Being Annoying = Win!

Wow, lots of incoherent drivel in this post - a little shameless self-promotion, a little philosophy, and some epic motivational material.

Pushing the Establishment... and Yourself

I don't know if this is really a Colin Powell quote, but if it is, my respect for him went up dramatically:

In my pubescent years, and to a lesser extent today, I'd purposely piss people off just watch their reactions. Perhaps not one of my greatest strengths, playing devil's advocate is just part of my personality - particularly with authority figures who use their status to try and make people drink the cool-aid.

Some of my professors/teachers loved the challenge, most would just get annoyed.

Reunification of the Koreas Part II: Brainwashing

There is a great documentary by Natural Geographic about a doctor who goes to North Korea and performs surgery for cataracts on dozens of people over the course of only a few days. The doctor's team brings along its own medical supplies and even an electric generator.

Virtually every blind North Korean interviewed prior to surgery states that the most important reason they want the surgery is so they can see the face of their now deceased leader Kim Jong-Il.

Following the completion of the surgery, one by one the North Koreans prostrate themselves to a picture of Kim (referred to as "The Great Leader") in gratitude of the surgery. While not exactly rude, the doctor's team that conducted the surgery were of secondary consideration. It is quite a shocking and powerful scene to watch, and I could hardly imagine what it would have been like to see it in person.

Reunification of the Koreas Part 1: HA! Good Luck...

I've read that the most successful blogs tend to focus on one specific topic. Therefore, it makes complete sense for me to write about North Korea next! I mean, I covered the environment. I covered Syria. Therefore discussing my boy Kim Jong-Un is the logical next posting... yes, that makes total sense. That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

                                          Kim Jong-Un is about to go ham on that concrete wall... Karate Chop!

I've always had a certain fascination with North Korea, and if you search YouTube for videos and documentaries on the Hermit Kingdom, its obvious I'm not alone. 

Perhaps its one of those "forbidden fruit" complexes since we have such little contact and information on the country. Some of you guys (and girls?) out there know - a girl (or guy?) can potentially be more attractive when dressed modestly then if they wear some of the more... risque outfits that pop up on a Saturday night.

Imagination is a powerful tool =].

A more politically correct answer is the fascinating sharp contrast between fiction and the reality of North Korean society. I bet visiting North Korea is like going to a Renaissance fair on steroids... with the absence of crappy mead and the addition of fear and death.

Anyways, enough intro-Drivels. Time to get into the meat - or beans if your a vegetarian.

US floundering: Syria, Arab Spring, and Indecision

I was feeling a little reflective today:

                                                                                                              Courtesy of Syrian-Freedom

I have a secret. Despite being an American, I prefer listening to BBC News Hour over NPR. Shh....

Yesterday I was listening to the BBC and it was talking about the parliamentary vote in Britain which (at the time) would decide whether the country would take a more active role in fighting ISIS in Syria.

Part way through the Program, they interviewed a Member of Parliament (MP) who would be voting against additional military action. The MP's thesis was essentially, "What do we hope to gain out of it? What is our end goal? What can we realistically call a success?"

As expected, the bill pass, and British bombs are already falling over Syria. However, the vote did show that a large percentage of the British population agree with the MP. I too think he has made a few very valid points - the same points the U.S. has been trying to answer since the started of the War on Terror.