Welfare Patients Could Abuse Money

     In the midst of an economic crisis, perhaps there are scandals more troubling than the big bailouts and the huge unemployment rates. Perhaps the most troubling aspect is that people nationwide may be betraying our trust and driving our economy even further into the depths. Consider Welfare, and the nature of it. It A system that was designed out of good intention. The thought being to help those in need who can't raise enough cash to supply them with the necessities. Today, this system is being abused, but people are trying to take steps forward in protecting Welfare and protecting the citizens who pay for it. With drug testing , the people of the United States can rest assured their money is not going to support someone else's addiction.
        People should not and will not be forced to give money to someone who doesn't deserve it. Someone who lost their home due to being laid off, deserves support from us. That could be anyone, and we should all be willing to help a friend just anyone would want a friend to help them. Yet, a junkie who who abuses drugs receives just the same amount of funding from citizens and is far less deserving. People argue that people were forced into using drugs to cope with the tough times, but that isn't true. Everyone always has a choice over what they do, at no time in our existence are humans forcibly fed drugs. So for two different people who are faced with the same difficulties, the one who chooses to stay clean and free from drugs made the right choice even in the face of adversity. This is the person who is deserving of our love and help.There is one reason; this person will put our money to good use. Possibly food or shelter, but certainly not drugs. The solution is logical, drug testing is right. Some argues that it violates the right to unreasonable search and seizure, but nothing is unreasonable. To receive our money, do not take drugs. Seems reasonable and correct according to the law. Yet, since we live in a democratic nation, the only issue that matters is what the people feel is appropriate. According to the public agenda, a leading source on the public's opinion, 68% of people surveyed feel that drug testing for welfare patients is necessary. In the end it all comes down to personal responsibility, everyone has choices to make. It's important to realize that the choice to engage in illegal activity and be instrumental in the facilitation and distribution of narcotics is not supported by this country. As such, it is our right to know whether or not welfare money will be used to support this activity.

Sources:
http://www.publicagenda.org/charts/people-support-mandatory-drug-tests-welfare-recipients

Why is offshore drilling an issue?

      Most people in the world are somewhat familiar with the issue that humans face when it comes to our need for oil and gas. We need excessive amounts, the earth only has so much. A basic idea most people encapsulate, yet tje issue is so much more deep and complex. Yet, for a most part the we shall discuss three ways to determine the viability and usefulness of offshore drilling. When debating the topic, keep in mind the effect it will have on the environment, the effect it shall have on the economy, and finally the effect it will have on future generations. That might be somewhat confusing, but it's actually really simple.
    The people on Earth too commonly forget that this planet isn't all enduring, and that's definitely something to think about when drilling. Remember that even though this planet may seem so big, our very own race is capable of doing some real damage to it and possibly destroying and us and the planet one day. This should be the most important factor to weigh, seeing as when there is no Earth humans have no place to go.  Most people still freshly remember the BP oil spill from last year and how it hurt the economy so badly, and the potential for something like this to happen again is still there. Rachel Cernasky is a freelance journalist with her Master's degree in Communications and she currently writes for planetgreen.com, in her article on drilling she wrote, "Drilling projects will compromise the economic health of coastal communities, which rely on clean waters and intact ecosystems. Without proper understanding of how drilling will affect the ecosystem—or the ability to predict the future—these projects are also seen as risky and, for some of the leases in Alaskan waters, subject to challenge in the Court of Appeals because of a lack of sound science promising the environmental safety of drilling in these areas". Her concern for the environment is definitely valid, and should never be forgotten. This issue should be the forefront in in people's discussions on whether or not to pursue offshore drilling, but of course people must also never forget the need of it and the effect it will have on the economy.
      Think of the state of the nation right now, people are jobless. People are angry, and people need jobs. So maybe pursuing the offshore drilling will solve some of our issues it seems. It should create jobs, circulate money back into America, and supply us with more gasoline to lower the price of it. Yet, people need to really study and look into the need at a much deeper level. For example, according to Cernasky for nearly every 1 million dollars put into off shore drilling, creates more jobs than if 3 million dollars were put into clean energy technologies. So through these benefits and downfalls, it's important to never lose sight of a goal no mater what it shall be. For example, our goal is something along the lines of meeting the short term needs we have for oil and gas while maintaining economic stability and reserves for future generations. Yet, some people believe the most important factors have to deal with our foreign affairs and pursuit of oil in the Middle East, but they're missing the point. This isn't a very important factor to keep in mind because even though nations maybe mad if we take their oil, it's more important to make sure our planet is safe and the nation's economy will actually benefit from this oil. Overall, the subject and debate is very deep and complicated, but for future debates it's important to never lose sight on the environment, economic needs, and needs of future generations. For if we do lose sight on this, who knows where the world will be in even one hundred years.

