Ramblings of a Proud American

Judge yourself....

2007-12-05T23:16:00.000-08:00

This country has a long history of hating people. We were a nation which had slavery for nearly half of our existence, followed by Jim Crow laws and a culture that treated women as second class citizens. When all of those issues were resolved we had to have someone to hate so we turned to the gays. I mean gays were the next logical choice right? However, it is not an us vs them scenario that we are dealing with here. We are all Americans. Black or white, gay or straight, we are all Americans. Hating someone for being different in this country is perhaps the most blatant offense to liberty that I have ever seen.

So if you are one of the blithering idiots that adopts bigotry as one of your personal values, consider this; the burden is on you to make your case. Gay Americans don't have to prove why we should be treated equally. We are not asking for anything more than what others already have. In this country we require those who are establishing separate standards to prove their case. You see, those who want to warp a religion and instill bigotry as a constitutional standard are the ones that have to answer the question, why? I do not have to justify my claim to equality in this nation.

And while you are pondering the question as to why your self righteous ass is somehow entitled to more then others in this, the nation that serves as a bedrock for freedom and democracy around the world, ask yourselves how closely you are following the principals of the extremists that you hate so much. Islamic extremists have warped a fundamentally peaceful religion into a tool that justifies their contempt for Americans, and our allies around the world. The have further used that religion to teach their followers that if they kill themselves for the cause they will find some eternal glory. Pretty stupid huh? Then there are the Christian fundamentalists that warp the words of a peaceful and loving messiah, to establish bigotry as a fundamental principal. Now granted the Christian extremists aren't blowing themselves up in gay bars (yet) but they are certainly practicing some of the basic principals of those who like to crash planes into buildings. And before you get on your high horse remember that in our not so distant past as American Christians we have killed the non followers, and "demonized" individuals who fail to accept Jesus.

So to those of you still holding onto the backward pricipals of old, may your bigotry follow you to the grave, and for those of the younger generation that still don't get it, get a fucking education and perhaps you will see just how stupid your ideals actually are.

Hope for America...

2007-12-05T22:20:00.000-08:00

There is really something amazing going on in this country today. A true patriotic American is going directly for the jugular of the establishment in Washington. In the midst of a presidential election that has a primary for both parties, only one man truly stands for the ideas that will save America in what is perhaps the most trying time we have ever faced.

Congressman Ron Paul is trying something that those who currently hold the power in this country fear. He is speaking the truth and answering the questions that Americans are asking. We are in a truly dangerous time, and the sad thing is, the corruption and crime that is running rampant in the west wing and the halls of congress has done quite a spectacular job of covering it all up. The government is spending borrowed money to an extent greater than they ever have. We have runaway debts and deficits, that people really don't notice, and the ones who do notice it, don't consider it a problem. Social security is destined for bankruptcy, and a mis managed war on foreign lands has sucked the American tax payers dry. We have no money. We are destined for disaster at this rate.

I know I speak to it a lot, but the root cause of all of these problems is the apathy of Americans. By consistently not voting, and not even caring about our political process we have allowed an establishment to hijack this nation's government and seize powers that would make the founding fathers sick.

Fortunately though, there is hope for America. Ron Paul is the only man that has the plans which can save this nation. He is a man that has never been corrupted by Washington, and has something that we havn't seen in a Presidential candidate in a long time; a consistent voting record.

Never in my life have I been filled with this much hope and optimism because of a candidates run. I firmly believe that Ron Paul is a prophet like man sent to save this nation on the bring of its utter destruction. My only fear however is that the apathy which has plagued our broken democracy for years will hurt it once more by keeping this true patriot from achieving presidential glory. We all must hope and pray that Ron Paul gets elected to the presidency. It could be our last best hope for freedom and democracy to survive in this nation.

The power to let go....

2007-12-02T22:14:00.000-08:00

I commonly find myself frustrated with the way of the world today...those who hold the power seek not to wield it for the common good, but seek to wield it for the sake of preserving it. The very nature of good leaders throughout the course of history is quite the opposite. If you seek to maintain your power then you will not use it to make the risky decisions that often times have the biggest pay off. Too many times our presidents are more interested in keeping the power concentrated in the hands of the few that they never consider the best interest of America.

I envision an America where the leadership is constantly changing. I don't think that change is always the best thing, however I recognize that leadership is best in many different forms with constant turnover. We cannot logically expect for someone who is a good leader now to be a good leader always, and we certainly cannot always expect good leadership to always be born in the same places. Different times, and different situations will always call for different leaders. It is our job as Americans to end the apathy that has allowed our government and our way of life to be hijacked by those who seek nothing more than to maintain power and influence. Perhaps the fact that it has been a long time since Americans have had to pay the great price for their freedom, has led to a dreadful complacency that must be defeated. I am not calling for war, nor saying that suffering must happen, what I am saying is that Americans of today need to appreciate the sacrifices that it took to build this great nation, and understand that if we do not maintain our strength, and elect good leaders, we are destined to have to pay that high price again, or worse, lose everything that we hold dear.

Looking back

2007-12-02T21:41:00.000-08:00

On the eve of a new president I cant help but look back and comment on the one whose time in office will be expiring. As a conservative republican I am not ashamed to say that I think the Bush presidency has been one of the biggest failures in the history of American politics. The president has mis managed a war which perhaps was the best opportunity in recent memory for stability in the middle east, leaving the region in turmoil, and on the verge of civil war.

He has failed this nation here at home by increasing the national debt and turning the national surplus into the biggest deficit ever seen. He has bankrupted the American economy in the name of big government and bureaucratic waste. He neglected to solve the real problems of the day, like social security and the cost of health care, and instead lead his religious followers in the way of government sponsored bigotry.

I try to pull successes out of the Bush administration, and though there are many, they pail in comparison to the failures. When you assess his presidency with the age old standard of did he leave the country better off than he found it, I will say that the answer is an emphatic no.

Update...

2007-10-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

Where to begin?

I have been absent for a while from these forums for no other reason then I simply havn't taken the time to write. I'm really not sure where my life is at this moment. I get so caught up in work that I really just don't want to take time for myself. I guess it kinda leaves my personal life in shambles, but I really don't have that much of a personal life to manage so I suppose it isn't too bad. The Navy takes up alot of my time, but the problem is, much of it is just me trying to be an over achiever, and I really don't get a lot in return. I want to fit in, and be one of the guys, but at the end of the day I am not. I suppose I never will be. I kinda feel like a second class citizen. People love my work and service, yet when it comes time for me to get some sort of reward for it they just don't want me to have it. Sad really.

On relationships...

I have decided that there is really no need to seek them out. Every relationship I have sought after has been some big failure, or has never happened. The two times in my life when I had something promising come along it was nothing I had sought, and both times I screwed it up. So I have decided that there really is no need to seek out something that I can and have done without for quite some time. I should focus more on my life as it is, and doing the things that I need to do for myself.

On politics...

I am not satisfied with any of the Presidential candidates this year. The democrats scare me and the republicans annoy me. I will have to decide on someone, but at this point I honestly can't see who it will be. They all have so many flaws in my eyes. When will we have a candidate worthy of the office that they seek?

Moving on....

2007-08-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

There was a time when I would have given up all of my career ambitions to be with the perfect guy. I have goals and ambitions or at least had goals and ambitions that I held above my career goals. I don't think that I am that person anymore. Not because I don't still desire a family of my own. I desire that more than anything. But I am begining to believe that it is not achieveable for me. Most in the community don't want what I do. The ones that do are either taken, or not my type. I am also begining to see that nobody would really make that sacrifice for me. That then begs the question. If they wouldn't make that sacrifice for me, why should I make it for them? I don't know....I guess I just get frustrated at times.

It has been a while....

2007-07-22T00:58:00.000-07:00

It certainly has been some time since I have lost put my thoughts on here. I have been really busy going underway, and returning just for a brief time. I hope to keep better track of my time one of these days, but for now I will just count it as a weakness of mine.

In spending so much time underway my mind has nothing but time to think. I ponder different scenarios all the time, and often I am inspired to write, but the fact that I am underway seems to limit that ability.

The major themes that have been running through my head for the last little while are entitlement, selfishness, romance, and equality.

As far as entitlement goes, I get so angry at the number of people that have false claims to things. The reality is, you really are not entitled to that much. Sure, you may have the ability to have great things in life, but that certainly doesnt mean that you are entitled to them. The fact that you have them, doesnt even make you a bad person, but when you expect things, and let not getting them effect your mood I think you are a bit out of line. It is amazing how many people believe that society owes them something, or that a hardship they may or may not have directly felt entitles them to some great reward. How much better of a society would we be if instead of expecting things, we actually worked to make them happen? I guess this will not happen until the world learns to be a bit more gracious and a little less self serving.

As for selfishness, I get so annoyed when I meet someone that is just downright selfish. Sure, we all have a level of selfishness in the very basis of our character. And I will admit that sometimes that selfishness shows through quite well. However some people are unable to keep that in check, and that concerns me. If you are so selfish that you wouldn't sacrifice everything for your kids, the you are scum in my eyes. I guess it is just the way I was raised.

As for romance, it simply doesnt exist in my life. This saddens me because I have wanted a deep sincere relationship for a long time. I tend to be alot more mature in that respect than most people my age, which makes the search even harder, but I have to keep myself in check, otherwise, I might start thinking I'm entitled to a great partner. I guess it is circumstance more than anything that is the enemy here. The reason there is no prospect of a relationship is because I'm gone all of the time. That makes the search next to impossible. And I believe that perhaps the time that I do get to search I spend searching in the wrong places. I don't know, perhaps the perfect partner has already come and gone, and my youth and stupidity blew the chance.

And my favorite subject of course is equality. I suppose I get so worked up over because it seems so black and white to me. It is the very basis of our nation, yet we have never had true equality. There are always multiple groups that have to struggle, and still often end up on the short end of the stick. I think the fact that we as humans don't grant it out right to our neighbors is ridiculous. I suppose it all goes back to that feeling of entitlement. We all think that we are entitled to more than what others are. I guess I just dont understand that mind frame. And equality issues are so simple to solve. Look at the issue, and ask yourself which side is asking for different rules to apply to different people, and then look at which side is asking for the same standards to be universally applied. It is not that hard to see who is out of line when it comes to issues of equality.

I guess I was just rambling here, but I needed to put something up, cause my mind has been a flurry of activity as of late. I would hate to think that the thoughts come and go, and then get lost forever.

Rest in Peace

2007-05-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

So today the country lost one of its most polarized and influential political lobbyist, the Reverand Jerry Falwell. He spent his life fighting for those beliefs that he held dear, and for that I have respect for him. My thoughts and prayers are with all of those that loved him.

However, a time like this usually calls for looking back at the life he lived. Jerry Falwell was one of the most powerful bigots this country has ever seen. He gathered around an army of workers that all spend much effort trying to enact bigotry as a national policy. Though I have respect for Mr Falwell, I certainly have no respect for the legacy of bigotry he left behind. I just wish that his bigotry could be burried with him. Unfortunatly, it lives on, at least for now.

Leasons Learned

2007-04-23T18:42:00.000-07:00

The damndable thing about learning "one of life's many lessons" is that often times it was something that you knew before you ever made the mistake. We knew that the oven was hot long before we ever touched it as a child. And it hurts so much when we have to make the mistake in order to learn because it tears down our pride and exposes some of our most embarassing vulnerabilities.

Please Remember...

2007-04-22T17:30:00.000-07:00

Time, sometimes the time just slips away
And your left with yesterday
Left with the memories
I, I’ll always think of you and smile
And be happy for the time
I had you with me
Though we go our seperate ways
I won’t forget so don’t forget
The memories we made

Please remember, please remember
I was there for you
And you were there for me
Please remember, our time together
The time was yours and mine
While we were wild and free
Please remember, please remember me

Goodbye, there’s just no sadder word to say
And it’s sad to walk away
With just the memories
Who’s to know what might have been
We’ll leave behind a life and time
We’ll never know again

Please remember, please remember
I was there for you
And you were there for me
And remember, please remember me

Please remember, please remember
I was there for you
And you were there for me
Please remember, our time together
The time was yours and mine
While we were wild and free
Then remember, please remember me

And how we laugh and how we smile
And how this world was yours and mine
And how a dream was out of reach
I stood by you, you stood by me
We took each day and made it shine
We wrote our names across the sky
We ride so fast, we ride so free
I had you and you had me

Please remember, please remember

Measure of a man...

2007-04-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

When I think of what I want in a significant other I often stump myself. I mean it is hard to draw out the details, because if you do that you run the risk of never finding what you are looking for. However if you just live your life and go down the road of your choosing perhaps along that road you will find exactly what you never knew you wanted. I know of the general qualities that I would like to see in someone that I could spend my life with, and I know alot of the bigger things that I want out of that life spent with them. However, what I dont know is who that person is, or where I will ever find them.

People often tell me that I am young and still have a lot of time to figure these things out. But, what if I want the future to start now. Life isnt that long, and we only live once. Why should we let ourselves get caught up in immaturity and youth and continue to push of the real goals of our future till a later time. I don't think that the idea of giving up ones youth to start their adult life too early is a bad thing. I know that when I find the right person for me I will regret not having found them sooner, because I will wish to have spent all the time that I could with them. And perhaps timing does matter. If you find the right one at the wrong time it may not work, but I would like to think that I could find someone now, and that would be the person with whom I spend the rest of my life.

The politics of truth...

2007-04-22T15:58:00.000-07:00

I have always had a vision of what makes a great political leader, and never have I seen those qualities exibited in one of our elected officials. I for one desire office one day, not for the power and personal gain that that can provide, though those are nice compliments of the job. I desire the position so that I can serve it as I feel it needs to be served. No leaders take time out of there week to visit with constituents. No leaders take visits to the far corners of their district. No leaders really feel the effect of the legislation that they vote on every day. It is tough for me to see elected leaders trying to say that they relate to those that they represent when in reality they don't. I hope to hold office one of these days because I believe that the right things to do are not that hard. I believe good leadership is simple so long as you find the right leader.

I see America today as a nation that is in dier straits. I believe that we are setting ourselves up for disaster and the general public is just sitting back and letting it happen. However I do not believe that we are too far gone. The politics of hope and change can prevail, if their foot soilders will continue to take the battle to the streets. The apathy of the American people can be overcome if you just get the right people to fight it. I hope one day a leader is elected that can do for this country exactly what it needs to be done. This would not only be good for our country, but it may be exactly what we need to turn around.

The one that got away...

2007-04-22T11:40:00.000-07:00

I made my mistakes, this much I know, but the long and short of it is, the current situation was never in my hands. No matter what may or may not have happened over time, the inevitable truth is that departure was inevitable. That factor of the equation was the one over which I never had control. And though there is no good reason to stay, the point is you could have, and that is something that you, not I will always have to deal with.

Life

2007-04-18T21:26:00.001-07:00

If you spend a whole life achieving all manner of personal success, but never find the person you wish to share it all with, was your life really worth living? As for me, I would be more than willing to sacrifice everything I ever hoped and dreamed of to spend my life with the right person, however the burden is first on them to make the first sacrifice.

I have never really known exactly what I want in a significant other. I suppose that is perhaps a good thing. If you know exactly what it is you want, then you will never get it. However if you wait and let your heart tell you when it is right then I believe you will truly find happiness.

I have always been very impatient in this regard. If you asked me two years ago I would have told you that I was ready to find the person that I wanted to settle down with. I just see life as a very short thing, and I know that once I find that special someone (if I ever do) I will regret all of the time that I didn’t spend with them. The problem with today’s society, is everyone is so busy in there early twenties. There is no time to settle down because peoples lives are so hectic and are in a state of constant change. It gets so frustrating, but perhaps I should realize that maybe that is how it is meant to be. Maybe patience truly is the virtue that I need to adopt.

Then, I consider the mistakes I have made. I try to think of myself as a very mature person, but some of the things I have done in the past year show that I am anything but. I would like to think that perhaps they were just things that could be expected, and I shouldn’t be so hard on myself, but I set my standards where I do for a reason and there is never a good reason to deviate from them. Maybe the reason I have not found someone to be with is because I myself am way to immature for that. Maybe I have given off the outward perception that I couldn’t handel such a commitment. I would love to think that I could, but in order to do that I have to become as strong a person as I envision myself as being.

