegal in college, and wood bats should be used instead. These bats should not be used because they are already illegal for high school in some states and all over Canada, they do not help prepare the athlete for the next level, and it increases the risk of injury.

In many states in the U.S., metal bats are already illegal in high school. If there are already thousands of high school athletes being forced to use wood bats, then so should college athletes who are much bigger and stronger. It doesn’t make any sense that there are college athletes who could be going pro in a year and are allowed to use metal bats when there are high school students who can’t.

By using metal bats in college, it will not help prepare those who plan and dream about moving on to professional baseball. Hitting a baseball with a wood bat is very different compared to hitting it with a metal bat. Since wood bats are used in all levels of pro baseball, players need to be prepared for this.

The opposition states that there are very few injuries that are caused by the bat hitting the ball and wood bats would not reduce this. However, wood bats would not only lower the risk of injury, but will greatly reduce the risk of serious and fatal injury. Since metal bats are much lighter and have a greater sweet spot, the ball will come off the bat much harder and faster compared to wood bats.

In conclusion, metal bats should no longer be used in college because they are already illegal in high school in many states and all over Canada, they do not help prepare athletes for the next level, and it increases the risk of injury.

http://ponyball.net/aluminum-bat-dangerous.html

Abortion

There have been many protests and movements to try and get abortion illegalized. Abortion should stay legal. Getting pregnant can be a mistake and people deserve a second chance. If abortion was illegal, women would try and abort the baby themselves. Rape victims should not have to carry a baby around in their bodies for nine months

People who have unexpected pregnancies should have a second chance. Children can be a blessing and a burden. Babies require a lot of money and time to take care of. People who are considering abortion, especially teenagers, do not have the time or money for them. Unexpected pregnancies have kept many men and women form accomplishing their dreams. Getting an abortion can offer them a second chance.

Making abortion illegal would only put women at risk of injuring themselves. Abortion has been illegal in this country before. One reason that this was changed was due to the amount of illegal abortions that were performed. An illegal abortion does not involve a skilled surgeon removing a baby. Instead, the pregnant woman does it herself. This either resulted in death or serious injury.

The opposition states that a parent should adopt their baby if they do not want it. However, a rape victim should not have to carry around a reminder of the most traumatizing event in their life. Being raped is a moment one will never forget. Many women struggle with it the rest of their lives. Forcing them to go through a pregnancy would be torture. It would greatly add to their emotional stress.

In conclusion, legalized abortion does more good than bad. Abortion will always be legal. People make mistakes and should have another chance to fix what they did. Illegal abortions lead to the deaths of many women and rape victims should not have to go through a pregnancy.

http://web.mit.edu/pro-choice/www/facts.html
http://www.amberdragonflypress.com/march/abortion_stories.htm

The NFL has a rule, called the Rooney rule, which states that a team must interview a minority when a head coaching spot becomes available. the NFL should have this rule removed. The rule should be removed because it is unfair, it could grow, and it is racist.
The rule is unfair to football teams and other coaches. when a coach is fired, most teams already have candidates in mind, and sometimes, already know exactly who they want. This forces teams to blindly interview minority coaches for a spot that is most likely already filled.
If this rule is not removed, it could grow and force teams to consider whit players when a spot on the field becomes available. a majority of the NFL is made up of minorities and if this rule was made to put more minorities in coaching positions then why would it not apply to putting more whites on the field? If this happened, it would hurt the NFL because fans want it to be the best football league in the world, not the most diverse.
Lastly, the Rooney rule itself is racist. by enforcing this rule, it is saying that minorities are not good enough to get the job on their own and need a rule to get them the interview.
In conclusion, the Rooney rule needs to be abolished from the league due to its unfairness, its possibility of growth, and its racism.

Jay Cutler

Recently, Jay Cutler has been under fire from the media, fans, and players. Cutler is the starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears and helped lead them to their first NFC championship game since 2006. It was what happened right after half-time which has lead to the controversy. Early in the second quarter, Cutler was hit and went down awkwardly. He was able to finish out the first half but hobbled into the locker room. He did come out to start the third quarter but was taken out shortly after. Before the game even ended people started “tweeting” on twitter about how he has no heart and how he is a quitter. However, it turned out that not only was it the coach’s decision to take Cutler out, but doctors diagnosed him with a MCL sprain, an injury that would have made him questionable for the super-bowl if they had made it. Now, I am not a Jay Cutler fan. The media is usually against him and most of the time they have every right to be. However, in this case, I think everyone should give him a break. Even after his diagnoses people still criticized him for not acting like he was more hurt than he really was. I realize that he is disrespectful to the media which is why they are so hard on him but that does not mean they are right. He tried and wanted to play but his coach took him out and, based on his injury, he was right to do so. I believe that there are not many players out there that would have finished the game in his condition which is why people should leave the guy alone.