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Education does not equal jobs

America is currently in turmoil, and the economy has shown little signs of drastic improvement. Yet, as time wares on the key question America should face is how to help our the struggling middle class Americans. As of August 2011, 9.1% of Americans hobbled on without jobs(google public data), and this is easily the biggest plague and difficulty our nation faces in our present state. So, it seems as if the easiest goal for America to state is simply create more jobs. Simple goal, but our country is mistaken in their avenue of pursuit. Students are encouraged to go to college in society, get a degree, and get a job. Students are not encouraged to go out and forget college, and start a business. Quite possibly the one that might supply America with an insane amount of jobs. For example, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg, all never got a college degree. Yet, they own some of the most successful businesses in the United States, and employ thousands of people together. This is for the simple reason that our education system stifles the traits needed to be a successful employer.
            A college degree simply is meant to be a symbol, such as any other degree or certification is. It should symbolize an in-depth knowledge of a certain subject and an ability to work hard. Yet, in colleges across the world the focus is definitely shifting less on working hard, to being intelligent. A stress has been put on intelligence and knowledge across the country, as more and more teachers are stressing the knowledge hoping that the good will and dedication follows soon afterwards. Teachers and universities instill some traits needed for entrepreneurs, but not what are arguably the most important ones. It is important to be intelligent, yet some of the most successful businessmen state that they reached success due to their failures and hard work. Not to forget, colleges almost lead people away from creating jobs and businesses. In college, students live in a structured environment and are taught to make safe choices. A teacher might tell a student that in computer engineering, the student could make $100,000 annually. This type of thinking stifles entrepreneurship, it's a one way train of thought. The student sees his goal as getting a job similar to this. Consider the following in great detail, "If there was a goal-setting course somewhere in my college education, I must have missed it!  Everything I’ve learned about goal setting, I have learned on my own, from experience, from coaches, or in seminars"(http://www.companyfounder.com/2011/10/an-entrepreneur-does-not-need-university-education/). This comes from Paul Morin in his discussion regarding the need of a college education, and clearly college destroys some traits needed to successfully be an entrepreneur. Now, some people will state that college is indeed necessary for any path. Everyone has heard the fact that students with college degrees make nearly two times as much as people without them, it has been recited everywhere. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, students with a master's degree make nearly three times as much as students without a high school degree. Therefore, these degrees procure the student's opportunities to earn more one would be lead to believe. When really, the dropouts didn't earn less because they were dropouts, but because they were not qualified for the work force. The students probably set lower goals for themselves and achieved less overall, while the students with the degrees were most likely more dedicated and excited about challenges they faced. So, a student who was dedicated and a hard worker, may have achieved more without a college degree, if he had taken that avenue. Yet, we will never know, but these stats are definitely the wrong way to be viewing the value of a degree.
           Again, the issue boils down to the need for jobs in the American economy and the relation of an education to that. Obviously, a post secondary education is needed for many jobs today, but not for the people creating those jobs. These rulers of tomorrow and heroes of today, need traits not taught in school. They need un-ending dedication, faith, and the ability to inspire others. They need the ability to sell a product, fail gracefully, and most importantly offer a unique and different service. Sadly, students are taught none of this! They are taught to simply be better than those before them, but that will not suffice anymore. If America is to succeed for tomorrow, college needs to change. It needs to teach our children more effectively, and give them something valuable. Something that signifies their place in society because right now all it signifies is their lack of creativity and innovation as well as their in-depth knowledge of some book that will be outdated in two years.

Green Sharpener's lost friend

Now even as the sharpener didn't feel or have emotions, sometimes the feelings don't matter in a story. Rather, the story itself is intriguing enough to be told without taking the reader on an emotional roller coaster. So, this would be the category of the sharpener's brother.Brother being used as a term because sharpener's don't roll off the assembly line in nice even pieces, rather they are conjoined by every two. So, were these two sharpeners. Except, they weren't separated by the conventional  blade that separated so many others. Instead, they were separated by an explosion, a robbery. Forever doomed to never find the other, the path these two were condemned to. The brother , the one that was lost, is still lost. One can only wonder if it will ever be found. Everything will eventually be found, right?

