New Weapon in War on Terror

The CIA has devised many new creative ways to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan, and that also includes passing along Viagra to aging tribal chieftains.

World Crises Reveals Russia's True Colors

The world economic woes that are being felt from London to Wall Street to Tokyo are finally showing the major faults of Putin's Russia. The Oligarchs who control numerous companies that produce oil, metals, and other raw materials are going bankrupt, selling large shares of companies and begging the Kremlin for money to keep afloat. And while the billionaires try to keep ahead of the creditors, the fall of oil prices has halted Russia's growth and many believe they are headed towards a recession. High oil prices, which created years of growth in the Russian economy, have deteriorated and threaten to undo the stability created under Putin. Higher prices created jobs and allowed for a consumer culture to develop in Russia making Putin a popular leader, but as the economy slumps and unemployment increases the people are becoming unhappy with their government. Yet, the government is still taking draconian measures by suppressing protest and by keeping the people ignorant of world problems through control of television and the press.

Eygptian offers daughter to Iraqi who threw his show at Bush

According to Reuters, an Egyptian has offered to give his daughter to the reporter who hurled his shoes at President Bush this week. The daughter would be honored by the match. While I don't find this shocking, its actually quite surprising that it did not happen earlier. The Islamic worlds interpretation of honor defiantly skewed from mine. While I think Bush has been a disaster of a president, reporters should refrain from throwing shoes at a foreign dignitary.

Watch Jesus Celebrate his last Birthday

Jesus and his roommate Doug celebrate a combination birthday Christmas

For Movies, Germans want to be Nazis

A Daily Beast article by Caroline Winter about the influx of World War II era films coming out discovers that Germans want to act as Nazis.

"Sure, you’re a Nazi—but you know that, in the end, your going to get your head hacked off,” said a friend of Kage’s who managed to get cast and thus spoke with me anonymously. “That was definitely part of why I wanted to do this."

Lawyers use Facebook to serve papers

According to Reuters, Australian lawyers are now using Facebook to deliver documents to defendants that go on the run.

Melik Kaylan thougths on conservatism

Melik Kaylan's article on how certain modern conservatism ideas puzzle him. I agree with some of his points, but others I find way off base. First, I do agree that conservatives in Washington have moved to a policy of spending in order in boost the economy ie stimulus plans. Conservatism is about saving and investing in order to create wealth not giving consumers money to burn. I also agree that many many people in the conservative states have no understanding of the modern world. Conservative states today take pride in being backwards, rednecks, and hillbillies. And while one should take pride in their heritage, conservatives should be encouraging education in order to create a dynamic workforce that is prepared for the global economy where we will be competing with people from all over the world for jobs. However, this article does not encompass all conservatives, only the those who are easily swayed by propaganda machines of the left and the right.

Dexter

Now that my internship with the NPS is officially over, I spent a couple of hours catching up on one of my favorite shows, Dexter. While I enjoy the show immensely, I cannot understand what it is about me and everyone else that routes for this deranged serial killer. Is it that he only kills "bad guys"? Works for the police? These kind of questions are why I enjoy this show, it vividly depicts the blurry morals that we as humans have always had. While I know Dexter's vigilante behavior removes criminals from the street, he really has no authority to kill anyone guilty or innocent. I really enjoy the moral questions the show raises, and plan to continue watching in the future.

Mountaintop Removal

According to Reuters (here), the Bush administration and the EPA will now be easing restrictions on mountaintop removal through Appalachia. This marks another victory for the big coal companies, and deteriorating the lives and land of the people of Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The ignorance and blatant disrespect by President Bush is outrageous. As a state, West Virginia has voted consistently voted Republican for president, yet we are still low balled by big corporations that are absentee landholders and the government. Apparently now even the EPA doesn’t even care about the mountains of Appalachia; all Washington wants is that sweet energy buried in the ground that powers have the east coast. But will the people of Appalachia ever real benefits of the coal they mine and the sacrifices they make? NO! Big Coal is too busy filling their pockets and those of politicians they need to influence. While I understand that coal is vital to the economic system in Appalachia, what happens when the coal is gone and the people are no longer needed, the mountains have been all blown up, the creeks and streams are polluted, and the wildlife is killed off? Nothing happens, the companies and landowners will go back to their plush east coast offices and find something new to invest in. Mountaintop removal needs to end now. Coal mining needs to and should continue; however, the people of Appalachia deserve and should see some benefit the sacrifice of their homes, land, time, and lives.

