Painting Reality

I love urban art. Whether it is graffiti, street musicians and performers, or anything else which takes art and creativity to the streets. This is a great example of just that.

So... That's life I guess.

I always hate titling my blog posts. Especially since I haven't always decided what to write. When I write a paper or a report, or anything else which I plan to "present" to others - the title is easy to come by. I tend to have everything written before I even commit anything to paper... As I plan it in my head the title becomes clear, and guides the rest of the paper. And I write good papers. But my blogs tend to be more like my journal entries - train of thought. I usually have some form of idea about what I want to write, but not much. Nothing compared to what I do when I plan a paper. The interesting thing about all of this is that when I prepare a presentation or paper, it doesn't take me long to prepare. Things just come together naturally. I'm not sure what to do about this. Do I try to plan my blog out more (it would probably make it more relevant and marketable), or just do the title last. I don't really care if my blog is relevant and marketable - it is more of a private repository of my thoughts that I don't mind sharing with those close to me - and if someone else finds it interesting then so be it. I tend to try to organize my life - and keep myself as busy as possible (organization is essential when reading a book on the KGB, learning Chinese and Arabic, working, going to school, trying new things like scuba diving, and still going to every fair/festival/cultural event that I can make it to. When you are that busy, and trying to stay organized and on top of everything, sometimes your mind craves the ability to stop planning and let it all flow out in a topsy turvy disorder... Of course, while I think that tonight, tomorrow I may just change my mind.

I almost gave up on this blog thing for quite a while. I'm not sure why I'm back, I never really expect anyone to read it. And when I do write, it is difficult to find time in between everything else I do. But I return anyways... I write for me, I always have. It doesn't matter if it is a relationship problem, a bad day at work, or my thoughts on a geopolitical forecast for Russia for the next 20 years. Writing helps me to clarify my thoughts, formulate my opinions and find the weaknesses in my arguments. It helps me to vent and get things off my chest. It is a form of meditation that allows me to speak my opinions to the world - even if it isn't listening. So I enjoy writing. I can't promise to write everyday, but I'll write. Probably more often than I have written lately.

In the past few months I have climbed a lot; touched a shark; been to see a sandcastle competition; have picked fruit in AZ; seen the international space station; and been sung to by an astronaut. I have read several good books - I am currently reading: Intelligence Wars: American secret history from Hitler to al Qaeda which I am really enjoying. And am still dating the girl I absolutely love (the Natarax).

I went to the Aquarium today in downtown Houston with Nat and Justing. Loved it - though it doesn't really compare with the aquarium in Dallas, it was pretty awesome. Nat spent half an hour looking just at the Tigers. And then we rode the carousel and ferris wheel. It was a gorgeous time of night, and the lights from the buildings made it even more awesome. Next week we go to the zoo! :)

Osama bin Laden dead? What next?

So - forgive me for not posting often in the past few weeks, much in my life has been up in the air. What I was planning on writing on was a fairly lengthy set of thoughts about the Jasmine "protests" in China. Perhaps, though, with recent events, I should shorten those thoughts and save them for another day.

Osama bin Laden is dead supposedly. I say supposedly because we know so little about his death that I want a little more to go on than speculation. However, while I want more, I tend to think that the government would at least try with some care to not jump the gun on an announcement like this. Don't get me wrong, we have jumped the gun before, but the very fact that it happened last week and we have the body in custody tells me that - instead of just making an announcement - there was some care spent in making sure that it really was him. We shall see what comes of the DNA test. My real questions revolve around what will happen now. How will this be spun by Obama, and the various political groups in the US - as well as what will happen internationally. What will happen with Al Qaeda. Etc. An event like this is always considered an opportunity. Almost every group out there that has political power will try to use this in some way. Perhaps it will be to put down a different political party, or put themselves up in the public eye, or to motivate followers to radical action. Perhaps it will be used differently - I'm just excited to see what will happen.

With the various rumors out there about what happened (predator drone, ground forces in a mansion, etc.) I think STRATFOR is one of the best resources for current intelligence and analysis (much better than many news sources), so here is the link to what STRATFOR has to say.