The History of A Pencil Sharpener

Every single item in the world, has a history. Whether it be an ancient artifact or a new piece of technology, if an object is created it has a history. So, did the little unique pencil sharpener that had stumbled into a school one day. It too, had a history. No matter how brief, or how insignificant. That object had one, not steamed with mystery or full of exciting events. Rather, a brief, bland one. Yet, it represented so much more than that. So much more that maybe it will never be understood, but I will do my best to relay its importance to you.

The Green Sharpener

Some people may be jealous or envious of a pencil sharpener. After all, it doesn't seem that hard. All a sharpener has to do is sit on a desk and watch its sharp blades take care of any object that could be inserted into it. The sharpener never has to worry, fret, or care. Void of emotion and thought, it can not be difficult. On the contrary life isn't there, so no happiness of excitement can be felt. So, should men be envious of the pencil sharpener? I, myself, don't have an opinion for it raises an eternal question: is it better to have had and lost, or never have had at all??

is College a Scam?

Ringing in the ears of most teenagers and Americans like myself are the words, "Graduates from four-year colleges earn nearly twice as much as high school graduates, an estimated $1 million more.(Clinton). Any American child who hears this, is immediately excited. Who wouldn't be? It sounds so appealing, twice the amount of money and the college experience. Yet, the comparison itself is absolutely absurd. The students who went to college years ago weren't expected to, and the fact that they applied themselves to something like college shows that they were hard workers in the first place. They  went above and beyond, so even if they didn't go to college they most likely still would have done well in the work place. Most kids go off and embark on college, but the most important facts about college are never told to the American people. No one barges into classrooms and tells second graders that in 10 years when they graduate, there will be no jobs for the student who paid three hundred thousand dollars to get his degree in micro biology. 
        With these facts and numbers being pushed into our heads, too many children are taught that success is college, graduating is equal to succeeding in life. Society too openly embraces this idea, and then so do the parents of young children. College is then pushed onto the child it's not suited for, like a child who can work excellently mechanically and will be pushed into going into law. Maybe this student drops out, and is then in hundreds of thousands dollars of debt. Forcing this student to work for less and doing a job that he is worse at. Even if the student went through college and succeeded, what do students really learn in college? For hundreds of thousands of dollars, everyone should think it would be remarkable and exceptionally practical, yet some stats would tell us that now all of it is. "80,00 bartenders in the United States have a bachelor's degree, and 15 percent of taxi and limo drivers have college degress"(Richard Vedder). In Vedder's novel he goes on to explain that some perfectly apt and intelligent students go to college and excel while achieving the degree they wished for. Yet, sometimes the information they achieved isn't enough to work, but quite commonly the kids need to being working right away to start paying off their huge college loans. When they get a job(such as a taxi driver) the longer they stay there the less willing owners are to hire them to do  specialized work as they have been out of the field for a while. Then, the adults are in serious debt and forced to stay at the current job until they can miraculously move up. College can play out many different ways for many people, but the information and the encouragement to go to college continues to be thrown at the youth of America. The question has now become not whether or not students will go to college, but whether or not students should go to college.

No Effort

Recently, it seems a new term has developed on the internet, and I've notice it quite commonly in society. The term is "try-hard" and quite commonly(often in a denotative fashion) to describe someone or something that's trying very hard to accomplish a goal. Quite disturbing in my opinion, as this encourages people and members of society to not try. It seems more and more prevalent and obvious in the school system and especially at Blackstone Valley Tech. I can vividly remember talking to two friends of mine and inquiring as to how they were doing in math class, as I found to be extremely difficult. Both of my friends told me they had grades of seventies and lower, and yet they both also said they could do better if they just did their work. I asked them why they didn't and one simply responded with, "I don't know". The other one told me that he didn't feel like doing homework, and both were very defensive when they heard I had a better grade. Immediately, they insisted they would have better grades than me if they put in any effort, and attacked me for doing well in the class. I was very shocked at the defensiveness and the response, so it's stayed as a vivid memory in my head for a few years. From then on, the trend has been easy to notice. Quite commonly, kids who do well in school are teased for having "no life" because the work load can be tremendous(life referring to social life).