Mumbai and the War on Terror

The Mumbai terrorist attacks that broke out this week show why now, more than ever, the war on terror is being fought. While I disagree with the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the war in Afghanistan and the willingness of radical Islamist to murder innocent people in the name of religion prove that the war against terrorism is needed. Islam is a peaceful religion and I respect their tradition; however, I will never understand how believers can murder innocent people in the name of Islam. The terrorist attacks in Mumbai are targeting westerners, yet they have indiscriminately killed hundreds of Indians as well. It appears that the Indian police and army are working hard to end the violence and the last holdouts of the attacks, but shows how simple it is for these terror cells to strike in developing countries. While India blames their neighbors for harboring these terrorist, how has India helped to end the war on terror. Apparently not much except for political in fighting and blaming Pakistan for their problems. The war on terror should involve all countries that stand against terrorism; however, many nations are not willing to place their troops in combat situations in order to protect political power at home. Hopefully these nations will not find themselves in the middle of terror attack such as 9/11, the bombings in Spain (who pulled out of the war on terror), the tube bombings in London, or the attacks in Mumbai because these nations know more than others that terrorist will stop at nothing to see the end of western culture. And while we westerns have our flaws, we do not intentionally murder innocent civilians (at least I hope). The men who have carried out these terrorist attacks are not martyrs as they believe, but traitors to Islam.

The Master and Margarita

This novel is one of the best I have even read. It is sharp, satirical, ironic, and fun, and with its many allusions to Faust, apparently Bulgakov’s favorite characters, and other literary works makes reading enjoyable. Bulgalkov places the reader in Stalin’s Russia before World War II. It begins with a discussion about the existence of God and the devil between a literary critic, a poet, and the devil. The conversation is extremely ironic as Soviet Russia is an atheist country, and the fact that the conversation involves the devil proves the existence of both to the unwitting critic and poet. During the conversation the devil tells the critic that he will die a very unusual death, and so the critic does sending the poet into distress. The devil and his minions then begin reeking havoc and terror throughout Moscow. Bulgakov uses the spirits in a satirical way depicting the social quarks of Soviet Russia. The adventure of these spirits is interwoven with a history of Pontius Pilate and a love story between the Master and Margarita. Working together in a very ingenious way these three aspects of the novel focus on faith, redemption, honesty and loyalty. The only real problem with the novel was trying to account for the numerous characters especially the several characters named Ivan. Overall though I found the work to be unique and interesting and should be read by anyone with an interest in Literature.

Quantum of Solace

I went to the new James Bond film yesterday. I read two reviews before I went, one from the Washington Post and the other from MSN.com. Both were fairly negative reviews calling out the quick pace and thin plot. While I agree that the film had some faults, I still found it to be interesting. While Casino Royale was one of the best Bond films ever, Quantum comes up rather short for those of looking for homerun. The smart wit and wonderful pace are gone in this action packed dash to the end. The film jumps from one action scene to another that all remind you of the Bourne films. I enjoyed the Bourne series; however, Bond is not Bourne something to remember for the next director. The Quantum Bond is edgy and gritty nothing like the suave debonair Bond of past features. He is out for vengeance and will apparently stop at nothing to get it. While I think Craig Daniel is this best Bond since Connery, this film is lacking the substance that makes a film a Bond film. The creators and writers need to remember what made Casino Royale one of the best Bond films and work hard for the next one. Three out of five stars.

On another note I think Craig Daniel is the best dressed man on earth. I wish I could afford to dress that stylish. Unfortunately I can’t afford 5,000 suits.

Klosterman and Bulgakov

Chuck Klosterman is my one of my favorite writers. I have read all of his books (with the exception of his newest book) and believe that he is one of the best writers out there right now. Yesterday I was reading some of his old articles for Esquire, and came across what is my absolute favorite “The Importance of Being Hated”. This article discusses the fact that everyone has a nemesis and an archenemy. Your nemesis is one you kind of like where your archenemy is someone you hate with a passion. I recommend reading the article. I easily picture both my nemesis and archenemy.

