Don't spice up your life

Teenagers find alternatives to get high without having to go to drug dealers. The trend of using whippets, sharpies and cold medicine are long gone, instead they use nutmeg, which is a holiday spice.

Instead of doing homework or playing a sport, kids reach into their kitchen cabinets and get high. Nutmeg can either be snorted like cocaine or smoked like cigarettes.

This trend has concerned Oklahoma law enforcement when they noticed instructional videos on how to make nutmeg cigarettes.

Nutmeg has a volatile oil that crosses into the central nervous system in which can cause hallucinations. The effects can start within 15-20 minutes and last for several hours depending on the dose. Who needs cocaine or heroin when there is nutmeg?

People are able to get away with this because there is nothing illegal about using nutmeg. What is concerning is what it can lead to.

A couple of months ago, commercials talked about how kids could get high by using prescription and over the counter drugs and within that stores such as CVS and Target card people to make sure they over 18 when purchasing cold medicines.

Since the jig is up, they have found another way to still maintain that hallucinogenic feeling by obtaining a product that is insusceptible, nutmeg.

What's next pencils, hair gel, grass? Where will it stop if these people are using household items?

Overall this is really disgraceful, how is it cool to be high and out of control? There is nothing interesting about being a shell of a body. Perhaps these people need to go to a third world country and see what hardship is really about. Let's see if they would want to reach for that nutmeg again, I think not.

Just because it is not illegal, does not make it okay. Drugs are drugs and unless it is to cure some ailment, it should not be used to escape one's problems. If they have a problem then they need to talk to an adult that they can trust or a counselor, not a holiday spice.

This is not just a problem in Oklahoma, these alternatives to getting high is a serious problem in the United States. Even though these methods are not illegal, serious consequences will occur due to the physical and mental effects.

Soon the government will have to implement more regulations because what was intended for good has been twisted into something bad.

Now that Christmas is upon us with the smells of cinnamon, chocolate and nutmeg, spread the word. By bringing awareness we can save lives and have new legislation implemented to regulate such activities.

For now it is nutmeg but in the future who knows what other innocent household items can be used to bring physical destruction. When it comes to drug attics, it does not just stop with one drug, they keep looking for that high to the point they die whether it is from an drug overdoes, murder or a car accident. If you have or know any impressionable youngsters, take preventative measures and talk to them.

http://www.news9.com/Global/story.asp?S=13592515

No Mosque

The proposed Mosque near ground zero in New York has been quite the controversy. This topic is controversial, because preventing the Mosque from being built is a violation against the First Amendment in the Constitution. However at the same time, the extremist beliefs from the Muslim religion that became the root to the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and having that reminder near Ground Zero is seen as disrespect.

This is a gray area because if we dictate and prevent people from building their church or temple, where will it stop? It would not just end with the Muslims, this issue can lead on to other religions as well. It is understandable to be upset and insulted that the very religion that encouraged that terrible event is to be near the very place it occurred. As for the ones who want to build the mosque near Ground Zero does not make sense. Why they would want to face that much protest is incomprehensible.

After the terrorist attacks, some people were very intolerant of Muslims. There was slander, defamation and vandalism against those who have the Muslim faith. American Muslims received the but-end of the intolerance of their beliefs because of the terrorist attacks. The same thing happened with the Japanese in Pearl Harbor. After the attack, Japanese Americans were taken to concentration camps, because they were seen as a threat even though they weren't. The attacks from Japan had nothing to do with Japanese Americans, but people did not see it that way because they were blinded from anger, resentment and shock. It is the same with the Muslims, those terrorists have nothing to do with Muslim Americans, but like WWII some Americans won't be able to see that for a while.

I once saw a documentary on 30 Days about a Christian living with American Muslims for 30 days. When the family explained their beliefs to the Christian man, they said that their faith is about peace and good will. They also said that the terrorist attacks are not apart of their faith but instead it is taken to the extreme. An analogy would be like the extremism in Christianity with hypocrisy and legalism.

The people who want to build the Mosque near Ground Zero should consider the feelings the victims of 9/11 and realize that America will probably not accept the Mosque near the place where tragedy arose due to the Muslim faith. At this angle it is seen as adding an insult to injury.

This is hard topic to tackle because in the legal sense they have the right to practice their religion and establish a place of worship. However in the moral sense, they should not be able to have it near ground zero. If they built their Mosque somewhere else in New York, I don't think it would be such an uproar because there are Mosques all over the country.

