Obama: What To Do Now?

I am still working through my thoughts after watching Rev. Wrights comments. There is a lot wrapped in his comments. Some of it is easily dismissable as ridiculous (US intentionally spread AIDS to kill off African Americans) while other parts, although not presented in a constructive manner, hold more water (African American culture is not deficient, its different).

Until I get some perspective on his comments though, here is an interesting take by Dick Morris on what Obama should do now - regardless of what was said or has happened in the past. While Dick Morris is not someone with whom I would align my moral compass, I do think he has a rare ability to see past partisan BS and analyze a situation with great clarity. I understand what Pres. Clinton saw in him. I would like to warn however that, although a great deal of this article seems right on, the whole part about justifying Hiroshima and Nagasaki should just be ignored for it is a bunch of kaka (is that a word?).

A US Monk's Footprint is Twice World Average

According to a report published today on Science Daily,

"...in the United States, even people with the lowest energy usage account for, on average, more than double the global per-capita carbon emission."

This is distressing to say the least. But when you find out the reasons why even homeless people and monks are subject to an emissions floor below which "their" emissions cannot go, it makes you realize just how important of a point Al Gore was making in his revamped presentation on global warming which I posted here earlier this month.

Here is an important moment in the article...

"While it may seem surprising that even people whose lifestyles don't appear extravagant--the homeless, monks, children--are responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions, one major factor is the array of government services that are available to everyone in the United States. These basic services--including police, roads, libraries, the court system and the military--were allocated equally to everyone in the country in this study."

This should remind us that changing the light bulbs is not enough. That we have to become engaged in the decisions that get made for us. For example, the more we can become a city of public transportation (light rail, etc.) the less our cities will need to build roads and the fewer cars will be on the road producing noxious gasses. So supporting bills that lead to more public transportation will reduce everyone's average footprint! Our individual deeds are valuable, but our corporate deeds will play an essential role in determining whether or not we can make any significant inroads into addressing this challenge.

Two Superdelegates... Update

This is just an update to let whoever reads this know that I received a personal email back from one of the two superdelegates! I could be wrong but my guess is that it is not a set form response as he addressed some specifics of my email. Its just nice to know that I was in direct communication with a superdelegate and that my voice was heard, acknowledged, and even appreciated!

National Mango Day!

Apparently, some day recently, although I can't say which, it was National Mango Day here in Mali. The BBC has a visually accurate portrayal of life in Mali as it pertains to the business of mangoes. Check it out here if you are interested.

(Dime dropped by returned Peace Corps volunteer Lindsay Bonanno)

Two Superdelegates Want Your Opinion

Here are two students who belong to College Democrats of America and have been (un)fortunate enough to be granted with, as they put it, "superpowers." They are indeed superdelegates. And they actually want your opinion as to who they should support.

No doubt this format of communication as well as their own demographic will most likely heavily favor them to eventually support Obama but if you want to have your voice heard by people who are less concerned about personal political considerations and more concerned about having the voice of the people heard, you can contact them and let them know what you think.

(Thievery reference - found on Huffington Post)

On Liberal Becoming a Bad Word

I have noticed over the last 5-7 years how much 'liberal' has become a bad word. An insult even. I have to admit that even I have shied away from it in the last couple of years when I describe my political views, opting instead for the as of yet relatively untainted title of "progressive."

There are definately aspects to this title that I think accurately describe my views. After all, I am most interested in seeing society in a state of constant re-evaluation and progress, always working toward what Barack Obama recently described as "a more perfect union."

However, in forsaking the term liberal I worry that we might forsake the values that are inherent within it. I have been listening to Sunday sermons from Seattle's University Unitarian Church lately. The head minister at UUC is a profoundly thoughtful man by the name of Reverend Jon Luopa. In an excellent sermon from last Sunday he brought to the attention of his listeners that the translation of the hebrew liberal means magnanimus. This caused me to reflect (something a public leader should do) more on the subject. Should I be embarrassed of the title liberal? Is not magnanimity a value that I proudly aspire towards? A value that I hold dearly?

Now labels are just labels and all too often they artificially disect us into conflicting parties, create false dichotomies, or paint us into boxes in which no individual could exclusively reside. But I am not entirely against labels because they help describe and allow us to make some initial, although superficial, determinations. They provide a starting point.

Unfortunately, I think liberals/progressives have been far too willing to allow others to define the terms by which we identify ourselves. I think magnanimity is not something from which I should shy away.

Scalia: Torture is not 'Cruel and Unusual' Punishment

From Think Progress yesterday:

Last night, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia granted his first broad-based television interview, to Lesley Stahl on CBS’s 60 Minutes. There he explained that the torture of detainees does not violate the 8th Amendment’s ban on “cruel and unusual punishment” because, according to Scalia, torture is not used as punishment:

STAHL: If someone’s in custody, as in Abu Ghraib, and they are brutalized, by a law enforcement person — if you listen to the expression “cruel and unusual punishment,” doesn’t that apply?

SCALIA: No. To the contrary. You think — Has anybody ever referred to torture as punishment? I don’t think so.

STAHL: Well I think if you’re in custody, and you have a policeman who’s taken you into custody–

SCALIA: And you say he’s punishing you? What’s he punishing you for? … When he’s hurting you in order to get information from you, you wouldn’t say he’s punishing you. What is he punishing you for?

This is remarkable. I would like to begin by stating the obvious fact that I am not a lawyer nor do I have exhaustive knowledge of what rights are granted to someone under the Geneva Conventions.

I would argue, however, that there does seem to me to be a clear link between torture and punishment. If someone is torturing you, they are punishing you for not divulging information that the torturer is after. I have never held witness to an interigation, but my guess is that suspected tororists would not be tortured if from the moment they were captured they provided valuable information to their captors. So regardless of whether someone's right to remain silent under incarceration is protected in instences of suspected terrorism, it does seem to me irrefutable that torture is a form of punishment.

