Wow, It's been two years. So much has changed since, that I'm not going to change anything on here. It'll be a digital time capsule for me to enjoy.

Haiti- a curious question.

 The unfortunate disaster in Haiti,(a quick recovery and successful future are deeply in my thoughts as my heart feels for them in this terrible time) has brought about a serious cause and unification in many governments and organizations from around the world to quit differences and unite to bring help and comfort to millions of people who very, very much need it. 

This is truly a wonderful thing to behold, seeing millions of people who have nothing in common with those suffering, doing what they can to alleviate the pain of those endangered.

 However, this raises a very curious question. Should a democratic ( or a federal constitutional republic, in the United States case) government use public funds to help people?

 Now before I'm burned at the stake or labeled as something less than polite, I'd like to state that this is merely from an analytical point of view. I am a student of the constitution, and only comparing our current course of action against the rules and laws by which this great nation was created and successful by.

 Based on a recent poll by CBS, it seems that most of Americans would agree that it is the U.S Governments responsibility to help them (Poll Below)

CBS News Poll. Jan. 14-17, 2010. N=1,090 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

"Do you think the United States has a responsibility to provide humanitarian assistance to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti, or doesn't the United States have this responsibility?"

Has Responsibility 84%
Doesn't have responsibility 11%
Unsure 5%.

      With this being said, let us look to the constitution to see what it has to say about using taxpayers money.

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.Article 1, Section 8- United States Constitution

Nowhere, does it say that taxpayers money can or should be used in situations such as the disaster in Haiti- As Haiti is a sovereign nation in and of itself.

 This does not imply that the Government should do nothing, rather the opposite. It should aid private charity in the way that it has for a very long time- either give tax breaks, or make the buying of aid supplies tax exempt.

  While most Americans are okay with having their money taken from them (after all, if the government takes their money away before they even receive it, the people never miss it), many Americans are not pleased with such actions.

 I'll leave you with something to think about.

If someone holds a gun up to you and steals your wallet and money. Thats stealing.

If someone holds a gun up to you and steals your wallet and money, then proceeds to give it to homeless people. That is also stealing.  
 

[New] Post

So I'm sitting here right before my music class and I've got so much to say, so much has happened since my last post.

Still haven't set up my computer, Working five days a week and going to school the other two- taking fairly difficult classes.

Philosophy
Public Speaking
Music

They aren't difficult classes in and of themselves, however the amount of work and preparation for these classes is the difficult part.

Reading countless essays on ancient and contemporary philosophers, analyzing their logic- trying to find faults or strengths and writing essays over those. Good news is on my essay exam, I scored next to perfect on an essay disproving the existence of God based on Paley's the watch and the watchmaker (very, very interesting, I highly recommend reading it if possible).

Aside from school, there have been many things going on in my personal life. Things I won't go into detail about here- but needless to say it's been very hard. I feel the comfort in mundane things, the working everyday, the class and the work. It's really helped me to feel the ground beneath my feet and appreciate it more than I ever have before.

Before I go, I would like everyone to think about all the simple processes in this life that serve to solidify our presence here. Our jobs, our schools, and our families- These are things that I have taken advantage of to a large detriment to myself and I have paid a heavy cost for this.

Be thankful for what you have, even the small things that bore you and make life seemingly unbearable.

Here and Now

so it's been a while since my last post. I've moved cities, states, schools, jobs.

in a transient phase, just got my bed and such in my room. Computer is lacking keyboard and mouse.

I'll be updating most regularly once my computer is up and running

Broken Hearts and New Starts (part 2)

The ironic thing about the title of this post, along with the previous post is that when I wrote it, it had a totally different meaning in my heart and mind.
Somehow, it applies to my current situation more than it did before, and in a much better way than before as well.

When I wrote my last post, I was under the impression that the two year relationship with the Love of my life was over, that I had made too many mistakes to be forgiven for- that my lack of understanding, not only of her, but of myself was too much to handle.

