Amsterdam in May, Roland Garros in June

Plans

Plans for the next few posts:

Tomorrow night: My travel plans

Tuesday night: Something about Danny and me

Amazing Race

The teams have been to so many cool places. They were at Guam tonight! I'd like to go.

Caribou and Wolves: The Endless Dance

Across the top of North America, millions of caribou are led on their never-ending journey by the mothers of the herd. Driven by the demands of motherhood, they travel 3000 miles on a trek from their winter range at the edge of the northern forests to calving grounds and back again.

The senior female members are the leaders of the matriarchic society that are the caribou. As winter sets in in the Northern tundra, the female caribou with their antlers, eight weeks pregnant, guide the herd to begin the annual pilgrimage. The males, without antlers at this time of year, follow the lead of the females. Throughout this journey, their constant companions the wolf packs trail them ceaselessly.

The caribou keep themselves to open ground for visibility of their predators. The wolves are not far behind. The largest females sometimes surround the wolves by running around them in circles. They prance and trot around the wolves, their gait like an ancient dance, as if to show off their strength and speed.

More Comments

Sue said:

Either Jon or Steven Colbert had an expert on that wrote a book about Islamic factions (Shite & Sunni) in Iraq and compared them to earthquake faults. There is an enormous fault line running right through the middle of the country and Saddam was able to keep control of it with force, and things have fallen apart since we introduced democracy. If we leave, the 'big one' will hit and the nation will be destroyed. Did you hear that interview? I found it very enlightening. So, I don't think it will make a difference if we go or not. These people have to make it on their own.

My reply:

Unfortunately I didn't.

A friend of mine who's a Shiite Muslim told me that it's taught somewhere that the biggest enemies of their religion are not the Christians/Jews/hedonists but the Sunnis and likewise the Shiites are for the Sunnis.

But he (like most other Muslims who are peace-loving) doesn't think that means Shiites and Sunnis should kill each other like they're doing in Iraq now.

In my humble opinion, I think what's happening now is a shift in power from the Sunnis to the Shiites, which is igniting old enmities and grievances among those who lost power and those with scores to settle. Most of the common folks in Iraq would love peace.

You're right in that, unfortunately, it is the minority that is prone to resorting to violence who have the guns and the bombs, and they are causing turmoil and inciting hatred. And it does seem more than likely now that they are winning the day.

I think I might be naive but I'm still hoping for something that America can do, since we went in and messed things up, despite the original good intentions. (Arguably, the American public believed that we went to war to spread democracy and rid the country of a despot. But it is sad that the majority of soldiers and ordinary Americans believed this, even though it may very well have been just a sweet-sounding ideal, far from reality, that we were led or misled to believe.) Notwithstanding, even though the outlook in Iraq (that is portrayed to us by the media) seems more and more dire, I think to up and leave now may be premature. On the other hand, it may ultimately be, as you say, Sue, that whether we're there or not would make no difference.

However, I don't really know, and I don't think many people know either. Even experts hold different opinions, depending on their leanings, I dare say. All I can say, for sure, is that this should be a lesson learnt, don't go to war for unjustified reasons, and when it was clear (to me it was very clear in 2003, at least) that such a war would cause more extremist hatred.

Comments on my previous post

Chris said...

if bush duped us then kerry, clinton, schumer, and all those democrat idiots did too since they had in their possession the exact same confidential CIA report. When clinton and kerry were asked about receiving the cia documents, they did not deny having the same docs as bush and his administration. when asked if they read it - both their answers were -- 'well i read bits and pieces of it'... so i wish people like you would get your facts straight before just blaming a man just because you hate the poor guy and it's what everyone else is doing. he made a bad mistake just like the rest of them but it's VERY hard to just up and leave. it may look like there's chaos in Iraq now but if we DO just up and leave, it'll worsen and not just for Iraq but also for America. .. and i speak from experience - i was an air force pilot & commander in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq from the very beginning. Yes, Even I disagree with Bush once in a while but please cut the guy just a little break. I can't even imagine how he sleeps at night with all the stress, the threats, and knowing how bad Iraq looks in the public's eye. If Kerry was in office, I still wouldn't wish him harm like you and the liberals wish on Bush.

