Pure Adrenaline

That's what I'll be running on this weekend. I have finals looming, papers due, missed homework, and I'm performing in "Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" all weekend. Pardon my not blogging much, but I gotta keep reminding myself to breathe, drink, and shave, let alone blog. I'll be back with a vengeance in a week or two!

New Look

Well, it's up to you all to judge whether this look is better than the old one. At least it's original, not 100% template. And at least I had a good, long, seat-of-the-pants lesson in HTML coloring... it's confusing when you don't have any explanation; but I think I understand it all now, except for why colors generally go in pairs (you never see DCFFGA, only DDFFAA or something) and what difference it makes when they don't (14FF14 v. 13FF13).... not all that important, but I'm building a little knowledge... and yes I am a full-time webmaster, believe it or not!

Blogging Badly

Apologies to all my loyal readers, Blogger was malfunctioning this morning. I hope this is the end of it...

Somalia?

You all still remember Somalia? Where Bill Clinton cut his nation-building teeth? Where 18 or so U.S. soldiers were cut down patrolling the streets of Mogadishu? Where a white, female, American missionary I know stayed even after the soldiers and relief agencies pulled out? Well, it hasn't gotten much better. And now the Somalian clans are accused of supporting Bin Laden. A friend of mine who has family in Somalia said yesterday that she heard from her family there that its been somehow announced that the U.S. is going to start bombing. They haven't been able to send $$$$ to their family, since U.S. authorities fear it will go to al-Qaeda. And my friend's family here in the U.S. is probably under surveillance for sending $4,000 before the cash embargo was in place.
I wouldn't be shocked if we did bomb Somalia; in a paper I wrote for school a month ago I listed Somalia second only to Iraq in countries we are likely to use force in as part of the War on Terrorism. And I'll be very proud of myself if I was right!
For all of your information and general education, Somalia is a mid-size region in East Africa, bordering Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Kenya and a short way over sea from Yemen. I call it a region and not a country because for the last decade or so it has not been a country. Clans and warlords control regions as small states, with armies and leaders. The north of the country, colonial Italian Somaliland (as opposed to the southern half, which was British) is under the rule of a fairly respectable regime. I don't know if it's democratic or what, but stopping the tribal wars and preventing a Taliban-style takeover is priority #1 at this stage in the game.

The CIA says:

A SIAD BARRE regime was ousted in January 1991; turmoil, factional fighting, and anarchy followed for nine years. In May of 1991, northern clans declared an independent Republic of Somaliland which now includes the administrative regions of Awdal, Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sanaag, and Sool. Although not recognized by any government, this entity has maintained a stable existence, aided by the overwhelming dominance of the ruling clan and economic infrastructure left behind by British, Russian, and American military assistance programs. The regions of Bari and Nugaal comprise a neighboring self-declared Republic of Puntland, which has also made strides towards reconstructing legitimate, representative government. Beginning in 1993, a two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in the south) was able to alleviate famine conditions, but when the UN withdrew in 1995, having suffered significant casualties, order still had not been restored. A Transitional National Government (TNG) was created in October 2000 in Arta, Djibouti which was attended by a broad representation of Somali clans. The TNG has a three-year mandate to create a permanent national Somali government. The TNG does not recognize Somaliland or Puntland as independent republics but so far has been unable to reunite them with the unstable regions in the south; numerous warlords and factions are still fighting for control of Mogadishu and the other southern regions.

If we do start bombing Somalia, like my friend said, we'd better do it right. I don't know the situation well enough to make a recommendation, but we could get into a lot of hot water if whatever we do worsens the famine or regimes there.

OPEN QUESTION: Is this hatred?

I have to say I feel no remorse whatsoever for the Taliban and al-Qaedites who have been killed en masse in prison revolts and general massacres recently. No remorse. They left their homes in Pakistan, Chechnya, Saudi Arabia, or wherever specifically to fight and possibly die as martyrs in the great Jihad. Now they're dead, and having quite a rude awakening when they find out there really aren't 70 virgins waiting on the other side. So what I'm asking is whether or not my callousness towards the enemy is hatred? I'm not too worried; I've never met a Taliban, doubt that I will, and don't feel strongly about them either way. But patriotism can have a dark side, and I don't know if I'm part of that or not.

So leave me a comment with your humble opinions...Thanks! - Salim

Changing horses in midstream

I learned the hard way that it's basically impossible to put images on a blogspot page. If I had my own page with blogger script used I could, but since I don't I can't. No big deal... But I don't think I'll be moving away from this site, that would be too much changing horses in midstream. I have one web site that I'm supposed to keep up to date; I don't need another. Speaking of which, I need to get Chinedu on those photographs for the site... Or maybe I should just do it myself. I'd like them before Christmas so I can do some work with them during vacation.

But anyway, the change of horses in midstream that I have done is toggling to stricter HTML in writing these posts. It makes it neater, but removes some
's from previous posts. Oh well, I could go back and fix them but it's not worth it...

Satisfied. Maybe I shouldn't rest on my laurels, but I admit I'm satisfied. I finished (volume-wise) the third draft of my Middler Year Report. It's just a second-rate 6,000 word paper that they hype up a lot. I'll post some of it here when it's more polished... And I'm halfway through a series of four 4-page papers on this one book (all on a different aspect of Russian politics and foreign policy as discussed by Dmitri Simes in Search for Significance, or something like that). It's a sad day when you're happy that you spent a lot of time doing homework on your vacation. Oh, for extracurriculur fun I'm reading Hamlet. It's good... better than your average Shakespeare, even.

