The overthrow of Zelaya, some Kang Nam action, and an uplifted C-Span? June 30, 2009

Well its been several days since I last blogged, and it is mainly due to the fact that the available news has been scarce except that revolving around Michael Jackson, Farrah, or Mays deaths…and honestly, we have been bombarded enough with news on the deaths within the entertainment industry that I couldnt bring myself to even regurgitate anything on the subject! So alas, Im back, and have some subjects to actually blog on!  How exciting!  Oh yes, and If Im typing and an x is left out, for some reason my x on my key board is sticking and when I type fast x has been removed from the alphabet!

Ahh..its nice to know that during all the MJ hoopla, the US military is still able to perform its duties! The Navy has been monitoring the North Korean ship, the Kang Nam 1,which  has changed its course.  The boat is suspected of carrying illegal weapons and possibly missiles, all which was banned under UN sanctions after the nucleur testing that North Korea did a few months back. The ship was heading south and was expected to dock in Hong Kong for fuel, but about 250 miles from HK, it changed course and is heading back north. I am reading a few things into that…and I tell you up front this is just my wild fascination with conspiracy theories running amuck with foreign relations thrown in! When the UN imposed sanctions on North Korea, allowing for any member state to request inspection and board a North Korean vessel that is suspected of carrying illicit materials, North Korea declared that any interception of its vessels and any attempts to board would be a declaration of war.  This leads me to two trains of thought. First, North Koreas declaration implys an interception more at seas then land, and thus docking in Hong Kong, and any  inspection carried out then may not have been upheld under their previous declaration. I say this in respect to them actually seeking a conflict with the US and other countries, and if they launch missiles first without any percieved violation of sovereignty then what little support they might have would disappear. This is also with a basis that they want to start a conflict. Secondly, the Kang Nam was a test of UN sanctions in that the North Koreans really wanted to see if member states of the UN would carry out the inspections that the Security Council approved. This is an apparent no. Well for now anyways. member states are walking a fine line between action and monitoring. There may come a day where action is needed, and that day will probably be soon, but the monitoring is the way to go for now. Now that North Korea knows that its unlikely in the immediate future that ships will be inspected, they can continue trading with Myanmar and all those friendly to Pyongyang. Either way I think this launching of this vessesl was a test on the international community and the sanctions. if North Korea is testing the waters so to speak, then it wont be long that any slight of hand by the UN or US or other Western ally will lead to what Jong il believes is valid reason to restart a war.

Also in the news, Al Franken has been officially declared Senator of Minnesota..making the Senate fillabuster proof for this term…Im happy with thi sresult, as I am hoping that Frankens appearance will at least liven up C-Span!

And in other news from the world, there was a coup in Honduras…which of course left me wondering if all my vacations are doomed to some sort of curse! Im destined for Honduras come December, so lets hope that the country is at least stable enough to visit! But at the moment, it is looking like a long drawn out coup with no end in sight. The UN is backing former President Zelaya, but those who overthrew him vowed that if he returns to Honduras he will be arrested and tried for treason. And of course thicoup drew comments form Hugao himself…who suported Zelaya and is upset about the coup, and even called for the UN to use military force to intervene!  You wonder why? Well its because Zeyaya was pushing for Constitutional changes that would allow him to run for more terms, something Hugo himself has managed to do twice in Venezuala! The last hing he wants is a coup,  or even the thought of one, springing up in his country!

Well Im off to read for Cold War…

Later!

Global death penalty updates, and the introduction of Kim Jong Un… June 24, 2009

Well some of you may remember my adventure to Togo…and although Im no longer there, I keep an eye on the news in the region, and have a little nugget to share…Togo has abolished the death penalty.  This vote by the Togolese Parliament means that Togo has become the 15th member of the African Union and the 94th country in the world to abolish the death penalty for all crimes. Im actually really happy over this news because Im not an advocate of the death penalty and never have been for multiple reasons. Even in my undergraduate studies I majored in Criminal Justice where the majority of those in the program supprted the death penalty and I was an oddball even then. But alas, the world is slowly changing its stance on the issue, and while it wont be a sudden victory to have it abolished globally, it is a slow victory…one country, one state, one person at a time.