Whether or not that punishment should be considered 'cruel and unusual' when dealing with a suspected terrorist seems open to debate at least from the standpoint of logic. But it seems utterly illogical to conclude that torture is not a form of punishment.

Note: I would just like to state for the record that I do personally beleive that torture constitutes 'cruel and unusual' punishment.

Radiohead: Brought to you by Prince

Prince provides a pretty good take on Radiohead's "Creep" at the Coachella Music Festival. I am not always a fan of Prince's music but you can't deny that he knows how to play the guitar. Now if we could only find out who was responsible for the Blair-Witch-Project-esque camera work... and shamelessly yelled "epic!!!" at the end...

(Theivery reference - Video found on Matthew Yglesias's blog)

An Artist is Born

This is a painting that Mariel brought home from school after she accidentally took part in an art class. I think it rivals Rembrandt. But maybe I am biased.

So Happy Together...

While I don't expect McCain to select Mike Huckabee to be his running mate, it is interesting how much these two look like a President and Vice-President.

Obama and the High Road

In another sign that Obama is going to take the high road approach this time around in Indiana and North Carolina, CNN's political ticker is reporting that when Obama was confronted yesterday on the subject of why he doesn't always hit back (a political strategy that sits in direct opposition to that of the Clintons) he stated...

“One of the things that I learned in the school yard was: the folks that are talking tough all the time, they’re not always that tough. If you’re really tough, you’re not always looking to try to start a fight. If you’re really tough, sometimes you just walk away. If you’re really tough, you just save it for when you really need it.”

He went on to say...

“I’m not interested in fighting people just for the sake of scoring political points. If I’m going to fight somebody it’s going to be fighting over the American people and what they need.”

Now I am not so naive as to think that these comments are completely disconnected from political strategy, and I recognize that when politicians talk about fighting for the needs of the American people that that is a carefully crafted talking point, but nonetheless his is a strategy that I would like to see more politicians adopt.

Human Radar!

Astounding.

(Dime dropped by Micah)

Happy Birthday!

Happy belated birthday to my brother Josh. As I posted on his facebook wall, I am ever appreciative of the fact that every April 25th he reminds me that I have four more years before I am "that" old. Thanks for always keeping me young.

Today's Letter is "E"

I have not posted a letter of the day in a few days now. This was for one simple reason. E was much more difficult to find than I had anticipated. This was eventually found on the 5 minute walk to Mariel's school.

Free Rice!

If you have a little time to kill and want to do some good and have fun improving your vocabulary check out FreeRice.com. This online vocab game gives you SAT-style vocabulary words along with a selection of possible synonyms. For every word you guess correctly the site donates 20 grains of rice to the US World Food Program.

That may not seem like a lot but according to Wikipedia there are approximately 1,000 grains of rice in one serving. So if you get 50 correct answers you have fed someone for one meal. 150 correct answers and you have fed someone for a day.

How long would that take? It took me 6 minutes to get 25 correct answers. And my vocabulary leaves a lot to be desired. So lets assume the average person could get 25 correct answers in 5 minutes. If you spent 10 minutes a day playing you could feed a person three meals in less than a week! Just for playing a fun game!

UPDATE: I guess my math skills also leave a lot to be desired. If we assume 25 correct answers in 5 minutes, than we could also probably assume 50 correct answers in 10 minutes. This would mean 1 meal per 10 minutes. Which of course means that you could feed one person for a whole day in 3 days not six days. And you could feed two people for a day after 6 days!

Letting Hillary Lose

This is why I love Andrew Sullivan. I firmly believe that the reason the Clinton's were so politically successful in the 90's is because they perform exceptionally well under attack. They do a great job of playing stoic victims who are willing to stick up for themselves and fight back. And we loved them for it. I still do love that about them when they are being attacked by those who are more interested in scoring political points than in engaging in a constructive and informative debate on areas of disagreement.

What has turned me off the Clinton's this time around has been the fact that while they still at times are on the receiving end of some of these attacks, the majority of the attacks aimed at scoring political points (i.e. ones that are not based around differences in policy or approach) are not coming from Obama or his campaign. Yet her retaliatory attacks seem almost exclusively reserved for Obama. Its analogous to brother 1 hitting brother 2 and brother 2 turning and hitting brother 3. This has the effect of changing the dynamic of the engagement and in the process Clinton goes from justified victim to unjustified aggressor.

Throughout this campaign, when Obama has remained above the fray, he has been rewarded by the voters. But when he has engaged in her form of political warfare then she has effectively regained the position of victim - a position of strength for the Clintons as they have demonstrated time and time again. This is exactly the approach Obama engaged in in Pennsylvania and it didn't work.

Today I think I see what may be Obama's recognition of this mistake. There has been a lot of talk about the damage that Sen. Clinton is inflicting on the Democratic party and its chances of success in November. It would be an easy opportunity for Obama to nod in agreement without pursuing it to hard. But I see that he is taking the high road on this issue when I read in the Washington Post this statement by Obama...

"I never believe in irreparable breaches. I'm a big believer in reconciliation and redemption," Obama told reporters in Indianapolis. "So, look, this has been a fierce contest. I've said repeatedly: Come August, there will be a whole lot of people standing on a stage with a lot of balloons and confetti raining down on the Democratic nominee, and people are going to be excited about taking on John McCain in November."

Because the numbers favor him so heavily, the best thing Obama can do right now is focus on McCain and begin the long process of reconciliation. He can speak to the his base and speak to the constituent groups who have eluded him thus far without worrying to much about earning their vote immediately. Many have suggested that he needs to land a knockout punch. I couldn't disagree more. That will only alienate those who we need to vote Democratic in November. The process of reconciliation will be long and he needs to begin now. The best way to do that is to let Hillary beat herself.

Fast: Day 5

This is a sad day in my fast. I wasn't forced to quit, but it was convincingly suggested that I bring my fast to a close.

For the last couple of days I have noticed that my eyes were becoming a bit yellow around the irises. While I didn't like the way it looked, I attributed it to the fast and since it was a short fast I figured I could just ride it out.