After writing that post, I made a miraculous discovery with a lot of help from Love (It's what I'll refer to as from hereafter, as well as metaphorically speaking). She helped me to understand my actions and she helped me through some very rough memories of growing up and my (lack) childhood.

I won't go into details here, but I had a very,very tough and destructive childhood resulting from my parents. The details of that, I've never told anyone- not even my closest friend. When I remembered these events and relived these memories- which was occurring with increasing frequency. I become cold, cynical, and distant. I was pushing myself away from her, unknowingly, but because I was broken and the repressed memories were starting to leak through and affect my personal life.

Love (emotion and who it represents) helped me talk about these things, to let them out. I didn't have to feel ashamed of my past and I no longer had to overcompensate for it either.

I honestly and truly feel like this is the first day of my life. I've never been more happier, never been more motivated to succeed.

It's all thanks to Love.

Broken Hearts and New Starts (Part 1)

So after spending all night driving recklessly through the rain, losing my mind, and screaming,crying,pleading into my phone- I've discovered how easily it is to become thrown off track in life.

After having something in my life for nearly two years, a constant and warm thing- most of the time, the idea of it not being there scares me. It's as if you have a dog that sleeps in your bed with you every night, there's a warm comforting spot where the dog lays- then suddenly its gone, cold, and dark, and lonely.

No, I'm not single yet. However, I happen to be in a state of limbo- purgatory if you will. With inclinations on both sides of the coin.

It never ceases to amaze me, the ebb and flow
of human emotion and reasoning.
On this its important that we observe our fellow
man-but much more important to observe
it in
yourself.

The current relationship I'm in (was?) probably
the best thing that ever happened to me.

It got me away from the dangerous bullshit I used

to enjoy.
It got me back in school.

It made me appreciate people more.

So many great things have changed in my life for the better.

But.

I've never been one to talk badly to people, I was prim and I was proper.

Now, I shoot insults out at people (including said girl) like its T-shirts at a football game. And not because I mean them- It's just how I've started to respond.

If I get defensive, It's on.

This is a terrible way to be. She and I are both guilty of it, me probably more so than her.

Scratch that

Me much more so than her.

Relationshits and Love

Right now I'm in a very rough patch as far as my Love life goes.

I capitalize "love" for a very specific reason, because it is Love
not that worn out fifteen year old phrase that often symbolizes
goodbyes. I mean true Love, when you know you are destined
for that person and no one else.

As I was saying, a rough patch.
But what is a "rough patch"?
How long does it last?
How long should it last?

These are questions I ponder relentlessly as if the answer is just within reach, but I feel the torment of Tantalus himself upon reaching the verge of my answer.

I live my life very simplistically, I want few things, I need even less and I've reached the maturity to decipher my needs from my wants.

Love is something I believe I need, Love is something I know I want.
But at what cost should we give to achieve this? A life, a choice, a calm?
I don't know all that I've given, or all that I could give.

Once I've resigned myself to give something away, I no longer think about it as being mine. To me it's simply- gone. I no longer miss or pine for what is no longer mine, because it doesn't make sense to. However with this philosophy comes danger, When you give and forget, other people start to forget- in regards to what they're taking.

My rough patch, is not actually a rough patch at all- but rather an inability for me to understand or comprehend a number of my faults and shortcomings. This leads me to believe that everything is okay- even when they are most clearly not.

That is the rough patch for me, a paradox of sorts.

I don't realize I'm in a rough patch, and the only reason I'm in a rough patch is because I fail to realize that I am in one.

Perhaps my live and let live mantra is gathering dust along with my chivalry (which is surely gathering dust).

I'm so easy to make happy, I can be happy with almost anything. But maybe, I'm too easy to please, just maybe my standards of happiness are too low. Perhaps I shouldn't be okay with things that I'm okay with, should I take a stand against things I'm not against?

How does one fix this problem?

How do you cure a problem that most people would kill to have?