Im not sure how many of you remember the killing of the US diplomats in Sudan on New Years Day in 2008, but today the 4 men that were found guilty were sentenced to death by hanging.  The diplomat was an employee of the USAID program that the State Dept runs. And those who gunned him and his driver down were part of a group that had plotted to bomb Western embassies in the Sudanese capital in 2008.  While the US/Sudan relations are strained, its still good to see the Khartoum regime recognizing diplomatic status by actually seeking the guilty party and allowing the FBI to assist in the investigation. Maybe, one step at a time, the relationship will change…but alas, not while Darfur crisis is still going on.

For everyone on the mainland who has been following the North Korean chaos over the supposed launching over the July 4th weekend of bombs aimed at Hawaii…my message is to chill.  It seems that everyone I talk to here has people calling them about the issue, and even some of those I talk to back on the mainland ask about it. If North Korea launches a missile, the US should intercept it, and even if that fails, then yes Hawaii will be in chaos because we are not designed to handle disasters well (we prepare for them but our infastructure sucks and our distance from relief hurts us), but in the end if that occurs, then the US will be at war. So until soething actualy occurs, chill. (I think it will be unlikely that Kim Jong Il will launch a missile at Hawaii, he may be crazy, but even he does not have a death wish.)

And in more North Korean news, it looks like Kim Jong Il may be slowly choosing his successor, his youngest son Kim Jong Un. He was recently appointed as head of the North’s secret police and spy agency as well as been placed in charge of the two American journalists who were captured on the China border and found guilty of spying and sentenced to 12 years in a hard labor camp. Of interest, since the US has no official diplomatic relations with the North Koreans, Sweden has been acting as the USs diplomatic ties and working on the release of the journalists for the US. Hmmm…we have an entente with Sweden..cool, but not surprising.

Later!

Election Annulments?, Kenya vetoes troops, and the Rassak case June 22, 2009

Well the Iranian leadership has made some decisive statements regarding the Election fraud allegations and has voiced today that the Guardian Council had found no major fraud and that there would be no annullment of the results, again backing Ahmadinejad as the victor. However, this statement came only a day after the Guardian Council announced that there had been voting irregularities in 50 districts, including local vote counts that exceeded the number of eligible voters.  With the final election result being 62.6 percent of the vote for Ahmadinejad and 33.75 percent for Mousavi and a record turnout of a 85 percent of Iran’s 46.2 million eligible voters, the turmoil is far from over.  Many analysts saw this election  as being much closer, and not a landslide victory for Ahmadinejad. Most saw Mousavi winning the election. But alas, like elections here in the US, things arent always what the pre-polling and analysts seem. Yet the shear magnitude of the victory does lead to validity questions, because even in the best of elections analysts get it wrong, but in those cases the vote is usually much closer, and the outcome much tighter. I do find it hard to believe that Ahmadinejad, who was behind in the polls, could make up such a voting gap when many Iranians were angered with him and his policies. I find it even more disturbing that the Guardian Council admitted voting irregularities of signifigance, and then a day later, towed the party line and ruled out fraud as a factor in the election. Now it is up to the people to maintain a voice.

In additional news…Kenya had refused military assistance to Somalia and stated that this operation should be an AU run operation which I agree with in part. Yes, any intervention needs to be a coalition operation, but the AU is not strong enough by itself to complete the magnitude of what is being asked. Heck the US went in to Somalia in the early 90s and got our asses handed to us on a silver platter. While admittedly we werent preparded for that sort of tactical warfare at the time, it still is a huge problem area that would require more than some AU peacekeeping forces on the ground. To even begin stabalization of that country would require diplomatic negotiations between Ethiopia and Eritrea (so that both would stop using Somalia as a battleground) and would require a huge counterinsurgency strategy with a huge emphasis on public relations. Because even if you can get in there and establish order in Mogadishu, you have a huge problem of Somali people historically not liking any outsiders on their soil and often taking up arms and uniting against said forces. Then after the outsider is dispelled comes the tribal rivalries and internal fighting again. Its a vicious cycle in Somalia and without a global campaign, nothing will dent the chaos in that country.