My reply:

Chris, I don't know if you're ever gonna be reading this, but I never wished him harm. I never did say anything about upping and leaving either. And I never said anything about the democrats at all. If there is any chance you'd read what I wrote again, I hope you'd understand that I'm angry for the fact that a senseless unjustified war was fought. Please don't read this in a hurtful way. And I'm terribly, terribly angry. And who knows what happened in the depths of political offices? If there wasn't deliberate cover-up, then I'm really very disappointed at how some people ever thought a war like this one would solve anything. If there was something deliberate, then that's something that shouldn't be forgotten.

You assume that I have Democrat leanings, and I am a so-called "liberal", but I only support what I believe in, neither do I understand the word "liberal". I believe in liberty, protection of the environment, social equality and fraternity (that includes basic rights for all people and yes, gay people), love and peace. I believe that America would be a better place if there were no guns altogether. But does that make me a fucking Democrat or a "liberal"? I hope we would all stop giving each other labels. I believe in what I believe in, not in some shit political classification.

I wrote: "Fuck you, your misguided policies, your fucked-up war on terror". I'm not ashamed to say that I believe the policies are misguided and the "war on terror", in regards to what is happening after Iraq, is also being waged disastrously. I am still angry because I believe the policy of going to war in Iraq has spawned more terrorists than it destroyed. So I am profoundly angry. "You" refers to not Bush, but everyone who is responsible, the "ones who are responsible for all those lies".

I did not say we should up and leave, but that we shouldn't have gone in in the first place. I have every due respect for the people who are sacrificing themselves, and I support every good soldier. I don't envy Bush's position and, needless to say, I can't pass judgement on his personal character. I am just livid at the numbers of lives lost and the possible repercussions because of the mistakes of this administration, the original undertaking deliberately engineered or otherwise. And this anger is compounded by all the other policies I am against.

And believe it or not, I also think just packing our bags is not the right solution. But I don't know what's worse. Sure we have a responsibility to do our best to right the situation, but are we creating a whole lot more terrorists in the long run? I don't know the solution, do you hear me Chris -- which is why I am so pissed! Because this mistake is so costly. And I am so angry because it seems to me that there was selective misinterpretation of data. I understand you are sympathetic to their predicament, and perhaps rightly so, but we will never know if there was any deliberate misinterpretation. And all those lives lost...

I know it might have been hurtful my tone, and I know people like you have courageously offered your lives for the country, and I don't ever mean to diminish what has been fought for. Yes, Iraq is free of a cruel dictatorship, there is chance of better lives for the Iraqis. But I just am fucking pissed whenever I think that it's not ever so simple. How I wish that it will be a happy ending. But reality still hangs in the balance. Chaos, more bloodshed, hate. Of course it's easy to say now that we all could have seen this.

I don't like to discuss politics and all, and do you see why, Chris? Because there are perfectly sound, sensible and I dare say, good, people like you who happen to see things from another perspective, and it's tough to see through all the negativity. It's tough for me definitely but I try and I don't think I succeed. Neither do I think anyone really does. The only thing I regret about my previous post is my tone -- perhaps I have been too vindictive, and if so, I apologize. And if it had been hurtful to the guys who sacrificed themselves, I am sorry but I don't mean it in that way. Love and peace is what I stand for, but if that has to be fought for in this way, like so many other things, and I'm but a goddamn fucker, then it will suck for me. I don't suppose you would've read this far, or even revisited my blog, but if you did, I hope you see beyond my anger, and try to understand why I'm feeling this, like I tried to understand your viewpoint. Yes, I think I do somewhat understand, but I am still very angry, and I know anger is harmful and I will try to let it go away. Oh yeah, I welcome any more comments, because you sound like a decent thinking guy...

