Cute, messy, smile alot. Oh my there are just so many words to describe my favourite animal. Can you guess what it is? It's a pig! Roll around in a muddy pig pen every day. Oh, yeah that's the life! I mean wouldn't it be great if your mother would let you roll around in mud all day?

Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner. Mr. and Mrs. Snortsalot with a winning of 20 million dollars for their awesome smartness. Pigs are so smart. They can tell when there's danger and they can even tell when mouldy food gets put into good food.

Some people think pigs are disgusting and ugly. But not me! Pigs are so cut and cuddly. I mean who doesn't love the fact that pigs cry like a baby.

Have you ever seen a bunch of pigs fighting and pushing each other to eat their breakfast? Well that's the 'whole messy part. They are so messy that someone made up if someone is eating messy you call them a pig. That's what I call my brother.

Pigs are my,favourite.,animal for those reasons and I think writers should keep writing books about pigs and directors should keep making movies about pigs.

Oink, oink, oink this story comes to an end. Oink, oink, oink and I hope you've made a friend. With my favourite animal whom I want to be: Pink, pink, pink, oh yeah, that's totally me. Oink, oink, the end

This can't be real. Music is blasting throughout a large crowd. Where am I? A concert? There she is! Singing my favourite song. I look at her in amazement. She's playing her guitar with such passion! Suddenly she looks down at me, and smiles! Who'd know that I'd be sharing a"moment with the Taylor Swift!

Loud beeps come crashing to my delicate ears. A bright but innocent light streams down greeting my eyes. Tired and confused I manage to take in what's around me. "Honey wake up," Mom comes into my room and turns on my light. Realizing my moment with Taylor Swift was nothing but a dream, I manage to get up and move myself to my closet with rage.

While waking up, I dance around to a catchy beat on the radio and put on clothes for school. Just then my watch beeps. Yikes! Only fifteen minutes until the bus arrives. I run down the steps, nearly toppling over my own feet.

Light headed, I rush to the bathroom; run a brush through my hair and jam a toothbrush into my mouth. Deciding to skip the shower, I splash some cold but refreshing water onto my face. I grab my bag, throw on some shoes and slam the door behind me just in time for the bus.

About an hour passes and I'm at school. Reaching my locker, I scramble to find my books. I visit with my friends and head up to Science class. Thank goodness time flies by, like it usually does. After I change my books, I'm already heading to Computer class. The teacher explains the current assignment, as I catch up on what gossip I missed the day before with my friend.

Ring! I swear that bell gets me every time! I save my unfinished work and round up my friends for lunch. Lunch is great, but it ends much too quickly. Gym class is usually made up of sweat, embarrassment, and sore muscles. In the weight room period three, I turn on my i- pod and work my lunch calories off. Finally Geo comes and before my eyes I have 24 questions of homework. The final bell rings. I rush out the door with my boyfriend and hurry onto my bus to get home!

Eventually, I arrive home and grab a snack. I make my way outside to clear my mind by walking my dog. Next on the list are those 24 questions of Geo. After 10, I take a break and use the phone. Soon enough, I hang up and join the family for dinner. My stomach is satisfied I and I do the dishes. By this time it's 8:30 pm. I open my notebook and scribble some of my thoughts down and read. Finally, I'm tired and get undressed for bed. I turn on my radio and curl up in my sheets. Reminding my imagination not to get too carried away with unrealistic dreams, I drift away.

I was opposed to Canada 's combat involvement in Afghanistan when it was first announced in 2006. It appeared that little or no public discussion had taken place before our new role was implemented. We were no longer just peacekeepers, but suddenly we were taking sides in an active and aggressive way.

In hindsight, I expect that the Canadian government changed its position in order to please America, which was still miffed with Canada for not joining the coalition in Iraq. What I believe Canada did not properly evaluate was the greatly differing goals of the USA and Canada. The USA haS" as its primary goal whatever is in the best interests of the USA. This therefore becomes mixed up with maintaining its oil supplies, installing or maintaining foreign governments sympathetic to American interests, and reducing or eliminating terrorist threats to the USA and its worldwide interests.

The primary goal of Canada was trying to stabilize and rebuild Afghanistan.

In my opinion these differing goals were irreconcilable. Now, four years later, as Canadian soldiers have had a taste of continuous harsh combat, I expect that the most serious adverse effect on our military and on Canadian society as a whole will be the pervasive tentacles of post-traumatic stress disorder and its mental ruination of our soldiers and their unfortunate families.

Back in 1967 and 1969 I hitchhiked through the USA and spoke with many young men who had just returned from Vietnam. They were without exception totally screwed up

mentally. Politicians have no accurate concept of the horrors of war. If they did, they would not send our troops off to fight. Most of those Vietnam vets never did receive adequate medical care to assist them with their reintroduction into normal society, and to this day many of those veterans complain that the war experience ruined their lives.

My fear now is that our returning Canadian soldiers are just as traumatized as the USA Vietnam vets, and that the results of that trauma will destroy or at least adversely affect virtually everyone of those military families. It is not possible to watch friends being killed or injured, or to participate in or witness the killing of enemy soldiers or civilians, without being permanently affected.

Canada should not be fighting in Afghanistan. The relatively short time we have been involved has demonstrated that the problems of that country are insoluble, and that western civilizations have no true understanding of Afghan history and values. We have become invaders and occupiers, not saviours.

The Canadian government should totally withdraw from Afghanistan by July of 2011 as the Canadian people have been promised. Hopefully future Canadian governments will be wiser in their decisions about whether and when to send our precious troops into harm's way. And I also wish our Canadian and Provincial governments spare no cost in properly treating our soldiers and their families for their post-traumatic stress disorder problems.