Red Alert: Osama bin Laden Killed | STRATFOR

- Sean

 Edit: Above I stated that he was killed last week and it was only announced today (having gotten that information off of several news sites). Having watched President Obama's address on the matter, it seems that may be incorrect. He ordered the operation last week, but bin Laden was killed today - when the operation actually took place. For your convenience, here is the video. Thanks for reading.

How Twilight should have ended and French Climber Scales Worlds Tallest Tower

So. Not to hate on twilight anymore than I already have, but I thought that this video was hilarious. It's such a better ending than the original twilight.

Also thought that this was pretty cool. I don't necessarily have any plans to scale any buildings in my lifetime, but I've always thought it would be cool to try. Keeping that in mind, it takes a lot of talent and a lot of guts to try what this french climber did...
French Climber Scales Worlds Tallest Tower
Nat and I went climbing at the Texas Rock Gym yesterday. The plan is, I think, to start swimming twice a week, running/cycling twice a week, and climbing once a week. That way we get to have fun, do the things we like, and keep in shape. We are also both working on eating a bit healthier. A part of me really is a health freak - and I haven't been eating very well lately. So that is the plan for now. I've got some cool pics from climbing this week that I'll upload at some point soon. Till then, keep on keepin on!

Sean

Lybia to Yemen, US Soft Power, and Why We Don't Do Stupid Things

So far, the war in Lybia has been interesting to me for several reasons. The first is simple: It is a part of a regime change movement that seems to be sweeping through that part of the world - but which I think actually echoes recent events here in the US; the second is that it is an awkward situation and I want to know what is going to happen; and the third reason is because I find the US involvement to be an interesting dynamic change internationally.

Let me explain...

1) Echoes of the U.S.

For those who have not paid attention to the news, here is the simplified simple version: certain areas in the Middle East and Africa are undergoing everything from simple demonstrations to outright civil war. While each area has it's own special circumstances, most of them revolve around some similar aspects. Specifically (among other things) a pro-democratic movement (though pro-democratic must not be equated with a movement for westernization - something we forget sometimes), and a call for a regime change from primarily long standing rulers.

Now, why do I draw a parallel between that and anything that has happened recently in the US? We didn't go through a revolution where many people wanted more democracy lately. Or have we? I would say that, in our own special way, we have. We didn't have a civil war, or try to create a new government in the same sense that these countries are now doing, but we had some equivalencies.

The Bush regime (speaking of both the father and the son's differing regimes together) essentially led the country for  12 out of 20 years. It's 30 years shy of Gaddafi's regime in Lybia, but for a nation that is used to 4 - 8 years, it's still a bit of time. Towards the end of that time period, the approval rating for Bush dropped to an all time low. A form of media warfare (from twitter, to facebook, to the news) was waged against him and his regime. A challenger stepped up to the plate and promised "Change" - managing to unite members of the nation from all styles of life, religions, and political backgrounds. Protests were held where people wanted our government to undergo a restructuring of sorts, etc. The basic parallels continue without me writing them all down.

Perhaps it is a far cry from what is going on in other areas of the world, and I'm out on a limb. But I think it warrants at least a little bit of study to see what relationship may actually be there. If I decide to do so then I'll keep the blog updated about it.

2) The Situation

Now I, for simple reasons of time and space, can't write about everything that is going on that I find interesting. But let me hit at least a few of the high points...

Lybia, for example, isn't an easy situation. Why? Well... Read the news. First, we have a person in power who we don't want in power. Why don't we want him in power? Well, the list is rather long and includes everything from his tendency to take anger out on other nations by organizing terrorist attacks (officially he condemns terrorism now, but that is mainly just because it makes political sense for him to say that - not because he had an epiphany about how terrorism is wrong and he shouldn't do it); to doing things like broadcasting public executions of individuals who spoke out against his regime and said they want something else (like democracy). Just a look at how his military is acting right now (killing civilians for sport, raping women, etc) in their fight against the rebels says a bit about his regime.

So, we aid the rebels, right? Well, that probably isn't a good idea on several fronts. The U.S. has discovered through hard experience that the enemy of your enemy is not always your friend. We have trained and armed rebels in other countries only to have it blow up in our faces when those rebels decide to do something like killing a lot of innocent civilians (among other things, go read some history for more examples).

