Mark Twain said, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do, than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover!"

It is a nice quote that a drug addict could live by.

Oh, it's also a nice quote to have at the top of a Semester at Sea letter.

Little boys' charred remains

Do I really need to see little boys' and girls' charred remains every morning when I get the paper? Why do I want to see a toddler's mutilated body strewn across the street, covered in mud? I don't want to see a mother screaming in agony over a pool of blood because her innocent baby is dead.

It's war! We know innocent people die! We don't need to see it everyday!

Why don't these media elites print a picture of Nasrallah, the leader of the Hezbohs? I wouldn't mind a picture of a Hezbollah base, which would be nothing more than Jordanian's home. We could use a picture of Iran parading missiles through the streets.

There is so much more to say on this issue but I'm a little sick to my stomack right now because I'm continually fed live coverage of WAR.

Work

It is so hard for me to find something to write about. It is rare something really inspires me. Not only that, but I have been relatively busy for the past two weeks with two jobs, preparing for next semester, camping, floating, and last but definitely not taking up the least amount of time is hanging out with friends, which encompasses a number of things.

Well I really don't have much time because I just spent my lunch hour uploading the collages. I'll just say that I love my job at LAT and I know the company will continue to prosper and I look forward to working for them for years to come.

Every day it is me, my car, the mountains and the fields. 

My most common view of my neighbor Dusty! 

A little collage of my working environment. 

This is my boss Aaron. This is the funniest picture of him! He's very easy going and a pleasure to work for. Great Nestea! In the background you'll see the company vehicle, in like-new condition, completely clean.

End of story

The gay marriage issue is being handled where it should be; at the state level. Many states have gay marriage bans, and a few states (Massachusetts) have legalized gay marriage. This is how it should be, as with all laws. I do not support a national ban on gay marriage. I don't think Washington politicians should be blanketing the United States with laws from the top down. State governments, that are closer to the people and infinitely more accountable, should be deciding these issues.

Other than that social issue, fiscal and foreign issues dominate.

Our policy in Iraq is working. The insurgents are losing, the country is becoming more secure every day, and the Iraqi government is starting to look like it will work. Soon they will be able to handle security themselves and the Americans will not have to protect them. As Iraqis stand up, Americans stand down.

Prime Minister Maliki has recently formed a unity government and decided on a cabinet. Moussaoui will never see another human for the rest of his life, Zarqawi is dead, and Osama is apparently enjoying himself holed up in a cave somewhere on the Pakistan border as he watches Al-Quaeda disintigrate into something that could never again hurt the United States as much as 9/11.

But now we have a free, democratically elected government in the Middle East that is a close ally. They can rely on us to protect them from the many unstable groups operating in that part of the world. We will support Iraq's government and help it gain legitimacy. We now have an ally that will help us operate in the broader Middle East. Having American military bases in Iraq stabilizes the entire region, reducing Al-Queada's ability to operate effectively and further reducing the chance of a terrorist attack in the corrupt-free, safe, blessed America.

Fiscally, the government is a mess. New Jersey, like Minnesota, had to shut down all state government activities because of a budget crisis. Millions were out of work because the state government is around $5 billion in debt. The national debt is around $9 trillion and the shut down it is facing is quite a bit more severe. We have to raise taxes or cut spending. One of the two has to happen, end of story.