Oct 09
This is the world the Bush administration has helped create. A world where nuclear weapons are spreading. Eventually something very, very bad is going to happen.
See Glenn Greenwald’s blog for his take on the situation. (There’s no need for me to recreate the wheel)
More from Gleen Greenwald: Iraq vs. North Korea
I wonder what we can do to change this course we seem to be on.
Permanent link to this article: http://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2006/10/a-brave-new-world/
Oct 06
Perhaps the harshest mainstream critic of the Bush Administration is Keith Olbermann of MSNBC. In resent weeks he has used the “Special Comments” section of his show Countdown to intelligently attack the stupidity of the administration. Finally more of the media is beginning to wake up and acknowledge the uniqueness of his work. (from the Washington Post)
It amazes me (and Olbermann) the stuff that comes out of the Bush Administration. The seem to try to bend everything to perpetuate a culture of fear. Trying to make us blind to the principles from our constitution that they are infringing on every day. Make no mistake, if we continue down the road set out by this administration, we will be attacked again. The actions of this administration do not protect us. We are heading towards some sort of theocracy. That is not a country I want to be a part of.
Permanent link to this article: http://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2006/10/olbermanns-special-comments/
Oct 04
This was a quick easy read. Murakami’s first book published in English, it is not near as complex as his current stuff. However, there is still much to be had from this novel. The style of this book foreshadows where his style will go in his later works.
All and all, I don’t have much to say about the novel itself. While I still enjoyed it a lot, it is probably my least favorite of his novels (and the only one I have left to read, is the “sequel” to this one). This would make a great traveling book.
Permanent link to this article: http://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2006/10/a-wild-sheep-chase-a-novel/
Oct 03
In this post (Love and Sin) i briefly talk about the idea of sin being a rejection of love. I was recently asked how something relatively common, such as a lie, how that would be a rejection of love. It’s an interesting question, that I’m not really sure has a right answer.
In my quote by Merton, he states that the rejection of love is “the pattern and prototype of all sin.” Before diving to far into my thoughts, I want to define some terms:
Permanent link to this article: http://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2006/10/love-and-sin-revisited/
Oct 03
dreaming and loving
through ink sacrificed to page
worlds created
more sweet serenity (books) from one deep breath
Permanent link to this article: http://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2006/10/one-deep-breath-books/
Oct 03
The scandal developing around former US House Rep. Mark Foley just blows my mind. First of all, the breach of trust by the congressman is staggering. But perhaps even more unsettling to me is the spin being put on this by the Republican leadership. I’ve seen spin at first trying to down play the seriousness of the emails to even claiming that Foley was a “victim” of the 16 yr old boy. WTF? are you kidding me. What is even more surreal about this whole thing, is that Foley helped craft the legislation that more than likely will should land him in jail.
Here is an excellent post on some of the aspects of the Foley scandal from Glenn Greenwald’s blog Unclaimed Territory: Various Foley Scandal Items
What should be even more troubling to the administration and Republican leadership, is that it increasingly looks like this scandal could consume the upper echelons of the Republican House leadership. The current Speaker of the House and House Majority leader have both been suspected of trying to cover up the Foley matter. For details read this post from Greenwald’s blog: John Boehner = Denny Hastert plus Key Questions for Tom Reynolds. Even the conservative Washington Times is calling for Hastert to resign.
So three high ranking Republicans were at least at some level involved in a cover up. At least until the evidence was to great to overcome. Then it was on to spin city.
I really don’t know what it means to be an American right now. I’m really not sure it is something to be proud of. I wonder if it is possible to restore what we’ve lost as a country in the past six years.
Update: This is ridiculous! According to Mr. Foley’s attorney, Mr. Foley was abused by clergy as a child and is gay.
So now the spin is trying to make this a “gay” issue. As I read on another blog earlier, they are right, in one way it is a gay issue. The fact that this man had hide who he was, be ashamed of who he was, because our so called “Christian” nation looked down on him is deplorable. However, whatever may have happened to him as a child is still no justification for his actions. His actions would have been just as disgusting if they were directed to a female congressional page.
Permanent link to this article: http://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2006/10/who-is-this-america/
Oct 02
Seen at lunch today sitting outside the med school cafeteria:
You can buy it here
*Sad it looks like the graphic (and t-shirt) are no longer available – 20 Aug 08
Permanent link to this article: http://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2006/10/t-shirt-wisdom-of-the-day/
Oct 02
I really enjoy novels that deal with the conflict between east and west. One of my favorite contemporary novelists is Salman Rushdie, whose novels all deal with this conflict in one way or another. Up to this point, the majority of my experience with this conflict has been from India/Pakistan/Afghanistan and the West. So when my boss let me borrow this book I was definitely intrigued.
The book is set in Northeast Turkey in essentially a border town. This town has been part of Armenia, Russia and Turkey. What for me was one of the most interesting things about this novel is the conflict with secular Turkey and those wanting a religious Turkey. It was another layer to the East/West concept that isn’t touched to the same level of detail as Rushdie’s novels.
The novel is narrated by the eponymous novelist friend of the poet Ka. Orhan (the narrator) is visiting both Kars and Frankfurt trying to make sense of Ka’s murder in Germany and find a lost collection of poetry written while Ka was in Kars. In the early parts of the novel however, the narrator is only identified as a friend of Ka’s. The story is told from Ka’s point of view with the narrator occasionally foreshadowing events before Ka would know them. It isn’t until the later chapters of the book that the narrator really steps out as his own character in the book.
I really enjoyed this book. While none of the poems actually are actually in the book, the inspiration for Ka’s poems is evident. Pamuk’s description of Kars and the effect of the snow is beautiful (despite describing poverty and depression often). I also think that looking at Turkey and its culture and society is a good place for westerners to begin to understand the conflict between Islam and the west.
On another note, Orhan Pamuk is often mentioned as a leading candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature in the near future. British oddsmakers Ladbrokes has Pamuk as its favorite for the prize this year. It was also speculated that he was under serious consideration for the Prize in 2005 (eventually awarded to British playwright Harold Pinter).
Permanent link to this article: http://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2006/10/snow/
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