        It's now cool to not try, but even worse than that is that it's looked down upon to try. In school systems, this can not be allowed to go on. It encourages a tremendous lack of effort and often effort is more important than superior intellect. This idealism has even gone into many other aspects of culture, such as video games. Yesterday, I was just playing online when someone heckled me for wanting to win. The point anonymous was trying to make was simply that trying wasn't cool, and eventually he came to completely spending his time demeaning me for trying. As a whole, no one benefits from this type of attitude. As a whole it must be stopped as soon as possible, so giving effort in school can be accepted and students can dedicate their time without being heckled.

Value

    As Marc thought more and more about what the object's true worth was, he lost sense of the emotional value it had to him. He  figured it was as good a time as any to clean out his room and he took the bracelet and all the other junk to a pawner later in the week. Once there, the clerk examined the items carefully but seemed especially interested in the bracelet. Of course, this sparked Marc's interest as well, for it didn't look to have any value whatsoever. When the clerk offered Marc $100 for nothing but the bracelet, he was shocked. He turned down the offer, and instead turned his curiosity back to the bracelet, for it wasn't good then there's no need to offer him one hundred dollars for it. When he got home he put the bracelet back on the shelf where it always went, and searched the web for any news about the bracelet, but he didn't know where to start. That was, until, he looked on the inside of it.

Value

Marc Tetreault stumbled into his room after another tiring and demeaning day of work. As he looked around his room, he tried to find the validation for having a job. He tried quickly to think of reasons as to why he would "waste" such time, and couldn't seem to find anything in his room that would validate his purchases. Everything seemed expendable, he'd be fine with no money and no job. That was until he found the little bracelet on his bureau. Out of everything in the giant room, the one item he couldn't part without was the one that had the lowest value. Yet, it didn't have much sentimental value either. Except for the fact that ever since Marc could remember the bracelet had been his, and he wished to continue the trend. It felt like parting with a big part of him, his being and history. As it was, and Marc was soon going to learn of its history. Some may call it luck or destiny, but the feeling of an adventure was overwhelming.

E-Sports in Society

Anyone who stays at home and plays video games for fourteen hours a day, is heckled for it in the U.S.A. I, personally have been heckled and jeered at for playing video games. I still remember quite vividly in middle school being called a "video-game nerd" for "excessively" playing games that weren't popular with my peers. For example, I would love to play "Starcraft", a product of Blizzard and a real time strategy game. Nothing could sound more nerdy, and in general society looks down on a kid who sits at home and plays these games. Yet, little did I know, down in South Korea, nothing was more accepted. "Starcraft" was to South Korea as football is to the United States. As I stumbled across the internet and became friends with more people online, I realized there were millions of gamers similar to me. All these gamers, and of them I was probably the least skilled. Eventually, I found my brother's friends would be the ones to enlighten me as to the true scale of video games in society. I soon came to watch videos of professionals playing "Starcraft" in jam-packed stadiums, with screaming fans, and very excited commentators. It wouldn't take me long to learn that "Starcraft" was indeed the national sport of South Korea. At this very moment, a flood of ideas and possibilities broke like a flood into my mind. The best players in South Korea would be getting paid much more than the average worker there, and soon I came across other games as big as "Starcraft" in the world. I had found a group of people who believed these games to be sports, called e-sports. At first, the idea was ridiculous to me. As much as I loved these games, it wasn't a sport. Then, I learned why these "games" are indeed sports. The best player in Korea, put in fourteen hours of practice each day. He worked out, and stayed in the best of shape both mentally and physically. This player's name is Lee Jae Dong, and he was more fit than most athletes in any professional sport. I still could not comprehend how difficult the game was. Any athlete could be as fit as these men were, yet their mental abilities far surpassed anyone. These children, (commonly in their teens and twenties) were supporting their families. Their money depended on their tournament wins, so winning and losing meant everything to these kids. They would feel fatigue during every game and sensational pressure to do well, playing on a level that was insane. It became a fact that a foreigner could  not beat a Korean. Which held up approximately 99% of the time. Some of these players would top out their apm( actions per minute) at near six hundred or seven hundred. An action can be a click of the mouse or a click of the key, and every single click or key hit had a meaning. It performed another action in the giant army these players controlled.  Today e-sports are spreading everywhere. Yet, people still try to invalidate it and insist it is not a sport. Even though, these athletes put in more practice than most players of other sports. These players lose feeling in their hands, their eyes strain from staring into a bright light, and different strategies are constantly racing through their head, even when not near a game. Always anticipating the next trend, or how they're going to respond. E-sports are indeed sports, they require the practice any other sport does. The game is as much physical as any other sport, and it requires more mental prowess than any other sport. Still, the competition to be a professional is as fierce as it is in any other sport world-wide, maybe even harder. As e-sports becomes bigger and bigger in society, it is time people being to accept it and see the leagues for what they are: a true sports league.