Sincerely.


Note on April 27, 2007

I made an editorial change to my writing, because I felt I used the wrong word in the heat of the moment. Tonight I saw clips of John McCain's appearance with Jon Stewart. I felt a little sickened. John McCain seems like a good guy, you know. Political haranguing unsettles me, comedy became the presenter's political platform. Everything becomes completely polarized, when it needn't have been.

Bill Moyers' Journal : "Buying the War"

Documentary on how the Bush regime duped America into the Iraq war, and how the American press gave obscenely biased coverage in favor of those who trumpeted war. Phil Donahue is my new hero for the day!

My heart is filled with rage for all the goddamn politicians on Capitol Hill who lied through their teeth. The day I read that there were no WMD's in Iraq, that there were no links between Al Qaeda and Saddam, was the day I realized that the ones responsible for all those lies are the villains who sent patriotic American soldiers to an immoral war, who are responsible for all the deaths that are happening to soldiers and ordinary civilians in Iraq, and who may ultimately be responsible for perpetuating the cycle of hate. Fuck you, your misguided policies, your fucked-up "war on terror".

All of you narrow-minded, dogmatic scum, that's you, O'Reilly, Coulter, and all of you who I care not to name, you deserve shit.

America, read the BBC, CBC, etc. for balanced, sensible, perceptive information.

From Kai -- In support of liberty, equality and fraternity.

Frontline -- Hot Politics

Watched a documentary on WETA on global warming and american politics. Fascinating!

Lazboy will wake up early tomorrow to swim in the morning.

I watch Will and Grace not because they're gay

But they're so funny tonight!

That's all for the night, fellas

Past the 45. Haven't written about Gasquet, my wonderful trip next month, Danny, my thoughts.

I lie here dreaming.

Signing off for the night with a boy.

Something about danny and something about myself (III)

I'm thinking of a whole lot of things, but before I go into that, can you guess on which two islands did I grow up? I used to ride the funicular railway up a beautiful hill for the spectacular panorama.


I played on the beaches of the island.


I loved climbing the steps of this temple and tossing veges for the tortoises in the huge rocky pit.



At the age of five, I moved to this island of gleaming skyscrapers. I went to the school with the brightest students and studied hard. Almost everyone else studied harder. I didn't study very hard like the others because school textbooks bored me! I preferred lugging a huge Atlas or encyclopaedia volumes into the toilet to read. Sometimes I spent an hour sitting there reading. Talk about strange habits. That was when I discovered I could probably study anything I wanted and be reasonably good. But I remember my favorite subject in high school (and college, and grad school) were Japanese for a long time, then French when I did that, and finally German
(but I think I like Japanese and French better).

I was an honest, frank, and cheerful boy.

I was twenty when I crossed the ocean to come to America. I toyed with studying law at the university back home, because I wanted to fight for justice, fairness and equality, but I wanted to come here and explore the world! So I came. Oh, before that, I did a two-year stint in the army, because I had to. Boy, was that an experience (a pretty horridly exciting one)!

But anyway I was out of there.

Sunday 2145

Let's see how much I can write within the next 45 minutes.

Wild Kingdom

On Animal Planet's Wild Kingdom tonight, a leopard seal caught a penguin and offered it to the undersea photographer! To her bewilderment, the man didn't take it, so she let the penguin go. Seal and man looked at each other, wondering what was going on in each other's complex minds, before seal swam away into the depths.

