D

Someone once said that in order to know who you are, you have to know who and what you've been. It's kind of funny, really. I was reading my old journal, the first one I created almost seven years ago, and I was amazed at how angry of a person I was back then. I was so full of rage, regarding everything and everyone, even my closest friends and family.

My, how things have changed. I feel very content with my life for now. I'm moving to Orlando in a month to attend UCF. I've changed my major back to my passion which is aeronautical engineering with a dual minor in space studies and business. I'm welcoming the challenge because I know I can do it. Whereas 7 years ago I had no confidence in myself, today I can truly say that I believe in me.

A person very close to me told me a few months back that she believed that I had the passion to truly make a difference in this world, and while I just blew the idea off, it really made me wonder. I know as children we all wish to grow up and make a difference, so at what point do we tell ourselves that this wish will never come true? And is it foolish for someone to truly live their whole life just wanting to make a difference?

So was killing Saddam really the right thing to do?

And someone explain to me why he wasn't considered a POW when all these Tailaban we captured in much the same way are?

It's amazing to me how this administration that runs our country continues to defy logic and break rules and traditions in regards to this Iraq BS.

I finally got sick of my Tiburon and traded it in for a new car. Now, I know it was new, but for all you who are thinking I'm crazy, listen to this: Since I've been in P-Cola, I've had to buy EIGHT brand new tires at $230.00 a pop, because when a Tiburon gets a flat tire, they can't patch them due to the tire being too thin. So after my eighth tire, I told myself I wasn't going to buy another one, and 3 weeks later, I got ANOTHER FUCKING FLAT TIRE!! So, I decided F-this and traded my Tiburon in for an '06 Mazda 6. It's such a beautiful car. Danny Blue (Of course) and black leather interior (Of course) all for an affordable monthly payment that I am paying (So none of that "Danny's lucky to have rich parents" BS from the crowd that knows me!)

In other news, man I'm seriously missing out on the college experience. Beer pong sounds like so much fun...

Oh, and as always, I'm getting straight A's in college, so I'm fine in that department.

Okay, that's my update on life. Miss you newspaper crowd!

Blah. No mas escuela! Anyone want to give me $800.00 for books?..... :)

Here's to straight A's!

Congratulations to the Chickster for finally graduating from UM! After four long, stressful, and expensive years, you are finally a Cane alumni. Feel proud!

And now the door is open for me to transfer to an expensive college and sap away at our parent's funds. Geogia Tech, here I come!

Party in Montego Bay, Jamaica. If anyone's in the area (Which you aren't) feel free to holla at me (My desperate attempt to be hip. Oh boy....).

Oh, and by the way Amesy, next weekend I'm going to be up in your neck of the woods visiting the Rollercoaster capitol of the World in Sandusky. Lord help me.

Six days until I'm legal to drink in Canada! What?! Who's paying for my plane ticket?!

So I just found out today that my rabbit of 7 years is actually a female....

How sad...

I would just like to take this oppurtunity to point out that Hillary Clinton's approval rating across this country is currently higher than President Bush's.

Go Hillary!!

http://www.thefrown.com/frowners/becomerepublican.swf

Go here. It is absoultely hilarious. And, uh, sorry if you are already a Republican.

It would be so much easier for me to move back to Miami had everyone not left. Now I'm kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. 'Should I stay or should I go?'

I love you, and because I love you, I would sooner have you hate me for telling you the truth than adore me for telling you lies."