I know not what the future holds for me. There is promise, but it will only become what I make of it. I look with eager anticipation and morbid fear as I amble further into my future each day.

Maturity

2007-04-15T06:03:00.000-07:00

I had reached a point in my life where I thought I was so much more mature than those around me. I suppose I could have realized at the time that that was a very pompous attitude to have. And perhaps just when it was at its height it came crashing down with a serious reality check.

We all make mistakes, and making a mistake in and of itself does not constitute some level of immaturity. However when you look at your mistake and see that it was such an immature thing to do then you know that perhaps you werent where you should have been. I had that realization here a while back.

Now I am at a loss. I would like to say that it was a one time deal and I can count on it never to happen again. I do truly believe that to be the case. But how can I justify that claim. I know in my heart what I will do, but how can expect others to believe that I am anything more that just another immature teenager. I suppose part of maturity comes when you learn to live with the mistakes that you make. Perhaps there is nothing you can do to make people forget them, but you must also realize that there is nothing you can do to change them. As for me, I have always felt that there is no need to dwell on those things that you cant change. You need to extract whatever lesson can be learned from them and then move on.

Barbarism

2007-03-16T00:09:00.000-07:00

We as humans tend to hold this somewhat pompous belief that we are civilized. We look at the past and see how much progress we have made, and we get so proud of ourselves that we just dont know what to do. However if you really look at things, we are not that civilized at all.

The rich (high social classes) still have absolut control over society. Sure, we in America have a government "of the people, by the people, for the people", but does it really act that way. In the wealthiest and presumedly most civilized nation in the country we still have bigotry, starvation, rampant poverty, rape, murder, and all manner of other heinous things done by humans to humans. We have millions and millions of children being raised below the standards that we set for ourselves, and the ever so big gap between the rich and poor continues to grow.

In little groups and organizations all around hazing is seen as a "right of passage". Stop for a second, and try to fathom that. In Ivy League schools; homes of the smartest people in the country, people conduct ritualistic acts of hazing just to "initiate" people in to their group. And if you dont participate, well you are just seen as insane.

And as all of this happens; as our society comes apart right in front of our eyes we sit back as apathetic as ever and let it happen. The government lies, wastes, and steals, and we sit by and do nothing about it. Educated people that see this trend are crying out, yet there amber screams are hushed by a growing society of people who could really care less.

Overseas, we see over half of the worlds population lives well below poverty. Starvation and mal nutrition run rampant. Disease and suffering of all kinds is common place, and yet the world sits idly by and watches it all unfold.

I suppose it is a nice thought to think that we are in someway better than generations that went before us, but my question is can man ever overcome its barbaric nature. We can advance as a society, but we always in some form or another seem to display all of our very worst traits.

Why

2007-03-07T21:19:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest questions never asked in our society is why. People never seem to care why certain things happen the way that they do. They would much rather just go on accepting things as they are and not ask why they are that way. Religion is one of the best examples of this that I can think of. Now, don't get me wrong, I consider myself a believer of certain religious principles, however I don't understand why people just accept religious teachings at face value and refuse to consider whether or not they even make sense. People accept the truths that are spouted by those that they look up to and never take the time to consider whether or not the reasons given make sense. If somebody expects something of you, then you at least should have the right to know why they expect it. I know that I am really just ranting, but I tend to see blind trust as a very dangerrous thing, that is ever present in contemporary American society.

Mistakes were made...

2007-03-07T21:15:00.000-08:00

Throughout my life I have had many successes, and many failures. I have made good decesions, and I have made very bad ones. However, no matter how hard I try to balance the two it always seems as though the mistakes far out weigh the successes; especially in times when those mistakes take hold. I suppose we do really learn from everything that we do whether it be the right thing or the wrong thing, yet at times it seems like the cost of the lesson is far more than I could ever bear.

Tyranny...

2007-02-15T20:27:00.000-08:00

I havnt written as much as I used to, and I suppose I am the only person to blame for that. It isnt because the inspiration isnt there. I get thoughts all the time about things that I would love to write about, I guess I just never really get around to it. I will work on that, however, most of this month will be spent at sea.

It's truly scary when one steps back and looks at where the power lies in this country. Sure, we like to tell ourselves that the people hold all the power. Afterall, that was our very basic founding principal. However, its not true. Money for the most part is power. As much as an idealistic chap like me would like to argue otherwise, that is simply the case. The rich in this country hold a stranglehold over the rest, to such an extent that it is almost sick. The government does nothing to stop this, mainly because these people are also the government.

Im not a crying liberal that is going to make the argument that rich people are bad, for I believe quite the contrary to be true. I will just say that I think it is a sad day that the people of America are so apathetic that they have let the country reach this point. It is often quoted that bad things happen only when good people do nothing to stop it. Well that is exactly what is happening here. Americans have let their apathy take hold, and that above almost anything else is one of the gravest threats to our entire way of life. I only hope that when my generation comes of age they put a stop to this dangerous trend before it is to late.

Risks...

2007-01-30T20:08:00.000-08:00

"The greatest things in life are the risks we refuse to take"

Life....

2007-01-11T19:38:00.000-08:00

I am at a point in my life where my mind is just going crazy with activity and I can’t really explain any of it. I think about my life, and all I can see are all the things that didn’t work out like I wanted them to. I guess that’s not a very positive way at looking at things, but that’s kind of where I am at. I wanted to be in Austin going to school right now, yet I am in Groton about to go to a submarine. I’m not sure however if that is necessarily a bad thing. I love the navy and have had the time of my life here so far. I think things will only get better for me, but then again, who knows?

In doing all this thinking that I have been doing recently I have also discovered that I am not really good at handling problems in my life. I often end up digging huge holes for myself that just become huge problems to get out of. I don’t know why, but my leadership skills become non existent whenever I am dealing with my life, and my problems.

I know that I am kind of just rambling, but sometimes that helps me to understand things a little bit better. I just wish I knew where my life was going from here. I wish that I could tell where I will be in a year, or perhaps where I will be in 5 or 10. I don’t know what the future holds, and that scares me. I don’t know how many more of my dreams will never be realized, and what scares me even more that that, is I don’t know if it will be my fault the next time I fail. I need to stop caring so much for the feelings of others and start caring more for my own. I know that sounds kind of selfish, but that is just where I am at.

Moving on...

2006-12-07T13:14:00.000-08:00

So I am getting ready to leave Groton for 30 days and return home. I graduated from my A school, and when I come back I will be reporting to the fleet. I am at one of those times in my life when I feel as though it is about to drastcally change. I'm on the tresh hold of a new adventure, and I am just as excited as I am scared. Even though I will come back to Groton, my life will be different. I will be in a much more stressful environment, and I will work alot more. Life will certainly not be as easy as it was for me this last year.

I also see my personal life changing drastically. I had great friends here at sub school, but as can be expected in the navy, most of them will be gone or close to it soon. There are still going to be some people here for me, but I just don't know if life will be the same. Who knows, it might just get better. All I know, is I am excited but yet so scared.

Lame duck....

2006-12-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

So lets look back in to history for a little bit. The country really started moving towards the civil war long before Lincoln was in office. In fact, during the last term of the 15th president it was quite obvious what was happening. However, he did nothing about it. He just sat back and kinda let things happen. He waited until the next president took office, figuring that he didnt need to do anything in his last little bit.

Sometimes I fear that I have elements of that in my character. I just kinda sit around sometimes and let the slow decay of time deal with the issues in my life. I suppose that is not a good thing, but what can I say? I'm working on it.

Experiance...

2006-11-06T20:23:00.000-08:00

There always come certain times in our lives, when we get out of something, and look back at what all it has taught us. The truth is, everything we do in our lives give us experiance that from that point forward we will always have to look back on.

My mother used to always tell me that I would know a little more when I had the life experiance to back it up. That used to drive me crazy, because I think that one of our biggest problems as a society is the fact that we always look down upon youth and treat them as stupid. However, to a certain extent that is right. We do need to see some things for ourselves before we will ever be content to accept them as truth.

The truth is, we as humans can't be expected to always make the right decesion the first time around. There are so many outside influences that affect us in one way or another that it is just too hard. When we are little we actually have to touch the hot stove, before we will accept that it is infact going to hurt us if we do. And I don't think that that is necesairily a bad thing. At least if we screw up we will have first hand knowledge of why something is good or bad.

Everything in life molds us in to the people that we are. Everything we do leaves its mark. It is up to us as individuals to take that experiance and use it to make our future beter than our past.

Why I am republican...

2006-10-28T16:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, so tecnically my idealogy is closer to that of the Libertarian party than it is to that of the Republican party. That causes most people to ask, why are you a republican?

Well, in short I think that the libertarian party is where good republicans go to die. See, the truth is, the mainstream republican party has been hijacked by a group of people that are not living up to its ideals. The religious right has such a firm hold on it that it is almost scary. So that causes an exodous to the libertarian party by the few republicans left in the party that hold its true ideals. However, I am not willing to make that move. I think third parties are stupid and the idea that they will ever sieze any sort of power is beyond ridiculous. They don't have the resources nor the power to beat one of the two major parties. And even if we had a good candidate comming from a third party, the American people are far to apathetic to ever elect them.

Look in Europe where the voter turn out is much higher than it is here. They have more than one party in office. Here, the only people that vote are members of the two parties. Nobody else cares.

So in short, I will not leave my party behind. I feel it is my duty to fight from within to restore the party to its former glory. After all, this is the party of Lincoln and Reagan. It is certainly worth fighting for.

Shining city rolling down a hill.....

2006-10-27T14:33:00.000-07:00

This is the country that Ronald Reagan envisioned as a "shining city on a hill". This is the country that is suppose to hold all the promise. This is America.

Currently, all of the conditions are in place for a major economic downfall. One so huge and so terrible that it will be reminiciant of the great depression. We carry debt and don't care. We fun half trillion dollar deficiets and nobody looks twice. Forign markets have become more appealing than American ones. The dollar is taking a beating every day. Social security is set to go bankrupt and nobody even wants to talk about a way to fix it. Millions of people live each day below the poverty line. The average American family carries huge amounts of credit card debt. Our economy is destined to have a catastrophic failure. We have employed too many temporary fixes to gain political favor for a short time, that it is finnaly starting to catch up to us.

Furthermore, the bill of rights seems to be a thing of the past. Civil rights in this country are so blatently abused in the name of anti-terrorism that it makes me sick. Wheter it be the creation of "free speech zones", the suspension of habeous corpus, wire taping of americans, witch hunts for gays, or any other of the countless civil rights violations in this country, it is all the same.

And day by day Americans sit by and do nothing about it. They don't cry out for freedom when the bonds of tyranny knock on their door. They don't respond with outrage when their leaders continue to trample their liberties. They stand mute when the government tells them that their children may not have as bright a future as they have had. And most importantly, they don't vote when they need to more than ever. When the youth of this country take an interest in politics and current events at a young age they are ostrasized and critisized. They are made fun of, for actually caring what goes on day in and day out. Day by day, we care less and less.

This isn't the America envisioned by Reagan. This isn't the America that our fore fathers wished it to be. When will the American people take back there country? Will we be living in poverty without an ounce of freedom left before our people care? I sure hope not.

Tax the churches....

2006-10-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

I understand that from the moment I decided to adopt this posistion I became a heretic in the eyes of pretty much every American, however, I think that it is well past the time to tax the churches. Here is why...

Churches absolutly have the biggest influence on politics and government today. There isnt a buisness, a person, a party, or any other organization that has even close to the amount of influence on American government as the churchs do. They wish to be left alone by the government, however they refuse to leave the government alone. Often times they give their members a list of voting criteria, and sometimes they go as far as to endorse a candidate. All of the things that they do in today's America are violations of the rules that govern tax exempt organizations.

Furthermore, there is so much money that runs through churchs that operate within this country. Why shouldn't they be taxed? In a time when the government is carrying an 8 trillion dollar debt and they are running about a 400 billion dollar anual budget deficiet, we could use the money. And as if that is not enough reason, many of the reasons that we are carrying that debt come from policies that the churchs influence.

I am sick and tired of churchs being held on some pedistal. Since when has religion been so popular? There is no better reason in the world to oppress someone than religion. If you want to deny someone rights, you can give all sorts of reasons, but society will not accept any of them as much as they will accept religious intollerance. More people have died in the name of religion than any other reason...hell, probably the next 50 reasons combined.

Sepearation of church and state is an idea that is long out dated. The churchs refuse to be seperated, so the time has come to hold them to the responsibilities of being an active member of society.

Gay America...

2006-10-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

Why is freedom so easy to enjoy for ourselves but hard to grant to others. It really shouldn't be like that. How come society looks at people and sees traits not people? Perhaps the most oppressed group of people in America today are gays and lesbians. So lets try to figure out, what is so different about them that would cause this oppression.

We come from rich families, poor families and everywhere in between. We come from the suburbs and from the inner cities. We are the police and those that they pursue. We are artists and we are professionals. We are religious people and non believers. We work 100 hour weeks, and we are the unemployed. We serve in the military and the peace corps. We are republicans and we are democrats. We are conservative and we are liberal. We are assertive and we are shy. We are loved and we are hated. We are accepted and we are disowned. We are doctors and lawyers, and those that need them. We are educated and we are highschool dropouts. We are Americans.

I'm not trying to make the case that gays and lesbians are the same as everybody else. There are fundamental differences no matter how you look at it. However, all Americans have differences. It is our ability to accept those differences and use them to our advantage that makes us strong. Why then are we unwilling to accept this difference?

One of lifes many mysteries...

2006-10-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest problems in life is applying my advice and my standards to myself. When my friends are having problems in there lives, I can give some of the best advice. It seems as though I always know how to handel their problems. However when it comes to those same problems in my life it seems as though I am always at a loss. Why is that?

There is always a battle raging in all of us between the heart and the mind. One of them seems to always hold the key to our happiness, and one of them always seems to have the key to our logic and better judgement. Which one should we side with? Is it ok to pursue something that makes no sense just because it is what your heart wants to do? Is it ok to pursue something just because you want it, even though your better judgement tells you not to?

It does seem as though it is one of lifes many problems. I never seem to know which path will lead to a happier future. I never know which road to take. I suppose in the end it will all make sense, though at times I get the feeling that I should try living my life for myself as oppose to living it for others, even though in my mind that seems to be the most selfish thing imagineable.

This is America...

2006-10-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

We as Americans are truly blessed. We live in the greatest country to have every graced the face of the earth. America is truly wonderful. There is not a day that goes by in my life where I do not thank the good Lord for having allowed me to live here.

However, we have come to a point in our history where you seriously question why people do what they do. Why they wont live up to the creed, "land of the free". I'm not trying to make the claim that this country has ever been perfect. Hell, as far as civil rights go, we have never been beter, however, some improvement does not mean that we can be call it quits.

We live in a country where gays and lesbians arnt treated as equals. They can't get the benefits of marriage, they can't serve openly and honostly in the military, and even raising children becomes far more difficult. We live in a country were a religious faction has seized far more power than there numbers should allow because the rest of the country is too lazy to vote at all, not to mention vote in unison. We live in a country that would take a right so precious as free speech for granted by pickiting military funerals claiming that a soilder died because of the country's posistion on gay rights. We live in a country that oppresses there youth every day by not giving them a shred of responsibility because they think they are not responsible enough to handel it. We live in a country that has a soft spot for the rights of criminals, yet will hang victims out to dry whenever they can. We live in a country that will only elect extremists from either side of the spectrum and leave nobody to project the voice of the middle, once again, because lazy people dont vote. We live in a country that will let the national debt continue to climb, and essentially be content passing a huge problem on to the future generations. We live in a country that will continue to throw money at problems, even when it is that very same money that is creating the problem to begin with. We live in a country that chooses regulation of personal freedom, above allowing for personal responsibility.

This isnt the best nation that it can be. We are not the shining city on a hill envisioned by Ronald Reagan. America can do better. People need to realize that our ideals are freedom, not oppression, success not failure, triumph not defeat. The problems we face today are big ones, but they are not unsolveable. This is America...when will Americans take back their country?

Earning your keep...

2006-10-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

One of the major problems with the world is that people think that they can reach a point in the ladder of success where they can just give up. Where life will be easier, and they can just coast. We have set up a society that works toward that goal. Hell, it is factored into the American Dream.
The problem with that logic, is that it creates a situation in which mid to upper level management becomes negligent, and everybody suffers. Whether it be the military or a corporation in the civilian world, the effects are essentially the same.

