Should we cut military spending?

The loudest voices against the impending debt ceiling compromise in Washington come from conservatives like Joe Lieberman.   They worry that if future deficit goals are not met, military spending will be cut “disproportionately.” They scream about the fact that any funding might be taken from the military, something everyone pretends receives almost no funding. This is the Great Elephant In The Room.  No Republicans and precious few Democrats dare confront the Military-Industrial Complex President Eisenhower warned would distort our budget priorities and ultimately sink the economy.

America spends as much on the military as the rest of the world combined.  Yet somehow this is never enough. We cut welfare, education, health care proposals,  but continue to spend more and more on the military. Are we really still “the land of the free and the home of the brave?”  Or are we instead a bloated, paranoid giant huddling behind our overwhelming firepower, forever afraid we won’t be able to bomb enough people in enough places to protect our unprecedented standard of living, which after all, is proof of God’s favor upon us?  Or maybe it’s more pragmatic: maybe we’re afraid that cutting the military budget will decimate what has become America’s largest jobs program.

Either way, it’s pathetic.

Cirque du Soleil

Cirque du Soleil is an experience of art and music. It is a beautiful mix of circus arts and entertainment. And this weekend, they will be presenting "Dralion" in Dallas. The name, unusual as it is, is meant to symbolize a harmonious blend of the East (dragon) and the West (lion). Critics everywhere talk about this amazing experience, the beauty of the music and costumes, the outstanding and dazzling performances.

And, on Sunday, Austin and I will get to experience it for ourselves.

Should we be so unhappy?

I've noticed that people seem to be very unhappy. We like to complain about everything from our jobs to our clothes to our food to our car to our politics to our religious problems. But why? What good does this do?

I will be the first to admit that I do have times when I'm having a bad day and I notice everything going wrong. I see all of the things I hate about my job. I see the problems in my relationships. I see how much I don't like my wardrobe. I see how much I don't like the way I look. I see the things wrong with my (almost brand new) car. I see the problems in the world. And on days like this, I've noticed I have a tendency to do nothing about these issues but bitch and moan.

But what good does this do? What does this accomplish?

You end up bringing everyone around you down. But it doesn't make you happy. It doesn't change your life. It doesn't change your circumstances. You're still miserable.

So get up. Stop your bitching. Change something. You don't like your job? Find a new one. Try to change your attitude. Come to the understanding that your work is not your life. Learn that work isn't going to always be fun. You aren't happy in your relationship? Figure out what you might be doing to make things worse and change it. Talk to your significant other about how to really make a change. Or accept that you might be holding on to something that was and let go of it. You don't like your clothes? Go shopping. Maybe realize that you are lucky to have as much as you do and stop being greedy. You don't like the way you look? Go on a diet. Eat healthier. Start working out. Be active. You don't like your car? Find a way to get one you're happy with. Maybe realize that there are thousands of people without a car. You don't like the way the world is? Get out there and volunteer. Help out other people. Make a difference in someone's life.

I know that I for one am going to stop complaining to everyone else and start making changes in life instead of sitting around complaining that nothing is changing. Get out there and take a chance on something. You don't want to look back on your life with regrets and nothing but "what ifs". You don't want to go through life unhappy. If we were to all sit around waiting for progress and change, nothing would ever happen.

August is going to be a busy month!

Well, as July is coming to a close, I've realised how busy August is going to be! And really the next several months until I have a new schedule and I've reorganized my life properly. Not only will Austin and I be moving into a new apartment mid-August, but I'm also going to start registering for some classes!

Now, the moving aspect should be easy enough to handle (especially since we're not dumb enough to try and move ourselves in the middle of Texas summers), it's just the hassle of getting everything pack and unpacked. You have to make sure all of your mail is forwarded, all of your utilities ready to go on move in day, insurance, all of that fun stuff. I am looking forward to being able to decorate our new place in a completely different way. I also have to try and decide where I want all of our pictures and paintings hung, but that's the part of moving I really enjoy. And since I've moved many, many times over the course of my life, I'm kind of a pro at packing and moving and unpacking. The sad part is we're no longer in Dallas proper, we're in one of the suburbs of Dallas. It's really not a big deal, but I am doing to be a little sad that I am no longer actually living in the city. But c'est le vie.

I'm also really looking forward to registering for some college classes. The past year, I've been trying to decide if I really wanted to go back to school. And if I did, what did I want to study? What was my ultimate goal? Well, I've decided that I'm going to go back and work towards getting my MBA and hopefully be able to further my career with the new knowledge that I am sure to gain. I am also going to be taking a few art classes since I feel like my work has become slightly stagnant in the past year and I would like to actually work on bettering it. So, in August I'll be meeting with advisors and working out the classes that will best suit my schedule. As much as I value education and continuing to learn, I will not be one of the students that feels the need to give up their career. I'm great at multitasking and I love to be busy, so I know I wont have any problem being a part time student and working 90+ hours a week along with my other obligations.

I also realised that it has been several months since I last volunteered at the shelter I like to work at. With the chaos of the wedding, I let it slip to the back of my mind and have neglected to actually do any work there. Since this is a fabulous organisation and I loved working there a couple nights a week, the fact that I let it slip out of my life so easily was a little sad. So, I've decided to remedy the situation and I'll be starting to volunteer at the ELPO at least twice a week. I know that it is a little out of my way now that I don't live close by, but until we move I'll be back to working here. I'll also start the search for a new shelter to work at that's a little closer to our new home, but I'll stay at ELPO until I can find a new place to work at.

Last but not least, I've decided that in December, I'll be taking the Cecchetti Ballet Exam in January. I've been in ballet for only a year and I absolutely love it. For those that are unaware, Cecchetti is a style of ballet. There are many styles of ballet, this is just the one I chose to learn to study. There's not one style that's "better" than another, but I prefer Cecchetti and it's structured lessons and it's theories of movement. Anyways, there are many exams that a person can take, and each one will lead you into the next level and you become an even more experienced and educated ballerina after every exam. Now, the Exams aren't easy, but I'm excited to be able to work more on perfecting my form and becoming closer to the perfect ballerina.

So, with the changes in my schedule and the chaos that I'm sure will ensue from my controlled life changing so drastically, I'm not certain if I'll be able to post with the same regularity. I'm sure you are all just devastated about that fact....At least this will give me a lot more material to write about in the future!

"Anne Marie" by American Aquarium

This is one of the most beautiful songs ever. I originally thought American Aquarium would be too country for my personal taste, but they're amazing. Enjoy.