-Pietro Aretino, satirist and dramatist (1492-1556)

Team Page
South Dade Buccaneers Football
District: 16-6A
2005/2006 Record: 5-0 District, 8-0 Overall
Date/Time Location Type Opponent Result
Sep 2 7:30 Harris Non-Dist Sunset Won 26 - 0
Sep 9 7:30 Harris Non-Dist Ferguson Won 62 - 0
Sep 17 7:30 Harris District Southridge Won 14 - 10
Sep 30 7:30 Harris District Coral Reef Won 48 - 0
Oct 6 7:00 Curtis Non-Dist Miami Senior High Won 34 - 7
Oct 14 4:00 Tropical District Palmetto Won 32 - 21
Oct 20 8:00 FIU South District Killian Won 23 - 6
Nov 4 7:30 Harris District Homestead Won 28 - 14
Nov 11 7:30 Harris Regional Varela

Dear President Bush,

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from you and understand why you would propose and support a constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage. As you said "in the eyes of God marriage is based between a man and a woman." I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination...End of debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God's Laws and how to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both female and male, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanness-Lev. 15:19-24. The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord-Lev. 1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2, clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination-Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there 'degrees' of abomination?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the alter of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone him? Lev. 24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I am confident you can help.

Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your humble citizen from a Red State.

What the fuck? No, seriously. Give me a break!

I heard from a friend today
And she said you were in town
Suddenly the memories came back to me in
My mind

How can I be strong I've asked myself
Time and time I've said
That I'll never fall in love with you again

A wounded heart you gave,
My soul you took away
Good intentions you had many,
I know you did
I come from a place that hurts,
God knows how I've cried
And I never want to return
Never fall again
Making love to you felt so good and
Oh so right

How can I be strong I've asked myself
Time and time I've said
That I'll never fall in love with you again

So here we are alone again,
Didn't think I'd come to this
And to know it all began
With just a little kiss
I've come to close to happiness,
To have it swept away
Don't think I can take the pain
Never fall in love again
Kinda late in the game
And my heart is in your hands
Don't you stand there and then tell me
You love me
Then leave again
'Cause I'm falling in love with you again

I can tell I live in the South:

56% of people polled in the Mobile/Pensacola area said employees SHOULD be allowed to bring guns with them to their office or place of work. Good luck being the manager of them. Sheesh...

Hm.

Go to sleep at a decent hour

OR

Stay up and study


Such difficult decisions.

This post is really for my newspaper crew, but advice from others is welcome. This essay is worth ten percent of my grade in Ethics, so read it, and point out any flaws. Whether it be grammar, ackward work choice, whether the transitions are a little off, and try to give advice. Thanks!

A sound argument is defined as a valid argument with two correct premises. For example, the following is a sound argument: All Argonauts attend UWF. Sara is an Argonaut. Therefore, Sara attends UWF. Two correct premises, and the conclusion follows from the premises. Now, how about this one: All people are moral. Moral individuals strive to do good deeds. All people want to do good deeds. Not so sound anymore, is it?

This is the exact dilemma that the town of Aiken, South Carolina faces. In their effort of trying to paint out what is morally right and what is morally wrong, they have met a crossroads where their religious beliefs have begun to influence the way they feel others ought to act; and in a country that prides itself on religious tolerance and free-thinking, this is an unacceptable course of action.

Of course, the town of Aiken doesn’t quite see it that way. The mayor himself claims that the set of character traits he came up with are “basic life principals, not religious traits.” While what the town and it’s mayor are trying to do is laudable, they are failing to answer the one question that not even the greatest philosophers in history have been able to compromise on: What is morality?

It’s evident that the town of Aiken has struggled with that question, and many more. In fact, in Plato’s prime, the great thinker asked similar questions, such as what constitutes the good life? Plato believed that we can maintain harmony in our soles by letting reason control what we do; and this begs the question: Is what the town of Aiken doing reasonable? For the knowledgeable Plato, who made an important distinction between appearances and reality, what the town is doing would not be reasonable. Plato was an idealist, who believed that nothing in the physical world is perfect, and thus, nothing in life is perfect; therefore, Plato would believe that there can be no such thing as a perfect moral society.

Some of the town’s characteristics don’t seem to fit well with what the mayor is attempting. For example, is segregation a moral aspect that the town promotes? When asked, two of the town’s most influential church pastors felt that racism was still alive and thriving in the United States, which, consequently, means that racism is still alive and thriving in Aiken; and it’s not hard to see where they get that idea. When you have people of one race living in ramshackle housing and attending churches on one side of town, and people of another race living in well kept housing and attending churches on the other side, clearly there is something wrong with your system.