For the sack of safety, it would probably be best not to build a Mosque near Ground Zero, because if they do there will probably be more protests, violence or riots due to intolerance. In the sense of the big picture, can Americans tell other religions what they can or cannot do when the Constitution says they have that right? Wouldn't it be hypocritical to attack one religion but practice whatever religion they choose without protest? Where would the line be drawn? This incident will not stop at the Muslim faith, but instead spread to other aspects in our daily lives.

Cheating celebrity husbands giving men a bad name

These past couple of years have been strange with the recession, celebrity deaths and earth quakes. Now on the rise is husbands cheating on their wives. Jon Gosselin, Jesse James, Tiger Woods, David Lettermen and now Larry King. Affairs have been around since the Bible, but in this particular time it seems as if celebrities are being excessively exposed for their wrong doings. No one would care if these cheating husbands were single like George Clooney, because people can respect a bachelor. However, no one can respect married men cheating on their wife.The public is upset, because these men took the vows. Taking vows requires a serious commitment and if these men could not uphold their part of the covenant, then they should had never gotten married in the first place. Celebrities need to seriously watch their behavior, because the media is waiting to pounce on them like hungry cheetahs. What these cheating celebrities need to realize is that not everything is about them. What they do influences the public. Whether they acknowledge it or not they are role models. What happen to the sanctity of marriage? In today's time, marriage is not held to the utmost respect and commitment. My parents have been married for almost 21 years. They have been through the good and the bad times. Whenever they hit a rough patch, they always worked it out. My parents say that marriage is tough, but you have to stick it out. Marriages are not going to be perfect. When the going gets tough make lemonade. If marriage is based off of lust then it is not going to last long. If people can not go for the long haul in spending the rest of their lives with their soul mate, then they should not get married. It is more respectable to a George Clooney than to be a Tiger Woods. Just because these celebrities have a lot of money does not mean they can whatever they want. Self control is what these scandalous celebrities have to learn. With all this media coverage on cheating husbands, comes negative consequences. Unfortunately, men are starting to get a bad name. With all these cheating husbands and no self respecting mistresses, some people may become influenced to not want to get married. During the Great Depression, marriages declined because men felt they couldn't provide for their families so they left. In this time of recession, it seems as if the trend is coming back. However, there is always a positive to a negative. With this happening, people will actually take their time to get know their significant other and not base everything on lust. Plus the scrutinizing and attacks on these men with hopefully influence non celebrity cheating husbands and boyfriends to stop messing around, because no one has a tolerance for this behavior.

Alice in Wonderland

Tim Burton's creative interpretation of "Alice of Wonderland" was executed very well. Unlike the other versions of "Alice in Wonderland," Burton provided explanations of the characters and their purpose in the movie. I appreciate the fact that Burton took the time to explain characters and their stories. He is well known for characters having flashbacks from their childhood or a previous time in their lives.


In contrast to Walt Disney's tame version, Burton gives a sense of completion in this film and he provided answers that were not addressed in the cartoon. What made the film even more interesting is that the setting takes place when Alice is 19 years old. Since the plot takes place during the 19th century, Alice has been set up for an arranged marriage and her betrothed is a brown-nosing dream killer named Hamish. Alice, who is unaware of this arrangement arrives to the garden party with her mother but it is really an engagement party.


Trapped in a world of proper etiquette and high expectations from the party guests that she accepts the proposal, Alice doesn't give Hamish an answer. Instead she follows a white rabbit wearing a waist coat and holding a pocket watch. While following the rabbit, she ends up at an old tree with a huge hole next to it and falls into it. At the bottom of the hole, she lands into a strange room with a key, a drink that decreases her size and a cake that increases her size. After getting the right size, Alice arrives in the garden and is reunited with her childhood friends: the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, Dormouse the Caterpillar, Tweedledee and Tweedledum. However, unlike her childhood experience, she does not remember who they are and thinks that all that is occurring is just a dream.



Alice embarks on a journey in which she fulfills her destiny and rediscovers who she is. Throughout her experience in Wonderland, she also learns that she can make her own decisions and that she does not have to live up the expectations of society.