Turkey Day If I hear somebody wish me a Happy Turkey Day again I think I'm going to flip!! I thought it was kind of amusing last year and previously, but it's so prevalent that it's beginning to do to "Thanksgiving" what "Happy Holidays" did to "Merry Christmas" a few years ago. And giving thanks isn't even religiously specific. Only NOT giving thanks is religiously specific; to atheism (which is as much a belief system as Judaism or Mormonism, just less centralized). So it's not offending anyone to take a moment to be grateful. Even humanists can be grateful: to firefighters and passengers on the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania for sacrificing themselves for the nation's good, and for the many positive things in life like paychecks, sunny days, and tuna fish sandwiches. Thus, political correctness is not the driving force behind ignoring gratefullness; the driving force is basically giddy selfishness. It's not said in a mean spirit, but a spirit focused on ME, ME, ME, and all that I'm going to eat. Perhaps Thanksgiving would be a more effective holiday if we had a tradition of fasting the day before. Try it - you don't know what you have until you miss it. Materialism forgets the source and focuses on gratifying the self. So not only does leaving the "Thanks" off hurt the spirit of the holiday, replacing it with a reference to turkey substitutes the exact opposite spirit. Now, take that with a grain of salt. I enjoy jokes and lightheartedness at religious occassions. It's just when the joke becomes the norm and materialism takes over all of our culture... it has Christmas, Halloween, and is making a serious bid for Easter. Sorry to dampen your holiday spirit, but there really were reasons behind these... "holy days"... way back when.

Siege of Kunduz: Solution OK, I probably am about 3 days later in coming up with this than the US government or Nothern Alliance, but at least I can say that they've been implementing my idea all along. As many of you know, the city of Kunduz is being held by Taliban forces, mainly ethnic Pashtuns, but with a strong foreign contingent of Pakistanis, Chechens, Arabs, and others who have come to Afghanistan to learn terror and bring militant Islam to their own countries or against the West and secular Muslim governments. The city is under a good old-fashioned siege by Northern Alliance troops. The besiegers have a reputation for slaughtering such foreigners, who are unpopular in Afghanistan and I suspect have long been a proxy target of criticism by Afghans afraid to criticize the Taliban (much as the USA is a proxy target of criticism in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other secular or Wahhabi Arab governments). Naturally, the foreign militants don't want to surrender; they aren't as eager to go to paradise as one might have suspected. The Pashtun Taliban in the city, however, are very willing to surrender, and some have been killed by the foreigners for trying to surrender. Options: The foreign militants have a few options: a) Surrender to someone who they trust to treat them as POW's under the Geneva Convention (the USA, Pakistan); b) Stay holed up in Kunduz as they have. The Pashtuns have a few options: a) Follow the foreigners' lead; b) Revolt from the foreigners, resulting in a gun battle between the groups. The Northern Alliance has a few options; a) Invade the city, resulting in a major gun battle; b) Sit tight outside and let the foreigners and Pashtuns kill each other if it comes to that; c) Sit tight outside and intervene on the side of the Pashtuns if it comes to that. The USA has a few options; a) Extract promises from the Alliance such that the foreigners surrender; b) Sit tight; c) Bomb Kunduz back to an earlier stage in the stone age than where it is now. From a USA point of view, bombing will make us enemies. So then we could do (a) and hope the foreigners make it to jail or meet their maker. But I'd opt for (b). That puts the ball in the Taliban Pashtuns' court. Then we prompt the Alliance to help the Taliban Pashtuns against the foreigners. That way we end up bringing Afghans together under the anti-Bin Laden banner. The foreigners end up dead or POW's, and Kunduz's population likes the Alliance for freeing them. We can't fight the 40,000 troops of the Taliban; we have to rehabilitate them, and this is a prime opportunity.

Dear Ambassador Aldouri, (I wrote the following email yesterday to the Iraqi embassy to the United Nations. I have yet to get a reply, but if I do I will certainly post it here) My name is Salim Furth, and I am an Arab-American student at Northeastern University. For an important paper, I am required to research an issue in my area of study (International Affairs and Economics), analyze it, and recommend changes or solutions. My chosen area is a case study of the sanctions regime against Iraq, leading to recommendations that sanctions not be used as a foreign policy tool in the future, especially in the current conflict. I have attached the conclusion of my draft report for your perusal if you desire (feel free to disregard it; I understand the risks of opening attachments from strangers). I'm bringing this to your attention because for two reasons. First, I have found a lack of information on a few points. Second, all of my material is from a Western point of view, and an alternative viewpoint can only strengthen my conclusions. Could you, or a member of your staff, answer me the following questions that have arisen in my research? I'd appreciate it greatly! 1) When will the sanctions expire? Is there a set time limit, or is it indefinitely until Iraq complies with impossible requirements set by the UN Security Council? 2) Which other instance of sanctions is the most similar to Iraq's in context and content? 3) What does the Iraqi administration think about U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz? What is the best source for scholarly research of the rumor that Wolfowitz advocated using the World Trade Center attacks as an excuse to invade Iraq ? 4) What is the likelihood that the United States will indeed invade Iraq? 5) Would Iraq welcome Osama Bin Laden if he sought asylum in Iraq? Thank you very much for your time and your kind consideration. May Allah bless you with the knowledge of Himself; to know Allah is indeed the best of the best. Salaam aleikum, Salim Furth