To make matters worse, the rebels don't really have any group or structure. They are not a political party that wants to take over the country. They have no real aims or goals other than to overthrow Gaddafi. What will they do once they succeed? They are not currently equipped to run a nation - and leaving a nation in chaotic disorder would be worse than leaving Gaddafi in power.

Lybia has other concerns as well... Examples: A large number of Al Qaida members came from, and returned to, Lybia. Installing a new government would possibly put more Al Qaida members and sympathizers in power. But what if Gaddafi remains in power? How does he strike back against nations which assembled against him - especially those near him? Terrorism? What if we arm the rebels and the advanced arms we give them fall into Gaddafi's hands or worse yet, Al Qaida's?

The final big reason why we can't just "jump in" and fix things (setting aside feasibility issues) is the plain fact that we have discovered that such things don't always work very well (Iraq for example). It isn't as easy for us as we would like it to be, and, to be straight, most nations don't like it when we start acting Imperialistic, ignore such things as national sovereignty, and just jump in and tell other nations what to do.

So, we send in airstrikes and enforce a no fly zone so that Gaddafi can't just wipe out and terrorize the rebels and their supporters. And we let them fight it out. Supposedly. My personal opinion is that we won't just completely sit back and watch. We will try to fly under the radar as much as we can in an attempt to help the rebels, but we will help them (though I doubt that we will send any troops over there unless the situation changes). A new democratic regime is always going to be something that we will try to support and push for. I would guess that we will push the rebels a bit to gain cohesiveness - both as a fighting group, and as a political movement. We will help them win - but only as much as we absolutely must, and will try to get them to form some sort of governing body that can take over once the regime change has been completed (should it be successful). Of course, we really don't have an exact exit strategy yet - but that's my prediction.

The worst thing that could, in the end, occur? In my opinion, is chaos. Put a nation in chaos for long enough and eventually they will turn to whoever can add some order - and quite often that can be a group worse than the one just removed. In Lybia as in Yemen (Where a large group of Al Qaida (Al Qaia on the Arabian Peninsula - AQAP) exist), if they fight too long and are left in chaos then eventually someone will step in to save the day - and there are plenty of unsavory characters who would like to do just that.

3) The Status Quo

So, with the enforcement of the no fly zone in Lybia, came a rather interesting shift in the status quo and international relations. This is what I find the most interesting to be honest... We stepped out and let someone else take over. Seems simple enough, right? I seriously doubt it. Stepping out allowed for some seriously needed retake of soft power - or at least that seems to be the thought. Will it work? Perhaps. But I don't think it will just give us more soft power. I think there is going to be a bit of a give and a take. There are plenty of nations out there who have been itching to get out from under the thumb of the United States. Even some of the nations that have played along nicely would like to get the U.S. to back off. By backing off so easily, I am afraid that some of those nations will now get the idea that they can push the U.S. around. Some will be glad to step in and show that they can do the job without help from the U.S. I don't see anything wrong with that for the moment. But what about the nations that see this as a bit of a political retreat and think that they now have room to maneuver and start making demands of us? Some would say that this is a good thing. Some would say that the gain in soft power is worth it. I'm not sure about either. What I am sure about is that the status quo has changed. Some places will see a gain in U.S. soft power because of it, some nations may even become better allies because of it, but some nations will see this as a part of a turning point and will start fighting for the power that the U.S. left when it stepped aside - and those nations may make themselves a nuisance in the future. ...of course, I'm no political forecaster so feel free to ignore me...

On a Different Note

I didn't want to blog to terribly much about the Quran burning and the protests and deaths which resulted, but I have to say, who in their right mind thought that this was a good idea? Let's attack an entire religion why don't we (while some may argue that it wasn't a religious attack, I don't see how they have a foot to stand on, what else was it if not a religious attack?). The thing I think is most interesting is what the Quran was "found guilty" of: "Crimes against humanity"; "the death, rape and torture of people worldwide whose only crime is not being of the Islamic faith"; and the promulgation of terrorism.