In Guantanamo news, a federal judge ruled in the Rassak case that he was to be freed. In case you havent followed the case at all, a video tape of Rassak was found among the Taliban showing him as a suicide martyr for Al-Qaida, however, in reality he was being held by Al-Qaida and was being tortured as a suspected American spy. A closer examination of the video showed he was being tortured during its making. The federeal government argued that he still held some loyalties to his captors and was still part of the terrorist network that had tortured, imprisoned and abandoned him. The Judge ruled that the federal governments logic defied common sense and has ordered his release. It is actually disturbing me that the government would make an arguement like this when the video was made while the victim was under distress…I wonder if this would have happened to any of the POWs of the Korean War should they have been tortured and taped, and then placed on trial too?

Later!

Freedom to Protest, Chaos in Somalia, and the 1 Billion… June 21, 2009

Well I didnt get around to blogging last night, which was just sad, cause it was World Refugee Day!  But I was watching the news, and researching things as usual…and there is plenty to discuss tonight!

So lets jump into the madness, and begin with Iran. Im not sure how many people reading this blog have been following whats been going on in Tehran, but I thik we are truly witnessing something beyond protests, beyond, angry voters, I think we are beginning to witness a falling of a regime. The only downside is whether the Ayatollah will enforce a dictatorship. or whether there will be a coup. Either way its very dangerous for the Western nations and the Middle East as a Region. Right now Iran is one of the more stable countries in the region and has been for the past 30+ years. Thats not to say that it hasnt had its issues clashing with western human rights ideologies over the years, but economically and politically it was stable. If a coup or dictatorship occurs, there is bound to be more unrest in an already unstable region. An unstable Iran is the last thing the world needs right now.  But if for some reason, the Ayatollah is able to restabalize Iran without a coup or dictatorship…then these events lend credence to the Wests apprehension about Irans nucleur ambitions. If they cant control protestors (and Im not talking a freedom to voice opposition, but violence and chaos) then how can they effectively control weaponry responsibly? Regardless though, Ahmadinejad and Khamenei have been using this time to blame the US and other Western countries like England for the events in their country. My personal favorite is the US is paying terrorists in Iraq to come across the border and create violence in Iran. Hahahaha! Seriously?! If the US could pay the terrorists to do anything it would be to stop fighting the military so we could get out of Iraq and Afghanistan. I dont think the US has the sway with the militants to get them to attack Iran!  But sadly, there are people in Iran that probably believe the Ayatollah when he says it. There may not be many but they do exist.  Just like there are people here who still believe the Holocaust didnt happen. No amount of proof will disuade them which is sad, because for me, education is all about having your beliefs challenged so that you can grow as a person!  So, to all those protestors out there, keep challenging the beliefs, ideologies, assumptions…let your voice ring clear! Neda!

Also in the news, was Somalias request that Ethiopia send in troops to help them disband the militants…which Ethiopia rejected, stating that it would nee to be an interntaionally sanctioned course of action before Ethiopia aids Somalia. This is not surprising, but rellay the only backing Ethiopia is really looking for is the United States. It acted starting in  2001 with US support to aid the Temporary Somali government reestabligh control over Mogadishu…and with that backing came technical and military support since the US was also acting under a Global War of Terror mindset, and making that deal would allow the US to target Extremesit camps in Somalia and Ethiopia without compromising sovereignty.  Sneaky we are!  But I wouldnt expect to see the US so eager to support it this time without most of the European powers supporting it as well. The last thing the US needs is to be tied officially or unofficially to chaos in Somali (excluding Pirates). However, because of that pirate problem, its may happen that the world leaders decide to support AU and Ethiopian intervention under the right pretext…we shall see!

And in even more disappointing news, World hunger numbers hit 1 Billion. This is in part due to the economic crisis around the globe. Higher food prices=increased hunger.  Just in case you cant put that in perspective…that is 1/6 of the worlds population…1 in 6 are starving. Time to support Heifer International again!

