Post Apocalypse

The world as we know it is dead. Millions of people have died during the nuclear war and only thing I was able to save was my Bible. If there was a nuclear war and I could only take one book with me it would have to be my Bible. I’m a Christian and I’m very serious about my faith and the Bible is the most important book on earth to me. I read my Bible every day and I’m learning new things about God every day. The Bible is a key part of Christianity and I would feel lost if I could never read it again. This book has helped me cope with difficult times in my life and it has been a constant source of comfort and guidance. There are many stories in the Bible that I love and have grown up with. David and Goliath is a personal favorite of mine and the stories of King David’s twelve Mighty Men are also some of my favorites.  First Timothy is probably my favorite book of the Bible because it was written to a young man in an environment hostile to Christians. One of the major themes of first Timothy is that even though you may be young it’s never  too early to start making a difference.  The books of Psalms and Proverbs have helped me develop as a person. There are countless wise statements in Proverbs and Psalms is a very emotional book that I can relate to. The Bible is very important to a lot of people and I think that it would be instrumental in helping the coming generations reestablish a just and moral society. There are plenty of good books out there but I think the Bible is the most important one and has given guidance to millions of people throughout history.  

May the force be with you!

It is really difficult to choose just one movie to say is my favorite. I really like The Lord of the rings, Batman Begins, the Bourne movies, and many more, but my absolute favorite movies are the original Star Wars trilogy. I know that this trilogy is not just one movie, but it is one complete story and so I think it counts. I grew up watching these movies dozens of times and I practically have them memorized word for word. My brother and I had a bunch of Star Wars action figures and we played Star Wars trivia all the time. I am a complete Star Wars geek. The reason I like these movies so much is that they take you to new worlds will fantastic creatures and the adventures that the main characters have are so exciting and suspenseful.

                Star Wars was so original when it came out in 1977 and it set the standard for every sci-fi movie to come after it. The “Force” was a new concept and the future in which Star Wars took place was gritty and not all new and shiny. The first time I watched Episode V the Empire Strikes Back, it blew my mind when I found out that Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker’s father. I could feel the suspense when Luke destroyed the Death Star and when he confronted his father in the last epic duel in the Star Wars trilogy. The story line was really good and the acting was top notch. The main characters were Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Darth Vader.   They were played by Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Kerri Fisher, and David Prowse respectively. Obi-Wan Kenobi was also a major character and was played by Alec Guinness.  George Lucas was the genius who wrote and directed Star Wars. I love these movies and I plan on showing them to my future children so they can enjoy the amazing world of Star wars as well.

Technology

Technology is everywhere. Technology is a key part of our society and is used in every way possible. There are machines for almost any task and if one doesn't exist, then it will soon be invented. There is technology for problems that don't even exist and there is technology that fixes the problems with other technology. Americans are very fortunate to have so much technology and often take it for granted. The internet makes attending college so much easier and hassle free. I can sign up for classes on line, look up information for projects, as my teachers questions through email, and manage my over college carrier from the internet.

          I think technology is very good for the most part. New medical machines save hundreds of lives every day and just having electricity makes life so much easier. Being able to use cell phones and easily communicate with people all over the country is a great convinience. News networks on TV keep us up to date on every major event happening in the world right now. This ability to communicate over long distances has greatly improved the effectiveness of groups like the United Nations. They are able to address the world's problems more quickly and effectively because they are better informed and know about global events right away. Electricity also enables air conditioning and heating which makes the weather have less of an impact on people. Cars get us from point A to point B and create many opportunities to travel and experience new things.

          Some technology, like nuclear weapons, can be extremely dangerous but the vast majority of technology has enabled humans to live better, longer, and safer lives. Some people get obsessed with technology and forget to communicate with people face to face, but this is a very minor problem right now. People need to learn how to use technology is moderation and not forget that actually being with people is a great experience. Overall, technology is great and I love it.

Gas, Black Gold, Texas Tea

Why are gas prices so high? In an economy that is struggling to get back on its feet, it seems strange that one of the most important and basic resources is so expensive. High gas prices not only put a dent in people’s wallets, but also harms the economy. People are less likely to take vacations with gas costing so much. Tourism has decreased greatly and cities and states whose economy depend on tourism are really struggling now. Despite the plight of individuals and communities, gas prices continue to rise and no one in Washington is doing anything. Both parties are strangely silent on this huge problem. Democrats say renewable energy is the solution and Republicans say that America needs to drill in its own territories. However, both sides don’t seem to be trying to do anything to immediately solve the problem. Gas prices are rising for apparently no reason and the gas companies raise prices at the exact same time. This tactic of every gas station raising their prices at the same time is collusion and is illegal. So why aren’t the gas companies being punished for this illegal activity? Oil companies give a large amount of money to both political parties and the politicians don’t want to upset their big financial supporters. I can’t prove this, but it seems to me that if either political party could do something to decrease gas prices, then that party would get huge support from the people in the next election. But, neither party is taking advantage of this opportunity to get votes, which is strange. Another reason why gas is so expensive is that the dollar is worth less and less. OPEC is the major supplier of oil and only accepts dollars as payment. Under the current administration, the government has printed billions of dollars, and therefore decreased the value of the dollar. With the dollar being worth less, OPEC raises prices to maintain profits. The oil isn’t more expensive, but our money doesn’t buy as much as it once did so now we have to spend more of it to get what used to be cheap. I’m not saying President Obama is responsible for high gas prices, but just to give you an idea of how high gas has gotten so fast, gas used to be $1.80 per gallon when Obama first took office. Gas prices have more than doubled in two years and it doesn’t look like it will get better anytime soon.  

Osama Bin Laden's Death

             The death of Osama Bin Laden is an event that has enormous significance for all Americans. Some people view the death of Osama as a good thing but cringe when people celebrate his death. When I heard the news I was extremely proud to be an American and felt that this was a huge victory in the war on terror. I am relieved and very happy that Osama is dead. I don’t think that my feelings are inappropriate or barbaric. Some people argue that Americans celebrating the death of Osama is just as wrong as when the militant Muslim community celebrated 9-11. I think this comparison is way off-base in some key ways. The radical Muslims celebrated the murder of thousands of innocent people. Americans celebrated the death of a mass murderer. I think the difference is quite obvious. Bin Laden openly declared war on America and his death is a direct consequence of this action. Osama was still actively planning attacks on America and I find it ridiculous that people say I shouldn’t be happy about his death. Osama was trying to kill Americans until he met his end. No one took objection to when Hitler committed suicide, but somehow it’s wrong to be happy about Osama’s death. Osama was just as evil as Hitler and if he had accomplished his goal all non-Muslim Americans would have been killed. That is not my opinion it’s a fact. Militant Muslims have said multiple times that the Western world is the greatest evil in the earth. If Osama had the power he would have killed millions of Americans. I don’t see a problem with celebrating the death of a monster.
President Obama gave a good speech after the death of Bin Laden. He emphasized the unity of all Americans. I think that this event can only help Obama’s re-election campaign. This event will become a political battle and Republicans and Democrats will both try to claim credit. The Democrats will say that it was Obama’s action that led to Bin Laden’s death and the Republicans will claim that it was Bush’s decision to attack terrorism that lead to this victory. Both sides have good points, but I think this event will benefit Obama the most.