However, last night Mariel and I were attending a social event at her director's house when one of our friends from the Embassy noticed how yellow my eyes were. He said he thought it really didn't look good but that I should go have his wife, who is a registered nurse, check it out. We went over to her so she could take a look and she said that it looked like I was suffering from Jaundice. She asked me what I thought might have caused it and I of course mentioned that I had been fasting for the last 5 days. She immediately gave me the look of "Why in the world would you be doing that?" After which she asked me, "Why in the world are you doing that?" I tried to explain to her what my reasons were but its difficult to do so without sounding hippie or new-age so I just told her there were many reasons. Anyway, she said that she recommended that I stop fasting immediately. I pondered it for the next hour or so but ultimately I decided that it wasn't worth liver failure to fast.

I do, however, remain determined to fast again but think it won't be until I am back in the states and can do so with all the proper ingredients - I was using sugar in the place of grade B maple syrup and when the store was out of lime juice I decided to use mango juice. So for those that were enjoying reading about my adventures, I apologize. I do believe in enduring a certain amount of discomfort for a worthy goal, but I think to recklessly and needlessly put one's health at risk is disrespectful of the wonderful gift of health that I have been given.

The 5 days during which I did fast were great, however, and I am glad I did it. Last night I broke fast with an olive which I took to be symbolic of the peace that I was making with my body (although it was not attached to the branch).

I hope you have enjoyed hearing about my short-lived and unfortunately truncated journey. Please feel free to share your thoughts on what you read during these last few days.

A New Level Of Audacity

As of Tuesday, the Clinton campaign has been trying to make the case that the pledged delegate count should not carry as much weight as the popular vote when superdelegates are facing the difficult choice of who to throw their support behind. But at the same time the ground work for an even more audacious claim is being laid. According to yesterday's National Journal Online, Geoff Garin, Hillary Clinton's chief strategist, recently told the Washington Post...

"We don't think this is just going to be about some numerical metric. When we get to those days after June 3rd, we think the real choice is who's proven themselves to be the best candidate."

Now, it is important to realize what Garin means by "some numerical metric." He is, of course, referring to that little thing that we use as the fundamental basis of our democracy known as voting. He is in essence saying that regardless of the outcome of the pledged delegate count and, yes, even the popular vote, that the remaining undecided superdelegates should make their decision as to who to support based upon who has "proven themselves to be the best candidate."

If this argument were carried out to its logical conclusion, one could easily ask, Why even vote at all? Why not have candidates campaign for over a year and then have around 800 party insiders decide who has proven themselves.

I find it immensely ironic that the reason Clinton claims she is pressing so hard for Florida and Michigan to be counted into the total popular vote count is that to not include them would disenfranchise voters. But isn't the statement above made by her chief strategist suggest that they believe such numeric metrics shouldn't mean anything?

This is truly a new level of audacity.

Amusing African Anecdotes

Here are some pictures that a fellow Peace Corps volunteer passed on to me. Some of this stuff I have seen personally, others its not too hard to imagine seeing it... but only in Africa!

This is even more old school than a boombox on the shoulder (And, yes, that is a car battery on his head).


What? This isn't what your waterheater looks like?


Get it? Get it? Haha.


I guess you just hope that your injury doesn't require immediate care.


This is very normal actually.


Not exactly well thought out was it?


This is quite the special.


Typical Malian thought process.

Fast: Day 4

Today is the best I have felt so far. I think it takes a few days for your body to adjust to and accept not eating. There were very few hunger pangs, no abdominal cramping, and more sustained levels of energy throughout the day. I did get tired earlier than I normally would if I wasn’t fasting but I think that is to be expected. It feels good to know that I am over half way through now. On Saturday, one of my Peace Corps friends is finishing up her service so tomorrow there is a group of us going out to a nice Lebanese restaurant to do tapas. This will most likely be a difficult experience. Intuitively, when I am by myself and there is no food around, I do just fine. It’s always the most difficult when those around me are eating really good food. So we will see how I deal with that tomorrow.

I guess I don’t have as much to write about today because overall it is the day that has felt the most normal. Maybe I’ll have more to write about after dinner tomorrow.

PA Primary Final Result: Obama is the Democratic Nominee

Seems counter intuitive doesn't it? But watch as TPM's Greg Sargent demonstrates how difficult it would be for Hillary to catch up in either the pledged delegate count OR the popular vote.



I'm sold.

Food crisis: Africa's problem becomes our problem

- Generally Food Secure - green
- Moderately Food Insecure - yellow
- Highly Food Insecure - orange
- Extremely Food Insecure - red

In response to the food crisis that has exploded over the news waves over the last few days and in response to rumors of a sub-sahelian "food crisis", here is an excerpt from an email I received from Peace Corps Associate Director in charge of the Natural Resource Management sector. This is through the Malian prism...

"[Experts] confirmed that Mali is in a better position relative to other countries in Sub-Sahelian West Africa regarding food security (especially Senegal, Mauritania, Niger,...). they said the thing to watch is the price of rice relative to coarse grains (millet, sorghum)- people prefer rice becasue it is easier to prepare, but will shift to millet if the price of rice is too high. Currently rice is at 400 CFA per kilo, and the shift to coarse grains hasn't happened. Another strategy you will see people apply to cope with rising rice costs include reducing meat and vegetables in the sauce before they start cutting meals. Another strategy is that people will start using millet flour and processed millet in lieu of wheat and rice products. People will also start to cut back on educational, clothing, and health expenditures if food costs rise. There have been demonstrations about food prices planned in Bamako, but nobody is showing up to protest, so that is a sign that urban-dwellers here are not worried yet.

Mali has implemented an unofficial ban on exports, to ensure that Mali's poor will have access to the grain they need in case of a regional shortage (avoiding exportation of grain to our neighbors who need it more becasue their own stocks are depleted. The experts in the room yesterday were not in favor of this ban- they said that it won't prohibit cross-border trade, but it will lower the price Malian farmers receive for their grains, and it will increase the price the purchasers pay in countries where they need it most. The midddle-man profits more for taking the risk of violating the ban.