But I Didn't Do It I was on the #22 bus on the way to school this morning and the bus hit a lady. The driver had been arguing animatedly with a passenger in Creole over the fare (ie, she hadn't paid). We were at the bus stop for like a minute or two listening to them rant and rave. Finally the driver turned away and revved the bus, but the passenger rattled on loudly. Not 50 feet from the bus stop, we all heard a loud noise, the bus stopped, and someone yelled out that we'd hit a woman. The driver opened the doors, and a few of us immediately ran out to help the woman, followed by the other passengers. The Creole passenger immediately skedaddled. Within seconds a nearby cop or EMT - I couldn't tell - pulled over and called in help as he assessed the injuries while a young black woman and I kept the victim still and calmed her as best we could. In the state she was in, the victim spoke only Spanish, so I communicated things like "lie down" and "stay still" through a bilingual young man who had been on the bus. The victim was maybe 50 years old, of compact build, and in serious pain. Her legs were all messed up; large lacerations with a good 20 square inches of flesh exposed on her right calf, mostly. Her right leg was obviously crushed and broken in a few places, with a broken bone creating a large lump on her knee. Her ankles and feet may have been broken too; she kept saying "mi pied" and trying to reach her feet with her right hand, which we prevented. Two minutes later there were a dozen public servants taking over and doing their thing with silent efficiency. I was very flattered that one EMT actually thanked me for helping; usually you just feel in the way. But almost anyone who was there could have told you all that. Though the sight of open flesh and disfigured legs has made my stomach a bit tight all day, it wasn't like that was me (though, incidentally, I recognized one of the EMT's from a month ago when I was picked up off the street and taken to the hospital). What I uniquely experienced was a lot less serious, but perhaps more instructive. When they started arguing, I gathered from what the bus driver said that the transfer ticket (Boston buses have free transfer; you take a little slip with the info of the bus you paid on, including time and route #) was expired; probably it was a few days old. I later heard from a regular passenger on the route that the woman does that every day. Anyhow, after the driver and passenger went at it hammer and tongs in Creole, I was prompted to dig out 75 cents and go pay the lady's fare to get the show on the road. But I didn't do it. I just sat there, feeling more comfortable. I was the only white on the bus, I couldn't understand their argument, and it was clear that the passenger was the aggressor as opposed to the driver. I did have 75 cents, though only in nickels and dimes; had no bills at all. I knew I could get return fare from my Dad at school, so that wasn't an issue. But I didn't do it. And even at the time my conscience was telling me I was being disobedient. And then we pulled away from the bus stop, and I thought, "well, all's well that ends well." Which wasn't quite the case when 30 seconds later I was holding the hand of a woman who may never walk again. Yeah, I know it's not my fault: maybe the angered bus driver would have hit her anyway. And she shouldn't have been jaywalking across Seaver St, which is a 4-lane urban arterial in a dangerous traffic situation (short sight lines, etc). And it's not like the lady needed bailing out; she was a low-down snake-in-the-grass, running off as soon as there was trouble after blowing up at the bus driver, who was fairly calm, and calling him the worst Creole swears, according to a translator. So yeah, it's not like I ran the woman down. And if you apply chaos theory, you could say that possibly the slight timing change if I'd gone up and offered my 75 cents might have caused the woman to be killed instead of maimed. So how do I evaluate the consequences of my sin of omission? I apply the beatitude, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God," and the fact that Jesus is known as the "Prince of Peace". Had I defused the situation, the result would have been more peace and less chaos. What followed was not a direct consequence of my action. However, it is a perfect example of the %#*^*! that happens in a fallen, chaotic world. By bringing peace to that situation, I might have been able to restore conditions conducive to human life. But I didn't do it.

Look what the cat dragged in... This is taken a bit out of context from its original writing, but is a response to the thesis behind the oddest site I've ever seen: http://www.atheists-for-jesus.com. I'm guessing this Ken guy wasn't convinced by the "Lord, Liar, or Lunatic" book... To get to the point, I've actually been studying Jesus' words in light of the Pauline doctrines, and writing an inductive analysis of Jesus' words in Matthew. My fundamental interpretation would be that Jesus was giving commands for Kingdom LIFE. Paul, as a missionary, was giving instructions for Kingdom ENTRY. Living within the Kingdom of God (which is Matthew's theme) is a process of refining behavior as well as belief. Paul focuses on doctrine (belief), especially since he was dealing with a lot of Gnostics and other cults, and was writing to shore up things which were more confusing to the new believers. Issues which were less pressing didn't make the short, to-the-point letters. Speaking of short and to-the-point, I'll end right about now. P.S. On a side note; Paul never became the leader of the church. Peter and Jesus' brother James were the recognized leader of the central Jerusalem church. Paul did confront Peter on the issue of Gentile salvation and discrimination, but never became the main doctrine-arbiter of Christendom until well after his death. That simply occurred because he was the only apostle to leave extensive records.