Take for instance the military. People that wish to make a carrer out of the navy desire to move up the ranks as quickly as possible. Once they reach a mid level posistion however, they get a mindset that it is ok to stop living up to that higher calling. People in companies seek promotions that will give them a posistion in mid to upper level management. Once they get that they think that it is ok, to slack off and not live up to what they have become.

You should live your life every day with the mindset that you want to improve. If you earn a higher posistion, you are not then allowed to slack off. Yes, there has to be insentives in place that will make those posistions desirable, but the point is, if you stop doing what you did to earn a posistion once you get the posistion, then you are no longer entitled to have that posistion. One of the biggest problems with society is people not living up to the posistions that they have earned.

Population management...

2006-10-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

So now it is projected that the United States will reach 300 million people on Tuesday morning. When you are getting ready to reach a milestone like that you must ask two questions.

1) What is causing population growth.

2) Is the growth a good thing.

First of all, America is currently plagued with a vast number of illegal immigratnts and more and more come in to this country each day. Those on the left might have you believe that this is actually a good thing, and that it helps America's economy. They would have you believe that these immigrants do jobs that other Americans arn't willing to do. However, there are several problems with that. If we continue to allow illegal immigration like we do today, we will completely undermine our naturalization process. Furthermore, these jobs that other Americans wont take, are under the table jobs that avoid the taxation policy. The only reason that Americans wont take the jobs is because they are day labor type things that pay below the minimum wage. If we would eliminate the minimum wage, we wouldn't have this problem. Employers would be allowed to hire people at below the minimum wage, and Americans would take the jobs. Any job beats unemployment.

Furthermore, illegal immigration into the United States is a huge financial burden, that brings down the standard of living. Most of the people that are comming into this country are living in poverty, and they do not carry things such as insurance. They flood our schools and hospitals, yet don't bear the full financial burden of those services.

I am sick and tired of people saying that we need illegal immigrants in this country in order to function. I think it is extremely unfair to all of those people who went through a legitimate naturalization process to just tolerate those who absolutly refuse to do it.

And lastly, I am sick and tired of yankees and others from around the country saying that we should keep our borders as open as they are today, yet refusing to help pay the burden that is forced upon the border states. Several times, the federal government has refused to offer suplimental financial aid to border states, to curb the cost of illegal immigration. They also fail time and time again to increase assistance on border security. If the people of this country are unwilling to help the border states pay for this problem then it is about time that they let us fix the problem.

Inner Cities....

2006-10-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

I have little or no sympathy for the people that live in inner cities. I have even less respect for the ones that are incapable of understanding why the inner cities are so bad. Here is the deal...

Drugs are most prevelant in inner cities

Drugs cause crime

Crime brings down, all standards, including the standard of living and the standard of education.

Furthermore, all the people in the inner cities want is a hand out. Most welfare is spent on people in the inner cities. They will not be happy until we give them handouts, and even when we do that, they are not happy because we don't give them enough. They remain in the cycle of poverty, and they do nothing to break it. Just talking to them pisses me off, because they are so blind to the problems that they cause for themselves.

Happy Birthday Blog!!!

2006-10-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

So I realize now that this is a day late, but my blog is now officially one year old. For a year I have been blabbing about random things, and trying to give you a little glimpse of what goes on in my head. I'm sure you are all frightened.

Primaries

2006-10-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

Every year before the general election, we have the primaries. Most people don't pay attention to them, but what they fail to realize, is the most of the time, the primaries decide elections. Very seldom do general elections actually matter in this country. Most areas as so strictly republican or so strictly democratic, that it really doesnt matter, who runs for the minority party in the general election.

All in all, I don't necesarily think that primaries are a bad thing. It gives the parties a chance to narrow down their own field, and only run one candidate in the general election. However, primaries do have one major problem. In today's America we are very polarized. The parties are on far ends of the political spectrum, and they always select candidates that lie on their end of the spectrum. The fact that Americans still get the choice when the general election comes would lead you to believe that the system is still just fine. However, it doesn't allow room for the moderates to express their wants. Truth is, "mainstream America" doesnt stand a chance. By the time the parties pick who they want to run out of the primaries, we end up with one candidate from each end of the spectrum. There are very seldom good, moderate candidates.

Anyone that knows me knows that I lie pretty far right. However I do recognize the benefit of having moderate politics. Personally I think that primaries are a good thing, and I think that they minimize the problems that we would otherwise face. However that doesn't change the fact that they do have one serious problem. The best way to fix this is for Amercians to get off of their lazy asses and go vote.

Fan the flame...

2006-09-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

Relationships generally start with a spark. There is something in the initial attraction to an individual, that sparks something. A flame begins to glow, and as the relationship lasts, that glow of happiness seems to become ever so bright.

Now there are times in every relationship were there are obstacles that have to be overcome. Certain times when a wind of uncertainty blows in, the flame will fold a bit. It will be battered down a bit, and maybe not burn as brightly as it once did, however if the foundation of the fire is strong it will survive. It will survive and it will recover, and when it does, it will burn all the more brighter, and it will be so much stronger. It is almost like when you blow into the embers of a fire, it goes down a bit, but when you cease, the fire comes back stronger.

The times of uncertainty arn't bad, and they shouldn't be feared. I tend to believe, from what one might call experiance that those are what make the relationship stronger. If you survive one of those periods of time, which with a little work, and with faith in what you have, you will, then you are better for it. You learn from it, and you are likely never to make that same mistake again.

I am very happy with my life as it is now. I am extremely happy with the status of my relationship. I do not want, nor forsee a change any time in the near future.

United Nations...

2006-09-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

Pretty much, the United Nations is one of the most useless and illegitimate international organizations in the history of the world. They serve no real purpose, and they fail time and time again to uphold their charter.

Recently, they have been in the news, because of Chavez's remarks about President Bush. It seems kind of odd for a leader of a much inferior nation, to come on to American soil, and curse the American president for things far above his nations calling. It was something so blatently combative, that democrats were fighting for a chance to come to the defense of President Bush.

After this event, many people were calling for the removal of the United Nations from this country. People were saying that they should be forced to move somewhere else. Though I have agreed with this argument for quite some time, I find it odd that it takes this kind of event to cause this dialogue to become main stream. I mean, the United Nations has neglected its own charter for years, but this inaction is not what causes people to get annoyed. People get annoyed at mere words.

Here is what I think should happen. As long as the United States is still a member of the UN we have to keep them here. We are able to exibit some form of control over the UN so long as it is here. Were it to move to some other country, we would forfeit that control. Now if the US were to withdraw itself, that would be an entirely different story. We would no longer be obligated in any sense of the word to the UN, and we would no longer need to have some influence over them. I think a withdrawl would be entirely appropriate given that the last two Presidents have conducted military operations in direct defiance of UN instruction, and essentially Americans no longer value the UN's posistion. There is no longer a need for us to be there.

Whatever happens, I know that the UN is illegitimate. Our continued presence just seems like a useless hope given that nothing we ever say seems to matter to them.

One of Clinton's many failures...

2006-09-21T22:13:00.000-07:00

Alot of gay people are liberal just for the sake of being liberal which kind of annoys me at times. They think that someone can't support gay rights and be conservative. What they fail to realize is that in truth, equal rights is one of the most conservative ideals to have.

That aside, with these gay people being liberal just for the hell of it, they often credit the Clinton administration for championing gay rights. One of the biggest things they use to support this claim is his "huge success with Don't Ask Don't Tell". The truth is, DADT is one of the Clinton administartions many failures. During the campaign against Bush the first, Clinton promised an end to the ban on gay service members. He promised to allow gays to serve openly in the military. He failed to do that. And in truth, DADT didn't change anything. Gay people could serve in the military prior to the DADT policy, they just couldn't say that they were gay. What do gays have to do today? Truth is, as far as the military is concerned things are the same.

But what about the don't pursue don't harass part of the new policy. Nobody pays attention to that. A good percentage of the discharges for being gay come from statements made on online profiles such as myspace. How would the government know about that if they weren't pursuing an investigation? And as for don't haras, thats laughable. If you try to report being harrassed for being gay you can't report it as that. You have to say you are being harrassed for a precieved sexual orientation, because if you confirm it in any way, you will get kicked out. Thats right, you can get kicked out for reporting harrassment.

Then there is the Don't ask part. People ask all the time. They never get in trouble for it. When is the last time you heard of someone getting discharged for asking. Hint; it has never happened. Yet if you tell, you get discharged.

So what did Clinton really accomplish? Can gays serve openly in the military as he promised? No. Was there any real change to the policy concerning gays in the military as a result of DADT? No. I swear, the next time a gay person touts the success of the Clinton administration on gay rights I might loose it.

The great unknown...

2006-09-17T23:35:00.000-07:00

People always get frustrated when you blurt out the ending to a movie before they get a chance to see it. Me, I have always loved that. It doesn't ruin the movie in my mind. Sometimes it can, but most of the time I can get just as much out of a movie by seeing how they get to the ending, as oppose to seeing what the ending actually is.

When considering that I can't help but think of how much I would love to get a glimpse of my life in the future. The great unknown element in my life just absolutly drives me crazy. I have my dreams, and there are many things I would like to do, but the great unkown remains. Who am I going to spend it all with? Who am I going to share my life with? Who is going to share their life with me? Will the person who holds the keys to my heart cherish or forsake that responsibility?

I have always dreamed of totally giving myself to someone else. Sharing a love that is so deep and pure that it is rivaled by all of those in our life. And I still hold out hope that that love is here, but day in and day out my impatience takes hold. I can't stand the uncertainty.

Entitlement...

2006-09-17T23:22:00.000-07:00

One of the more prevelant problems in contemporary American society is the large group of people that for some reason or another thing that they are entitiled to things just because they are alive. You see these people everyday. They are the people drawing welfare, the people asking for universal healthcare, and the people who think that someone succesful is automatically a bad person.

The truth is, you are not entitled to anything. What you work for and earn is what you get, but just because you fail, doesn't mean that those who didn't deserve to be punished. Just because you are poor, does not mean that those who are succesful should have to bear you as a burden. It makes me sick to see the rampant laziness that is assisted by the various entitlement programs we have in this country. It makes me sick to see people destroy their lives, and then blame the rest of us.

Drug usage runs rampant amoungst poor Americans. Does that mean that all poor people do drugs? No. But it does mean that alot of people have their own decesions to blame for their circumstances, not anything else.

People contract Aids on a daily basis because they do things that they know are reckless and stupid. Does the fact that you had unprotected sex with someone you didn't know mean that I should have to pay your medical bill? Does the fact that you used drugs with a dirty needle mean that I should be responsible for the growing Aids epidemic

I have sympathy for victims of aids. It is something that plauges my community, and I truly hate to see people having to deal with it. But lets not pretend for one minute that it is something that targets the completely unsuspecting. Aids hits those people who were not smart enough to prevent it. The people who conducted themselves in a manner that they knew was stupid.

I don't mean to sound cold or calous, though I fear that that is how this may look. I just get frustrated with people who refuse to help themselves, and then expect everyone else to do it for them. I get annoyed when a tennant demonizes their landlord, just because their landlord expects to get the rent. I get frustrated when people vilionize the succesful, just because the succesful have created a good life for themselves. I get frustrated when people sit back and do nothing, and then blame their problems on everyone else. For crying out loud people....This is America. This is the land of opportunity, not the land of entitlement. You are entitled to that which you earn, nothing more.

Worth the fighting for...

2006-09-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

My brother used to say "opinions are like assholes....we all have them and they all stink". I'm not sure where he got that from, but I always remember shaking my head. The truth is however, most of us do have opinions on alot of things. However, one often wonders, how dearly do we truly hold those opinions? Which of them are worth the fighting for?

I am seen by many of those around me as someone that is very opinionated. Truth is, if you have known me for any period of time whatsoever you know that I am very adament about my opinions. I am very argumentative, and I will never pass up a chance to make my point. I have often been described as bland and boring, becuase after all, America's youth really couldn't care less about the issues that face this country.

Now granted, there are very few issues that I don't have an opinion on, and any one that I don't, I can draft one rather quickly after learning a little about the subject. The question is, which ones do I hold the most dear? Which ones will I fight for?

The most important issue to me will always be, and has always been abortion. The very thought that people in this country find it acceptable to kill a pre born child disgusts me. The fact that our standard of decency is really that low is truly disturbing. We have people in this country, and in this world for that matter that want nothing more than to be parents, yet for some reason or another they can't be. People that would give anything to adopt a child or be able to have one on their own, but can't. Then we have the people that have the ability to have children, and abuse it. People that could have a child at any moment, yet they throw it away. I would gladly give my life so that the children who die everyday in this country could be given a chance to live.

The second most important issue to me is equality for gay Americans. This is such a simple issue in my mind that I just get so frustrated by people who do not agree with me. This is America for crying out loud. This is the country that is suppose to value freedom. From the very begining, we have expressed equality in all of our principals, yet we have never at any one point been able to grant it. We love to talk about freedom, yet we are not so quick to grant it. We love to send our fighting men and women to forign shores to fight and die for our "American values" yet we can't even live up to them here at home. The 14th ammendment to the US Constitution grants equal protection of the laws to all citizens under the jurisdiction of the United States. That blatently justifies equal rights for gay americans. There is truly no question as to what the right thing is, however still to this day, we do not grant equality. How is such a basic principal so hard to follow?

I get tired, sick and tired for that matter, of people not standing up for what they believe in. Not fighting for the values that they hold dear. I get tired of people have opinions just because that is what they heard someone else say. I get tired of people not voting, but then turning around and bitching because they didn't get their way. People in other countries risk their lives to go and vote. They go to the polls not knowing whether or not being there might get them blown up. Americans, who have it so easy, absolutly refuse to vote. More people vote for the next American Idol than for the President of the United States. How pathetic is that? Forign parliments hash out their differences in heated debates and vicious disputes. American politicians speak in the most bland tone possible, and usually the only one in the chamber at any one time is they guy that has been slated for days to speak then. Lobbyists have more power than do elected officials. How pathetic can we be?

Don't get me wrong. I absolutly love this country. We are truly the greatest country in the world. We have so much to cherish, and so much to be proud of. However we can do better. We can do so much better, and we are doing ourselves a great injustice to sit back and say that we can't. Americans need to fight for what they believe, even if that belief is not popular. That afterall, is the duty of any citizen of a democracy.

Some things that are on my mind...

2006-09-15T23:48:00.000-07:00

So here are a few things that have been on my mind...on the subject of love and what not. Relationships for gays tend to be a little more complex than relationships for straight people. I don't mean to self-segregate, but that is just a simple truth of the world.

First of all you have the problem of identifying memebers of the community. America, you know the land of the free, has not set up a society of tolerance. This rampant intollerance has created a situation in which alot of gays stay in the closet, and alot of those that come out, are out with caution. That makes it hard to tell who you could actually date. And you must also consider that the playing field for gays is extremely limited. At least, more so than it is for straight people.

Then there are those gays, that deep down are probably gay but get caught up on not wanting to live the life; not wanting to deal with all that goes along with it. I think that is where most bisexuals find themselves. Being out and proud is truly a hard thing.

I guess I'm rambling a little bit, but I promise there is a point here. Being gay in today's America is certainly easier than it used to be, however it is still very difficult. I know that being out and proud is difficult. I've had problems with a situation of that sort, and I know others who have had it much harder than me.

I know it may be asking alot, but I guess when I have thought of who I might want to date I have always pictured someone that has come to terms with that. I am not looking for an out and proud queen by any means, however I am not prepared nor do I ever intend to deal with insecurity issues in that regard. I don't think I could handel it. I want someone who is willing to accept that they are part of the community, and willing to deal with all that goes along with it. I wish America didn't make that such a hard thing to do.My heart tells me that I am in the right place now. I am going to trust that feeling and see where it takes me.

Relationships...

2006-09-10T14:14:00.000-07:00

People who have a significant other, truly do not recognize how lucky they are. Love between two people of that magnitude...the willingness to share your lives together, is truly amazing. I do get annoyed at the whole process quite often though.