One of the great unknowns is how farmers will react during the hungry season- they will have to make a decision to hold on to their grain stocks or sell them. If the rains come early and people are feeling secure, they are more likely to put more grains on the market - making them available for people who have exhausted their own stores. However, if market prices for grains are really low and people are feeling uncertain about next year's potential harvest, they will be more conservative in the amount of grain they choose to sell. This will make it harder for hungry people to get the grain they need. If prices on the local market are low, but they can get higher prices from cross-border "unofficial" trade, they might prefer to do that."

And for all us Americans that assume these are Africa's problems and they are truly sad but what can we do? Well now it is our problem too. Both Costco and Sam's club are rationing rice sales. That is right. IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, we are rationing our food. Now obviously our situation is not as desperate as many other countries but we have been blessed with a warning that does not immediately put our livelihood in jeopardy. Let this lesson remind us that America is not immune to the problems of 'rest of the world.'

Wellness By Design

The Atlantic Monthly Online has a really cool narrated slideshow on how architecture and use of space and shape can create a more comfortable place for people to get better while they are in the hospital. I think I might be an architect in my next life.

Circle of Friends

This is an interesting graphic representation of my circle of friends on Facebook and who knows who. If you look at the large cluster ranging from the names in green on the lower left-hand side all the way up to the names in purple on the upper right-hand side, they are almost exclusively Peace Corps friends with the few exceptions being people who live in Mali who are not Peace Corps volunteers or people who have come to visit me in Mali and therefor know many of my Peace Corps friends (Mariel's sister, Micah, etc.).

The small cluster of friends at the bottom of the circle are friends from high school.

The remaining friends are friends from college, Softchoice (where I used to work before Peace Corps) and other places.

It is visually fascinating to me to see how much Peace Corps is part of my life and makes me realize that it will most likely be a 'club' that I am always a part of.

This wheel is not entirely representative of all my friends as many of my best friends aren't even on Facebook, but it is interesting nonetheless.

To see the picture in greater detail, just click on it!

Fast: Day 3

For the most part today was a good day. I felt like I was doing well at work (AISB), had a reasonable amount of energy and hunger wasn't getting to me too much. But around the time work got out my energy began to flag and I really just wanted to take a nap. Of course I didnt and just got distracted doing other things.

I am happy that I was able to think about food less today, though. I really focused on my goal from yesterday and it made the not eating easier. At lunch, I tried to remain focused on people's conversations and be more engaged in them. Yesterday, I pretty much just stared at people's food probably making a few people uncomfortable.

There were several things that I was able to focus on today that I think often times I ignore. Not that these things were incredibly important, but it did have a similar effect to going on a walk in the woods. When you reemerge you have a sense of having escaped just momentarily. Not to be too cheesy but here are somethings I noticed.

Touch - The rough spot on the top of my Nalgene bottle;

See - The wires that criss-cross overhead on the walk to Mariel's school;

Smell - The lamination that permeates all the school classrooms;

Hear - A truck that drove by the school during lunch.

I know a lot of these are trivial and can be easily dismissed as things we see, hear, or touch every day. But it can be almost meditative if you focus on it instead of just see it. Normally we experience these things in passing so it feels different to concentrate on them. These were the good parts of the day.

But there were some bad parts too that I think needed to be equally felt and expressed. Today I had some of the worst lower abdominal cramps I think I have ever had. I think I have been over doing the cayenne pepper in my juice drinks in attempt to restore some degree of flavor in my diet. The cayenne pepper is added of course to strip my insides of mucus build up but I think the amount I was adding led to the stripping of my intestines in their entirety. The pain would come and go but when it was present I was not fun to be around. I began chugging some water which an hour later seemed to help. Needless to say, there will not be cayenne pepper in my drink anymore as I think my intestines have had enough. Live and learn.

That's it for today. One more day down, one less day left to go.

Teaching is a form of Jujutsu

The last couple of days I have been a substitute teacher at the American International School of Bamako where Mariel works. The ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher has been out taking care of VISA business for her Malian husband.

My schedule looked like this:

8:20-9:10 - 2nd and 3rd grade
9:15-10:10 - 4th, 5th, and 6th grade
11:40-12:30 - High School ESL
12:30-1:20 - High School English
1:30-2:20 - Middle School

So I was all over the board with regards to age and ability. Each group had its own idiosyncrasies - things I loved about them and things I wish I knew better how to handle. This was my first time in a classroom as a primary educator and needless to say, without prior experience or training, this was a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants endeavor.

The one thing that I found out during the last two days that I think is universally applicable to teaching - and classroom management especially - is that teaching is a form of Jujutsu.

According to Wikipedia

"Due to the difficulty of dispatching an armored opponent with striking techniques, the most efficient methods for neutralizing an enemy took the form of pins, joint locks, and throws. These techniques were developed around the principle of using an attacker's energy against him, rather than directly opposing it, and came to be known as jujutsu".

For all you teachers out there, please let me know if you do not find this quote a compelling analogy.

Fast: Day 2

I am in relatively high spirits today. That isn't to say it hasn't been hard. But with a full days worth of juice I am definitely feeling better. I still get tired. I still feel peeks of energy that spike during and immediately after drinking juice and leave me pretty tired 45 minutes later (sugar).

I wasn't as hungry today at lunch but I am noticing a pattern that at around 5-6pm I am the most tired, most irritable, and most wanting a hamburger or something. Today after school (I filled in as a substitute teacher at Mariel's school for ESL), Mariel was eating some Sun Chips and after she had a few I began to pull them out of the bag for her so that I could smell them en route to her mouth. Its torture to do that to myself but the mind works in funny ways when you are hungry. I find myself, not surprisingly, smelling everything. I think about food non stop and have already planned about 3 or 4 meals that will the FIRST meal once I break fast.