I am right now halfway through Bulgkov’s “Master and Margarita” which I am really impressed with. The devil running wild in Soviet Russia and pretty much reeking havoc on anyone he meets, the flashbacks to Christ’s death, and the allusions to other famous works by Goethe, Gogol, Lermantov, make this a wonderful work. I am truly surprised that it not more widely read and known.

Another small note I have been recently re-watching my Arrested Development DVDs and still find the show to be hilarious I’ll never understand way it did not find a large audience.

Best Article I foud today

From CBS.com By Dean Barnett

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/12/opinion/main4595561.shtml?tag=lowerContent;homeSectionBlock215

Veterans Day, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, and Graduate School

Veterans Day is an important and unique holiday in the United States and celebrating the selflessness and sacrifices of our fighting men and women should be a priority to all citizens of the country. While we should not need a set aside day to honor our veterans, who should always be respected, it is central that at this time with two wars being fought we recognize our veterans. As a West Virginian, the honoring of veterans is a very important to me as we have a high population of veterans and a deep love and respect for those in the armed forces. Both of my grandfathers participating in WWII, my grandmother’s sister was nurse during WWII, and I have three friends who have participated in the operations in Iraq. I am truly grateful for all of their sacrifices along with all veterans.

I mentioned previously that I was going to read “The Master and Margarita”, however, I actually read Solzhenitsyn’s “One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich.” The first time I heard of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was when he died earlier this year, and I read an article about him in the Economist. The man led a unique life from the USSR to Europe to the United States and finally back to Russia. While he was vehemently anti-capitalist, his writing about life in the Soviet Gulags gives a view into the harsh life of Stalin’s country. The purges against peasants, the arrest of Red Army POWs, and the wastefulness of postwar Soviet life all play prominent roles in the work. However, I find the different survival methods of the prisoners to be the most interesting. Many of them no longer dream of freedom, and have learned unique behaviors to work the system. I devoured “One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich” in two days, and is a must read for anyone interested in Soviet history or Soviet/Russian literature.

On a happy note, I finally got accepted to graduate four rejection letters later. I am excited, but waiting to hear from two other schools as well. I just read an article this weekend about riding out the economic downturn in graduate school. Looks as I will be following the author’s advice.

A Return to Literature

Last Spring I took a class on 19th century Russia literature and I relayed my thoughts on certain works by Gogol, Dostoyevsky, Lermentov, Tolstoy, Chekhov and others. I recently decided to continue my foray in Russia literature focusing on 20th century works. I received a reading from my former professor at WVU and for my first novel I read “Twelve Chairs” by Ilf and Petrov. I really enjoyed this work. The premise was fairly brilliant, but I really enjoyed the glimpse provided into Russia after the 1917 Revolution. The characters and locations were all vividly descriptive and poked fun at life in the new Soviet Russia. Bender’s stint as a chess grandmaster is my favorite scene in the novel. Bender is my favorite character in the novel; I really enjoyed the numerous deceptions he used to get through life, to bad he was murdered. Next I plan to read “The Master and Margarita” by Mikhail Bulgakov after I finish “Hitler” by Ian Kershaw which though very academic in style is very good, but a bit of a struggle.

More Post Election 2008 Thoughts

Have you noticed it? I have. It may just be the region of the country I am in at the moment, but I think it may be an all encompassing feeling. This feeling of course is that of hope. I know the conservatives are hurting and they do not want to here about hope, but they need to regroup and come back stronger. One of my favorite political writers and conservatives, Peggy Noonan, in a recent article in the Wall Street Journal said, “History happens, it makes its turns, you hold on for dear life. Life moves.” Life moves, how accurate a statement for this historic election. A lot of things in this country are not on the right track today, but I am thoroughly excited for some unexplained reason. I am broke, unemployed, and getting rejected from graduate schools, but I am excited. I am not excited because my candidate won the election, because my candidate didn’t win the election nor did I expect him to, but because the entire world is excited about the outcome of this election. As for my vote, it went to the Libertarian candidate Bob Barr.