Being Alive/Abortion

In America, according to our government, there is a fine line between when a human is living and when it is simply an embryo. The line being twenty-four weeks into pregnancy. It seems at this "magical" deadline that the being is now alive, because the government says so. Is it any different than it was before? It still doesn't have conscious thoughts, the embryo is still performing the necessary functions to live, and it's still inside the mother's stomach. Yet, suddenly it becomes "alive" and killing the embryo is now murder. What if it was killed twenty-three weeks into the pregnancy? Now, the killing of the embryo isn't a crime, but rather a simple abortion. It seems ridiculous that millions of people in America accept this idea. How is it possible for anyone to truly believe that simply because the being isn't outside the womb, that it isn't twenty-four weeks old yet, or that the being can't fend for itself, that it is any less alive than any human. Consider the idea that being alive doesn't mean having a conscious thought. For example, a baby that has been alive for one day, can't consciously think. We didn' process the world around us and react to it, rather instinct takes over. When the baby gets uncomfortable, it cries. When it's tried, it sleeps. The same level of thought occurs in the embryo, it lives off pure instinct. The being sleeps, poops, attains nutrients, and moves around. Yet, we can still kill it without it being murder. The being inside of the mother's womb, is a baby. That being is a baby that has simply not yet come outside yet. Killing the baby inside the womb is murder such as killing a one day old baby is murder. They are the same being, and it has a right to live. Never be persuaded by what you're told, think for yourself and make a difference in the murder of millions of innocent children.

America, The Land of the "Free?"

Once Zumbab made it to America,he was immediately sold to a family, which he had no idea of. He worked on a farm, and eventually he understood the idea of how the system worked. He needed to pick the plants off the stems, which was rough and often cut his hands. In exchange, he was given food and shelter. Albeit, he wasn't whipped or killed. The only way he learned to avoid the whip was to experience, something he dreadfully wished to avoid at all costs. So, Zumbab worked his life away on that farm. He had multiple children, not the way his tribe did though. It wasn't with one women, but many. Indeed, he lost nearly all sense of traditions from his own village. One remained, which was the passing down of the bracelet. So, he gave it to his oldest son, and the tradition continued for another three hundred years. From parent to offspring the bracelet was given, until today it sits on the bureau in Marc Tetreault's room.

The Path

    So, the bracelet was held as a keepsake forever. Passed down from mother to daughter, mother to son, father to daughter. Until the year was 1710, little did little Zumbab know, that his life was about to change forever. He was fishing on the coast of his homeland, when suddenly he felt the hard, crushing blow of  a rock fall over his head. When he woke, he found himself chained and surrounded by people looking the same as he did. He suddenly felt the pangs of hunger in his stomach, and the shrieks of his brethren scaring him. He tried to talk to them, but none understood him. Suddenly, the ceiling opened up from the dark room and light was let in. A white man, went around and fed all of the black slaves. The people jeered, shrieked, and cried, and in a second the last of the food was gone. Little kids had gone completely thin, and Zumbab was terrified. This is how he lived for two weeks, until the boat made it into shore in America.

The Creation

The year was nearly 1500, and the place was Africa. An intense war between two tribes was going on, the northern one trying to take the Pocotau's land. The leaders of the Pocotau was Takiri, and he had been struggling lately in his preparations for the upcoming battles. He had too many problems in his head, the safety of his family mainly, especially his beloved daughter Pocojan. The Northern tribe was coming fast and so Takiri prepared for what he well knew might be his last battle, he was old and weak. Yet, he knew he had to lead his people fiercely into battle and with a strong conviction in his heart. Before the battle, he went up and approached his only child, Takiri. He told her how much he loved her, and what she meant to him. He gave her a little rectangle made of different strings, and asked her to take this as a sign of his parental love. Then, he lead his troops into battle. He ended up winning the battle, and the war. Alas, he died at the very battle he gave the bracelet to his daughter. Now, it sits on a bureau, five hundred years in the present and long forgotten. Yet, its amazing history shall one day soon be revealed.