Tomorrow I am going to try to make a more concerted effort to not think about food and focus more on life without food. There are so many other aspects to life but without food sometimes its hard to focus on them. I think that has to be biological. Its the hierarchy of needs. When food becomes almost pornographic to you, you know your priorities have altered. So my goal for tomorrow is to focus on the other good parts of life. I have to enjoy that I have all my limbs and they all function normally, I have well developed use of all my senses (sight, touch, hearing, etc.), and I am healthy. They say that people who are blind hear better and are more sensitive to touch. If I am denying myself taste, I want to experience sight, touch, hearing, and smelling to a greater degree.

That's the plan. I will let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Fast: Day 1

Tired.

Note to self: never start a fast without the ingredients already in hand.

I didn't get to the store last night before it closed and therefor was without the juice necessary to make my concoction. This morning, I woke up, drank a liter of salt water, and went to work. At work I drank 2 liters of water. That was it. I am sooo tired. Luckily, after work, Mariel and I went to the grocery store to buy some juice.

So I just drank my first liter of wonderful juice. The measurements go like this... 1/4 cup of juice, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/8 of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper and fill the rest of the Nalgene with water. It is surprisingly flavorful. The pepper kinda weirds me out but its not entirely bad tasting. Overall, I wasn't terribly hungry today outside of an hour around lunch time. If this time is like last time, tomorrow and the next day will be the hardest. After that, I remember my stomach having shrunk a bit and therefor the hunger didn't come on so strong. We'll see.

Right now, Mariel is reluctantly cooking in the kitchen. It smells magical.

Fast: Night Before

Tonight I am beginning a 7 day fast. I have done this once before. The first time I had an excuse - I could claim ignorance. This time, I actually know what I am getting myself into and have no good excuses. I don't have a particularly ascetic nature, but every once in a while I think its good to remind oneself of what it feels like to go without. A 7 day fast is hardly Ghandiesque. But there are enough physical discomforts and mental challenges in 7 days of not chewing, that it does provide a multitude of opportunities. I think fasting is extremely personal and therefor what you get out of it is also unique to the individual.

For me, I enjoy a challenge. I enjoy a difficult task that requires mental discipline and a willingness to do what many others are not. I can't say I enjoy being hungry, but I am grateful to feel hunger sometimes because millions voluntarily fast every year out of religious devotion and expression and millions suffer from starvation and malnourishment every day. I am grateful to be able in some small way to appreciate their hunger - to not only be able to sympathize but also empathize. I love that immediately following the breaking of a fast I am so much more aware of what I have been blessed with. I enjoy what I have with immensely heightened sensitivity.

I have heard from some people that they feel voluntary fasting that is not associated with religion is insensitive and trivializes the true pain some feel who cannot change their plight. I disagree. I think voluntary fasting can be a sincere attempt to wear another man's shoes or search for self awareness. Unfortunately, like most experiences, time tends to mentally distance us from our past experiences and it is easy to become desensitized. I think I fast for many reasons but most of all it is to become re-sensitized.

So this is how the fast works for those of you with more specific curiosity. Tonight - the night before the actual beginning of the fast - my friend Eric and I enjoyed a nice cup of Senna Leaf Tea. Without getting too much into the details, it is a laxative tea that's effect is unmistakably noticed the next morning. Every morning is commenced with a delicious liter of tepid saltwater (preferably chugged so as not to fully enjoy such a wonderful flavor). Then, throughout the day we will drink two 1-liter concoctions of watered-down lime juice, a little bit of sugar, and cayenne pepper. We are also entitled to as much water as we feel is necessary to stay hydrated during this hot season. And finally, in conclusion to each day, we drink a cup of the Senna Leaf Tea to precipitate that wonderful next morning effect again.

Do that 7 times and its done. I will be posting some of my thoughts and feelings each day so if you are interested, please check in.

Here I go!

Safe Drinking Water

For the last few weeks, Mariel and I have been going to the Rabelais Hotel swimming pool on the weekends. They have a great unspoken deal. It is supposed to cost 3,500 cfa (roughly $7.50) to swim there for the day. But... if you buy 4,000 cfa worth of food they don't add the swimming fee to your bill. So we go there with some of our friends early in the morning before the crowds come, swim, hang out, read, and then eat lunch.

It is the ultimate Peace Corps betrayal. I remember spending hot season not being able to sleep past 6am because it was already 95 degree and I was already soaked in my own sweat. So while, I am living it up poolside, its hard not to feel a twinge of guilt knowing what everyone else is bearing.

Its easy to slip into a post-Peace Corps life here in Bamako where things are so easily obtained. After all, if I want water I no longer pull it from a well, pour it into a bucket, haul it to my water filter, pour it into the water filter, wait 3-5 hours for the filter to process the disgusting filth out of the water, pour the filtered water into to the clay pot that acts as a quasi cooling device, add a few cap-fulls of bleach, and finally wait 2 hours for the water to cool to just below room temperature (105 degrees F) before quenching my thirst. No, I do not do that anymore.

Now, I go to the sink and pour city-treated water into a bottle and put into my freezer and while I wait for it to cool, I pull out the water bottle that is already in the freezer and enjoy nice clean, cold water.

There are many reasons not to drink bottled water and opt instead for tap water as Mariel and I do. But, today at the swimming pool I think the one about tap water being just as good as bottled water is no longer one for me. I think one more filtering cycle could be used on the water coming from the tap in my house. Can you tell the difference between bottled water and water from the tap in my house?

Today's Letter is "D"

Taken at the Rabelais Hotel swimming pool.

Today's Letter is "C"

From a construction site near my house.

Media Is A Consumer Market

Had ABC introduced its debate with this trailer no one would be upset because it would be a more accurate representation of the debate's actual objective.

While I think there has been an overwhelming sense of viewers being victimized by this debate, keep in mind that the news is only producing what they know will sell. If we don't buy it and demand better journalism from our news outlets by becoming contentious media consumers, they will follow the market.