Church Ain't Out 'Till the Fat Lady Sobs You had to read that title twice, didn't you? Truth be told, that's why I put it up there, not because it's the best description of the subject matter. But it does relate; I was talking with a lively Asian-American today, and our conversation turned to the subject of emotion, and crying in particular, in church. The churches in question would be evangelical, denominational or non, and I guess para-church meetings as well. The fundamental question would be: Is it OK to cry in church? And the fundamental answer would be: YES. So did that merit a post? No. But like most matters of practice in Christianity the key is balance, and where that balance is. She said "i think crying is fine....just too much it is out of control", which obviously begs the question, How much is too much? I'd say it's pretty subjective. I was once on a missions trip where at our "Liefdemaal" (= agape feast), there was a lot of emotion in a very close setting. Two of my good friends that night began the process of forgiving their father, who had deserted their family after abusing their sister ten years before. They were 16 and 19 at the time; cool, strong Dutch guys, but they sobbed like babies, and it was beautiful that they were able to work through all that pain in a supportive environment where tough guys can cry. On the other hand, there is a danger of mistaking emotion for spirituality, and seeking emotional experiences instead of God. The divine maxim, "Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and [answers to your needs] will be granted to you." That applies to emotional needs, and the Lord is faithful to love His children by supplying emotional balance. For example, this past week I received a rather flattering (to tell the truth) email from a friend who God had used me to bless over the past year. Later the same day, I had to be confronted by another friend for some very insensitive remarks I had made. That's God's timing; to bless me and change me without either letting me get proud or feel defeated. Maybe it's not a great example, but it is very recent and personal, so I'll keep it. To try and coherentize (that's not a word) all this blather, I'll recap, at risk of being repetitive. A church or group needs to allow for emotion, since venting pent-up emotions is best done in that Christian setting and occassional tears are perfectly healthy individually and corporately. The important caveat is to not let emotion take the place of God. I, others, and perhaps entire churches are guilty of coming to church looking for an emotional high instead of for the Creator of the Universe. Only God can really fill that void that we feel like strong feelings, among other things, might. I was recently reminded of that by God, and by His grace I'm correcting that error in my worldview and trying not to judge the value of meetings or quiet times on emotional criteria. Behold, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord Lift up your hands in the temple, bless the Lord! Working 24-7 in the house of the Lord! Hey, kinda strange? That's what we're made for! He deserves all you are Bless the Lord from your heart Bless, bless, bless, bless His name Behold, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord Lift up your hands in the temple, bless the Lord! May the Lord bless you from Zion Maker of the earth and the skie May the Lord bless you from Zion Won't stop singing till the day that we die! Psalm 134 (Hip-hop/pop version)

It's the Hypocrisy, Stupid

The latest act of community service fulfilled by "we're-so-liberal-we-make-Harvard-look-like-Pat-Buchanan" Northeastern University is to card everyone who wants to enter the Snell Library. The problem? Black kids! High-schoolers from the neighborhood, who doubtless cannot afford high-speed internet connections even if they can afford acomputer, stop in on their way home from school to check their email, surf, and occassionally do research. The "NU News" cited a spokeswoman for the university saying that on average "6 to 8 high school students" were in the library at a time, and the library just didn't have the resources to provide for so many non-students. FYI, there are a few hundred computers in the library, always in very high demand. Of course, NU's legally obliged to keep the joint open, since it's a repository of Federal records (this is where Big Government defeats Big Government). So there's a sign-in system for non-cardholders, and sign-inners can be monitored by university staff, and booted if they overstay their welcome. Never mind the profiling part - how did they know there were 6 to 8 non-students in the library on average? The fact that they're black and they look young. But I won't make a stink out of that; I don't have much of a problem with common-sense profiling for impersonal data as in this case. But I do want to take this opportunity to call NU's corrupt executive branch, who has been cutting the core educational budgets while revenues are rising, on to the carpet for it's jingoistic support of political correctness, and simultaneous elitist treatment of the local poor. Granted political correctness is an extremely elitist ideology, but the liberals here do pay lip service - and tuition $$$$$ - towards all kinds of feel-good programs and projects. I personally don't have a problem with keeping a library only for those who pay dearly for it, since most students at NU pay $30,000 a year for their education. However, the hypocrisy stinks to high heaven! Either become a capitalist, and fit your words to the bottom-line pragmatism we all know you follow; or let cashflow play second fiddle to the politically correct rhetoric that every Northeastern student is spoon-fed daily.

Dancing In The Streets Yet?

And if you're not, why aren't you? I wish I were. OK, granted the whole plane crash took some of the victory spirit out of the collapse of the Taliban, but still we should be HAPPY! When our enemies and anyone else in the world win a major military victory, they hit the streets, bust out the confetti and the alcohol and have a gay old time. I can't believe we're letting ourselves endure the stresses of war without enjoying the pleasures of victory partying. So we all failed this time, but the minute you hear that Bin Laden's been captured I want you all to hit the streets. If we get that critical mass we can get the whole town partying. So go out, buy some firecrackers and a keg, and get ready to party! Next time we get a chance to dance in the streets we won't blow it!

