A spy the size of a Fly

The Airforce is designing something called an MAV(Micro Air Vehicle) which is supposed to replace human spy's.  They are little robotic creatures that will have wings like a bird so that it can fly.  The MAV will fly to a location where the it can sit for weeks watching someone or something by using energy from the environment, for example solar energy.  The MAV will be equipped with a weapon or gas to disable targets like a snipper or a terrorist in a room without causing significant damage to the rest of the environment.  

I think that this could be a good idea because, it would cause less civilian and military death.  I think that it would have its down falls just like everything else does.  I think it could end up being used for other purposes for instance to spy on american citizens  and could become a part in disrupting privacy.  Other wise the making and use of an MAV would be much less risky and the most that could be lost in a mission failure is a tiny robot not someone's father or husband.

Everyone wants to join the Mafia

Anyone who has a Myspace should join the Mafia.  The game Mafia Wars is a game of killing other mafia members, doing jobs, and buying inventory for your mafia.  The game starts at level one with zero experience points, no money, and no mafia family members. The point of the game is to get as many people as possible to join your mafia, get as high of an income as possible, and get as high as possible in levels.

As a mafia wars member I am currently at level 56, I make over 81 million dollars per hour, and I have 16 family members.  The game never ends because the levels are endless.  A mafia can have 501 members.  The amount of money to be made per hour is as much as a person could possibly make.

Who doesn't like google?

       Google is a popular website.  Almost everyone uses google. It is impossible to get on the internet to search for a web page and avoid using google.  I would not know what to do when looking for song lyrics, a clothing store or even a picture of a three headed frog, if i did not have google.  Most people do not think of how all the millions of search results come up when they type something in on their search box.  What would happen if we did not have google search?Without that search box it would be difficult to find anything. I know that i would spend thirty minutes guessing what the exact url of the website I was looking for could be.  Google plays a big part in today's internet.

Buy it while you can

         Have gas prices bottomed out?  I hope not.  The national average for a gallon of gas was $1.65 at its lowest point, it is now $1.663.  The price of gas has risen by a a little over a hundredth of a dollar. But the price went down for the last two and a half months and has only started to rise for the last two days.  The rise in gas prices is expected to get worse in the spring and summer next year.

         I have enjoyed the low gas prices.  I have been able to burn some gas going to the movies, mall, and beach.  If the price of gas goes back up I will not be able to go off anymore, most people will not be able to afford another spike in prices and will just stop driving again. This will cause the economy to drop even further into a depression.

Too much time online

How much time do you spend online, the documentary Growing Up Online asks “how much time online is to much?” Today’s generation is the first generation to grow up with full internet access. The internet is used for school assignments, work, communication with friends, and nearly anything else. There are many perks and consequences to the availability of the internet; it is full of useful information, it is a place for people to express themselves, but it can also consume time.
The internet has replaced the use of encyclopedias, dictionaries, and any other book available. Students can find sources of information on the internet for projects, taking less time to finish work. But teachers think that the internet is helping students to cheat by using sites like spark notes, one teacher asked “what is considered cheating?” The teacher also said that we can just accept the use of the internet for school because that is the way business works in the outside world. Businesses use the internet for employees to work and help the consumer. They advertise their products using web pages, and give information and details on the product or company.
The web is a place to express yourself. Anyone can make a profile and upload pictures or write a blog on how their day went. Myspace and Facebook are the most widely known websites for self expression. Teens and some adults go to these sites to talk to their friends, as a result internet chatting has taken the place of in person socializing. Myspace is a controversial website because cyber-bullying, inappropriate photographs, and sexual predators have been found on this site. But most teens will delete a friend from their page for saying hurtful things, and nine out of ten will report someone for saying sexual or enticing comments.
Some teens are consumed by the internet. Technology has made the internet portable and is used almost anywhere on cell phones. Texting has become very popular in todays society and is a nuisance to classrooms, driving, and family time. Some teens are seen on the phone or computer all the time, because they can not go without being in the loop on what their friends are doing or what the new gossip is. The internet distracts people from their daily activities, and tasks.
The use of the internet is controversial as the video explained, but it is not going away. I think that the internet is a great tool for information and is a useful source of communication. I think the internet can be over used, there is a time and a place to text and get on Myspace, but some people do not realize how much time they spend using these tools. Technology is going to keep growing along with the internet and I think that we should embrace the use of the web.

Three American automakers need government help

American auto makers Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler have asked to be bailed out of debt. In my opinion it is a necessity for the companies to be bailed out because the auto industry holds a great part of our economy. If we let these companies drown than we will have millions of job losses and our economy would drop even further. The companies need to be warned about their fullish spending and should have to pay the money back in a preset time. These companies have fallen in sales due to an overall drop in economy and the American people are not trading in their old cars for new ones this year. I believe that when the economy stables out American automakers will be profiting once again instead of losing billions.

Recess is a necessary activity

Kyle Mulder

29th September 2008

Professor Wayne Francis

Timed essay #1

Everyone remembers having recess as a child. As a child I remember getting about thirty minutes to just run around laughing, screaming and sometimes I would play “kick ball.” Now some schools are trying to eliminate recess and substitute it with more academic study time. I believe that recess is a necessary activity for young children. I think that taking recess out will cause an even higher child obesity rate. Recess gives children a time to gain social skills. It also gives them time out of the stressful environment of a classroom.