First of all, there is the whole maturity question. Often times teenagers and younger adults tend to have this mindset that they only want a relationship for the fun that can come from it. I suppose that is fine, however they should preface it with that. If you have no long term intentions don't led someone to believe that you do. Believe it or not, there are people in that age group that want something more. And yes, the relationship does need to develop over time before they can be sure that you are the person they want it with, however the fact remains, some people are ready to grow up and start their life.

Then there is the notion that couples in a serious relationship can't have fun. That is stupid. Just cause you are not sleeping around and the like doesnt mean you cant do the same things that everyone else is doing. You are still young for crying out loud. You can still have all the fun. The dating for fun notion is flawed at its very core.

Next there is the question of substance. When dealing with a serious relationship I don't think that it is unreasonable to expect substace. Often times the question is asked, what is more important, sex, or everything else. Now, I tend to believe that sex is very important in any relationship, however, if the relationship is based only on sex, then it has no substance and will most assuridly fail. I think that communication is a huge part of any relationship. I think that sharing becomes necessary at one point. Look at it this way; if you are dating someone that essentially you are just sleeping with, and that relationship lasts for a little bit, you would expect to know a little something about the other person that you are dating. If you find at a certain point, that their friends often still know more about them, and are still told more about them, even after the relationship began, you have to question the substance that that relationship has.

Relationships truly are confusing, in fact sometimes very frustrating. However I do believe that it is the deepest goal of any human to find someone with whom they can share their life. The idea of a companionship that true is truly a great thought. Those who find that happiness are extremely lucky.

God in politics...

2006-08-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

One of the hot-button issues in American politics is the idea that God may or may not have a place there. The problem with this issue in particular is that both of the major parties are dead wrong. After having been hijacked by the religious right the republican party has essentailly made it their objective to establish everything short of a theocracy. The more liberal faction of the democratic party essentially wants to eliminate religion, which in and of itself, is equally offensive.

Truth is, this country was in fact founded on many religious ideals. Religion, specifically Christianity is weaved in to all of our founding documents in one form or another. However, this country was also founded by people who originally left a society that did not offer them the freedom to worship as they pleased. The seperation of church and state is NOT a constitutional principal. There is nothing in that document that requires the two to be seperate. However, it remains to this day in the best interest of both sides to remain as seperate as humanly possible. A church can not do its best work if it answers to the state, and the government certainly can't do its best work, if it answers to a church.

On to the smaller things. "In God we trust" is written on our currency, much the the chagrin of many. However I do not consider it offensive, nor do I see how an athiest could see spending currency with a simple phrase written on it, as a compromise of their values. That argument is ludicrious. Should that have been written on the currency to begin with? Probably not. However, since it is already there, there is no point in removing it. That is not a fight worth having. Changing the status quo at this point creates an unnecesary conflict between religion and government, that will ultimatly drag the two together once again. Same goes for the pledge of alleigence and the ever so famous "Under God".

It is a seemingly simply issue. Both sides benefit from being apart, yet neither side can relinquish their desire to but in to the other.

Sacrifice...

2006-08-23T06:58:00.000-07:00

Being gay in today's world causes many stuggles and hardships that would not otherwise be faced. Gays and lesbians face the prospect of being disowned by family and friends, being denied equal oppurtunities of citizenship, being physically and mentally harmed, and many other hardships just because they are gay. Most major religious have adopted posistions of hatred and exclusion, despite the fact that at their very core they are taught love and acceptance.

When someone reaches the point where they realize that they are gay they have a decision to make. They can hide it, which is essentially what a majority of the world would like them to do, or they can choose to be true to themselves and live the life that they were born to live. Living the life requires you to make sacrifices. It isn't right, it isn't fair, but that is how it is. Though I would not like to see people forced to make sacrifices that in a free society such as America, they shouldn't have to, I recognize that all freedom was won because of the sacrifices of those seeking it. Full equality will be achieved for gays and lesbians in my life time. The only question is, how long will it take, and what will the cost be?

Hijacked...

2006-08-23T06:43:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I am, and always have been a proud republican. However, I can no longer say that I am proud of our national party. With a republican white house, and republicans in control of both houses of congress, we have seen america take a budget surplus and turn it into the largest budget deficiet in the history of the country. President Bush has failed at every domestic policy agenda he had comming in to his second term, and all he has done is managed to spend more money. His presidency, more specifically the second term has been one of the biggest failures in the history of the republican party. Granted, his forign policy, and his strength in regards to national security are right on, he has been a complete an utter failure when it comes to homeland issues.

Why has the party failed the country so catastrophically? Because it has been hijacked by the religious right. The religious right does not hold true to conservative republican principals. In fact, most conservative values have been thrown out by that group of people. However, because they have managed to infect one of the two major parties, and in large part turn out their base for every election, they have managed to gain alot of power. Power that they are using to screw up the country.

This is what happens when people don't vote. America is truly the greatest country in the world, and we are all very fortunate to have the oppurtunity to liver here, however most take that for granted, and don't perform their basic duty of citizenship in a democracy. The religious right is out of line with mainstream american values, however because mainstream america doesn't vote, the religious right was able to sieze the power that they now have. Maybe one day, we will have voter turnout that we can be proud of.

New Rules...

2006-08-23T06:38:00.000-07:00

I'll admit, I did not come up with these, but I was reading them, and I thought that they sum up my thoughts pretty well.

ARTICLE I: You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV, or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.
ARTICLE II: You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone—not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc., but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.
ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful; do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.
ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes.
ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we’re just not interested in public health care.
ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or killsomeone, don’t be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.
ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don’t be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won’t have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure.
ARTICLE VIII: You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful.
ARTICLE IX: You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to PURSUE happiness, which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.
ARTICLE X: This is an English speaking country. We don’t care where you are from, English is our language. Learn it or go backto wherever you came from!

Free speech...

2006-08-11T21:40:00.000-07:00

Being amoung the first rights specifically granted in the bill of rights, one could draw the conclusion that freedom of speech is important to Americans. As far as most countries in the world, we are doing pretty good at granting. More often than not, even unpopular speech is given some form of protection by government bodies.

In today's America, freedom of speech is being attacked from both sides. On one hand, you have people that don't respect the reasonable limitations that could be expected to be in place. These are the people that show up to military funerals and picket, saying that a soilder died because God is mad at America. These are the people who resort to hate speech because they have nothing legitimate to contribute. I am a big fan of protecting speech, even if it is unpopular, however if the only motivation of the speech is to incite a riot, then you have to wonder why it is even neccesary to begin with.

On the other hand, you have the people that wish to completely sensor the speech that they don't like. These are the people who would be content if they never heard an idea other than their own. These are the people who ban books, censor commercials, and silence others just for presenting an idea that opposes their basic belief system.

Freedom of speech has a hard time anymore. It is plauged by the fact that people either dont appreciate it or people abuse it. I wish people still lived by the age-old philosophy "I may hate what you are saying, but I will stand up next to you, and defend your right to say it".

Family

2006-08-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me should be well aware of the fact that I love my family very dearly. We have had our problems, but at the end of the day, the unconditional love that we have for one another overcomes all.

However, a family that I also hold dear to my heart is the family that you often hear members of the GLBT community refer to themselves as. No, members of the community are not all biologically connected, however a deep bond is formed at some of the most basic levels of existence. I believe the main reason you hear members of the community refer to themselves as family is because of the understanding that is had. All members of the community go through some of the same things on a daily basis. Members of the community face many of the same struggles in society. Now granted, not all GLBT people handel the situations the same way, the fact that the same struggles exist tends to form a bond, that cannot easily be broken. Like many families, the GLBT family has its problem. Any outside observer could call the family disfunctional. However, there is a bond, there is a family, and that will not likely change anytime in the near future.

Who I am...

2006-08-05T18:04:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it seems as though the hardest person to know is yourself, even though that is the person that you should know best. And I believe that we do know ourselves better than we know anyone else, however when we analyze ourselves we always run in to perceptions of how we are, and perceptions of how we would like to be. So at times, when I have time to think, I consider who I am, and how I am living my life. This is what I have come up with thus far.

Politically

The most important political issue to me has always been, and will likely always be abortion. I believe it to be wrong so strongly that I often find it difficult to see how someone can truly believe the other side of the issue. I think that it is the greatest injustice in America today, because it is the legalized slaughtering of other human beings. The only difference between a child in the womb and one outside of it is that they are at a different stage of development. Yes, a child in the womb is literally dependent on the mother for everything that would sustain his or her life, but so a new born is equally dependent, just a little more developed. I truly believe that life begins at conception for both scientific and religious reasons, and that is one opinion I have that I can most assuredly say will never change.

The second most important issue to me is equal treatment of gays and lesbians. There are so many injustices in society today against gays and lesbians that it isn’t funny. First, and foremost, we must consider that a marriage contract alone grants 11oo rights to married people, many of which gays cannot obtain through any legal document. Fundamental fairness and equality should prevail here, and we should grant full equality to all of our citizens. I find it funny that Americans have always known that full equality was the right thing, yet we have never been willing to grant it. We always right about equality, yet it takes years of struggle and hardship for different groups of minorities to actually achieve it.

I support the death penalty, and I believe that it should be extended to rapist and child molesters. The only problem with it as it is currently used is that it is not used enough.

I support victim’s rights, and think that they should always be held in high regard. I don't believe that prisoners deserve as many rights as they have in today's America. As you can tell I tend to walk a hard line when it comes to law and order.

I oppose embryonic stem cell research, because it requires the destruction of usable embryos. We can use adult stem cells with out destroying life and reach many of the same if not all of the same medical conclusions and cures.

I think that often times Americans are not supportive enough of Israel. They being a sovereign nation should have a right to defend themselves, and in light of the rampant terrorism that goes on in their country all the time, they should be exercising that right.

I think that Iran is a growing threat, and China is an emerging threat that we will one day have to deal with. Hopefully not on the battle field.

I think the government is way too big and should be cut in as many ways as possible. I like small government and low taxes.

I think that my parent’s generation has been the biggest failure in the history of the country. They are leaving us with enormous problems that we may not be able to fix. Everyday I see the rising debt and I cringe.

I think that the drinking age should be lowered to 18. If you can elect your leaders and die for your country, you should be allowed to drink. However I also think that the punishments for alcohol related crimes such as DUI should be increased. Furthermore, I don't believe that being drunk should be an excuse for committing other crimes. You should not be tried with a lesser offense just because you were drunk when you did it.

Though I can't justify allowing alcohol but not allowing some of the weaker drugs such as marijuana, I still think that they should be illegal. It is possible that in the future I would be open to changing that opinion merely because I can justify it, though I am not ready to do that yet.

I don't smoke though pretty much everybody I know does. I believe that it is wrong of society to prohibit smoking in public places such as bars and restaurants. If I go into a restaurant where I know people smoke then, I should have to deal with it. If I don't like it, I am welcome to go somewhere else. If I owned a restaurant it would have a smoking section, and damnit, that is my right as a business owner.

I think most workers unions are useless and are not needed in a capitalist society. 9 times out of 10 I will side with businesses over labor unions. They were good in the past, today they stink.

I have an opinion on pretty much every political issue there is, and if I don't it wont take me that long to form one. I am generally a pretty conservative person save a few social issues. These are the ones that I could think of now, though that doesn’t mean that they are the only ones.

Spiritually

I am what can only be considered a liberal Christian, though I was raised in one of the most conservative protestant denominations. I love the church I was raised in, and I have seen qualities that I love about other churches, though at the end of the day there has never been a church that I can say I agree with 100%. I do not believe you have to be a member of any church to get into Heaven. I believe people from all faiths and from all walks of life will reunite with our Father in Heaven for eternity.

I oppose any church that excommunicates people for any reason. Though I respect the right of any religious person to oppose certain things that its members might do, I think the church should always have its doors open to everyone. I mean if someone is making the service impossible, by all means, throw them out, but excommunicating people for life style decisions that you disagree with seems a bit too judgmental for my taste.

I believe that we are literal spirit children of our Father in Heaven. I believe that our time spent on earth is just a part of our eternal development.

I believe that the relationships we form here on earth will exist in Heaven in much the same way that they existed on earth. The fact that we shared that part of our development with the people that we spent it with can never be changed.

I believe that many of the commandments laid out in the bible our suggestions on how to live a better life, not checkpoints on an entrance exam into Heaven.

I believe that the greatest thing we can do on earth is show the love of God in all that we do, though at times, I find that hard to do.

I believe the purest form of love is the love that our Father in Heaven has for us, for there is nothing that could ever make that stop.

I believe that church has its purpose, though many of the churches are more social gatherings than they are anything else, which is sad.

I believe that most people will experience some level of glory in their after life. I believe this, because the God I believe in is a forgiving God; a God of love.

I believe that we are free to act as we wish on earth, and I do not believe that God directly interferes. Were He to directly interfere, there would be little need for faith. However, I do believe that He provides us with much needed strength and blessings along the way.

I am not very outspoken on religion in my everyday life because in truth I believe that religion exists as individuals interpret and perceive it. I believe that there are many different ways that you can live your life, and still be just as right as someone else, who chooses to live differently. I think that spreading ones believes on religion is admirable, but it is not something that I do, or ever intend to for that matter. One that sees what I do on a daily basis might say that I am not a great champion of Christianity, however I do have an unwavering faith in God, and it is that faith that I will take with me to my judgment.

Socially

Socially I have always been pretty outspoken person, and at times I can be very confrontational, though surprisingly enough when I around people for the first few times I tend to be a little shy. It is not that I am nervous in a group; it is just that I like to get to know people before I become really talkative. However, once I open up, I think I am a pretty sociable person. I tend to put up a wall and make it at least a little difficult to become friends with someone, however once I become friends with them, I am perhaps one of the most loyal people that I know. There is little that I will not do for my friends.

My family and I are very close. Specifically my mom, my brothers, my grandma, my aunts, and myself. Of all the families I have seen in my life I would never even consider thinking that I got dealt a bad hand. The one thing that my family has to a greater extent than I have ever seen is unconditional love. We fight, and we gripe about each other all the time. We are in every sense of the word dysfunctional, but the unconditional love is there, and there is nothing that one of us wouldn't do for another. My family is by far the most important thing in my life. I can't wait till the day when I have a spouse and children of my own to add to the family tree.

Goals

I often speak of the many things I would like to do. I talk a lot about high political aspirations, and all of the success that I would like to experience in my life. However, though I would enjoy bringing about the changes that I have always talked about, that has never been the most important thing to me. Hell, most of the time I am talking about those things, I am joking to a large extent.

The most important thing I want in my life is companionship. I want to spend my life with someone else that I love dearly, and that I know loves me. I want to raise children with this person, and love them for all eternity. I believe that companionship is one of the greatest gifts that we have, and I want to experience it. I would give up everything else to live that goal, for that is all I truly want.

So now, off of all that...

The quote I live by is "Principles only mean something if you stand by them, even when it is inconvenient." I see resounding truth in that, and I try to apply it to my daily life. That is all I can think of for now. It is not everything, but that may provide a little insight in to the depths of my personality.

Leaning on faith...

2006-08-03T18:38:00.000-07:00

It is sad to say, but often times it takes a tragedy for us to truly understand the fraility of human life. At all times we are subject to our own mortality. Now granted, to some extent we have control over what happens to us, to a larger extent we do not.

Its hard to imagine someones life comming to a sudden end. When I left for boot camp, I left my old life behind, and I went into an environment where to a large extent I would be sequestered for 2 months. I think of all the things I left undone before I was gone. Things I should have taken care of that I just didn't get to. And in that case, I knew that I was leaving in advance. I couldn't imagine leaving with the intention of comming back later that day, and meeting my end. What about the unsaid goodbyes? What about the things you always thought you would have time to say later, but never got to?

I guess I often take advantage of the good fortune that I have had throughout my life. I look to other people, that are far more deserving of happiness than myself, that don't have it, and wonder why they don't have the things that I do. I look to people that are facing tragedy, and sometimes I think, why didnt that happen to me? Then I realize that we truly do have the free agency that our Father in Heaven always intended for us to have.

Given my life, I am often asked about my views on religion, and the reasons behind them. I'm not going to get into all of that now, but I do believe there is a plan in place; one that we will never understand, until our time on earth is through. I do not believe in pre-destination. While we are here on earth, we are free to do what we want; to live our lives in whatever way we feel necesary. The advantage of that is that we get to learn who we truly are as an individual. The problem is, it allows bad things happen to good people.