A Plane Crashes in Rockaway

This morning the media reported a tragedy very similar to another one that happened not long ago. You guessed it: the Concorde crash in Paris. Most of you immediately thought of September 11, I'm sure. And that's a good thing. I don't know what I'd think if the immediate response was not to compare this to 9/11 and start looking for Uncle Osama's fingerprints. My heart has started to thaw towards New Yorkers just a little. I kinda feel a little bit of survivors guilt as a Bostonian that our abysmal airport security led to thousands of deaths in another town... And this latest hit must make New Yorkers feel like they have a target painted on their backs. It's just a little too much for one town. It should have happened - if it had to happen - in Houston, Tampa, or Minneapolis or somewhere. Or Boston. I don't know if I hope this was the result of terrorism, poor maintenance, or a freak accident. If it's terrorism we have a clear enemy, but we're more scared than we were. And our security is essentially not working. If it's poor maintenance the upside is that maintenance will be upgraded at least on one airline, but the downside is that we have unsafe airways. If it's a freak accident, then we might as well all start wearing grounded lightning rods. Here's an exercise: Write down a list of all the plane crashes you remember. Our minds are so conditioned to think "AIRPLANE - TERRORISM" that we lose sight of 'normal' dangers. I didn't think of the Valujet crash till just now. Concorde in Paris came easier. Egyptair wasn't long ago, though that may have had terror connections. There are more, but they're hard to remember. Drop me some comments on plane crashes you remember. And on my new comment system - comment frequently, since it's the only way I know people are reading this.

Bin Laden Takes Credit For September 11

He couldn't resist, could he? He's like Peter Pan, "I just gotta crow!" I'm sure he made the statement because he felt he had nothing to lose, and perhaps wanted to get it out there before he died, to cement his place in the history of discarded lies (in the words of our President's best speechwriter). I don't think he had anything to worry about, but the Bush administration can breathe a little easier now. The 10% chance or whatever it was that bin Laden was not directly responsible was a thorn in the side of US Foreign Policy, and a tool in the hands of Bush's critics. True, Iraq and others are probably complicitous, but it's not like we're hunting the wrong man. And the CIA must feel rather vindicated too...

If it hadn't been eclipsed by a certain tragic event in Queens this morning bin Laden's admission would have been the talk of the nation. In my opinion it would have (and will even now to some extent) shored up popular support for what is now truly a war of punishment on an unrepentant enemy of mankind and those who support his means.

North Pole Entertainment Division I'm officially a member of Santa's entertainment force! I spent yesterday handing out candy canes to kids and raffle tickets to adults. The Christmas Tree Shops where my friend Matt works hired me as a 1-day "buddy" to be an elf with him. You make think I'm big to be an elf, but Matt's 6'3", and Santa was 6'5" or so. It was a blast!

No News is No News I know that title runs counter to both the catchy phrase and the hysterical whinings of the world's pessimists, but I really have to say I think no news is no news. I'm refering to the War on Terrorism, where (besides the reported capture of Mazer e-Sherif by the Northern Alliance) we really haven't heard much about goal-attainment on the major fronts: Taliban control, bin Laden's whereabouts, etc. The pessimists of the world think the lack of major updates means we're losing the war and Kabul has already been renamed Ho Chi Minh City. The government is keeping it's cards close to its chest and offering trite reminders to go about our lives like normal (since we're just as likely to be killed opening mail at home as being gassed at the mall) and spend lots of money. But I'm not going to commit to either the "V for Victory" or the "V for Vietnam" camp just yet: it ain't over till the fat lady sings, and she hasn't even woken up yet! Come mistah Taliban And turn ovah bin Laden Payload come, An' me wann' go home!

Tongue in Cheek: My Scar From the War on Terrorism Yes. I do. I have a scar from the War on Terrorism. True I'm not in the army, but neither was Mohammed Atta or any of the other Evil Ones. If you want to get all technical on me, well it's actually not even a war, by the proper definition (a war is a war when Congress says so, and not a day sooner. And since there's no enemy state we can't declare war on them). So anyway, as I was doing my Sacred Patriotic Duty to Buy Things and Go On With Life As Usual, I was injured by a dangerous terrorist (he must be a dangerous terrorist - he was a foreigner and just look what he did to me, an American Warrior on Terror! An attack on one is an attack on all...). So anyway, I survived the terrorist attack on my bicycle and I. It seems they must be trying to force us into cars where we'll be dependent on Middle Eastern oil - if we're scared to fly and scared to bike, what else are we going to do but drive??? As I said, I survived the attack, but I bear a scar now from the War on Terrorism!! I will proudly bear my knee to any who want to see what incredibly evil terrorists and subtly nationalistic propoganda can do to you.

Lost Innocence I touched on this point below, but I'd like to expand it a little... I knew riding past Victory Rd on Adams St was going to stir me, and I knew I wouldn't be able to go by at the speeds I'm accustomed to. Anyway, I was going along at 15 or 16 mph, hoping that I would be spared the irony of another accident in the same place. All the ride I felt unjustifiably that my brakes weren't stopping me. It's weird. So anyway, a car's heading towards me in the opposite direction. And down Victory Road, where a car pulled out of last week without looking, comes this electric company truck, barreling right along. Anyway, again in the narrow confines of the street, I knew that if he blew that stop sign I was as good as dead. My heart did some award-winning gymnastics. He stopped. It would have been not even noted 15 days ago, but now, like America after September 11, I've lost my innocense. I don't have the same bravado, or cavalier attitude. It's like riding through a hospital now; you can't have that trash-talking, in-your-face athlete attitude when somebody's yelling "Get this man a pizza, STAT!", or whatever they yell in hospitals... Ok so I'm melodramatic. Shove it.