Later!

Discrimination, stupidity, and embracing differences June 19, 2009

Well this weekend is my 10th High School Reunion…and I am gladly half way around the world from where the events are taking place. Im sure Ill hear all kinds of news soon enough, but Im not sure that Im all that upset about missing it. Im actually rather glad to be where I am and working on my MA. Cause that means I will soon be elsewhere…preferably back in Africa!  But too all those Burg Alum out there…have fun and harrass Stella for me! I hear Ryan already has!

I think its sad that when running for office or being nominated and appointed to an office…someone is forced to give up things that are no apparent hinderance on performance all because someone makes a big deal out of it. In case you havent pieced together where this little rant is going…im talking about Sotomayer quiting the womans club that she belongs too because the GOP says that it practices discrimination. Um…how many all male cigar clubs are there out there? And Im going to go out on a limb that some clubs that GOP officials are members in discriminate more then an all womens club.  Justice Kennedy also faced similar pressures about being a member of an all male Olympic Club when he was confirmed and he too resigned from it because of his nomination. For a country that is diverse, we place too much emphasis on discrimination and those differences…when will we move past this stupidity and let people be who they are for what they are, whether you agree with them or not. If this was a case where being a member would impact job performance then I could understand, but as far as Im aware…hanging out with other women and organizing events doesnt mean you cant rule on legal issues…it just means you have a social life. Heck I wonder if there are any lawyers who attend Pampered Chef parties and whether the local courts would question their ability to serve.  My advice ….Get over it!

Has anyone else watched Whale Wars on Animal Planet?! I cant decide if I enjoy the show or if Im actually just hooked while I watch some crazy, unplanning, uncoorinated efforts to intervene fail miserably or decisions lead them into stupid situations (ice anyone?!) While I agree that Japan is manipulating the Whaling laws to their advantage…I dont agree that these environmental crazies are the equivalent to Al-Queda which is how many Japanese see them. I actually couldnt help but laugh at their direct action tactics involving stink bombs. Im not sure how stink bombs will stop whaling but Im sure it smells to high heaven on that one Japanese ship now.  The thing I find the most disturbing about it is the environmentalists lack of compassion for human life.  Several are almost cold at the news of death.  Yes whales are creatures worth saving, but how are you going to save them if everyone is dead? Theres a fine line that needs to be walked between hating and respecting your enemy and they are failing to do so.

Ok Im done with my rants for the night…

Later!

Golden vending machines, the DUI barstool, and some North Korean charm June 18, 2009

Well the tradewinds have arrived and along with those blessed heat relieving winds came the rain…which I will gladly take right now because it too is giving my sweat glands a break from the 90 degree weather! Its been a relaxing past day or two. Ive been surfing the web…but not only for leisure…ive been pumping away at a paper due Sunday on NGO websites…and ive discovered that its kinda hard to analye websites becuase they always put theire best foot forward and hide their flaws. Oh well…its a good thing that im good at digging through good to find the bad!

In case you missed it, the military out here in HI has been put on alert due to North Korea. With a shipping vessel leaving North Korean ports carrying unknown things and them test firing a missile aiming it at HI…mortality has risen on my radar. At first when I heard the news I thought…ahh just another Kim Jong Il stunt…then I remembered that I live in HI now..not only that but I live on Oahu with all those military bases…somehow I dont think the missile is aimed at all the cows on Molokai! Oh well…Im not really afraid of death…if it happens it happens…and if it happens to be by nuke then so be it! At least its not death by fish!

In more news about crazy people…a man in Delaware decided it was going to be a good idea to set off fireworks in a local Arbys bathroom…and no one knows why because the man evaded the police…but if his goal was to sink a toilet then he succeeded!

A few months back I blogged about the DUI bar stool event in Ohio…well the man was contemplating selling the stool after he got alot of interest in it…until the Licking County Child Support Agency got wind of it and told him that if he sold it the money would have to go to the $37000 back owed child support he owes…so instead he offfered them the barstool and told them to sell it themselves.