The book by Lewis Carroll is at times grim and dark so this was naturally a match for Burton. His trademarks of pale makeup, dark colors and eccentric characters are throughout this film. This movie has many metaphors and a lot of the things that occur are applicable to real life. For instance, it is crucial to never lose your sense of self. If you do, people who surround you have the power to take over your life and sometimes it turns out to be negative. Everyone has the opportunity to make their own decisions for themselves and that everyone has a destiny that has to be fulfilled. The people in Wonderland were similar to the people in Alice's reality. Since the movie has just been released, it would be wrong to give away the juicy details.



Another important factor that Burton addressed in the film was good versus evil. The good always conquers evil, no matter how much power the evil side might have. Alice also learned that sometimes when you stand for what's right, you stand alone.


Moreover, it teaches to beware of who you surround yourself with. The people that the Red Queen surrounded herself turned out to unreliable and fake. Additionally, the Red Queen felt that she deserved the power to reign because she is the eldest, however, it just comes to show that just because one can have power doesn't mean that they deserve it. Overall, the film was well written and there was never a dull moment. Johhny Depp and Mia Wasikowska did an excellent job. Normally, I do not care for the story of "Alice in Wonderland" because it a dark story, however after viewing film, it is definitely a must see.

The Book of Eli was an excellent movie in more ways than just one. This film provides important messages that society has to acknowledge. There are many issues that are faced such as global warming, abuse of power, education, lawlessness, savage behavior, faith, dedication and commitment.

Denzel Washington portrays the character of Eli who is on this 30 year journey to deliver this "Book" to the west. This particular book contains the secret for human survival and it is the only one in its existence. The scenery looks like a nuclear holocaust and the world is colorless and lifeless. Ever since the "flash," the world has become ugly, chaotic, dangerous, cannibalistic and ignorant.

Gary Oldeman portrays the character of Carnegie who sends out a ruthless gang to search for a particular book, but just not any book. He wants the "book." Carnegie is a wealthy man who plans to builds cities, but in order to have control and power, he wants this book that has all the answers. When Eli meets Carnegie, Carnegie finds out that he has the book. Carnegie tries to convince Eli to give him the book and he would be taken care of, but Eli declines. Carnegie persuades him to stay at his house with food, water and other basic essentials and even a woman by the name of Solara (played by Mila Kunis).

Since Eli is a man of faith, he doesn't sleep with Solara, but instead talked and prayed with her in the room provided by Carnegie. Eli escapes from his house ergo, Carnegie's plan failed. However Solara escapes too, by going on the journey with Eli. On the journey, Eli talks to Solara about the "Big Flash" and how life used to be. He also teaches her verses from the book, because she is not educated. Moreover, he explains to her his motivation for heading west. After many violent conflicts with Carnegie's gang, Eli and Solara arrive in the west. (They arrive in San Francisco). There, Eli delivers the book in an unexpected way to this place that is like a museum.

Since Carnegie stole the book, Eli was able to recite the entire book by memory. Eli completed the Lord's task. More events occurred, but since this movie has been just released, I don't want to spoil the end so, to find out what happens you will have to see the movie.

This film was interesting because it showed that without God, the world would be an ugly place.This is clearly demonstrated throughout this film. There is also the message that humankind need laws in order to function. Through out this film, there is no security, beauty or trust.

There also a message about the environment. The cause of the "big flash" came from "the hole in the sky and the sun burnt everything up." The film is not too distant future so, the message is saying if we do not take care of this planet, then horrible consequences will occur. Also, it showed that the Bible is important, because has the foundation of our history, the laws and how to live. Out of all places, the book had to be delivered to San Francisco. Meaning that the Bible has to be shared with everyone, even in places of question. The Bible should not be excluded to the righteous only, but to be shared with everyone, the saved and the sinners.

Another message is that some people will use the Bible to do evil things in the name of the Lord and one must be aware and conscious of that. The Bible is a powerful tool that can be easily abused in the wrong hands such as Carnegie.

Without the Lord, the world would truly be an ugly place where people could run amok and do whatever they want whenever they want, which is not good. Humans must have laws in order to function. If mankind did not have laws, then the human race would had been wiped out years ago. Rules are for our benefit, not for punishment.

Another lesson is to stay on the Lord's path when He calls you to do something. We have a purpose and a calling to do great things in which honors God. No matter what happens good or bad, God will always be by your side and He will aways provide a way to escape from harm. Eli portrays an example to follow and trust the Lord's plan even if you don't understand it at first and to complete it.