Daily Bread For a guy who eats a loaf of pita every day as the staple of his lunch, I've always found it odd that I relate so badly to the line in the Lord's prayer where you say "Give us this day our daily bread." Here's the thing: growing up and living in a society where nobody starves (and no it's not my fault all the knee-jerk Brookline liberals reading this just had heart attacks; go somewhere else and meet the real world), whether kind, cruel, Christian or atheist, it's hard for me to relate to the simple dependency of the supplicant who recognizes that he PHYSICALLY needs God. Sure, the passage has been dumbed down and reinterpreted by some, especially in literature for youth, as referring to spiritual needs. But I'm of the opinion that Jesus generally meant what he said, and doesn't need our help explaining it. Not to say we aren't completely dependent on him for spiritual everything, but if you're praying already you're halfway there (incidentally, that's something I've not been up to par with this week). Even in my own strength, I pretty much have it made by the world's standards. Sure without God I'd live an empty life, but I'd be wealthy in all likelihood, well-educated, etc. So where am I going with this? You guessed it! All the answers you need in life you'll find on your knees. This one, like most recently, is straight from the lower part of my left knee... For two weeks exactly I had to take the T to school and the injury controlled my life. Back on my bike for the first time today, having lost my cycling innocence, I can see how the same injury - or much worse - could happen every day of the week. So though it seems (at least) to me that my food and money supplies aren't in danger, my life as I live it is fragile. I can't control Boston's 2-million strong Bike & Ped Assassination Unit (believe me, I would if I could) or a million other things that affect my physical ability to function in the role I play in society. So now I can pray the Lord's prayer - which is a beautifully simple thing - with a much greater understanding of exactly what dependency is, and one way at least in which I am completely dependent on the will of God.

More responses to the open question... David: What!! Are you crazy???? SALIM!! Julie: No that is not right at all, too young. Hydie: i think that it would constitute as statutory rape.. at least in vt it would.. but i dunno the maturity levels seem as if they would be too far apart.. i think that even if you like her now after taking her out she may seem very immature.. i dunno.. morally it would seem incorrect *to me* but i think it's totally up to you

Baseball Contractions The Players' Association is about to take a shotgun to both its own feet. They need to recognize that they don't own the teams and they can't force people to show up and pay to watch baseball. In what other industry do employees think they have a right to work and be payed even if the company is losing money? Eventually it comes down to cold, hard cash, and the Baseball Nation recognizes this and the Players' Association is going to hurt its own image immensely. I personally would LOVE to see the talent on the Expos and Twins spread around to other teams. Somebody will get Vlad Guerrero, someone else will pick up Christian Guzman, and Minnesota's starting pitchers will send 3 losers back to Triple-A where they belong. Oh - and for the record, Jim Litke's article is the best idea since sliced bread. I've actually espoused a very similar notion of my own origination for a long time, but Litke's is even better. I LOVE the idea that any city could push hard to gain a big league club by relegation, and owners who think they can rape their team for profits and never suffer for it will get it in the teeth.

I'm A Man Again!

After two weeks of languishing with 11 stitiches in my left knee (bike meets car accident) and feeling like half a man, I got in on a game of ultimate frisbee, and the exercise makes me feel 10 feet tall. I was slow, couldn't body-check or dive, but still I really ran and played and I'M BACK! It's hard to describe the feeling. It's liberation, light-heartedness, happiness, energy, and the feeling of being able to fly that usually only comes in romance. I'M BACK!!! The stitches come out tomorrow, and conceivably I could be on my bike next week on a daily basis. I can't wait... my bike, as I've said, is the closest thing I have to a wife.

Iraq and sanctions. By Raphael Moscarella

If Saddam Hussein were to round up a dozen people at random and execute them, and then announce that he would do the same every day until the sanctions were removed, would anyone claim that it is the sanctions which are killing those people? Presumably not. So the question becomes is the current situation analogous. It is close enough. Whether you believe that the sanctions are an effective strategy, they are certainly justified. Hussein has repeatedly demonstrated his aggressive intent and willingness to develop and use weapons of mass destruction and terror. We simply can not allow him to pursue his aims unfettered. Nor have we presented him with an ultimatum with which he can not comply. He could reduce or eliminate the sanctions by allowing unrestricted inspections. And the sanction themselves allow for plenty of funds for food and medicine if that is how he chose to spend them. Instead in builds palaces and reinforces his army. Then there is the question of how bad it really is. A recent op-ed piece, Has Iraq Hoodwinked Humanitarians? By Keith Marsden, in the WSJ has it that the dire nature of the situation is systematically exaggerated by Iraq with the complacency of the WHO, and various liberal groups. Editorial comment: Thank you Mr Moscarella I hope you don't mind my quoting you. Everyone else, check out http://standardtheory.blogpot.com for an intelligent Classical Liberalist perspective. I can't say I agree 100% with Mr Moscarella. I'd take his analogy a step further: What if you're talking about a "normal" hostage situation? Even though it would be the criminal's fault if anyone died, we try to avert their death by temporarily (at least) appeasing the hostage-taker. I personally think sanctions were a bad idea to start with; I prefer conventional military force (and incidentally that is the topic of my middler year writing requirement Report).