When we deal with death, especially the deaths of good people, we often ask, "why would God let something like this happen", or "why did God let that happen to them". And in truth I think most religious people realize that there would be no need for faith if God were to interfere with worldly things. But that doesn't stop the question from being asked in the first place. All that we can do is lean on our faith and go on living, though at times, we might find that hard to do.

Life's sweetest vulnerability...

2006-07-30T23:34:00.000-07:00

By our very nature, human beings are protective of ourselves. We have bestowed deep within us a survival instinct that pushes us at all times to seek a continued existence. We also like to protect our emotions. Some moreso than others, but nonetheless, that desire is there.

Many have told me throughout my life that I have a particularly well guarded wall when it comes to letting people close to me. I have my suspicions as to the major reasons for that, but still to that end I'm sure there are some reasons for that that I cannot explain. I have often been told, and I myself have even come to realize that I don't let people in that easily, and when I do I am always careful. I guess it is my way of protecting my emotions. In my mind, and to a large extent in reality it keeps me from getting hurt.

However, it also keeps you from experiancing maximum joy. I guess it is like gambling. The greater the risk, the greater the pay off.

So back to humans in general. We have our own levels of protection to keep us from getting hurt by others. However, the way that we show our deepest level of trust which is true love, is by making ourselves completely vulnerable to the person that we love. For instance, when we as humans allow ourselves to fall in love we are totally opening our heart to someone else. Where that person ever to leave, which they have the free agency to do, it would totally destroy us emotionally. We in essence give them our heart to do with, whatever they will. It is a scary thought, but at the same time, if you truly love someone, opening yourself up to that vulnerability is the best way to show it. It also assits in your "becomming one" with them. Essentially you both hold the keys to each others hearts.

Friends are also given access from time to time, but never do they get complete control, least ways, not with me. The loss of close friend would totallly devastate me, but it would be something that I could recover from more easily than loosing someone with whom I was in love. I guess I can say that because it has happened before. I would imagine most other people are the same.

Now, I'm not saying that someone can't move on when the loose someone with whom they were in love, but I don't think that they can ever fully recover. There will forever be a hole there that, if you were truly in love with the person, can never be filled.

I believe that love in companionship is God's greatest gift to this world. I believe that the truest form of love is that which our Father in Heaven has for us. With, him, it is not possible for us to be hurt. The love will always be there. Second to that, is the love one shares with their companion once and if they find them. I believe that it is with your companion that you will have the happiest memories of life on earth and beyond. Putting your heart in someone elses hands is a great feeling. It truly is life's sweetest vulnerability.

Not content...

2006-07-10T14:45:00.000-07:00

Here is the problem facing modern day America. Gays and Lesbians are being forced to "settle" for things that shouldn't ever be proposed in the first place.

First of all you must consider that gays and lesbians are not asking for anything more than what heterosexual Americans already have. The fact that it even has to be a debate should be an outrage given the 14th ammendment. But that aside, often times, gay Americans are required to accept views that oppose marriage but support civil unions, or oppose the life style, but promise not to stop loving them.

Often times the best thing that a gay person can get from their parents is, well I disagree with your lifestyle, but I support and love you.

Often times the best thing that a gay person can get from their elected officials is a statement that opposes gay marriage but supports civil unions.

Am I the only person that feels that that is not good enough?

Recently, the Human Rights Campaign, a great civil rights organization of which I am a proud member endorsed Senator Joe Lieberman in his race against Connecticut buisnessman Ned Lamont. Lamont is the more liberal of the two candidates and is challanging Lieberman on the grounds that he is not in line with democratic ideals. Lamont supports gay marriage. Lieberman, though able to champion a pro-gay voting record openly opposes gay marriage, option instead to support the "seperate but somewhat equal" civil unions. I thought we had moved past that attitude in this country. I was very displeased that the HRC choose to endorse the candidate that opposes marriage just because he has the voting record that he does. I hope they don't expect any more money from me in the near future.

So essentially, what I am saying is that I am not content to compromise in the fight for equality. Gays and Lesbians are asking for nothing more than what other Americans already have. The 14th Ammendment guarantees that, and there should be no compromise required to achieve equality.

Weekend

2006-07-06T14:41:00.000-07:00

So I am comming off of what could only be described as the best weekend of my life. First of all, all of my brothers and my mother were together. That doesnt happen all too often anymore. And this was the weekend that I had chosen to reveal certain truths to my mother and one of my brothers and I was nervous as hell. Lets just say that they made the whole situation a lot easier than it otherwise would have been. This weekend increased my faith in God, and it made me even closer to my family when I would have otherwise thought that we could never be any closer. I am truly blessed.

From First to Worst

2006-06-20T22:21:00.000-07:00

My parents generation had a lot to live up to when the torch was passed to them from their parents. You see their parents were of the greatest generation. They were children during the depression, and they grew up to fight WWII. They did many great things in the time that they were the leaders of this country and they should be commended for a job well done.

Then it came time for our parents to take over. Wow. What a failure they have become at running the country. We are in a time of record debt and deficiets, we are fighting a global war with a military that is spread way too thin and can't recruit to save their lives, most of the states have financial wows of their own, and all they seem to care about is gay marriage. This generation risks being the only in the history of America that leave the country worse than they found it. They are truly making a huge mess that we are going to have to clean up and I fear that if something doesnt happen quickly, the damage will be too much for us to ever repair.

My parents generation has truly been the biggest failure in American history. I hate to say that, but it is undoubtedly true.

Allies to the cause...

2006-06-20T22:01:00.000-07:00

Whenever there is a major political movement, one might find it interesting to take a look at the allies that are behind it. You can get a true feel for the motivations behind something if you know who supports it. So today, it seems as though one of the biggest political movements in our country is the one to restrict the rights of homosexual Americans. Lets take a look at who might be on the side of the christian right.

Pat Robertson - I know people love him and think that he is the perfect little God-fearing Christian, but let us not forget all the times he has called for minorities to be rounded up and sent back where they came from. Wow!! What a Christian.

KKK - You just gotta love this organization. If you think that they are a thing of the past, just look around the nation. They can be found at several events around the country at "pro-family" rallies opposing the extension of equal rights to gays and lesbians.

Hitler - What an example. At the very least, you can give him credit for acting on his hate. With the Jews he rounded up homosexuals and sent them to the death camps to die together, with everyone that he hated.

Now lets turn the coin and look at the other side. Let's see just what it is the homosexuals and their supporters are asking for, so we can get a feel for the demands.

Civil Marriage - Seems fair enough to me. I mean the argument that someone elses marriage will affect yours is truly stupid. Not even the people that still spout that idiocy think that just because Brittney was married for 55 hours means that they need to get divorced to.

End to Don't Ask Don't Tell - Let's not forget that there are an estimated 60,000 gays on active duty. What would you do if they all came out? Kick them all out at once. In a military that is already spread thin and facing recruiting short falls, that doesnt exactly seem practical.

Adoption Rights - Everybody can agree that kids are better off almost anywhere than in America's broken foster care system. There are millions of gays out there than can provide loving and stable homes to children, and would love to adopt, but they either have to lie, or are turned down. Seems a little ridiculous to me.

Anti-discrimination laws - We have them for just about everything you can think of. Race, gender, religion, however you rarely find them for sexual orientation. Who can logically have a problem grating an anti discrimination statute.

Homophobia is on the way out. One day (hopefully soon) you will be seen as the idiot you are if you hate people based on their sexual orientation. The tides are changing for good in this country. People are begining to realize that there is nothing Christian about being a bigot. I just hope that the christian right doesn't do too much damage before the change arrives.

Fundamentalist Christianity

2006-06-19T17:16:00.000-07:00

There is truly no more motivating of a force than religion. I tend to think that if you want to make real change in the world you must first have a poular religion on your side. Everybody in the civilized world today will tell you that Islamic fundamentalist who use their religion as a justification to commit various terrorist acts around the world are clearly extremists. Often we hear rhetoric from American politicians saying that these people are distorting the true teachings of their religion to justify hate and terror. After all, they hate Americans just because of our way of life. Hmm. Do good God-fearing Christians hate any group of people just because of their way of life?

I am not in anyway comparing modern day Christians to Islamic extremeist terrorists, Im merely saying that we are certainly on the right trail to getting there if something isn't done now. Homosexuals have always been, and remain to this day a target of Christian abuse. It's almost amusing if you think about it. You see, the Bible refrences to homosexuality 9 times throughout, and even some of those references are a stretch at best. Both Adultry and Divorce are mentioned more than that. Hmm....why arn't Christians targeting adulterors and Divorced people?

All things in history start at a small level before they develop into something more serious. In fact, that is usually why they are not stopped. People view them as irrelevant because it isn't a big deal, and then they do nothing until the problem becomes much more widespread. No, Christians arn't rounding up gays and locking members of the community in concentration camps, and I'm not even suggesting that we will be there soon, but they certainly have convinced the vast majority of their following that gays are to be hated based on their sexual orientation. I guess the verse in which Jesus endorsed hatred escapes my mind at this time.

Taking Offense

2006-06-14T10:02:00.000-07:00

I truly get annoyed by people that take offense to mere words. To me, it demonstates a deep-rooted insecurity that is held in a specific area of someones life.

One subject that people take offense to quite often is religion. There are many people in this country that claim to hold a specific faith, and they may indeed truly believe it, however they are not the best practitioners thereof. I find it extremely funny when these people take offense when they are presented a different religious idea.

Political beliefs are another thing that people will often take offense to. When someone hears a political belief that differs from theirs they get angry and start taking offense before they even inquire as to why someone holds that belief.

You see, the main reason I get so annoyed by people that always get offended is that there is truly very little if anything someone can do to offend me. I don't want to sound as though I am ecpecting everyone to be like me (although just immagine how much better the world would be if they were.....j/k), what I am saying is that I truly see no reason why words alone have the power to offend. If someone presents a different view or life style then by all means, stand up and defend what you believe. However in defending your beliefs dont get so worked up that you get offended and put yourself in a bad mood. One who is confident in their beliefs will not take offense to the opposistion, they will merely hold to their beliefs.

This is America people. We are the land of the free. This is the place where differences are suppose to be seen as a good thing, and where at the very least they are allowed. This is the place that is suppose to accept that their will be other opinions in the world, and we will hear them from time to time. If you are so insecure with your beliefs that you have to be offended by opposistion, then you are stupid, and you are one of the leading causes of social problems in modern day America.

HAPPY PRIDE!!!!!!

2006-06-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

Well Pride Month is here, and it is time for all of those who society rejects for living the life they were born to live to come together and celebrate the Pride that every member of the community holds.

An American State of Mind...

2006-06-11T16:52:00.000-07:00

So I was reading my Time magazine last week, and I realized that I have at least to a little extent, an American state of mind. The issue had a series of photos taken of people in some of the most impoverished parts of the world. It was trying to bring attention to the fact that many are suffering while we here at home are living quite wonderfully. I flipped through feeling terrible about the people, and then when I got past the series I came to an article on horse racing. I don't watch horse racing, and to tell the truth it has never interested me. However in flipping past the article I noticed a picture of one of the horses legs breaking. I then had to read the article because the picture looked so horrifying. Apparantly the horse that broke his leg was named Barbaro and had won the Kentucky Derby earlier this year. Big deal in horse racing. Anyway, I realized that I had gotten my self all worked up and concerned by this horse that had broken his leg. I spent more time worked up about the damn horse than I did concerned about the people that I had just seen. Yes I know, I'm a terrrible person, and I felt terrible right after that.

Voting

2006-06-11T16:06:00.000-07:00

Well, we have a new American Idol. Thats good. Now the country can move on to more important things like the nuclear crisis with Iran, the war in Iraq, and global terrorism. O but wait. Are those more important? You see, whoever won (and I'm not sure who did) got 60 million plus votes. Wait a second. I believe that is more than any American President has gotton....ever. I find it pretty sad that we can sit back and watch people sing, and call in our votes, yet we cant drag our ass to the polls to elect the person who will lead our nation for the next 4 years. Call me crazy.

I know I speak to the voting issue alot, but I just find it far too important to ignore. If everybody voted the Religious Right would not have as much power as it does, because I can assure you, they are not in line with main stream american thinking.

Not Ready To Make Nice...

2006-06-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

So the Dixie Chicks want to make their return to center stage now and lead singer Natalie Maines (may be incorrect spelling) has decided that she is no longer sorry for having abondoned her fan base.

So here is a little history. The Dixie Chicks were a famous country and western band that sold many records. Being country music singers however, their fan base consisted of mainly conservatives. They go over to England when this country is on the bring of war and say they are ashamed of the President. O wait a second, nobody buys dixie chick albums any more. So then, when they were uterly destroyed in the country music media, she decided to apologize and say that the president deserves respect. This all took place in 2003. Then a few years later they come out with music that is more rockish-popish than it is country. Obviously, they now have a much more liberal fan base than they had previously. They suddenly find that they are able to sell music once again. So now Natalie Maines has decided that she is no longer sorry and came out with a statement saying George Bush deserves no respect whatsoever.

One of the songs on there new album addresses the happenings directly and is called, not ready to make nice.

I have to say that I was disappointed with the Dixie Chicks and I will no longer listen to their music, however there is some level of respectability in that song. I am a firm believer that we should be people who say what we believe and then we should not be sorry for it, no matter how people react. I believe that is truly one of the most important founding principles of our democracy. My only problem remaining with the Dixie Chicks is that they first apologized when sales went down, then when they had recovered, they decided that they were no longer sorry. I guess that means that the democratic party is the new home for flip flops.

O how the mighty will fall...

2006-05-12T02:16:00.000-07:00

One of Ben's general rules, is that no victory worth having comes easily. Granted, there are times when we want things to come easily so bad that when they don't we nearly give up, however we must always realize, that when it is all said and done, we value things most that came at a high price.

Take for instance the greatest generation, (our grandparents). These are people that were children during the depression, and grew up to fight WWII. They valued their freedom like no other generation in recent history. They know what it cost to preserve, and you had better believe they valued it. You see them today lined up at the polls every election day, some pulling oxygen tanks, and some so weak they can barely stand, yet they come out in larger numbers than anyone else.

Look at a soldier returning from some distant battle field, compared to the hippie protestor that dodged the draft and stayed home. Granted some of them are broken by the images forever burned in their memory, however even in them, you see an appreciation of the freedom that they have. Now granted protesting is a very great exercise of freedom, but which of the two do you think appreciates it more?

I greatly fear the day when our generation takes this country by the helm. Don't get me wrong, we have some great people, many of whom will make great leaders, however, the vast majority of our generation are either broken by an unforgiving social structure, or are spoonfed by their parents. The 18-24 year old voting block has the lowest voter turn out of any voting block in the county. And granted, it has always been that way, today, it is taken more to the extreme. One might not be all that surprised when they realize that the majority of votes that come from that voting block actually comes from active duty military personnel. Imagine that. People stationed far away from home, that face long deployments, long working hours, and who get very few breaks in today's world find the time to vote, yet the college kid still living off of mom and dad, can't drag his or her ass out to the polls on Tuesday morning, or can't so much as mail in an absentee ballot. Funny how that works.

The failure of our parent's generation did not come until they started having children of their own. Suddenly discipline was replaced with pampering. Our parents would rather spoon feed us than make us work for what we have. One of the things I am most thankful for in my life is the fact that I have a mother who wouldn't do that.

American society has one of the most class structured societies in the world, the only difference is, we conceal ours with terms like "land of opportunity" and "American dream". The fact of the matter is, our society has an education system (cause lets face it, education is the key to the future) that is designed to keep the poor poor, the middle class mediocre, and the rich rich.

So what then do we have to look forward to? Well, when we take over America, most of our elected officials will not know what it feels like to come home after a hard days work. They will not know the hurt that comes from denied opportunity based on your class. They will not know the rewarding feeling one gets from funding there own education and blazing there own trail in to the future. They won't know the sense of accomplishment that one feels when they realize that though the deck was stacked against them for their whole life, they were able to realize their dream. Call me crazy, but I always interpreted, "land of opportunity" as a place where there is endless possibility, and one has the chance to realize any dream that they work for. I guess I was wrong. It seems as though its meaning today is achieve that which is handed to you.

