Time

Author's Note: I miss poetry so I decided to write a poem. I wrote it on a day where I was very stressed and I hope anyone who reads this can relate.

Tomorrow's already here
Yesterday isn't yet gone
Today has barely started
When it slowly draws to an end
Without a goal to look forward to
Time flies hopelessly
Does it stop-
to let you catch up
to let you go back
to where you messed up
Time doesn't stop
and tomorrow is nearing
Yesterday will forever be a memory
So keep track of today
and don't let it pass you
Think of a goal
to look forward to meeting
Then YOU control time
Deal with it wisely

Hey everyone! I'm Bucky. I like to eat everything in my house. I like to wake my owner up at 2 AM and 6 AM and I am only satisfied when I am covered in dirt.

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On Saturday, March 20, a red mini van arrived at my house. When I walked outside I tried my hardest to look professional, but I couldn't contain my excitement. Like a child standing over another child opening a birthday present, I was more then happy to help the man open the car door. I looked into the cluttered van to see two cages and four dogs. The older dogs were on the seat above and the puppies were in cages on the floor. The black one, slamming itself against the cage walls, was Bratchet. The yellow one, asleep on the hard ground, was mine. His name was Bucky.

Occupaws is a guide dog training association stationed in Wisconsin. Every year they distribute two or three litters of puppies to families willing to train them. To train a guide dog puppy you need to attend two meetings a month to learn commands and practice them, and you need to be willing to commit and work with your dog on your own everyday. First, you need to fill out an application. Then you get assigned a puppy who will go through a long process to see if it is healthy. Next, an Occupaws employee comes to your house to see if you, your house, and your family are fit for the job of training a puppy. Finally, you receive your puppy and your guide dog training manual filled with rules and commands that would blow your mind. You keep the puppy for a year, and return it fully trained. Finally the puppy is shipped off to California to harness train, and then given to its new owner. It is a long and hard process and it is a HUGE commitment--I've learned that and I'm only on day 3-- which is why of about 40 puppies, only 10 go on to become guide dogs.

So far, Bucky knows the command "come" and can hold his bladder for about 15 minutes. We are making progress, but we will still have a few sleepless nights here and there. Our first obedience class is tonight and I am desperately waiting to be around people who feel my pain. It will be a long journey, and a hard day when I give him up. Inside I have to remember that someone actually needs this mess of a dog, and its my job to provide it for them, in perfect condition. I also have to keep reminding myself that there are only about 362 days left (yes, I am counting).

Budget Cuts a.k.a Scott Walker

Author's Note: This is my response to Ms. Colque's seminar on Thursday. It states my opinion on what Scott Walker is doing with our state's money. Please comment your opinon- I won't be offended if it differs from mine.

Many people have started their responses with "I don't know what to think about Scott Walker passing the view" or stating their two seperate opinions. I think that people might have certain views in their minds, or have been influenced by their parents, but they keep it hidden because they don't want to offend anyone or they are embarassed about their opinions. I say go for it- the issue that Scott Walker doesn't realize he's making has caught people's attention all around the world. Although it doesn't really affect them or their lives, they are concerned about us. If the president stops his work for some Wisconsinite's then I think this is something that people should show how much they care about.

Teachers, firefighters, any state workers already aren't getting paid as much as state senators but now their salaries could be cut up to 6%. The bill also gets rid of stateworkers rights to form unions. In Academy right now we learn to collaborate and work as a community. Unions are similar to communities, people all believing in the same thing, trying to get what's best for all of the people in them. Scott Walker may realize it, and he may not, but he is taking away more then just the stateworkers rights. He is taking away skills and strategies we have been using our etire lives. Strength in numbers, communication, equal rights. These are some of our skills that will be weakened without unions. While my opinion is so strong on one side it makes it hard to see any other views.

Global Warming Ice Age and Other Things Meant to Destroy Our World

Author's Note: My main focus in this short story was to inform those who don't already know the world's fate, who think they will live forever, who don't plan for these kind of things without being prompted. Because this piece was written simply to get my thoughts out, please look for my voice and how I express my opinion and my conclusion which usually isn't very strong but in this piece it is meant to leave the reader thinking.

What is our world becoming? One of the world's most beautiful creatures is soon to be extinct. We know lots of animals are endangered because of illegal poaching and overpopulation of other species, but extinct is a word that reminds us of the ice age. The Ice Age froze out a number of wonderful creatures, and took place a few billion years ago; but today, we can see our future hurdling toward us, faster than we can control. The opposite age of the Ice Age is coming. The name we give it, is global warming.

Now, we already know that our generations grandchildren will not see a polar bear, and it looks like the world has given up hope. And although the animals need our concern, the people matter too. Great discoveries have been made in our history in places we might lose. People sliding through the ice bergs, stalking penguins, measuring land. Tough journeys filled with hunger, frostbite, amputation. However, we have learned that people who go through hard times, always come back with great stories. Maybe even a scientific breakthrough or two. Sadly, with our ice bergs heating themselves up, we won't be able to travel up to the north pole. Canada will be and adventure.

Now you may be worried about Canada melting, and then North America and continuing down the line, but I predict that this will not happen. I predict that global warming won't be our only issue considering our world only has 4 billion years left. Yes, unless we can find another star that burns as bright as the sun, we have no hope. Three billion and six million years from now we will not be worried about our planet heating up so much that we melt ourselves to the ground, but instead we will worry about freezing our selves to our beds at night. Our sun will grow dim, as all stars must, and then once it explodes, we will die.

So what we really have to stress over is the present moment, worry about our friends and family, help stop global warming in the 3 billion years we have left. Global warming has and will do lots to us today, but that is nothing compared to what will happen if we don't stop it. It will bother us when we have bigger things to worry about.