Pedro: "No Bickering!!"

From his Santo Domingo winter home, Pedro ripped the Red Sox Syndicated Soap Opera for the team's backbiting, bickering and disrespect all season long. He says ``I don't want gossip or last season's bickering. There will be some changes in Boston or there will be no Pedro Martinez,''. He won't leave, first of all because he's bound by contract, and second of all because even if all they do is send Carl Everett a Christmas card they'll say they've worked themselves to the bone fixing the problems. But I'm glad Pedro spoke out now: November is the best time of the year to say it, and coming from him (a hard working, passionate ballplayer, team leader among Hispanics, very good-natured, and the best pitcher in the majors) it carries weight with everyone. Hopefully the new owners will: FIRE Dan Duquette TRADE Carl Everett for anything they can get LEAVE Mo Vaughn to rot on the west coast (unless they can lose Everett that way) SIGN Roger Cedeno if he's not outrageously expensive KEEP The few prospects we have left ...in my humble opinion....

Another response... Chris: it depends what does she look like? Does she look old or young, cause if she looks younger than 15 then that is really bad. Ed: She looks her age Overall, it wouldn't look that bad to others, but you would have to be prepared to deal with some adversity.

One response... kfraitie: it's a little young, but when i was 15 i was quite close wiht a lot of older guys/gals so i wouldn't automatically think they're too young like in an immature way kfraitie: it depends on your intentions kfraitie: which i'm sure are pure... (better be at least) kfraitie: it's entirely up to you kfraitie: it can't be hypothetical if she really exists kfraitie: ok well yes i would say 15 is too much of a gap kfraitie: that's me though

Open Question

Anyone who wants can field this hypothetical question: What would you think if I asked a 15-year old girl out? She's attractive, looks and acts her age, etc. I'm not considering it, but I've asked a few people this question already and gotten some interesting responses. She's 4 years and 5 school years younger than me. So that's a considerable - but not for some people prohibitive - difference. For me it is, but I'd like to hear all you loyal readers on the subject. Salim

who da pimp, honkies?!?!

Never have I been called a pimp before... I'm highly amused... A classmate whom I didn't know recognized me from hanging out with mutual friends. He's a basketball buddy of Steve and David, and introduced himself one day in statistics. We're friendly and whatever, but not like getting lunch together. Anyway, I always sit with some friends in that class; Stefanie, Nathan, and Laura. And apparently my hanging out with les femmes, even though Nathan is much better friends with Laura at least than I, prompted this other guy in the class to report back to Steve & David that I'm "a real pimp." I got a major kick out of that...definitely a major kick.... Salim ---- the real playa'... and I always thought I was just another old-fashioned playa'-hater :)

War on Terrorism, and Terrorism's War on US

--- Keziah Furth in France wrote: > How about letting me > know a bit what's going on with our attacks on > Afghanistan and what's the business with a coal > sickness in Washington. (maladie de charbon) It's > very annoying to hear the words USA and NY and > Afghanistan, BL etc and not be able to really > understand what they're talking about. I don't know what maladie de charbon is, but there's been an incredible Anthrax scare for a month almost. It was mailed to some important people, none of whom contracted it. But 4 people have died so far, mostly connected with the mailrooms that handeled the envelopes with the white powdery spores inside. And thousands of faked Anthrax envelopes have been sent to bad bosses and ex-boyfriends, since talcum powder is a passable imitation of the 'thrax. It's mostly fear, but it's serious for high-profile people who could be targeted. There is no clue as to whodunnit. We've continued to bomb Afghanistan further back into the stone age (they weren't quite out of the stone age when the bombing started). US Special Forces have been used in intelligence-gathering and a few special operations. We're supporting, though still quite wary of, the ethnic minority Northern Alliance, who have escalated their war against the Taliban. We're looking for a good successor to the Taliban, but it's hard to please everyone, and impossible to guarantee that there won't be another 15-year civil war like there was during and after the Soviet invasion in 1980. Pakistan hates the Northern Alliance. Russia loves them (even though it's the exact same people who defeated the Soviet invasion). There's an 86-year-old former king of Afghanistan who might become a figurehead; he lives in Rome. And then there was an article on nytimes.com today about one tribal leader in the south (Taliban's strongest area) who is resisting the Taliban, and whose idea of a council of tribal chieftains might be adopted in the post-war nation building. Oh, interestingly enough for you, Kez, a poll came out today saying about 50% of French support and 50% are against the US Bombings in Afghanistan.

On a personal note...

