noun: a difficult, precarious, or entrapping position

The situation in Afghanistan is getting more complicated everyday. This is a nation basically ran by regional warlords and their heroin factories. The only "legitimate" government in the country is quickly becoming not so legitimate with the recent fraudulent re-election of President Hamid Karzai. We are trying to fight and win a war in a country that no international force has EVER been able to conquer. (I mean no one ever has been able to conquer this place...Alexander the Great tried, Genghis Khan tried, the USSR tried...)

I recently stumbled on this article from The Onion:

U.S. Continues Quagmire-Building Effort in Afghanistan

"We've spent a lot of time and money fostering the turmoil and despair necessary to make this a sustaining quagmire, and we're not going to stop now," President Barack Obama said in a national address Monday night. "It won't be easy, but with enough tactical errors on the ground, shortsighted political strategies, and continued ignorance of our vast cultural differences, we could have a horrific, full-fledged quagmire by 2012."

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With more than 80 percent of the country currently under Taliban control, Defense Secretary Robert Gates argued that U.S. nation-dismantling efforts are actually proceeding ahead of schedule.

"We've made a complete mess of local institutions, and moving forward this substantial lack of infrastructure will be the cornerstone of our strategy to ensure long-term chaos in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region," said Gates, gesturing to a complex, 6-foot-tall wall map of what were either newly established al-Qaeda bases in Waziristan, tribal trade routes over the Hindu Kush, or perhaps U.S. military outposts of some kind. "I couldn't be happier with our progress.

(This is The Onion so there is a little bit of language...just a warning. Also click on the map of Afghanistan. It's pretty funny :) )

I know it is supposed to be satire but the scary thing is, is that it isn't to far from the truth.

The best thing the US can do know is band together with other nations in order to support the rebuilding of this country. We need to support education, economic growth, and find a way to make opium less profitable. We need to focus on humanitarian and diplomatic efforts rather than military. Finding Taliban leaders and punishing them for there crimes is very important but the best way to do that is with small forces not a huge occupying force. The Taliban is a guerrilla force and we should be using guerrilla tactics to fight them. This means Special Forces and Secret Ops. This is also a matter of international cooperation and creating sustainable long-term stability in Middle eastern countries. We need true allies not ones that are scared (or defensive) about perceived American Imperialism.

Let Each Exersise the Art he Knows

This is something out of the ordinary but (hopefully) worthwhile!

Check out my portfolio for my crazy new hobby...photo editing and manipulation.

I'm I very good?
No.

Will you want to hire me to edit your photos?
Probably not.

Will you enjoy what you see?
Maybe.

Will it make me happy if you look anyways?
Absolutely! :)

Diving for a Cause

This is awesome!



Leaders from the island nation of the Maldives held a meeting on the ocean floor to bring attention to the dangers of climate change. This was brilliant! It was shocking, informative, and pretty funny. (I'm not going to lie I laughed pretty hard the first time I saw the picture.) This is just the kind of thing that world leaders need to see to get them in gear to deal with climate change. Maldives is uniquely threatened (as are most island nations) by climate change. If sea levels continue to rise due to melting ice the entire Maldivian nation would be underwater in 100 years!

(Here is the original article.)

But it isn’t only small pacific islands that could be destroyed. The entire world is venerable to the shifting climate and shifting sea levels. Current borders will be disrupted. Many of the major cities in the US will be threatened; NYC, LA, Miami, and New Orleans just to name a few. And global food production is going to suffer dramatically. Increased (or decreased) temperatures are going to change the length of the growing season making harvests less productive and in turn increasing the global food shortage. These are just a few of the catastrophes that await us if we do nothing to combat climate change. We need to invest in alternative, renewable, clean energy as a nation and as a global community before it is too late.

Imagine all the People...

When I first heard that President Obama had won the Nobel Peace Prize this morning I was happily surprised. I was especially impressed by the President’s humble remarks. He said “I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel Committee. Let me be clear: I do not view it as recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations. To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace”. This is the video of the President’s full remarks. I really think it is worth a watch.