Now, I'm no expert, but I do read my bible every day, and I think that few biblical scholars could argue with me when I say that the bible would probably be found guilty of the same basic things. Look at the history of Christianity and tell me that it isn't filled with such acts. That is not how Christ taught to act... but then again, He did teach things like: Brotherly love; turning the other cheek; praying for those who hated you; etc. And, while I do not recall any time that Christ taught that we should burn the things that our neighbor feels are sacred, I do recall him teaching such things as loving your neighbor and reaching out to him. I have a feeling that if this group had reached out in some way to, say, a nearby Muslim group, it would have done far more to promote Christlike values. Instead, we have protests to worry about and burials to attend.

My suggestion? Let's not do stupid things like this anymore... We can do better.

Sean

Twilight

So... Twilight. My lecture on twilight has been repeated so many times that to try to type it out for this blog would be simply beating an old dead horse. But, having found the video that I'll share in a moment, I will give the summed up version of my feelings about the series...

It is the first book I can recall ever throwing. It is high school drama. I didn't like high school drama when I was in high school, so why on earth would I want to make it a part of my leisure time now? Bella is a typical teenage girl, and so is Edward. The funny thing is that so many girls I know think they are in love with Edward. The truth, however, is that - when you look at how Edward acts - we all know guys who act very similarly (minus the vampire teeth and sucking deer blood) and girls don't like them. The whole "I don't have a life of my own so I'll follow you everywhere and stare at you without an intelligent thought in my head and sneak into your bedroom to watch you sleep and cause drama in your life... etc" attitude just doesn't make for a great boyfriend. You can try to phrase it all nice and pretty, and the girls might think it sounds nice, but in practice it amounts to the same thing. Yes, being sensitive might make you a better boyfriend. But when a girl says she wants a sensitive boyfriend, she means that she wants a guy who is still a guy but sensitive to her as well (I shall save the rest of that particular rant for another day).

I could lecture on Twilight for a while, but the truth is that what really really irks me about the series, the thing that makes me the maddest, is that when you take out all the gunk - the chapters upon chapters of self pity and young love - there is actually a somewhat interesting plot. The story in itself I like - it isn't groundbreaking by any means, but I would enjoy it. I would enjoy it - if all the gunk was left out. "Inside of every novel is a wonderful short story just dying to get out" someone once told me, and it is - in my personal opinion - very true about the Twilight series.

So without further ado, another video for you to enjoy...



Sean

Elephant Intelligence and Japan

It's late. I'm sitting in bed trying to write a talk for church tomorrow (conceptually it's already mostly finished, finding the facts and quotes, etc, it's only just begun), and trying to get my lesson for elders quorum done (chapter 30 - charity), while my neighbors make so much noise that I'm surprised that no one has called the police yet. I came across (I always want to write "acrossed" but that isn't even a word) this video earlier. A recent elephant IQ test, and thought I would put it up here.

Video: Elephant IQ Test

I am a bit of an animal lover (which some people think is interesting since I have no pets, don't plan on getting any anytime soon, and rarely even play with my friends pets - but it is true, I really do have a part of me that loves stuff like this).

I am also going to post this link up for individuals who wish they could do something concerning the disaster in Japan. It is the link for the Japanese Red Cross. Whether you want to donate money, or just see what some of the relief efforts are which are taking place, this would be one place to start (there are others of course).

Japanese Red Cross English Site

I know too many people who seem apathetic to anything which happens outside of the US. Part of what makes this country great is our ability to effect what goes on outside of our borders - not just inside them. While I don't intend to start a rant, a part of me really wishes that more of my fellow countrymen paid closer attention to world affairs. I can't really complain about that, however, when many people I know don't even pay attention to national affairs... (I have classmates that don't know what the different branches of the government are, and confuse the Declaration of Independence with the Constitution, and who strongly claim certain party affiliations - but don't know anything about that party's platform). So - without ranting on how we should be aware of (and participate in) what is happening - both in this country and outside of it - maintaining an awareness of major disasters is at least a good start. The loss of human life should be considered with enough respect that a few minutes of keeping up to date on what is happening isn't that big of a put-out. So, without further ado, here is a link to the NY Times where you can find out at least the basics of what is happening over there (and if you happen to read about affairs in Libya, or go find a Japanese blog with information about their problems, then good for you).

The New York Times (Notice that I didn't put any links to specific articles - I'm making you do half the work yourself. Don't worry, it shouldn't be too hard).

Sean