The Forgotten Keepsake

Almost every child and family in America can find some piece of junk lying around their house. The broken remote, the doll that's so dusty, or an old piece of art. Yet, so many people forget and don't appreciate these pieces for what they really bring to the table. So many people have no idea that the remote was used by his great great grandma on the very first television set. Or that the doll was cherished by so many kids throughout history, and now finds itself neglected in a cellar, unloved. So, sat on one bureau, a particular piece of art. Forgotten like most old toys passed down, it was a piece of blue and yellow plastic woven together to create a tight rectangle. At the end of it, four pieces of plastic emitted from the end, sticking out. And so the art sat, but its amazing and breathtaking history was unknown.

Personal Responsibility

Anyone who lives in America knows of the collapse of our banking industry. It seems every time we tune into the news someone is getting bailed out, some house is getting foreclosed, or the government is trying to do something to our debt ceiling. I believe on a depth of this knowledge, most of America understands what is happening, "it's bad", their answer would be. If you asked the average American who caused this problem, the most common answer would probably be the big bankers and the government. After all some huge banking industries are now getting sued for misrepresenting the quality of the mortgages sold during the housing bubble. So, as everyone can see the bulk of the responsibility lies upon the big bankers and the government. As such, many Americans are angry, that these two groups could mess up our entire financial system. Now, it needs to be fixed and again so many Americans feel the baking industries and government has yet again failed us.
      Yet, I feel we all have a personal responsibility to help fix the mess we're in. Many people may ask, what can I do to fix anything? They believe they can't do anything, the common conception is there is nothing we can do, so it's a waste of time to try. Well, I protest that view. The first and clearest step to me is to understand the mess we got in and how we got there. From there, the next step is education. We educate the public so we understand how we got where we are, and what we need to not do. Once the individual is educated, the steps the country needs to take will become so much clearer. Yet, there are still people who will argue this point? "Even if I educate myself, there's no way anyone else will, I'll still waste my time". That's what someone might say. Well, maybe I'll be an example for you. I try my best to educate myself on what is going on, so maybe I can have a valid view point when it comes to finding a solution. If you go and educate yourself, well I've impacted one person. Then, maybe you'' educate someone else, and we can keep the chain going. Hopefully, most of America will become alert to a personal responsibility they have, and we can all take action to make our own small difference.

News Swaying Opinions/ 9/11

How much of America will never forgot 9/11? I know personally it's a day and an event I'll never forget, I don't think it's possible to. Every so often you can turn on the discovery channel and there's a program on called "Remember 9/11", or you can occasionally will hear two people talking about walking down a hallway. 9/11 is fast approaching this year, and the television will be dominated by "remember 9/11 shows", and I'm not saying that this is wrong in any way. The people killed in 9/11 did not deserve it, and it was awful. Yet, while we admire and worship those who died, do we forget to worship the innocent on the other side?
              I do not blame any individuals, but I believe the lack of awareness sympathy is to be put on the shoulders of our news stations and governments. During the course of the Iraq War, there have been a reported 66,081 civilian casualties. That translates into one 9/11 every four months, for seven years. Some may argue it's not the news responsibility to glorify these Iraqi's deaths, after all we live in America. They deserve to be reported on as much as an American civilian dying, because the end result is just as sad. An innocent soul, whether it be a child or adult, was living his/her life, and suddenly killed. So, as 9/11 approaches, I urge you all to not only remember the poor souls who lost their lives at the twin towers, but also remember the all too forgotten Iraqi casualties, even if the news doesn't.

The last flight!

If you returned to home  after a long absence, what would you do? This was the obvious question inside of every worker's head, and it didn't leave very easily. It was everywhere, every conversation entailed it, and if it didn't, well, the workers wished it did. Eventually, just like a couple of days before, the spacecraft was inside of the encompassing darkness. The workers maintained nothing but hope, and yet the darkness couldn't stop but intimidate even the bravest crew members. After a few hours of wandering, the ship found the light they had seen before. They knew what it was, Mendorf. The home planet, their love. The spacecraft hovered over, still at an astounding speed. As it neared orbit, it slowed down. Eventually it was in the atmosphere, and the bottom of the spacecraft spewed air out of the bottom to slow down its decent. Eventually, it landed softly on the hard rock, and the diamond rolled off the top. Out piled the workers and towards them; in the most brilliant light ran their families. Their long missed and awaited families.