Get it together...

2006-05-12T01:36:00.000-07:00

I am perhaps one of the staunchest supporters of the Republican Party that I have ever known, and even now in a time when most people are disgruntled with the Party I stand firm in defense of it. However there are times when I get the feeling that some of our elected officials need a kick in the pants. We have to come to terms with the fact that our President has a 36% approval rating and we are quickly coming up on mid term elections. Our base is practically disgusted with everything that is going on, and the enemy is salivating at the opportunity to make big gains. We all know that it is the far left and far right that turns out in the mid terms.

Truth-be-told, President Bush has had some of the most ridiculous spending plans known to man. I will give him the fact that we are at war, and a nation at war tends to spend more than a nation at peace, however a lot of his expenditures have nothing to do with the war. Furthermore, the republicans just got a $70 billion tax relief package through both houses of Congress, and President Bush will sign it some time next week. Normally I would say that there isn't a bad tax cut, however this tax cut panders to the rich way more than it does to anyone else, and from an economical stand point, it is terrible. The lower class tends to be the biggest spenders, yet they are only getting about $9 of yearly savings from this bill whereas the upper class is getting + 40k. There is no way that one can logically think that this tax bill will do any good. Not to mention the fact that it is cutting government revenue in a time of record deficits.

The #3 Republican in the senate is Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania. This year he is up for election, and his opponent will likely be Democratic State Treasurer Bob Casey. Bob is a little bit more to the right than most democrats seeing as he is pro-life and anti gun control, which bothers some democrats, but he is overwhelmingly popular in the state. Now I never thought that I would say this, but I wish Bob the best of luck in November, and yes, I hope the democrat wins this one.

Oh, and Rick, I would say that your comparison of homosexuality to beastiality was a little over the line, but it went so far past, you couldn't see the line anymore. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.

In other news...

2006-05-09T21:23:00.000-07:00

IM COMMING HOME SATURDAY!!!

Gay Republican: Oxymoron?

2006-05-09T20:51:00.000-07:00

So I was reading some articles online concerning the community, and I came across a blog by Gene Stone that questioned the rationality of a gay person calling themselves a republican. He did make a few valid points among which was the simple fact that the party is dedicating a fairly large portion of their agenda to the degradation of equality at the expense of the GLBT community. The simple fact is, every state republican party has a less than flattering platform when it comes to equal rights for gays and lesbians. My home state have Texas has one of the harshest, but it really doesn't look that good anywhere in the country, especially in the National Republican Party platform. In fact, in June or July, Senator Frist plans on calling another vote on that damn Federal Marriage Amendment. Indeed it appears as though the elephants are against the community.

However, what are the democrats doing? Democrats control the state legislatures in 20 something states, and they have governors in many of those. However we only have legalized gay marriage in one state. Why aren't the so called "allies" of the equal rights movement fighting for rights now? The truth is, whether it is the republican who hates you and lets you know it, or the democrat who hates you and pretends to be your friend, once most of them get into office they don't do anything anyway. The truth is, there are very few representatives anywhere in this country that are actually doing anything remotely proactive on the issue of gay rights.

Now, Gene recognized in his entry that maybe the democratic party isn't the best choice for these "gay republicans", but then let me ask Gene where he expects us to go. America is a nation that works with a 2 party system. Sure, lots of people claim to be independents, but how many independents have ever won a national election. None maybe? How many are in congress? Only so many that I can count them on one hand? Governors? One maybe? Yes, a former wrestler in the WWF. I bet they are proud. The fact of the matter is, that no matter how many people claim to be independents, many of them would never vote for one. So the fact is, if you want to be a part of anything in this country you affiliate yourself with a party and then work with PACs and interest groups to focus on your more heart felt beliefs. Politics is about compromise. As much as we would like the story of the uncompromising outsider that takes Washington by storm, the problem is, the people would never allow it. Call it voter apathy. If you want to get anything done, you have to make sacrifices. After all, the whole goal is minimizing losses while maximizing gain. Nobody ever gets it all, and nobody ever will. That is one of our most prized safeguards.
So maybe these gay republicans are choosing that party because it is the better champion of the ideals to which they hold. Gee, maybe some people consider the fact that this nation still allows the mindless slaughter of innocent preborn children more alarming than the fact that they cant get married. Maybe people consider their physical security a little more important than a right to a contract, especially in these trying times. Maybe people prefer to see their taxes kept low, more than they care about entering an institution to which they should be entitled.

I'm not going to lie, gay marriage is extremely important to me, but the best way to achieve it, is to take out one of its strongest opponents...The Republican party. And perhaps the best way to do that is by working from within from a party that already shares most of my views. To me, that seems like a much more practical approach. If you can get the party to accept it, then you have defeated the last obstacle in the way of equality.

My life....

2006-04-16T20:25:00.000-07:00

Every so often there comes a time in our lives when we need to take a look at everything we have done, everything we are doing, and everything we plan to do in the near and distant future. These deep moments of thoughts can lead us to realize some mistakes that we have made, and they can help us to prevent those same mistakes in the future. But more importantly than that, they can give us a better understanding of ourself.

This weekend was one of those times for me. One of the first things that I realized about myself was that I tend to have a problem letting people in. Now I have my reasons for this, but maybe the time has come to let go of those reasons and move on. I had a really close friend once that I cherished very deeply. Him and I had some problems, and have never been as good of friends since. The reality is, we never will be. At the time I blammed most of the problems on him but the truth is I was at fault for some of them as well. Since that I have never been able to let someone get that close me. Sure I have had some great friends, and I love them dearly, but I have never let anyone that close. Well, there is really no reason for that. The only person I am hurting is myself.

Another thing that I realized is that I have a problem painting a future, and then expecting it to happen. Sure, its ok to have goals and what not, however when you fill in every little detail you almost make it impossible to ever be happy, because you will always be looking for a match. The fact of the matter is, life does not work out like that. You have to deal with things as they come up, and take what you get out of life. Not everything works out like you want it to, but often times I find that they can end up better than I could have ever imagined.

The rule of life that I like to follow is no apologies, no regrets. I don't like to regret things because I think that if you always act in a way you feel is right with the knowledge you have at the time, even if it turns out badly and you realize later that it wasnt the best of ideas, you can't be blammed for not having that knowledge before. And I typically dont regret anything about what I have done in the past, however the one regret that I have more than any other is not having been honost earlier. Now, I wont have to live with that regret anymore. I plan very soon to get everything off of my chest, and start living my life out in the open. There is no need for me to hide who I am anymore, and there is no need for me to feel bad about how it will affect the lives of those close to me. I chose it no more than they did, but I will not hide in fear, nor will I be ashamed.

One more thing I realized this weekend is that being single sucks. I broke up with someone that I had been seeing for a month or so, and right afterwards I realized that I hate being single. But I don't hate it so much that I will stay in a relationship that I don't think is working.

So here is what I have decided. one of these days I am going to find that special someone, and I will not be single anymore. From this point on, I will make full and complete loyalty one of my number one goals in a friendship. I will let people in again, and if I get hurt in the future, I will just cut my loses and move on. I won't let it affect me like it has in the past. I may not have a lot of friends, but damnit I have been blessed with good ones. And lastly, from this point on I am going to be more open and honost with everyone. You can take me or leave me, but you are at least going to know who I am.

Excommunication

2006-04-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

There are several religious institutions that like to claim to be the Lord's Church as it was established by Jesus. The Mormon Church is one that makes this claim, and after a period of investigation and prayer, I found that the Mormon Church was the closest thing I have ever seen to what I precieve the Lord's Church to be. However there are still some things that I have a problem with, and one of the biggest of those things is the idea of excommunication.

Now lets ask ourselves....who would Jesus excommunicate from His Church? I would like to thing nobody. The very thought of a man that is capable of sin casting judgement on another and disallowing them a chance to worship in their church seems a little crazy to me. Not only is that a serious problem, but it also seems as though it would force or at least pressure dishonesty.

Ignorance

2006-03-31T23:25:00.000-08:00

There is truly nothing more dangerous than ignorance in a society. Every dictator has ruled his society simply because of the ignorance of the society that they were over. We as Americans like to think that something like that couldn't happen here, because we are the educated country. We like to think that somehow we have free thought and we think for ourselves, yet at the same time we are manipulated by so many different sources. We let commonly accepted beliefs stand unchallanged.

For instance, most of us have been told all of our life that the bible condemns homosexuality, so we just accept it. Now honostly, how many people have actually read these versus that condemn it? In fact, how many people even know what the verses are? Instead of looking to see if they are actually there, people have just accepted and leave it at that. When one actually takes the time to look at these verses they will find that in fact nothing is said about homosexuality, the verses are merely twisted to fit the preception that society has given them.

It makes me sick that people refuse to think for themselves. The fact that it is so widespread and the fact that people dont give a damn about it means that we accept ignorance. It may seem like no big deal at this level, but things of this sort always escalate. America has met one of the early stages of its downfall.

Just another day...

2006-03-12T18:10:00.000-08:00

"There are two types of straight people in this world. Those that hate you to your face and those that hate you behind your back."

It's funny how things work out in today's world. Straight people would be much happier if all the homos would just lie to themselves and the world by living their lives as closeted homos, or better yet straight people. Well get it through your heads.....Gays Arnt Straight. There is a reason for that. And just when you meet someone that says they will "tolerate" or even "accept" your lifestyle, you overhear them cutting the usual jokes in a group with the guys. Its almost pathetic.

Now granted, I know that not everyone hates homosexuals. It just seems like a difficult life to live. That fact alone makes me seriously wonder why people still believe there is a choice in the matter. After all, who would choose to be gay. This is a country that discriminates against homosexuals at almost every turn. There is no societal benefit to being a homosexual, so why then would people choose this lifestyle?

Glory to God

2006-02-23T19:20:00.000-08:00

There is perhaps no more comforting a thought than knowing that I have a Father in Heaven who knows and loves everything about me. The topic of religion always seems to be controversial, but it is a topic that I love to discuss, and think about in my free time.

As I have said before, I think that people get caught up in the rule making more than they do the actual philosophy behind Christianity. When I am explaining how I arrived at my particular beliefs I like doing it something like starting with what I know so that people may better understand what I believe.

So here is what I do know.

I have a Father in Heaven who knows and loves me and who is responsible for my creation.
We were given a Bible that was inspired by God to help us live our lives in accordance with His teachings.
As the Bible past through time it was translated numerous times and written in to numerous different version to accommodate a wide range of new readers.

Here is what I believe.

As the Bible was translated over and over again, many of the particulars got adjusted, added, or taken away.
The main message of the Gospel stayed the same.
Much of the history stayed the same.

Some people might think that I am a selective reader, but I tend to believe that the contrary is true. I find that the selective readers are the ones that fail to realize that our greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our hearts and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

I believe that my Father in Heaven is truly a God of love. I believe that love is what we will be judged on at the last day, and I believe that those who cast judgment on others here on this earth shall as harshly be judged at the last day.

Many may find my religious beliefs to be too liberal for comfort. However, I couldn't honestly care less. I am at least willing to admit that I don't know what my Father in Heaven thinks of me. I do not even pretend to know how each of us will be judged at the last day. However I do know that He is a God of Love, and bitter hatred and intolerance is not something that He will smile upon on the last day.

Story of a boy...

2006-02-23T18:24:00.000-08:00

Often times, Americans get caught up in the classic love story. We love to see a story of love so pure that it overcomes all obstacles thrown at it by crappy circumstance. So here is my version of America's favorite love story.

Story of a boy...

He may not have come from the greatest of situations in the eyes of society but Jacob had many things for which he was fortunate. His parents split up when he was really young, and a little later on in his life they made it all final with a divorce. His dad had not been much a part of his life, and never really had the parenting thing down to a T. However his mom made up for it all. The love she showed for him throughout his life was unmatched by any. The love was so deep and pure that it could only be envied by others. At any point in his life or in the life of his brothers, she would have gladly paid the ultimate price for him or for either of his two brothers. He didn't have the riches of the world, but he had something which surpassed even the finest of luxuries. He came from a home where he knew he was loved.

As he got older the time came for Jacob to move out into the world and make a life for himself. The move was hard on Jacob and his mother and brother, but it was something that had to be done.

Jacob had a steady job, and was getting ready to start pursuing his college education, but something was still missing from his life. Jacob was missing the same thing that his mother was missing for most of her life. He was missing a companion. Someone with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his days, and someone with whom he wanted to share his life. His mom had finally found that person, and though the newness of it all took some time for Jacob to get used to, he had finally developed a high opinion of his mom's new man. His step-father to be was really good to his mom, and it was easy for even the blind to see that there was love between the two of them.

For a long time Jacob had wanted that same kind of completeness in his life. Most his age were still pursuing the vain and temporary pleasures of the war, but Jacob had always wanted more out of life. Jacob wanted a companion with whom he could spend the rest of his days. Though the search had yet to yield promising results, Jacob held on to the hope that one day he would meet the right person.

However, any relationship that Jacob would have ever had, would not be ok in the eyes of those around him. The public knowledge of it could only cause despair. But it wasn't society's negative attitude that made the situation as awkward as it was. The news of the relationship would not be well received in Jacob's house. His mother and his brothers loved him dearly, and nothing would change that, but news of this relationship definantly had the potential to cause stress in the relationship that might not be cured for a very long time.

However what Jacob had learned from his mother, was that in time all things could be expected. When his mother had found her new love, she knew that it would not go over well with her sons at first. However, in time they had grown to love him. All Jacob could do was hope that his relationship would work in the same way. However, he had made up his mind that even though there would be some problems that would have to be worked out, his feelings for his new love were too strong to be ignored. Jacob had left his home to have a life of his own, and if that life could not be accepted by his family back at home, then it would be on them. Their intolerance would have to be worked out by themselves, because Jacob knew what he wanted, and was willing to pay the price to get it.

_____________________________

Now Jacob's story might seem a little sad to the reader as they first read the story. However opinions would drastically change when they realized that the reason Jacob's relationships would not be acceptable at first glance was because he was a homosexual. That fact alone would make most loose all sympathy merely because they don't tolerate homosexuality.

What those people need to realize is that homosexuality is not a choice. People are born with natural attractions and it is those attractions to which we are bound so long as we wish to remain truthfully with ourselves. A homosexual couple can raise children just as heterosexuals can, homosexuals can love each other just as much, and a homosexual relationship can contain the truest form of spousal love that can last through all the ages of this earth.

Hopefully one day soon, the world will realize their fault, and all will be made right. Until then, we will just have to keep fighting the good fight until at last we can live in peace.

Blind

2006-01-30T10:45:00.000-08:00

I suppose we all go about our daily lives blind to the things around us, me included, but sometimes I really get annoyed.

People need to realize that just because they have something doesnt mean that everybody else has it to. Or just because they dont have something doesnt mean that nobody else has it either. Or just because they know something or believe something....so on and so forth.

The fact of the matter is, everyone is different. We come from different backgrounds, we have different strengths and weaknesses, so on and so forth. So don't go around assuming that everybody has life just as good or as bad as you. And don't go around thinking that nobody has it better or worse than you either, because there is always someone in better circumstances, and there is always someone in better circumstances.

And as far as religion goes, don't assume that Heavenly Father just has one standard by which he judges the world. I'm not going to pretend to know the standards He will use or anything of that nature. I know only what the gospel teaches me. However what I do know is that all kinds of different people will be in the celestial kingdom of God. People from all walks of life will be there, so if you don't like getting used to other people, get used to it now, because you might just spend eternity with those "other people" that you don't like to think about.

Enlisted to Officer

2006-01-24T12:38:00.000-08:00

So in the military you have officers and you have enlisted personnel. There is much debate within the ranks of the military (in my case I will focus just on the Navy) as to whether it is better to be an enlisted person or an officer. Before I entered the Navy I always thought that the only people who thought enlisted life was better were those who were incapable of becoming officers. However since I joined I have met several enlisted persons that had actually chosen to stay enlisted even though they could have gone officer if they wanted to. They all had their own reasons, but they were pretty close to the same thing.

First lets look at the facts.

The first fact is that officers get paid more. That cannot get disputed. The most senior enlisted personnel barely make more than the most junior of officers. So if you seek pay, officer is the way to go.