Hmmm…it looks like someone forgot that the economy was bad.  Some German company decided to create a vending machine that will despense gold in ornamental boxes for $42. However, the creator argues that he came up with the idea of gold dispensers just before Lehman Brothers collapsed in September and was further convinced by a heightened interest in the precious metal as a hedge against inflation as the financial crisis rippled around the globe.  Yes…let me pump $42 of my hard earned money (ok..well my financial aid money anyways) into a vending machine so I can get a box of gold that cn sit on a shelf. Yes..it may be gold and worth more then the cash in my wallet…but that cash can buy me food..so ill keep my cash…its called survival.

Later!

High Rider, Just say no, and some IHOP madness June 16, 2009

Well its been awhile since Ive blogged on Odd news from around the world…so I will do just that tonight!

Did you know that Iowa has a joyride known as the Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade…it obviously involves riding tractors on a 50 mile trek across Iowa…Thats one slow ride but I cant help but wonder if those John Deeres are decked out with coolers and all the accessories….just dont be drinking while driving or you will get a DUI!

Well there are a couple of things to learn from the next story…one, peer pressure can lead to stupid things…and two, look where you are going! A group of women decided to do a dine and dash in Detroit…so at the local IHOP they were chased out of the restaurant by the cashier and thats when the chaos ensued. One of the women lost control of the Mercury Cougar as the group drove away, crashing through the restaurant’s wall and smashing at least one large window. Um if you decide to dine and dash, then dont drive back into the restaurant!

There seems to be an identity crisis going on at a New York race track where a moose has decided that hes a horse and ready to race. Im all for Bullwinkle by a nose! But sadly, the moose didnt make it to the gate let alone the winners circle, because local wildlife officers came and tranqed him and informed him that there was no such thing as species-change operation and that Bullinkle had to go back to the wild…

Remember when you were told to just say no…well I think all owners of animals now need to teach this lesson to their pets. A black Lab that ran off from its owner in Seattle’s Seward Park found and ate some marijuana and got high. $1500 dollars later and some well deserved time of rest and relaxation and Jack the lab is fine….but during that time of rest and relaxation all I can imagine is a black lab lifting his leg to pee and falling over…oh Casey Binski how you will live forever in my mind!

Well Im off to relax myself!

Later!

Iranian elections, gecko wrestling, and some good news on Bemba June 15, 2009

Ive been watching all the media coverage over the Iranian elections the past several days and am amazed at all of it. First, the both candidates declare victory (remind anyone of 2000?) and then the elections are called faulty/rigged, etc(remember the chads and supposed vote tampering?), and then there was rioting…ok well maybe the last one didnt happen so much back in the 2000 election, but it did lead to some heated cross country politics in the US.  Im also amazed that we are actually getting as much media coverage of the events as we are knowing that Iran isnt a country where the world gets easy media access (although anything is better then North Korea!). I am actually proud of the protesters, because they are taking to heart the Howard Zinn quote…”Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.” Without differing views, beliefs, and personalities, a culture, and a country at that, will fail to continue and thrive. So for me, these protests over the election are a sign that the Iranian people are wanting to ensure the survival of their culture, customs, and country…even if they disagree with the outcome. While the violent nature is sad, in many ways violence is inevitable when you have such heated debate and such a passionate belief on what has transpired.  Now we just have to wait and see how the recount goes…

And if following all the madness in Iran wasnt enough, Im forced back into the NFL drama known as Brett Favre. He has announced that in a few weeks he will know whether his arm will be repaired enough to un-retire…again…Im kinda sick of all this drama, and if he does go to MN then have fun Vikings. I cant wait to watch the rollercoaster ride of a season and then the even more tumultuous offseason!

And in another bit of world news…Jean-Pierre Bemba will be standing trial at the ICC! The former DRC militia leader and VP is accused of 5 counts of war crimes for murder, rape, and pillaging. Its nice to see that his pretrial investigation yielded that they had enough evidence to proceed to trial…i only hope that the trial is covered by the media…and I mean the US media, cause BBC and Le Monde are all over it already. It would be nice to see the ICC be successful in convictions fo crimes against humanity becuase it would re-enforce the fact that if you act against others, regardless of the justification, it can haunt you!