Preparations

Inside the little spacecraft late at night, excitement could visibly be seen buzzing around the crew's members. Tonight was to be the bight for them, just three days ago they had made it out so far, but alas they had to come back due to a lack in fuel. Now, they were completely prepared to see all their families again! The exaltation in their hearts can not be described with words, every single accident that could occur was accounted for; extra fuel on-board, a mapped chart to their homeland, and all crew members on board. The crew anxiously awaited when the time would fade into the night, and finally it had reached it. A blubbering Marc Tetreault slipped into bed, and in a measly twenty minutes he was completely asleep. The ship hovered in the air and flew out of the window for the last time.

A day in the spaceship!

The captain and crew scratched their heads with curiosity for what their next move would be. The tired workers were suddenly struck with the dreadfulness of their situation. They had no fuel, the precious time was ticking away, and no solutions seem to be being produced. The captain knew he needed to get this fuel at whatever cost it was, so he took an extremely dangerous risk. He pressed the big, red button on his desk, and in one swift motion the diamond cracked open a little. Out walked the captain, and he began his stroll through the room he had never experienced. He knew what he was looking for; gold. As he stumbled across the surface of the bureau, he eventually found a necklace. A very, very large necklace with a six-sided star at the end. He knew this would work just fine, and called out the crew. For one hour, they worked at chiseling off a little gold, and eventually they finally achieved it. The crew went back into the ship to await the next night. When Marc got home, he looked to his bureau and had a sick feeling that his necklace had gotten smaller. He shrugged it off and suggested maybe he's just getting bigger.

Near Death for the Little Spacecraft!

         As the little spacecraft descended further into space, Earth became smaller until it was a little dot in the never-ending blackness. The worker's searched the darkness for their their little planet, embarking on mission impossible as they had done. Searching for a planet, at the very end of all existence, was not going to be easy. Yet, if they could go from there to Earth, they must be able to go from Earth to Mendorf! The little workers tirelessly worked on, until the captain of the ship thought some desolate light had broken the veil of darkness! He was what appearded, to be Mendorf, but it was no more than a lonely star. Yet, the captain knew he had made progress so he asked how long he had been out. " Seven hours, sir", the crewman responded. The captain plotted an immediate return to Earth, for he knew his ship could only maintain flight for around 8 hours. He had one hour, to fly back to Earth, when it took him seven hours to fly out here. So the captain ordered the ship into overdrive, and then a giant, gaping wormhole appeared, nearly three times the ship! How large it appeared to them, so the ship flew into it. Before anyone knew it, they were back on the bureau, out of fuel and with many parts of the plane burned and unusable. There they were again, doomed to sit between the deodorant stick and broken remote. Somehow, the captain got a sick feeling inside of him that this fate was not going to be easy to escape.

The First Adventure

What is there to do with the ability to fly? So much, supposedly. You can go anywhere on the Earth, what an exciting prospect! Yet, the little workers of the alien space-shuttle had much more astounding goals than that. These little workers sat for days and days working until their fingers bled, and staying up until their yearns for sleep could no longer be supressed. They sat in the "diamond" and tirelessly worked at improving the spacecraft's technology so that they could one day make it back to their home world of Mendof. Mendof, wasn't like Earth, it came close only to the size of the Earth's only moon. And there lay all the worker's families, and everything they knew. The breakthrough came on August 22, 2011. So, immediately when Marc slipped into his sleep for the night, the spacecraft hovered off the desk. And before the sight could be seen, it was alread 100 miles up in the atmosphere.

The Secret Spaceship

The appearance of a diamond stud on the top, with a little metal rod sticking out of the bottom. Indeed, this is what the spaceship looked like. And day after day it sat in the same space on the bureau, between the broken remote and the deodorant stick too seldom used. Wedged in between the two so just the diamond stud was sticking into the air, the earing seemed to be a piece of forgotten property, something lost and rarely thought about by the now sixteen year old Marc Tetreault. Little did he know, of the secret adventures it took.