According to the Huffington Post, ABC received increased ratings and decreased approval of their content... simultaneously. These things should never co-exist. We are enablers of our own disappointment with the media if we do not change what we watch (although, I am not sure anyone could have predicted it would have been this bad).

In the mean time, we can just watch this video and laugh.

(Thievery reference: Andrew Sullivan - Video)

Note: From now on, if I thieve something from another site and do not mention it in my comments it will be noted with a "thievery reference" and a link to the original source.

Post- Debate

Last night was not good for Obama... sort of. The reason I hedge a bit is because, like the Wright controversy, he has been provided with a textbook example of what it is that we are fighting against and he has the opportunity to harness all the contempt floating around towards ABC and redirect it toward constructive ends.

In last night's debate there were many questions that caught him off guard early on and its pretty clear he stumbled. Then, as the questions about flag pins on lapels and bitterness dragged on for more than 45 minutes, you could see the absolute frustration on his face as he tried (unsuccessfully) to redirect the conversation into more constructive and informative territory.

But what did Obama expect? He wrote in his book, The Audacity of Hope, that this type of politics was the norm and it should be expected. He warned us of "the gap between the magnitude of our challenges and the smallness of our politics — the ease with which we are distracted by the petty and trivial" and that we need to rise above it in order to accomplish our lofty goals. So, he shouldn't be taken aback when what has worked so effectively in the past (politically, at least) has not yet been rendered obsolete just because he said it should be.

I believe Obama got caught of guard, but I also believe that he is truly a gifted mind who will use last night's embarrassing and immature attempt at journalism to remind the voters what it is that we are up against. Last night certainly reminded him of what he is up against. His campaign has been largely based on promising us a way to move beyond the crap that we saw last night. Now he needs to lead us past it. He needs to convince us of the destructiveness of the form politics that seeks to tear down and not build up and that last night was that form of politics manifested in all its tainted glory. I believe that he can do this. I HOPE that he will.

Bittersweet Obama

I've been holding off for days now, waiting for an objective analysis on Pennsylvania's "Bittergate" story. And of course, the Atlantic Monthly, dutifully provides.

I also have to agree with Andrew Sullivan's opinion that

The scandal of Obama's alleged elitism seems restricted to ... elites.

Now let's see what happens on the 22nd.

My Block

I've had a couple of requests in the past for pictures from the street in front of my house so...

In the opening line of the Jekyll and Hyde Musical, Jekyll says, "In each of us there is two natures." Nothing could be more true for these little rug rats. One day they love you and want to shake your hand and even hold your hand as you walk down the street. The next, they're throwin' rocks at you. It is necessary that this picture came first, for to know the street, you have to know who's running it.

This is the street to the left after you walk out of my compound.

Here comes Mariel!

Here is a full frontal of the unfinished house that I mentioned in an earlier post.

This is the street to the right after you walk out of my compound. The greenish semi in the background has also been there since before we moved in almost a year ago and has never been moved.

So there you have it. I hope you enjoy. If you want to view the images in greater detail (i.e. make them bigger), just click the photos. But they are big files and I am not responsible if your computer blows up.

Today's Letter is "B"

Had to get a little creative on this one. The first picture is the "B." The second is the original. This is from the unfinished house across the street from my house (note: this house has been in this exact unfinished state since before I moved here almost a year ago).

By the way, it rained today... first time in 7 months.

The 21st Century Polaroid

A recent article in the New York Times presents the 21st century Polaroid. Well, actually its just a Bluetooth-enabled portable picture printer. I think this gadget it awesome and will be perfect for anyone who wants to travel to the 3rd world where the majority of people do not have cameras, let alone computers and all that comes along with them (digital storage devices, facebook, myspace, etc.).

I can say with certainty that they would be a HUGE hit here in Mali. Although there are some who don't really enjoy having their picture taken or at least want to be paid to have their picture taken, my guess is that most would be thrilled if they could be given a copy on the spot. I have seen few things light up the faces of rural Malians more than photographs. Even just showing them pictures of themselves on your digital camera normally leads to a few "eh, Allah!"s (oh my god!)and, if its children, more than a few high-pitched squeals of excitement.

I am skeptical of how much the product is needed in America, Europe and industrialized parts of Asia where technology has all but replaced the physical photo. I know that I personally do not print pictures anymore and store all of them either on Facebook, my computer's HD, or on a portable storage device - and I live in technology-unfriendly Mali. Still it's a cool product. I guess we'll see this fall, when the product is introduced to the market, how popular it is. Maybe this will be the resurgence of the physical photo.

Another Sign It's Too Hot

Under no circumstances should chocolate 'flow' at room temperature at 10pm.

Today's Letter is "A"

This is the first edition of what I hope to be a 26 part series exploring my surroundings through the alphabet. I think all too often we get caught up in our routine and neglect to truly see our surroundings, to be aware of where we are and what is around us. I wasn't sure exactly how I wanted to go about this at first but ultimately I decided that to see my surroundings better would require a new perspective. I am hoping that by looking for something that I do not normally look for in my environment, I can become more aware of it. So I thought... let's look for the alphabet!

For some reason I think this will be one of the rare "alphabet games" where X is easy to find and R is gonna be a bitch.

At the same time, if you see letters in your environment - in places you wouldn't normally expect to be looking for them - please feel free to submit pictures of them and I will post them.

Random Question

Why does mint (brushing your teeth, chewing gum, etc.) make cold drinks even colder?

If anyone has an answer or a guess, please feel free to share...

My VP Shortlist

The following is my shortlist for VP. That is, if I were running for President of the United States, who would I be taking a serious look at.

First, It is important to mention that this is not necessarily who I think Clinton, or Obama, or McCain should be looking at (although all these names have been thrown around has potential VPs for Clinton and Obama), but rather who I think would best complement what I view as my strengths.

Also, I feel it necessary to mention that when speaking of my strengths, this is speaking, of course, in relative terms and I wouldn't pretend to be as informed as anyone actually in public office with the exception of perhaps the current president (how ironic).

So in no particular order...

Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) - excellent military credentials and sits on foreign relations committee.

Gov. Tim Kaine (VA) - opposes capital punishment and has executive experience.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (KS)- great on public education and healthcare, opposes capital punishment, and has executive experience.

Sen. Jack Reed (RI)- member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Appropriations Committee. Excellent military experience.

Gov. Bill Richardson (NM)- Both executive experience (governor) and foreign affairs experience (ambassador).

Gov. Janet Napolitano - great on public education and immigration and has executive experience.

As you can tell, I have nooooo executive experience and therefor governors are well represented in my short list. This assembling of potential VPs was more or less an exercise to learn more about the names being thrown around right now. But due to the premature nature of the current race and the fruitlessness of trying to predict who would pick who, I decided to look at who would be a good pick for me. Ultimately, if I had to pick one of these folks to be my main man/woman its pretty clear to me who that would be.

Gov. Bill Richardson - Excellent experience both domestically and abroad. Foreign Affairs experience out the wazzu, and the right kind of FA experience in having been an Ambassador (something we desperately need in the White House). I love Bill, and I think he would make a decent president but I am not sure he has the gut and chutzpa necessary for the national election process. And during the campaign he was running I didn't see the leadership that I think our country needs right now at the very top. But I think he is highly intelligent, uncommonly moral, and exceedingly well qualified to be Vice President.

I liked what I read about the other people on the short list, but if I feel comfortable in any areas its probably going to be education, health care, immigration, and to a lesser degree the economy. When it comes to how to manage relations between Sunni and Shia (and Kurds), I get completely lost. I have ideas about the Iraq war but I have to admit they are pretty unsophisticated. And don't even ask about Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Hamas, etc. Frankly, I don't think ANYONE knows ANYTHING about how to resolve that area of the world's problems as has been demonstrated consistently over the last 50+ years (arguably longer). But something tells me Bill would be a great Ambassador to the world and that is exactly how I would use him (which I realize is backwards for a vice president according to history's standards).

So... if YOU were running for president, who would you choose?

New Site Design

As you can tell, I have done a pretty drastic design overhaul on this blog. Let me know if you like it...

M.I.A. makes a statement

An interesting strategy. This British artist originally from Sri-Lanka has been having difficulty getting a VISA into the United States. So what does she do? She writes sardonic music which incendiarily suggests that her VISA was denied due to America's xenophobia. Not the route I would take but it's a powerful political statement and the music is artfully crafted most likely exciting her already fervent fan support.

"Legal Opinions"

This recent Washington Post article examines from just how high up the authority chain the use of those "enhanced" interrogation techniques were granted.

In one very telling statement President Bush said...

"We had legal opinions that enabled us to [use enhanced interrogation techniques]"

I would like to note that there is a big difference between legal opinions and actions that are legal, and that the former doesn't always justify the latter.

Betancourt Shattering Expectations!!!

Who would have thought that 12 games into the 2008 season one of our most productive batters would be in the number 9 spot? As of today Yuniesky Betancourt has 42 ABs, which is the 6th most on the team - not bad for someone at the bottom of the batting order. But ABs have more to do with whether people ahead of you are getting on base and thus giving you a chance. But you won't continue to be given those ABs if you aren't producing.

So what has Betancourt done with his chances at the plate? Well, for starters he has the best batting average in the starting line up at .333. This is really amazing. Normally you think of your lead-off batter or your number 3 or 4 batter as having your best batting average, not your number 9 guy.

But his batting average doesn't even begin to explain the impact that Betancourt is having on his team. He also has 9 runs scored - good enough to tie him with Raul Ibanez for most on the team. This is probably the most remarkable stat out of all of his. Normally, the number 9 spot is someone who can play decent defense but in terms of what you expect from him in offensively, normally you are just looking to get by without him hitting into a DP so you can get back to the top of the batting order.

But Betancourt has taken it upon himself to get his toosh on base and let those "better" batters move him along and drive him into score. Certainly some credit should be given to manager John McLaren for recognizing what he has in Betancourt and sticking with this strategy instead of moving him up the batting order. Certainly Betancourt has earned the right to move up the batting order with his 12-game tear during which he has put together the most hits (14), doubles (3) and triples (1) of anyone on the team. But I laud McLaren for recognizing that with truly gifted bats behind him, there is no reason to move Betancourt at all.

PS - another stat that demonstrates Betancourt's maturity as a batter...

Strike Outs - 3, tied for fewest of all the mariners who have played in all 12 games. This means that when he is getting out, he is at least giving other runners a chance to advance. I don't know this but my guess is that he hasn't left too many runners stranded on base.

Al Gore's Re-envisioned Presentation

Al Gore's Re-envisioned and condensed Presentation on Climate Change... This is immensely important. PLEASE WATCH!

His emphasis on changing not only our behavior but also our level of engagement in the system that currently enables the destruction of our environment is another reminder of why I am pursuing a degree in Public Administration. By being engaged and taking stock in this system we can reduce its ability to be such an enabler.

Accepting Public Financing

This is one of my main beefs with Barack Obama. I love the man and understand the logic of his argument that his wide base of support effectively represents public financing, but his is an unusual circumstance.

What the American people really need right now is a new systematic approach to financing these crazy elections which currently waste millions of dollars that should be going toward strengthening America's social programs and rebuilding our nations infrastructure. While I realize this ties Barack's most formidable hand behind his back, I think he is intelligent enough and politically adept enough to hold his own even with only one hand. Especially when that other hand seems to be blessed with amazing oratory skills and a grand vision for a new direction for this country. This hand can be used to unleash the tied down hand by inspiring the volunteer activism that is a better demonstration of grass-roots support than fundraising.

Amazing Basketball Trick Shots

This is one of the coolest videos I have seen in a long time. Reminds me of the 90's commercial with Jordan calling the most ridiculous shots imaginable. Well, I guess this guy decided to actually make them. I cannot begin to imagine how much time was spent thinking up and practicing these shots and how many takes it took to get this all on film.