Off to watch some Travel Channel…oh and some Gecko wrestling that is currently going on on my window. (4 geckos are fighting each other)

Later!

Things Ive learned from TV today June 13, 2009

Well I have spent the day watching travel channel and food network and enjoying Man v. Food and the many food network challenges. Oh how I wish I owned my own restaurant! Josh has decided hes going to have his own travel channel show where he travels the world looking for the best pizza. I told him he had to go to Marions and Rons…

While wactching TV today, I learned that Man v Food thinks that the government should replacing waterboarding with ludafisk eating…Cause its the nastiest thing ever to eat. So if you are ever offered this “fish” just say no!

I also discovered that Hawaiians get tourist ads here. In case no one realizes, the place that locals want to go for vacation is Vegas. They love their gambling and fun. Yet somehow Michigan has decided that Hawaiians need to come to Michigan for a wonderful vacation experience. Um…the fact that I have seen this commercial over 10 times today tells me many things…that Michigan is desperate to replace the auto industry with one made of tourists, and that based off their ad itself they plan on not featuring anything of the state except the GM building in downtown Detroit and some random park scenes. I think they shoulda featured the purple people eater!  That is the best thing there is about Michigan…well at least the Detroit area.

I also have discovered that Hawaii ads on tv tend to be about anything and everything, even if the places they are advertising for aren’t even on the island. Like Outback, Sonic, and Applebees. If they are on Oahu, no one I know has ever seen them, yet we get their advertisements here. My facorite was the Outback commercial offering a Fathers Day special, and in the bottom corner of the screen there was a disclaimer for Guam and Hawaii not being included in the deal. There must be an Outback somewhere on one of the islands, but I have yet to find it on Oahu.

Well Im off to watch more Man v Food

Later!

The Akaka bill, skydiving Bush, and is it really a Pandemic? June 12, 2009

Ahh…another hot day in Hawaii. Living here has only confirmed that I am in fact a cold weather girl! Somehow Ill survive though.

Well for all of you back in Ohio who heard all about the sovereignists here in Hawaii….you will enjoy this. Currently in Congress there is a bill known as the “Akaka bill” which would create a process for Native Hawaiian self-governance. Yes the sovereignists attempts to retake Hawaii by breaking into Iolani Palace’s throne room seems like the idiots guide to overthrowing a government. Wait, it was the idiots…oh well.  This new legislation though is smart, working from within the system. Hmm…wonder if they read my anarchy paper? What this bill intends to do… in addition to the political future of the Native Hawaiian people, is control over some 1.8 million acres of land that many Native Hawaiians believe was taken from them illegally in the United States’ annexation of Hawai’i in 1898. Passing the bill would provide for negotiations on the disposition of Native Hawaiian land, natural resources and other assets. Although some of the sovereignists here would love nothing more than to see the US and its people leave the island alltogether, at least this bill seems to be making an attempt to realign the native rights with modern issues. We’ll see how it all pans out.

In other news, the first President Bush spent his birthday crossing off another item on his bucket list…he went skydiving…at the age of 85.  I so would do this at any age, so good for him!

Hmm…i havent been paying that close of attention to the Swine flu drama..but after WHO upgraded it to a pnademic earlier this week, and now with almost 18,000 confirmed cases in the US, im taking a look again. Ok lets see…with 303,824,640 people in the US and 18,000 people with swine flu, that means that there is a 0.00005 percent chance that you will get swine flu. Now if you live in proximity to someone who has been diagnosed or know someone who was diagnosed, then your chances rise, but Im still wondering why WHO decided to raise it to a pandemic.  I know they argue that its spread to enough countries, but there is probably a greater chance of dying in a car accident then getting swine flu…yet everywhere i go, i see people wearing masks. Oh well, maybe doctors masks will be the next fashion trend and will be seen on the Paris runways.

Well Im off to watch random comedy central tv shows with Josh…

Later!