In the United States over half of the adult population are considered overweight. Over a quarter of the children in America are overweight. Studies have shown that childhood obesity carries over into adult life. Taking out recess will cause this rate to increase because children need exercise to burn off calories that they consumed throughout the day. Recess for some children is the only form of exercise they acquire throughout the day due to having television and game systems. If anything should be changed about recess it could be introducing a set exercise for the children. The exercise could be something fun that the children did not even realize was to help keep them healthy.

I know that when I was in elementary school we were not allowed to talk in class. Most schools still do not allow talking to keep control of the classroom. But we had half an hour to socialize and meet other kids. A large percent of an individual’s personality is developed during their elementary years, including their social skills. Therefore children need time to talk and communicate, which is recess. Without recess we might have more secluded children that lack much needed social skills.

Children, as well as most adults, need time to let knowledge absorb into their brains. Most elementary schools have at least a six hour day and people of all ages can not absorb information taught to them for a six hour period. Children have a shorter tension span than adults and tend to drift off into their own little world. So as a break for the minds of the children and the teachers recess needs to stay a part of their daily activities.

Recess is one of my greatest memories as a child, and I think that it should still be an activity in elementary school. Children need recess to keep healthy and fit. An exercise during recess could help curve the growing obesity problem in children. People revolve around communication and our communication skills are learned as children during recess. We all need a break from our work and so do children. That is why it is necessary to keep recess in the school system.

Walmart's Toll on America.

Kyle Mulder

21 September 2008

Professor Wayne Francis

Blog post #2

We have all shopped at Walmart at some given time of our life, but most of us do not think about the cost of getting that low price. Walmart has beaten its competitors prices and has taken their business. Walmart has outsourced all labor and imported almost all the companies goods. Bad ethics has become a trend in American business. On these points, I do not think Walmart is good for America.

The first Walmart was opened in 1962 by Sam Walton. Sam Walton's theory was simple, to buy wholesale items at a low price and carry a variety of products. His theory worked, he beat his competitors prices and they would lose business. While Sam Walton was alive, all of Walmart's products were made in the United States, which would create American jobs. Sam Walton died in 1992 and the company was given to his family.

When Sam Walton's family took over Walmart they became greedy, they outsourced all labor to countries around the world including China. Out sourcing helps our consumers but it hinders us by taking away thousands of American jobs. The Walton’s are worth over one hundred billion dollars and yet they donate a small portion of their income. Bill Gates donates over half of his income every year to charities and other government programs. The Walton's went on a Walmart rampage and tried to put a Walmart in every city and town in America and the world. The company forced thousands of mom and pop stores to close their doors, and many small chains to close. When Walmart comes into a town they replace all the high paying jobs of a small business with more lower paying jobs at a Walmart super center.

Walmart is not the only company that seems to have bad work ethics. Enron was called “America’s most innovative Company” by Fortune magazine, but the ceo's wanted to make a couple million dollars and lied about Enron's financial standpoint, as a result the company went bankrupt. Lehman Brothers was founded in 1850, which is over a hundred and fifty years ago. The Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy September 13, 2008. The Lehman Brothers went bankrupt due to lending money to groups of people considered high risk. The people then declared bankrupt which would, in turn hurt the Lehman Brothers. These examples of bad work ethics are not the same as Walmart's but could have the same ending as a result of the Walton's work ethics.

Sam Walton started out on a good idea. Today, however, Walmart has become somewhat of a monoploy. Walmart has beaten all of its competitors. Walmart's future depends on the Walton family. In this present day and time Walmart does not look good. The Walton family does not seem to have concern for their company's employees, or the citizens of America. The Walton's only care about having billions of dollars in their bank accounts.

Would you take ten million Dollars?

Kyle Mulder
14 September 2008
Professor Wayne Francis
Blog post #1


If I was offered ten million dollars to leave the United States forever, I would take the money. Taking the money would be wise. I know that I probably would not make that kind of money in a lifetime. I also have always wanted to travel the world but have never been able to because of my financial situation. Finally, there are other places in the world that I could live cheaper than the United States.
It would take me fifty years, making two hundred thousand dollars a year, to have ten million dollars. I would rather take the money now and spend it while I am young and agile. Even if I make ten million dollars in my lifetime it would be spread out over time and I would not be able to enjoy all at once. By taking the offer of ten million dollars I would be able to go where I want and do what I want. I would not have the stress of financial problems. I could even invest some of the money in rental property or I could buy a small business.
Taking the ten million dollars means that I could travel the world. Not everyone gets the chance to explore all of God’s creation. I could visit the continent of Africa. I could go on a South African safari, where I would see African animals in their natural habitat. I could take a trip to Egypt where I would explore the pyramids. I could even travel to Europe and visit the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Israel, Venice and Greece. I would be able to go anywhere and everywhere that I wanted without having to worry about money.
In the United States there are many living expenses from property taxes to home owner fees. Also, building is expensive, land is expensive, and insurance is outrageous. After my travels I would move to Mexico, where I would have little to no living expenses. Because of the high value of the US currency, I could move to Mexico, buy land, build the house of my dreams, and live on the money for the rest of my life.
I do not think that I would ever leave the United States. However if I was offered ten million dollars, I would leave in a heartbeat. Ten million dollars is more than enough to support myself for the rest of my life. In fact ten million dollars would be even more than my living expenses. I could do whatever I wanted. I could see the world and live the dream life without worrying about high expenses.