Officers carry more authority and according to customs and courtesies are entitled to more respect. Personally I don't understand why a 25 year Master Chief has to salute a 2 or 3 month Ensign, but that is just how it goes.

So why then would someone choose to stay enlisted once they get a college degree (the degree is pretty much the only thing you need to get a commission)?

Enlisted personnel are the backbone of America's military. They are the specialists. An officer is just a supervisor. In the Navy, officers have to come to the blue-shirts if they want to know anything about a specific job that is being performed on their ship. They are not rated, and therefore they are not trained towards a specific field. So if you want to actually get something done, your best route is to stay enlisted.

The next benefit is that enlisted personnel tend to get more respect from the public at large. Generally, when someone is thanked for their service it is because they are enlisted. Officers are viewed in a different light by society at large because naturally their job does not carry as much harm with it as does the job of an enlisted person.

And the last benefit to being enlisted is that you have the satisfaction of knowing that you are the backbone of the military. Without the blue jackets in the fleet we would have no Navy. Without the officers, we could still get the job done, it just might not be as efficient because of the lack of supervision.

Now mind you, none of this applies to me because I am not going to stay in long enough for it to matter. Once I get my 5 years I am done. However if I were going to make a career out of the Navy I think I would choose to stay enlisted. I am not trying to say that officers have no honor, I am just saying that I believer most of the honor courage and commitment lies within the ranks of enlisted personnel.

Basic Training

2006-01-22T08:10:00.000-08:00

So I made it through fine fine navy boot camp, and I am still alive and kicking. Go me!!! All in all it wasn't all that bad. I had great RDC's, especially compared to some of the other ones in my ship (barracks).

I learned a lot about the navy and what have you, and I think that it was a great experience. The main thing that it helped me with was appreciating the basic freedoms that we as Americans take advantage of on a daily basis, such as the freedom to make a phone call whenever you please.

I also learned that the navy is just the best branch of the military period end of story. I love all of the men and women who serve in all branches, but the navy is just the best. Hey, there has to be one at the top right?

Everywhere we go
People want to know
Who we are
So we tell them
We're not the Coast Guard
They don't even work hard
We're not the Air Force
The low flying Air Force
We're not the Army
The rat-packing Army
We're not Marines
They don't even look mean
We are the NAVY
The world's finest NAVY
We are the NAVY
The mighty US NAVY

So now I'm in rotten Groton, Connecticut. It's not so bad here, and in about a year I will be fully trained to go to the fleet as a submariner.

People have been asking me if I have any regrets about my decision to join the military. My answer is most defiantly no. I am very satisfied with my decision, because where else can you server your country and get as much for it as I am getting from the navy. We truly do have the greatest military in the world, and I am glad that for the rest of my life I will be able to say that I served.

Voting

2005-11-09T21:04:00.000-08:00

Some refer to it as a right, some as a privilege, but I tend to think of it as a responsibility. We live in the greatest country in the world. We live in a country that grants freedom beyond the limits of most other countries. We live in a country that is capable of providing safety for us and for our interests. Our country is ran by a democratic government. A government that without the people taking proactive roles can be ineffective and abusive.

The very fact that we consider 16% voter turnout amazing disgusts me. We cant even get half of our registered voters to the polls on any given election day, not to mention the countless millions of qualified voters that never register. Elections are manipulated, because the people don't allow their voices to be heard. Politicians become corrupted, because the people refuse to hold them accountable.

The House of Representatives almost always reelects its incumbents even in years when the government isn't getting anything done. In fact, most of the people reelected to the House run unopposed.

And as if that is not enough, some voters that turnout are ignorant at best. In an age that has TV, the internet, and grassroots campaigns, there is not excuse to show up at a polling place, not knowing how to vote, or not knowing who is even on the ballot. I have worked polling places in several different elections over the years, and I cannot count the number of times I have asked a voter if they are going to vote in a certain race, and they said, "I'm not even sure what's on the ballot". It is truly pathetic.

I know that we are the greatest country for a reason. This land has a promise unlike any other. However, if the people do not hold their leaders responsible, by staying up on current events, and by casting educated votes, then we will begin to loose our ground. Any democratic society must keep interest in its leaders in order to remain legitimate on the world stage. We like to pretend that we are represented by the people. If the people don't get their act together and soon however, we will be just another oligarchy.

Iraq

2005-11-01T21:16:00.000-08:00

I supported the war in Iraq the minute it was floated to the American public as an idea. That nation under the rule of the Butcher of Baghdad posed a serious threat to America, and it needed to be dealt with. WMD's or not, they still needed to be dealt with. If I had known then, what I know now, I still would have supported the war.

However, my support for the war doesn't mean that I support the way it was conducted. I support the reasons for why we went in to Vietnam, however that war turned out to be nothing short of disastrous. The problem then, and the problem now is that we let politicians not generals run the war.

Afghanistan was a huge success not only because of the massive public support that it had, but because of the fact that Tommy Franks handled all of the planning. Similarly, Iraq could have been a success provided we let the military plan it. We didn't. In fact, the military planners that suggested a need for more troops were fired.

We sent troops to battle without body armor for crying out loud. The richest most powerful nation in the world required the parents of its armed forces to buy the very thing that could mean life or death. We should be ashamed.

I am a proud conservative republican. I supported Bush in 2004, and would do it again in a heart beat. However, I accept that President Bush has no business planning a war. However, it is not fully the President's nor the Republican controlled Congress's fault. When the democrats decide to stop being cowards and actually ask some questions, they ask, "what is the Bush administration's exit strategy". The very fact that this question is asked in the first place shows the problem with main stream political thinking. These questions should be asked of the Defense Department, not the President.

My concern with the war in Iraq grows as do the costs in both tax payer dollars, and most importantly, American lives. With China as a growing super power, we need to be concerned with the fact that most of our military is tied up in Iraq. If we continue, we will loose our legitimacy in foreign policy matters, and we will loose our status as a global super power. As someone that is about to enter active duty service, this worries me.

"We talk about honoring the trops. Well how about we honor them, by giving a damn when they get killed"

Bush Administration

2005-10-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

President Bush's second term is turning out to be nothing short of disastrous. It started with the hurricane for which his response was viewed as dismal at best. Katrina devastated regions of the gulf coast like no hurricane in recent memory. He President's approval rating dipped to 39%, a number worse than any president since Jimmy Carter.

Harriet Mier's nomination was an abysmal failure, and a pathetic choice. The democrats didn't like her, and the republican's didn't want to fight for her.

The CIA leak investigation is likely to produce some indictments at high levels within the white house. Possibly Karl Rove, the Vice President's Chief of Staff, or even Dick Cheney himself.

Indeed, nothing thus far has gone good for the President. If Republicans wish to keep the White House in 2008, Bush has to rebound, and he has to do so quickly. One great way to start would be to nominate Janice Brown as a replacement for Harriet Miers. She would be someone that conservatives would fiercely fight for.

Rules of life

2005-10-24T00:19:00.000-07:00

The following, are some rules that I try to live by, though I will admit that even I at times find it hard to do. The list does not include all of my rules nor is it in any particular order.

1) No apologies. No regrets.

I tend to think that we should always act in a manner which we believe to be right based off of everything we know at the time. If you always do this, there is no reason to apologize for your actions nor regret them later. Sure, you may learn something that if you would have known would have affected your decision, but the fact is, you didn't know it at the time.

2) Live for the moment.

Every moment spent, is a moment you will never experience again. None of us know when we will die, but the fact is, we have little control over it. Life is an experience like no other, and our time should not be limited by our own reservations.

3) Never compromise your principals.

Principals are what define the measure of a person. Depending on the principals, it seldom matters what your principals are. What matters is that you are willing to "stand by them even when it is inconvenient".

4) Love.

It doesn't matter how many relationships you have or have had when it is all said and done. What will matter is the quality of the relationships you were in. Whether a friend, a family member, an acquaintance, or a companion, love everybody for the role that they play in your life, and let everyone that you love know it. Love strangers as well, for we are all mankind, and without loving one another, we violate the one purpose for which we were put here.

Bisexuality...

2005-10-24T00:05:00.000-07:00

I have always believed that sexual orientation is something that is genetic. With that being said, there were times when I considered the possibility that someone could possess an attraction for both genders. However, I never really arrived at a point where I believed it.

Now, I have determined that I don't at all believe someone can be genetically bisexual. I believe that bisexuality is a creation of society. I tend to think that most bisexuals are gay, but because of the society that we live in they desire to be straight.

We are raised in a society that is generally intolerant of homosexuality. Even those who are not necessarily intolerant to it in principal participate in this. As children grow up, they are typically told that one day they will find a husband or wife (a member of the opposite gender). The problem with this is that it eventually leads them to believe that heterosexuality is automatically right for them before they can even make a conscious decision on their sexuality. Society pushes heterosexuality on all of its members. I believe that this causes some would be homosexuals to desire a life that would be accepted by society at large. Enter the common bisexual.

However, I don't link all bisexuals to this scenario. Of course, there are straight guys that like sex so much that they will take it wherever they can get it. They have the "a mouth is a mouth or an ass is an ass" attitude. They might be called bisexual because of their relations with members of the same gender, but that doesn't mean that they can be termed anything other than heterosexual.

So, pretty much, I think that bisexuality is a creation of society's intolerance towards homosexuality. I believe that most bisexuals are truly gay, but forced to think that it is somehow "wrong".

Many blessings

2005-10-23T22:19:00.000-07:00

People often view blessings as things to be received in reward for good behavior. They think that if they are right with God, their path will be made easier by the many blessings that they find upon it. I tend to view them a little differently.

Though I believe that one will find blessings at times in life for their obedience, I also believe that blessings serve as tests and temptations. Just because I have something, doesn't mean that I deserved it. Often times I think that at our day of judgment we will be asked what we did, with what we had. I don't think that I will be held to anyone else's standards, because I am my own person, granted my own unique gifts, and my own blessings throughout life.

So don't think that because one has a great life here, that they must be walking right with God. It merely means that they are being tested in another way.

Trickle down

2005-10-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

The general rule of a consumer based society is that products have multiple owners before they are rendered useless. Generally, the rich or the privileged are able to get items at their peak quality which is when they are new. Members of lower socio-economic classes may have to purchase used items after the rich are through with them. It is generally cheaper that way.

For example, I may buy a brand new car, and after four years determine I want a new one. Where does the old one go? It does not cease to exist merely because I have no more use for it. Likely scenario is, I trade it in or sell it, and it ends up in someone else's drive\away. Someone who cannot afford to buy a new car so they buy the cheaper, used version.

I may build a house, and decide 20 years later that I want to move to a better neighborhood. I sell the house to someone else, and they use it until they move on.

The fact of the matter is, most things will end up in several different hands before the end of their operational life. So that begs the question; what happens to the things that governments own after the government is through with them?

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union stockpiled massive amounts of arms including nuclear weapons. Russia has no practical use of the weapons now, and they have no real means of securing even the most dangerous of them. What happens to chose weapons. As with anything else, they tend to "trickle down". Terrorist groups, and rouge states end up seizing the weapons or purchasing them on the black market. And though these weapons are no longer among the best of the best, they still pose a significant threat. My car isn't a BMW, but it still gets me where I need to go.

One really can grow to appreciate the danger that we live in today when they consider the amount of production that goes on. Each day, this earth produces more. The longer we are her, the more stuff we will have. Products are produced at a much faster pace than they expire. We should really pay attention to what happens with the most dangerous of weapons after we are done with them. We must all remember that this nation won its independence with second hand weapons in the hands of second hand troops.

Fitting in

2005-10-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

As we go throughout our lives on this earth we often desire to fit in to the societies in which we reside. Because of this, we make small sacrifices in order to "hang out with friends". How many of us haven't gone to a restaurant we might not like, or have seen a movie we would rather not, just to be with people to whom we are close? I have, done it, and I would imagine that everyone else has done something similar.

It is not always bad to make compromises in order to be with the group. The very fact that we are all unique requires at least some compromise to be made in order for us to associate with one another. However, the problem in my eyes comes when you let the line that separates you from everyone else get blurred to the point of non-existence. One person that I went to school with stands out the most when I think about this. He never once held a genuine interest of his own. Any interest held, was held because someone else held it, and this person wanted them to accept him. Any opinion he had was subject to change on a whim merely because someone else could come along that thought differently, and this person would strive to gain favor in their eyes.

The general rule of life is that you can get almost anything you want, you just have to be willing to pay the price that it takes to get it. I suppose, that if you want to fit in more than you want to retain your individuality, then that is a choice that is yours to make. However it pains me to see people sacrifice what I believe to be the second greatest gift individuals have; individuality.

Phil Garner is Stupid

2005-10-17T22:20:00.000-07:00

Every game that the Astros are winning late, Phil Garner takes out the few good batters he has and puts in "defensive replacements". He even does that in some situations in which the Astros are not winning. It caused an 18 inning game against the Braves, because the hitters were out of the game, and it cost the Astros game 5 tonight.

First of all, Biggio isn't even a bad fielder. In fact he is a damn good one. He had reached base 3 times in that game, and would be due up in the bottom of the 9th if the Cardinals came back. Well, they did, and Biggio was out of the game. Now, nobody knows that Biggio would have reached, we can only have sneaking suspicion. However, he would have had a much better chance than either Vizcaino or Bruntlett.

Then, as if that was not enough, Garner chose to pinch hit with Vizcaino over Jeff Bagwell. Bagwell may be old, and he may have a messed up shoulder, but he can still hit, and I would put the bat in his hand above Vizcaino any day of the week, especially in a series clincher.

That loss was a huge morale booster for St. Louis, and it stopped Houston's momentum. That very well could do it for Houston this year.

Standards

2005-10-16T23:30:00.000-07:00

Often times people tend to set standards. This happens in religion, and elsewhere in society, and it tends to drive me crazy.

Don't get me wrong. We have to have some standards, and everybody sets their personal standards, but the mistake comes when people tend to think that only one standard can be correct. For example, religious people all ways talk about the example that Christ was for us when he was on the earth. They say that he showed us a perfect way to live, and because of that we must emulate him. True, he did show us a perfect example of how to live, but he didn't show us the only perfect example of how to live. To say that emulating Christ is the only way to be perfect is to say that there was only one form of perfection. I tend to believe that there are several ways that we can achieve perfection. Though our ability as man does not extend far enough to allow us to achieve it, I believe their are other ways possible. If there were only one standard of perfection, then that would mean that everything you did that Jesus did not would be wrong. All we have to do is love our fellow man, and love our Father in Heaven.

People do this in other parts of society as well. Often times, people set standards that they expect a future partner to meet. Though to a degree standards must be set, if you set too many you create a situation where who ever you ever meet will have to be held to things that they in actuality shouldn't be held to. If you love someone, you will know it. You can't find love by checking to see if someone meets your standards, you can only find it by following the heart.

Another place where this is common is in the view of families. People tend to think that if you are not raised in a home with both biological parents, you are at a disadvantage. We are starting to move past that view, and accept that living with two adoptive parents can be right for a child. However they have to be members of the opposite sex. We still don't see homosexuals as fit parents, and we don's see single parenting as a good idea. I was raised by a single mother, and I would say that she did a hell of a job. Do you think I would have been better off with my dad in the house even though at the time he was pretty much useless? I have my problems, but I'm pretty sure I turned out ok, and I am damn sure that I turned out better than I would have with my dad in the home. I think the important thing to have in your home is love. And it doesn't matter if that love comes from one parent or two, biological parents or adoptive, gay parents or straight parents. All that matters is that it is there and that it can be felt by the child.

Now as I said earlier, I am not saying that standard are bad. In fact, a lot of times they are necessary. However what I am saying is that I believe society gets a little out of control with standards to a point where we form the idea that only one way can be right. Just as more than one partner could be right for you, more than one home can raise a good kid, and more than one life style can be right in a society. As you might have determined, the only thing that should be constant is love. Love you god with all you mind and all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.

America's caste system

2005-10-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

Those that think that caste systems, or reserved for the past, or for countries inferior to our own need to think again. We have a unique yet ever present caste system here in our very own United States.

Our system is not as noticeable as systems of the past, nor is it as wide spread. However, it can still be found amongst the richest of the rich, the leading class, and some middle of the road wealthy Americans. Ask yourself this; how does the average American rich family handle the news that their daughter is dating a lower class American? How do politicians handle the news that their children are falling for the poorest of the poor?

