Ding Dong, Bin Laden is Dead

Yesterday on May 1, 2011, I found out that the man responsible for taking thousands of innocent lives on Sept. 11 is officially dead. Obama has said that the United States has "kept its commitment to justice," saying the death of al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden was a "good day for America."

As I watched the news last night, I saw hundreds of people gather near the White House celebrating the death of a terrorist. 9/11 is a day that I have not forgotten and even though thousands of lives were lost on that tragic day, I do not know how to react to this accomplishment. Does the death of one man really satisfy the hunger of justice?

Understandably, people have reacted positively to this because many of there loved ones were taken away from them on that day. Even though there the rest of us may have not lost anyone in that event, what was stolen from us was our sense of security in the world. On that day we truly learned how much hatred was and is against us.

In Obama's speech last night, he made an interesting statement that I had never thought about. He talked about the images post 9/11 that were not seen such as the "empty seat at the dinner table" and children being "forced to grow up without their mother or father" and "parents not being able have the embrace of their child." In difficult instances such as these, I can see why people are so quick to celebrate the death of a hateful, intolerant and ignorant human being.

However, I do not see this so much as a celebratory matter. Yes Bin Laden is dead but he was not the only person responsible for this. No one does anything by themselves. There are many out there who believe in what he believed in. My concern is that this is not over. Sure it has been said that the world will be a safer place now that he is gone but there will always be someone to take another persons place. Bin Laden may be the start but he has surely not the end.

I actually feel sad that this all had to occur in the first place. From an objective point of view the whole thing is tragic in the fact that the people who taught Bin Laden all of these misguided beliefs and twisted point of views to the people blowing themselves up for martyrdom to the loss of American lives military and civilian to discrimination and hatred on both sides and everything else the devil has spewed up to tear everyone apart.

I do not feel anything towards the taking of Bin Laden's life. As the Bible says, a man who kills by the sword will be killed by the sword so it is not really a surprise. How Bin Laden thought he could get away with this is beyond me. No one gets away with anything thing and now he is being held accountable for all the things that he has done. I hope he realizes that selling his soul to the devil was a tragic mistake and now he will be paying for it for the rest of his eternal life.

In my view, the taking of one man's life will not bring back the lives lost on that tragic day nor the lives lost in the war. They say that this is justice but true justice is only enacted by God not by our standards of justice because we are flawed human beings. Sure Bin Laden is taken out of the picture, however, he is only a speck in the desert of problems within human nature.

Due to his death, the U.S. Government has beefed up security because of the potentiality of retaliation, which should tell us that this is not over. All we can do now is sit, watch, pray and not go into crowded places.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42859770/ns/world_news-death_of_bin_laden/?GT1=43001

The show must go on

For the past couple of months, Charlie Sheen has been in the spotlight in a negative way. Unlike other celebrities that have crashed and burned on their own, Sheen has had the ability make everyone else suffer the consequences of his irresponsible actions.

In the entertainment industry, time is money and everything for the most part is business not personal. Even though Sheen is a veteran in this industry he has merged the two which has resulted in disastrous results.

Due to his unhealthy habits he has been in and out of rehab. Even though health is an important aspect to maintain, all of his actions are self-induced and are preventable. No one made him throw that fit in the New York hotel room or claim to be a warlock. His actions are not only affecting himself but the people around him as well.

One of the problems with certain celebrities is that they believe that they make the show/ production and that it can only survive as long as they are there. An actor should not have this type of power because it causes them to be egotistical and arrogant. To be in the entertainment industry is a hard career to get into, so when one does accomplish such a career it should be a humble experience not an attitude of being owed something. Unfortunately, Sheen does not seem to have these qualities.

What is truly bothersome is how the show "Two and Half Men" had to cancel the final four episodes of the season because he does not have act together. It is great that the hard working actors were able to get paid for all their hard work because it not fair to them that production had to be stopped for one person that has caused so many problems.

If Sheen had a serious health issue that was not self-induced and production had to be post-poned then it probably would not be an issue. The issue is that he is throwing a diva fit (he launched a rant against one of the producers), therefore this is bigger than just health issues.

Since the show is not doing well, it should be cancelled to show that Sheen does not make the show. What makes the show is everyone: his cast mates, producers, writers, designers and so on. He needs to be shown that he does not have the power. Plus it is time, they had a good run but it has taken its course. Most comedies that are drawn out for too long tend to not do well anyways. There can only be so many stories for one show before ideas start to go down in quality. If they are having problems now, when will it stop?


He is like a lost sheep that has been lured away from his purpose in life. He has been blessed with the talent to act, however it just seems that he has thrown it away. He needs to deal with those demons and live for God so that he can live a purposeful and meaningful life. It must be terrible and scary to live a life that is lost and meaningless with no guidance. He needs to love and respect himself not hate himself by destroying his life. Everyone is important and special but unfortunately I don't think he has realized that.

It is really sad to see a person whether they are a celebrity or not to throw their life away and live a destructive lifestyle. Instead of doing something positive and being an agent for change, he has let it all go to crap.

Sheen really needs help before it is too late. It is really not about his problems with the show but with his life. Hopefully he can get help and improve his life for the better especially for his children. He needs to step back and evaluate his life before it is cut short from his destructive actions.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41908787/ns/business-consumer_news/

Bath salts are the new cocaine?!

Last year's trend in drugs were nutmeg, salvia and over the counter drugs. Now this year's latest craze is bath salts. Bath salts have two synthetic chemicals called mephedrone and methylendioxpyrovalerone or MDPV that have the same potent effect as cocaine and methamphetamine (meth). It comes in powder and tablet form and they are ingested by snorting, injecting, smoking and sometimes by atomizer. Users experience an intense high, euphoria, extreme energy, hallucinations and insomnia.

Can you believe it, because I can't? If it is not one thing it is another and it is getting annoying. How people take the time to take something that was intended for good and turn into something bad is beyond me. There are major problems in this world, especially the happenings in Egypt. Apparently, some people do not know what real problems are. When will this stop? Obtaining ordinary substances and converting it into drugs is not only wrong but setting a very bad example for the youth. According to the nonprofit organization No Drugs America, children experiment with drugs as young as eight years old.

The question now remains how can the federal government regulate such substances if they are not illegal?

Currently, the synthetic drugs are banned in the European Union, Australia, Israel and Canada. In terms of the U.S., Florida, Louisiana and North Dakota have joined the "ban" wagon as well.

New York Senator Charles Schumer proposes a bill that would make the synthetic stimulants into federally controlled substances meaning it would be banned.

The proposal and bans from these other countries are an effective means to end this trend. By banning the stimulants, bath salt can be used the way it was intended to be used.

Due to the fact the country has faced the Great Recession, it seems that people who used to buy high quality drugs can no longer afford them so instead they are looking for ways to get that inexpensive high without going to jail. I think that is why there are so many reports about legal substances turned into drugs, because people are staying at home more therefore they are turning to their cabinets.

However my concern is that when one drug trend is exposed another substance is already in the works. Bath salts are the trend for now, but because the feds have taken the reins something else will be made into the next substance that is not illegal.

In the meantime, the government's plan to ban is a smart move and they should keep regulating and prevent any more damage from occuring.

Here is the link to read the full story: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-dangerous-bath-salts-ny,0,3607160.story