I've learned a lot over the past ten days being slightly handicapped (11 stitches in my knee from a bike accident means I can't bend the bugger). I hope I never look at a handicapped person quite the same way again... but I do hope I walk the same way I used to again! I feel the need to play football and ride my bike again... for those of you who don't know me well, my bike is the closest thing I have to a wife. I've lost a lot of energy and gained a little weight from sitting around all the time. I can't run, I can't bike. Even when I walk the dog it's slow and uncomfortable. Never mind football or ultimate! So I'm spending another day on my posterior, feeling that I'm half the man I used to be. The good news is I get the stitches out on Wednesday at 3:00. The bad news is I have no idea how flexible my knee is going to be even after that. I've gotten used to this level of mediocrity in life. Little exercise, no adrenaline. Lethargy. I guess I should be able to take something from this as well in the way of lessons... I suppose my physical life now just reflects how my spiritual life often is. I never knew you could forget how to walk straight - but I already have to some extent. I guess that's what they mean when they say an 'iniquity' denotes a bent towards evil. I suppose the causes and symptoms are quite parallel: lack of activity and introvertion lead to stagnation and lethargy. Staying in the box, on my butt, not taking risks. Focusing on problems & not giving them over to God. I guess you could say the inability to bend your knees is even more of a spiritual problem than a physical one, but that would be a little trite... -Salim

Ariel Who? Israel's Truly Representative Undemocracy

Anyone who's been paying attention to the Israeli political system over the last year has had plenty to laugh and cry about. Ariel Sharon is the Prime Minister, but his name hasn't been used in the same sentance as the word "mandate" by anybody who's had fewer than five Maccabee beers. Sharon's footing is only slightly uphill on the slippery slope of Israeli polity than that of former prime minister and current foreign minister Shimon Peres, leader of the large Labor contingent in the Knesset. Earlier this week Sharon was making noise about not having Peres meet with Arafat until the violence subsides. Today, however, Peres and Arafat met. Sharon had to defend his archrival Peres from the right wing (yes, it goes further right than Sharon!). AP reports:
``Israel cannot allow itself to be absent from international events,'' Sharon replied, showing anger. ``We are not conducting political negotiations,'' he repeated several times to skeptical activists. Sharon said that Peres and Arafat could meet in a corridor and shake hands.
Peres was quoted in the same article as wanting to dismantle some settlements immediately...... presumably not Sharon's own settlement.
From a comparative politics point of view, Israel's Unity Government (an oxymoron of the highest quality) could either be seen as the very embodiment of - or an anathema to - true democracy. It is certainly representative: it represents the divisions, lack of concensus and direction, and fear in the Israeli public. Israelis have like Americans pulled together as a nation in the time of crisis, but unlike Americans lack clear direction; the Unity Government reflects all this. It reflects the good old Israeli ethos of "Let's all get together and argue!" Simultaneously, the government is undemocratic because its leaders do not have the support or confidence of the people. The new hybrid system of elections is completely illogical, so Sharon's election after Barak retired & then ran for his own seat the voters were unable to vote for their favorite, Netanyahu, and took Sharon mainly on the Anybody But Barak principle. And who voted for Peres? Where did he get the people's permission to seek peace? It's a crazy government in a crazy political system....

Arms Sales Ban Lifted

BRUSSELS, Oct. 31 (Reuters) — The European Union agreed today to lift a ban on supplying weapons to anti-Taliban rebels in Afghanistan. A spokeswoman said ambassadors from the 15-member nations agreed to modify their understanding of United Nations sanctions to exempt the rebels from the bloc's previous blanket ban on sending arms. A senior diplomat said the shift, adopted after Sweden, Finland and Ireland dropped reservations, would allow European Union states to help Northern Alliance states whose chief arms suppliers have been Iran and Russia.

REACTION:

This is a short news item with marginal relevance to the war: the European nations can't produce & deliver weapons to Central Asia at costs anywhere near as low as Russia's. It's a largely symbolic action that is a moral victory for the United States.
Perhaps the more interesting insights are to be found in the process of making the decision. It is 100% unclear who's really in charge in this case. The decision was precipitated by similar unilateral decisions from Ireland, Finland, and Sweden, but the ban being repealed was supposedly binding on all European Union members. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? As the EU undergoes the growing pains (or labor pains?) of becoming a federation, the relative sovereignty of the member states vis-a-vis the Brussels government will have to be clarified.
We won't be hearing any more about this decision; most of the Europeans agree that the Northern Alliance is not a threat to anybody but the Taliban at this point, and it's not going to be an important enough change to motivate debate. However, when arms sales to a Balkan or suchlike entity (say, an autonomous Kosovo) are outlawed or legalized the EU will have to grapple with some major sovereignty issues.
For a comparison in the United States (a centralized semi-federal system), the State of Massachusetts imposed a boycott of Burma last year for its brutal regime. The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that boycott illegal, since the U.S. Constitution yields foreign policy power to the Federal Government.
Hope you all enjoyed that analysis - I won't always be that esoteric; but it's not a very emotional issue.

Welcome to the inaugural post of Instant Replay. Read on if you're interested in a student's reaction and analysis of current events in international affairs and domestic politics. My name is Salim, and I'm a junior in International Affairs and Economics at a university in Boston. I've been thinking about hanging out this virtual shingle for some time, and decided to on the spur of the moment 15 minutes ago. (For anyone who's wondering, it is very simple and low-stress.) The catalyst was a girl with whom I spoke earlier today; she has a blog, and asked if I had one. That proved enough to kickstart me. Expect me to react to various world and US events: Anthrax scares, Georgian riots, EU weapons sales to the Afghan resistance were all in the news today. The focus of my study - and interest - is on the Middle East, particularly the Arab-Israeli conflict. My credentials include having lived in Jordan, Israel, Palestine, and Egypt, being both 1/4 Lebanese and 1/4 Jewish, and actively studying and researching the area for my degree. If you have any questions you'd like me to react to and give my 2 cents worth, I'd be happy to. Drop me a note at s2000chops@yahoo.com