I have been a fervent supporter of President Obama since the very beginning and I believe this award has the power to give him legitimacy in the eyes of many who still his potential. I can understand why people might be confused by his win but the thing I don’t understand is those that are angry about it. The international community is starting to regain trust in the American system. In this age of globalization multilateral cooperation is absolutely essential to our success as both a world power and legitimate nation. When the Nobel Committee gave this award to Obama they were essentially saying “we believe in you again and we want to support you in your pursuit of peace”. I stumbled across this little gem and couldn’t resist sharing it. Mr. Moore has taken the words right out of my mouth. Now that the Obama Administration has the trust of our international partners they must prove to them that they deserve it.

Satire! How Refreshing....

Now for something completely different...

Liechtenstein, Andorra Forced To Fight By Larger Countries


Obama: Health Care Plan Would Give Seniors Right To Choose How They Are Killed

These are two of my favorites :)

An Apple a Day...

The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa is one of the greatest threats to the (economic and social) stability of that continent. And the bad news seems to never end...

In the space of one year, you’re seeing a huge ramping up of AIDS services,” said Mark Stirling, regional director for the United Nations’ efforts against AIDS in eastern and southern Africa. “It’s unprecedented. In the acceleration and intensification of reach, 2008 was an extraordinary year.”

But the United Nations’ progress report on AIDS also contained sobering news. While more than a million people were put on drugs in the past year — drugs they will need for the rest of their lives — 2.7 million people were newly infected with H.I.V. in 2007, the latest year for which there were estimates.

via U.N. Cites Global Rise in Detection and Treatment of AIDS – NYTimes.com.

There have been great strides in recent years because of increased funding and humanitarian aid. Many people have more access to the essential antiretroviral drugs that will keep the disease in check. But the real solution to this epidemic doesn’t lie in treatment but prevention. There needs to be more education about how the disease is spread and ways you can protect yourself from it. We can continue to spend millions handing out drugs to an ever increasing population of HIV positive patients or we can stop the disease from spreading in the first place. The South African Health Minister said this in 2006: “Unfortunately, up until now too much of the focus has been on treatment and there has been a lack of focus on prevention. Prevention has become the forgotten child of HIV response. In the absence of a cure, prevention has to be the mainstay in the struggle against AIDS.”

Open Mic Night @ the UN

There we some fun old times at the UN the other evening. But my favorite was definitely, Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez. Obama was inspiring, Qaddafi was insane, but Hugo, well see for your self....

Chavez begins speech by extensively describing "South of the Border," Oliver Stone's new movie about him. This is one high-profile movie plug.

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"I'm not going to speak any more than Qaddafi. Qaddafi has said everything that has to be said. But I won't speak less than Obama either...or Lula."

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Chavez seems pretty annoyed that people are walking in late.

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Something about creating a socialist biscuit factory.

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"There was no socialism in the Soviet Union. The 21st century will be the century of socialism."

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Qaddafi only talked about things that happened half a century ago. Chavez is going back to the dawn of life on earth.

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Uh oh. Chavez is talking about the Kennedy assassination too.

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'I hope God will protect obama from the bullets that killed Kennedy.'

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Ladies and gentlemen, we have our money quote: "It doesn't smell of sulfur here anymore."

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Chavez is just yukking it up. "Don't anyone throw a shoe at me."

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Finally, we get to Honduras.

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"The Pentagon is behind the coup in Honduras."

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Chavez asks if there are "two Obamas."

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Apparently Chavez is "good friends" with King Juan Carlos now.

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Noam Chomsky now? He's already hyped Oliver Stone and Robert Galleano. This speech is just packed full of product placement.

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"I'm Venezuelan, but I feel like a Colombian."

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Chavez joins Sarkozy in praising the Stiglitz Report

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Another book. Chavez now reading from Istvan Meszaros's "Beyond Capital," calling it one of the "masterpieces of the 21st century. He's giving Oprah a run for his money now.

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Finished by breaking into song. Wow.

Chavez: See my movie|FP Passport

And now for my boring analysis....There are two things that came to mind as I was reading this. First was that what an effective tool humor can be. Chavez is slowing building up a bloc of supporters and I think the main way he is doing it is through is charismatic personality. He is easy and fun to listen to even if you don’t agree with anything he may say. Diplomacy is all about getting people to trust you and Chavez is doing a pretty good job of that. Second is that I think it is time for people to reexamine our relationship with Venezuela. I don’t think Chavez had a problem with the United States per say but with former President Bush and his polarizing policies. He has shown support of President Obama and I think this is the chance for the United States to start rebuilding a profitable relationship with this South American country. This is a post from a Huffington Post blog that has Chavez explaining why he supports Barack Obama.