Male Corps

SPC. RICHARD MAWER
U.S. ARMY

STATUS: RESERVE
LOCATION: ILLINOIS

STATS: 29/6'1"/185/BLUE EYES/BROWN HAIR/SMOOTH HARD BODY/GREAT ASS

LOOKING FOR: REGULAR GUYS - NOT GYM BUNNIES OR BARFLIES

INTO: GUYS, VERSATILE

E-MAIL: Richard@MALECORPS.COM


LT. SCOTT TEMPLETON
SEAL TEAM 7, PLATOON ALPHA
TACTICAL ASSAULT

STATUS: ACTIVE DUTY
LOCATION: CLASSIFIED

STATS: 28/5'8"/165/BROWN EYES/BROWN HAIR/LEAN MUSCULAR/DEFINED/7 INCHES CUT

LOOKING FOR: SEX WITH STRANGERS... PEOPLE WATCHING EACH OTHER MASTURBATE BEFORE FUCKING...

INTO: HOCKEY, BASEBALL, LIFTING WEIGHTS, STAYING FIT... TRAVEL THE WORLD AND ENJOY EROTIC EXPERIENCES IN NEW AND INTERESTING PLACES.

E-MAIL: ScottTempleton@MALECORPS.COM


PO3. CASEY O'CONNORS
U.S. NAVY (SEAL)
NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE UNIT 43

STATUS: ACTIVE DUTY
LOCATION: DEPLOYED IN IRAQ

STATS: 22/5'11"/170/AUBURN/BROWN EYES/VERY DEFINED WITH 6 PACK/8 INCHES

LOOKING FOR: WOMEN WITH GREAT BODIES

INTO: VALE-TUDO, FREESTYLE WRESTLING, LIFTING WEIGHTS, CLUBS AND RUNAWAY MODELING

Laying on the bed thinking of things

Thinking of many things, yea.

There's so many things, but alas, only twenty-four hours.

Please read this about a tragic death.

Something about danny and something about myself (II)

I was born on a faraway island with golden sandy beaches and steep craggy mountains, but grew up on another speck in the sea, less spectacular in natural beauty, but of a greater human vibrance. From a childhood of bathroom-reading and ingenuous wonderings, I wound up in high school with some guys with whom I share the fondest memories. After some bumps and bruises, I found myself in liberal America and figuring out the world together with a bunch I call my Berkeley buddies. Then I made my way across the cornfields to a little college town where I fell in love with swimming. Plunging myself headlong into life, I finally left school and got my first real job, and this is where I find myself today. I miss my friends and family and am thinking of many things.

Sleepy

Photo from Sue's blog - thanks. (Turns me on...)

Too sleepy to write, again. But wanted to write.

Today, good day!

Good night!

Fucking Shit

I fucking hate talking with my mom. I know this sounds really bad, but every time I look forward to getting her call, or calling her to chat, and it turns out to be fucking shitty every time. I never will be able to express my thoughts completely without having to listen to some advice. I try to tell her, for example, that I roasted two chickens, well I'm about to say how I roasted them and how good they turned out, and of course the only things that ever are discussed end up being "make sure you don't leave it for too long" and "too much fat if you cook it this way". You don't know how much better I am watching my diet than most! Well, you fucking do! But you just have to be so fucking naggy! And then we end up talking about those practical things, and suggestions I make fizzle as they are brought under scrutiny. You're so burdensome! And I so fucking hate it now, because I care, and I want better, and we end up talking stupid shit every time!

I so fucking hate it! Fucking hell. Fucking shit.

Something about danny and something about myself (I)

Cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin, March 31, 2007

All kinds of things are said about it, but I say that one loses himself. Over several forthcoming posts, however long it takes to complete, I wish to write a few things about Danny and about myself here. I keep coming back to this, part of me wants to but part of me doesn't, and part of me is beginning to sense that I ought to be finished and done with it soon. One never knows, though.

Tonight is just the short preamble. As usual I run out of time to write. I have had the time to put two pictures up, that's it. Pittsburgh, I wanted to show you the picture, if you recall. But I haven't figured how to take a good picture at low light levels with my camera. So I've put up a photo of the inner harbor in Baltimore instead.


Baltimore inner harbor, a sunny day in early March, 2007