As with any wealth-based caste system, ours is one based soley off of keeping or advancing a families financial status. It generally stems from a view that you are better off living wealthy, than living with the one that you love.

It is a sad thing to see in a world that is suppose to be as educated as ours. It is even sadder to see it in the most educated sect of our society. However, as long as people base their happiness off of social status, and as long as social status is defined by wealth, it will always exist.

Gay America

2005-10-15T00:53:00.000-07:00

I truly believe both for personal, and for logical reasons that the big civil rights movement of our time will be the movement for equal treatment of gays under the law. It is certainly an uphill battle for the gay community, but typically the view with justice on its side will prevail in time.

First, lets look at the disadvantages that the gay community has in the just and noble fight for equality.

(1) The prevailing view against equal rights for homosexuals stems from a religious belief. People tend fell more passionately about a religious view than about any other view that they have. That means the opposistion is particularly aggressive in their fight.

(2) The gay community tends to be apathetic about their fight. Most gays, view it as easier to live their lives in the closet as oppose to coming out and facing all of the hardships that the life requires one to live through. Therefore, they are not going to participate in some mass crusade to advance the rights of Gay America. One of the main reasons for refusal to leave the closet stems from the general tendency of families to disown gay family members. Who wants to be disowned by their family?

(3) Gays are not the same as straights. People tend to want gays to conform to as close of a heterosexual life style as possible before they will support giving gays equal rights. And some gays want as traditional life as possible within the realm of their obvious difference. However, many don't. The culture, experience, and life is different for both sides. The truth is, gays and straights are not the same, however, this is the country where equality should be granted no matter what.

Now, as I said before, I believe gays will overcome in the end. After all, justice is on the side of the gay community, and those who walk justly will ultimately prevail. But easiness cannot be expected. The fight will be long, and the truest warriors will probably grow weary, but the community must prevail. All that this country stands for depends on it.

Boulevard of broken dreams...

2005-10-12T03:52:00.000-07:00

For most of my life, my path has been marked with failure. Everything I touch seems to get messed up in one fashion or another. I'm tired of falling short of the goal.

Throughout my life I have managed to loose most of my friends, loose the respect of many of the people that I valued, and effectively destroyed the one thing that I was good at. I have little to be proud of, but I have my principals.

If I could go back, there is little that I would change. I tend to hold the belief that what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger so I tend to believe that I am a better person for having made the mistakes that I did. And I miss some of the friendships, though I'm not sorry that they are gone. Loosing them made me realize how genuine they were, and it made me realize how I will likely act in the future.

Though I will experience more failures as I live my life, I tend to appreciate each one, for they all contribute to the person I am today, and the person I am likely to be in the future.

The new threat

2005-10-12T02:33:00.000-07:00

"Real peace is not just the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice"

With the rising threat of terrorism, I can't help but see the real truth in that quote. Every generation of American's has been called in one way or another to defend freedom. It just so happens that our fight comes against an enemy, the likes of which this country has never faced. We face a global threat, not represented by a single nation or government. We face an enemy that is hard to detect, and willing to die for their cause. Conventional combat will not work to defend the freedom that we all hold dear, yet sometimes take for granted. It took an attack on American soil to awaken the country to the severity of the threat of global terrorism. It took a pre-emptive strike, to prevent what likely would have been a future threat. Pre-emption may be in order again in the future. You see, we cannot stop out new enemy by defeating a country, and getting a surrender. We must cut off their most important asset. We must prevent them from getting new recruits.

Terrorist are not drafted. They are born into society just as we are, yet their society molds them in to American-hating, killing machines. You cannot make someone a terrorist overnight. It takes years of propaganda, and training, before one is ready to pay the ultimate price to do their cause justice. If we as Americans are not willing to go after the societies in which these enemies of freedom are raised, we will never stop their advance. Until we create free, and democratic societies, terrorist will continue to be trained. You can kill bacteria in petry dish all day, but until you clean the petry dish, more bacteria will grow.

My time is not my own

2005-10-09T03:18:00.000-07:00

Living in the greatest country in the world, I could never be thankful enough for all that I have. In this country, I would be considered, lower middle class, but compared to most of the world, I live in abundance.

However, what I and others like me, and even those above me in social class need to remember, is that we did not pick our circumstance. We did not choose to whom we were born, nor did our parents choose to whom they were born. We are creatures of circumstance. I sleep in comfort each night, and I am well-fed each day, but even that is not my doing.

Now granted, you can work to change your circumstance, and we all should strive to better ourselves, but we need to remember that children have yet to have time to change their circumstance. And there are some adults, who no matter what they do, cannot better themselves. If you were born in another country, the opportunities you have had would be much different, and sometimes, nonexistent. We truly are lucky to have been born here.

The fact that we did not choose the circumstance which we were born in, means we are bound to help those whose circumstances are worse than ours. People go through their entire lives, and never even consider giving a thing to someone in need. They won't even consider giving their precious time to serve their fellow man. When I see that, it saddens me.

I'm not asking for people to give all of their time, nor even a significant amount of their time. In fact, I would rather them not give anything, if they were going to give it for any other reason that deep felt generosity. However, I am asking that people recognize, that at least part of their circumstance, was not up to them.

There are people who go to bed hungry in a world that produces more food than we could ever need. There are people who could do us all good if only given the opportunity to succeed.

I'm not going to expand on my "Religion" entry, but what I will say is that we are given a certain amount of time on this earth with which to work. We do not have a pre-determined time, because agency allows for us or for others to shorten our lives. But at the final day, I believe we will be judged based upon how we used our time and circumstance to better the world, and serve our fellow man. I do not believe that our Father who is in Heaven will hold us to anything above which we were capable. We all have different capabilities, and I may never help as many people as did others, but I know that I can help some. If I know that, yet refuse to act, I will be held accountable at the last day.

Damn the lessons

2005-10-09T02:08:00.000-07:00

Several times throughout my life, close friends have told me that they learned a lot from me. In a way, that is something that I should be proud of. Friends are suppose to learn from each other, so at least with those people, I did my job. But they generally tell me that when something has happened that would make us not as close of friends as we were before.

The problem I have with this is that I want to know when the hell, I am going to have a friend or companion, that can learn and stay around. All I ask for is loyalty. It is not enough to become friends, learn from someone, and then send them on down the road. Damnit people, I'm not a teacher. I don't know how you learn from me, but all I ask for is that you don't befriend me just to learn and move on. When am I going to get a running buddy? When am I going to have someone?

Lonely No More
Rob Thomas

Now it seems to me
That you know just what to say
Words are only words
Can you show me something else
Can you swear to me that you'll always be this way
Show me how you feel More than ever baby

I don't wanna be lonely no more
I don't wanna have to pay for this
I don't want to know the lover at my door
Is just another heartache on my list
I don't wanna be angry no more
You know I could never stand for this
So when you tell me that you love me know for sure
I don't want to be lonely anymore

Now its hard for me with my heart still on the mend
Open up to me, like you do your girlfriends
And you sing to me and it's harmony Girl, what you do to me is everything
Make me say anything; just to get you back again
Why can we just try

I don't wanna be lonely no more
I don't wanna have to pay for this
I don't want to know the lover at my door
Is just another heartache on my list
I don't wanna be angry no more
You know I could never stand for this
So when you tell me that you love me know for sure
I don't want to be lonely anymore

What if I was good to you, what if you were good to me
What if I could hold you till I feel you move inside of me
What if it was paradise, what if we were symphonies
What if I gave all my life to find some way to stand beside you

I don't wanna be lonely no more
I don't wanna have to pay for this
I don't want to know the lover at my door
Is just another heartache on my list
I don't wanna be angry no more
You know I could never stand for this
So when you tell me that you love me know for sure
I don't want to be lonely anymore

I don't wanna be lonely anymore
I don't wanna be lonely anymore
I don't wanna be lonely anymore

Love

2005-10-08T21:24:00.000-07:00

That damndable four letter word seems to never escape anyone who desires to complete themselves through a companion. But sometimes the search seems to ware on you more than you are prepared to deal with.

There are several problems that I think people in today's world have when looking for love.

1) People get caught up on this stupid idea that they have a soul mate. They get caught up on finding someone with whom they can live happily ever after, and never have problems. Newsflash people; Our Father in Heaven didn't make your soul with another in mind. Relationships are work, and they grow stronger through shared experiences. Granted there are people to whom you are naturally attracted, there is nobody whose soul is meant to be with you.

2) People look for "eligible partners". Well, love isn't a job for which one applies. If you are looking for people to meet pre-requisites, or people who you think might have certain levels of success in the future, then your search is a disgrace to love. You should look for someone that you love, and the only way you can find them is by following your heart.

3) People get impatient (myself included). Love isn't something that you can find in a day. Once you find it, I believe that it can develop very quickly, but you have to allow time for love to find you. I believe that all relationships develop at a different pace. Just because two people falling in love really quickly doesn't mean that their love for one another is any less genuine than two people who took more time. However, people need to not think they are falling for someone that they don't love just for the sake of having them.

4) People feel inclined to follow societal norms. Attraction cannot be controlled. You are attracted to whom you are attracted because of natural inclinations. You can never help that, nor can you control it. You can deny it, or you can act on it. Some people deny it for various different reasons, but the main reason is that society does not accept their attraction. Well, their comes a time when you have to say f*** society, I am going to live my life, true to myself.

I often wonder, who among us will find true love. But, that is not up to me. I know that it is out there, but we have to be willing to find it.

Middle class squeeze

2005-10-08T21:13:00.000-07:00

America is suppose to be the country with a thriving middle class. For so long, that was one of our biggest bragging rights. In today's world, where deficits, and huge debt are the order of the day, the middle class is being hit hard.

One area where they are being devastated is college tuition. It has been on the rise for a while, and now it is at ridiculous levels. Education generally is a key to more successful, and higher paying careers. Why then do middle class Americans have a problem getting that education? There are a lot of programs out there for the poor, and they can often get all of college paid for through need-based means. The rich obviously can afford to put their kids through school. Middle class Americans generally do not make enough to pay for their kids college, and they usually make too much to qualify for need based aide.

New taxes and fees are placed on the middle class every day. All of these things continue to tighten the vice that will eventually crush middle America.

I'd rather be dead

2005-10-07T16:39:00.000-07:00

Is it just a bad dream? After the glorious victory last year, I couldn't see anything other than a repeat this year. Now I will have to learn to accept the new normal. They are champions no more.

I'd rather be dead than to be dealing with a sweep from the chi-sox. How could they let it slip away?

That's ok though. We are going to resign some free agents, pick up a few arms in the off season, and it will be off to the races next year.

GO GO SOX!!!

Don't ask, don't tell

2005-10-07T03:06:00.000-07:00

So seeing as I am going into the military in a little over the month, I find it necessary to comment on the military issues of the day. Among the major policy choices of our American Military is the don't ask don't tell policy. This was thought up during the Clinton administration, and it was designed to replace the ban on homosexuals in the military.

But did don't ask don't tell actually change anything? There were gays in the military before the policy, and there certainly are now. If you were "outed" prior to the policy, you were discharged for it, if you say you are gay now, you are discharged. What was the change? There was none. Clinton wanted to gain some political ground with the GLBT community, but you can see that it didn't want to go all out and open the military completely. I can't help but be reminded of the quote, "whether its the democrat who hates you and pretends to be your friend, or the republican who hates you and tells you to your face, once they get in office, none of them are going to do anything". One can find truth in that when looking to "gay friendly" Clinton.

So what effect does the policy have on today's gays? Historically, minority groups gained respect and equality by fighting in the military. The black solders in the civil war certainly were noticed, especially in the south. And then when the country was reunited, and the blacks continued to fight in the army, they gained more respect. I mean, why not respect people who are putting their lives on the line for you?

World War II brought hatred towards Japanese Americans, and the so-called great president of the time interned several hundred thousand of them. After the war, thousands of Japanese people returned to America after having served tours of duty in Europe, fighting in the American army. They quickly and quite rightly earned respect.

Today, illegal immigrants from many different nations serve in the army for several years, and find that their quest for citizenship is much easier upon the conclusion of their service. All of these people gain acceptance, because society at large respects the military that defends their freedom.

However, in all of these instances, you could see these people in uniform. Obviously you could tell if there was a black man in uniform. Homosexuals however cannot be seen in the military. If they are, they earn a discharge. How can the community benefit from this natural respect of the armed forces if they are not allowed to be true to themselves while in the service? They can't.

There is still hope though. Many gays will reveal their sexual identity upon the conclusion of their military service. This allows people to see that gays have fought for them, but it doesn't allow them to see gays fighting for them. I believe that one of the keys to the advancement of the GLBT people is the end of the don't ask, don't tell policy. Without that end, gays are denied an avenue of respect that all minorities in history have had.

Red Sox Nation

2005-10-05T21:48:00.000-07:00

So anyone who knows me probably knows that I am an avid Bosox fan, and a proud member of Red Sox nation. I was most excited to see them win the World Series last year, as I had been calling for it for six years. The way they won last year was just perfect. Doing something that has never been done before in the history of baseball, and doing it against the Yankees. You couldn't have written a better story.

Now that they are down again, people need to keep the faith. They are not in near as bad of a situation this year as they were last year, and remember, they are going to Fenway. The Red Sox will do it again. They will repeat, because it is their destiny.

Let it be...

2005-10-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

So the dumbocrats are up to their usual tricks again. I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of Tom Delay. He is a figure head of the religious right that would rather see the Holy Bible as our governing document than the Constitution of the United States. But that doesn't mean that he should be subject to baseless attacks from liberal prosecuters, seeking only to empower the democratic attack machine.

When the democrats went after Richard Nixon they had little more than the wrong doings of some of his fellow party memebers. Richard Nixon likely had no knowledge of the break in, and he certainly didn't order it. His problem was he tried to cover it up. The democrats got there man, and Nixon resigned.

So what happened next. Well, the next serious target for the right was Bill Clinton. Sure we could have gone after Carter (the only democratic president between Nixon and Clinton), but he did a good enough job destroying himself. The republican attack machine was on the scene. First there was whitewater, but that wasn't enough to bring him down. So we looked to his sex life. Now do I care who is giving the President a blow job? So long as they are not getting political favors in return, I could care less. But we knew that Clinton would lie about it. Then you got him. BAM! Obstruction of Justice, next thing you know the congress is voting on articles of impeachment.

No, we didn't nail Clinton as bad as they got Nixon, but the point is, we had nothing on him, yet we got a yes vote to articles of impeachment. As this Travis county prosecuter goes after Delay, I can only believe that he is seeking the only form of glory available to a democrat in Texas. The only seats a democrat could win in Texas are taken up by his friends, so now he will pursue an illustrious carrer as a Ken Starr wanna-be. Moral of the story. Leave Delay alone. Your ambitious prosecuter who has nothing on him needs to move on. You are stepping in over your heads here. And if you don't believe in the power of the Republican Party, you had better look to the fact that we are working on moving the Court to the right, we have 55 Senators, an overwhelming majority in the House, and that beautiful home on Pennslyvania Avenue.

Harriet Miers

2005-10-04T00:55:00.000-07:00

I'll admit, I was a little disappointed when I heard that Harriet Miers was George Bush's nominee to fill the vacancy left by Sandra Day O'Conner. I wanted him to niminate a die-hard conservative that the base which elected President Bush, could take to the bank. However, she might not be all that bad. She donated to democrats back in the 80's though she could have moved past that now. The important thing is for her to be pro-life. When the court heard Roe v. Wade again in '92 it was a 5-4 decesion, with the 5th vote comming from Justice O'Conner. A Pro-Life Justice could give the life movement all that it needs to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Im a little upset that President Bush is trying to please the dumbocrats. They are more pleased than the Republicans are with this one, and that makes me mad. It is not often that you have 55 senators, and the presidency. We really need to utilize this time to get some things done, and the biggest impact can be made with the federal judiciary.

Im going to trust you on this Mr. President, but I fear you wasted a good oppurtunity here. Why are my fellow republicans so bad at nominating Supremem Court Justices?

First and foremost...

2005-10-04T00:09:00.000-07:00

I have started these in the past and have never kept up with them. I will try a little harder this time. But before I begin, it should be known that I am terrible at spelling and I am not all that great of a writer. I promise I will do my best.