So how can a town that is so segregate, whether by will, as they maintain, or by force, claim to want to be moral? Certainly there has to be questions as to whether the poor side of town had any say in the morality code. In fact, one has to wonder whether the other side of town has any say in anything at all.

But, of course, the town is a “virtuous” society, with “godly ways.” They would never dream about admitting their wrong doings. Instead, they suffer from the great American mentality: It’s everyone’s fault but ours. They feel that the nation has turned against Godly ways, when, in fact, a religiously free nation should not support Godly ways at all; A religiously free nation should turn a blind eye to religion altogether.

So the question remains: How can a town who feels that people need to face issue of where they want to spend eternity claim to not be motivated by religion in their quests for morality? Certainly they are clearly using the Divine Command Theory as a basis for their stance. This theory states that a law or rule is right because God says it is. But an important distinction needs to be made here: Morality is a matter of reason and consciousness, not religion.

Another theory that they may be following is ethical egoism, which states that a person only cares about their self-interests, and anything to get that is right. When asked about the conflict between evolution and creationism, the town balked at the former, and openly supported the latter. Even some of the town’s scientists felt that there was just enough evidence to support creationism, as there is evolution. A scientist who lets religion control their thinking quickly loses credibility in most of the public’s eye.

It was generally agreed upon in Aiken that both evolution and creationism should be taught in the classroom, however, once again, the town could not agree upon which version of creationism is right. As one Unitarian woman put it, “How dare you tell me that your stories of creationism are right, and mine are wrong.” And while the town claimed to want to teach both ideas in the classroom, it should not go unnoticed that an advocate for creationism openly applauded his daughter who refused to answer a simple test question on evolution.

Can there be such thing as a perfect moral society? All the evidence points to no. Without a clear consensus on what is moral and what is not, forcing one’s beliefs on another will just create conflict, which will further diminish the glue that holds a society together. Without this agreement, many societies are left with religion as a controlling factor in their every day lives; and as some of the greatest moral thinkers in the history of humankind have said, belief or opinion will become truth when you can say why you believe what you believe in a plausible way- Something religion will never be able to do for some.

Quick update: Pensacola's out of gas, I have half a tank left, and for the next week at least, I have to decide what's more important, work or school. I'm not going to be able to drive to both. To all of you who support our president, I hope you can get around your cities on foot, because this is coming to you next!

Mother nature can be quite intimidating some times. To think, large cities just a few hours west of where I currently reside have been wiped off the face of the earth, and all I can think is I'm happy it didn't hit me.

I don't think anyone in Biloxi or in New Orleans expected the damage to be this bad. Bridges are gone. Casinos that were one time on barges in the water are now in people's backyards. Whole residential areas have been flattened. People always talk about how California will one day drop off the face of the earth, but this seems to be the exact same thing. But I don't think anything can be compared to the devastation that Katrina caused. It will certainly fall behind Andrew as the costliest natural disaster in the United States.

Lessons learned were either ignored or quickly forgotten, as is normally the case when people view the aftermath. This same area back in 92 was hit by what remained of Andrew after it devastated Homestead, and back then, they were prepared: They saw what a massive hurricane could do. However, 13 years later, everyone is in shock at the destruction.

Not to worry though, in ten years or so, this destruction won't be remembered. Laws and New building codes will be passed to ensure that this never happens again, but it shouldn't take an event such as this for new laws to be put in place. People should have used Andrew as a reason to make their structures stronger, instead of saying "I'll wait until it happens to me."

I thought I'd post to let everyone know I'm okay. Other than Tropical Storm stuff, Pensacola didn't get anything. Let's all hope that those people from Biloxi and New Orleans can salvage what's left of their lives. It's going to be rough times for all in that area for a while.

Those of you who read this are still young, so I urge you, as we all grow up together, if you find yourself in an area that can be impacted by a hurricane, don't wait for it to happen; prepare before it happens. You've seen the destruction, so you know what a hurricane can do.