Mind the Gap

Here is an interesting argument for why we should reinstate the draft. To my mind it just might get us out of Iraq sooner and might make us think more carefully before getting into another war (Iran?).

LOLCat Bible Translation Project

The LOLCat Bible Translation Project is "a project dedicated to translating the entire Bible into lolspeak." Lolspeak being, of course, the unofficial language used by people when they SMS or chat online. Common examples are LOL (Laugh Out Loud) and BRB (Be Right Back). Here is an example from Genesis...

Boreded Ceiling Cat makinkgz Urf n stuffs

1 Oh hai. In teh beginnin Ceiling Cat maded teh skiez An da Urfs, but he did not eated dem.

2 Da Urfs no had shapez An haded dark face, An Ceiling Cat rode invisible bike over teh waterz.

3 At start, no has lyte. An Ceiling Cat sayz, i can haz lite? An lite wuz.4 An Ceiling Cat sawed teh lite, to seez stuffs, An splitted teh lite from dark but taht wuz ok cuz kittehs can see in teh dark An not tripz over nethin.5 An Ceiling Cat sayed light Day An dark no Day. It were FURST!!!1

The irony behind undertaking such a project is profound. For the large percentage of the US population who believe that the bible is the perfect word of God, this project is nothing less than complete blasphemy. Still, this endeavor is immensely ambitious and if, due to its casual approach to one of the world's most influential books, it cannot be respected, it can at least be recognized as an impressive effort.

What I find more interesting though is what it says about who we are and how our society treats the incontrovertible truths known as Dogma. With the exception of a very select few, most of us don't follow all the dogma that has been bestowed upon us by the bible, instead opting to eat meat on Fridays and cutting the hair that grows over our temples without a second thought. This seems to demonstrate that while certain "absolute" truths remain important in our society such as not committing murder and not stealing (although that even seems to be under consideration as most of us have illegally downloaded music before), huge swaths of previously strictly adhered to rules are now considered optional and even at times are rejected entirely (i.e. the right to own slaves). All this points to the fact that our society has shown a consistent willingness to reevaluate religion and its texts in an attempt to make them fit more closely to our current beliefs.

This project is, on a large scale, an attempt to do just that. It reflects our society's increasingly casual approach to religion and is demonstrates how we are trading in being preached to in favor of personal interpretations from which we draw very personal conclusions.

Legislating thoughts?

Last night I was watching an episode of West Wing's first season (give me break, being in Mali I have a right to be behind). One of the issues raised in the episode was whether or not hate crime laws needed to be revisited after a recent and particularly egregious hate crime had occurred against a homosexual.

A little background on my thoughts previous to watching this episode. To me any physical or mental assault against anyone is not to be tolerated. I believe pretty firmly that such a crime is one of the most cut and dry impediments to one of our most fundamental rights - the pursuit of happiness. As are bigotry, racism, homophobia, sexism, and religious intolerance. So by logical deduction I had concluded that two wrongs combined - as is the case in a hate crime - seemed, somehow 'wronger' to me and therefore worthy of harsher punishment. Such was my thinking.

However, in last nights West Wing episode, one of the characters, Leo McGarry, said that he just wasn't sure you could or should legislate how someone thinks. This made so much sense and I couldn’t believe that I had never thought if it like that before. While bigotry, racism, homophobia, sexism and racial intolerance are to my mind despicable and morally reprehensible, I can't say that I would pass a law against someone's right to have those feelings. After all, another fundamental right exists which protects freedom of thought and expression.

This got me thinking about whether or not I believed in harsher punishments for hate crimes. It seems wrong to me to legislate how someone thinks. But we do this all the time. Are there not harsher punishments for premeditated murder vs. non-premeditated murder?

According to Wikipedia...

In common law jurisdictions, murder has two elements or parts:

1.the act (actus reus) of killing a person

2.the state of mind (mens rea) of intentional, purposeful, malicious, premeditated, and/or wanton.

So there is precedent for taking a criminal’s state of mind into consideration. In the case of murder, the qualifying aspect is whether or not the act was premeditated and/or malicious (by the way, an appropriate synonym for malicious is hateful). In hate crime legislation the qualifying aspect of the state of mind would be whether or not personally held beliefs of morality were involved.

Certainly it is not illegal to premeditate going to the store. So, one has to assume that the context does matter and does have legal implications. Should this be applied to hate crimes as well? Certainly it is not illegal to be racists. But, in the context of a hate crime, should there be legal implications for its involvement in the crime? For now the verdict is still out for me. But it’s got me thinking.

Fret Not, Fellow Democrats

There has been a lot of concern among democrats the last few weeks. As this seemingly never ending primary contest continues between two formidable candidates, pressure for Hillary to concede the race to Obama has been mounting and has left many democrats wondering if we will shoot ourselves in the foot yet again by allowing highly destructive in-fighting. Many argue that we are proving to be our own worst enemy yet again this year. However, Markos Moulitsas of the Daily Kos makes a convincing counter argument in a recent Newsweek article that this protracted primary may ultimately benefit democrats both higher and lower on the ballot come next fall. How? Because we are getting organized. This primary is exactly what the doctor ordered - Dr. Howard Dean that is. His 50 states strategy has been berated by many longtime democrats. But as Obama and Clinton traverse and criss-cross the country, every state heatedly contested, they are not only both raising candidate name recognition and stealing the headlines of local newspapers away from McCain, they are more importantly leaving behind the most crucial factor in producing voter turn-out - ORGANIZATION. So far this organization has lead to the registration of hundreds of thousands of new democrats and has identified tens of thousands of new volunteers. Come October this strengthening of grass-roots organizing in swing states and previously red state strongholds could prove to be democrats most valuable asset in turning out the vote. So for now I think we should all just calm down. If after June 3rd (the last primary) Clinton refuses to step down, then you may have something to worry about.

Story of Stuff

While this explaination is vastly over simplified, there are some real lessons to be learned here.

Smokin'!!!!

This is not what you want to see in your city's 10 day forcast...