I chose to vote for Mr, Barr for two reasons. First, I have major discrepancies with both candidates nominated be the major parties. John “the Maverick” McCain sold his soul to the republican base instead of staying true to his beliefs (will the real John McCain please stand up?), and then he picked Mrs. Palin to be his running mate. His choice of Mrs. Palin still makes no sense; she’s unqualified and unprepared for national politics. As for president-elect Barack Obama, I do not agree with his plans for trade or health care. Creating harsher tariffs, quotas and reworking NAFTA will hurt the entire global economy. Free trade reduces the prices for goods and service worldwide. Mr. Obama’s actions could stymie the global economy driving up prices in global recession. Health care needs to stay in the private sector of the economy; placing it under the government will erode competition and drive up prices and/or taxes as we all pay for social health care. The other reason I voted for Mr. Barr is because I believe that America needs a legitimate third party.

I truly hope that Mr. Obama can govern from the center and he can avoid the demands of liberal congress that force him to the far left. Remember, Bill Clinton's first two years were a disaster until the Republican Congress came to power making him one of the most successful presidents of modern time.

It's a New Day in America

The 2008 election is finally over and president-elect Barack Obama is set to become the 44^th president of the United States of America. While many Republicans may feel angry over the results of the election, they most go back and reorganize themselves for the future and for now stick to their principles in congress. It’s not impossible; the Republics won congress during the Clinton years. I believe that John McCain lost because of the great the disaster that is Sarah Palin, and deviating from the center to win over the Republican base. John McCain’s time was in 2000 and unfortunately for America he lost to GW Bush.

Now on to president-elect Obama. I truly hope and believe that he can govern in the center pull America from the depths back to its rightful place as the leader in world affairs. I am proud of America for electing the first black man to the presidency, and I will forever remember where I was when he won, in an ancient with no cable picking up TV singles with a fork attached to the television. Today I am proud to be American, and wish Mr. Obama all the best in his challenge as president. God Bless the United States.

A Three Month Absence

The last three months of not only been a trying time for the world as a whole but also for me. I have returned from my internship in Germany to watch the world financial system collapse, remain unemployed as the unemployment rate rises, and watched the capitalist governments of the world bail the firms that deserved to go bankrupt. But I am still optimistic or maybe I'm just young and naive. As a free marketer, I am upset by the bailout for the financial institutions of the world, but I also understand that the bailout is needed in order to prevent a complete and total collapse of global economy. However, I hope that this financial crises will lead to better regulation and business practices in the industry, and that corporate spending on enormous risks will not longer be rewarded as in the past.

I am also surprised that recently my home state of West Virginia as been moved from a definite McCain state to toss up in numerous political pundits predictions. This is truly a shock since Obama was crushed in the primaries and said to be mostly due to the race card. The shift mostly derives from the economic problems, but I also hope that it shows that West Virginians are not the racist hillbillies that some people labels us. Another election note on West Virginia that I think is truly ridiculous that the state is banning Bob Barr from the ballot, but apparently Santa Clause is no problem.

The GRE examination is completely useless and should not be needed for attending graduate school. Standardized testing is a complete joke and is not an accurate way to compare students intellectual ability, and some university are not even requiring students to take the SAT or ACT for undergraduate admission. I understand that "weeding out" unqualified students is needed, but I believe that GPA is adequate enough. I'm not ranting against the GRE because I can't score well, I did, but I feel that it is an inaccurate indicator on how a student will preform in graduate school.

Finding a job today is pretty impossible in my opinion. I have a two Bachelors degrees, I completed an internship, and I held a steady job through college, yet any job I feel that I am qualified for demands three years of experience, well excuse me but how are you going to find experienced employees if you are unwilling to hire someone with limited experience. I just find the whole process to inadequate. It is truly who you know and not what you know in today's world. I guess those of us who do not have parents in the corporate world are to stay down on the lower rungs of society where we're suppose to. The America Dream apparently is not for everyone, unless your Daddy's rich.

Why You NEED Free Trade and My One Issue with Barack Obama

As the latest meetings in the Doha Round of the WTO came to crashing halt on a relatively fickle argument and America looks to elect a new president in November, an examination of free trade and its importance is needed. First I want to look at why and what the cost of Doha failing mean, and then look at the issue I have with Barack Obama.

The WTO attempts to lower or remove tariffs and quotas established by member countries. Tariffs and quotas make it more expensive or limits imports of certain goods in order to protect a countries own interests. While tariffs and quotas save jobs for a time, they really cost you, the consumer, more money to purchase goods and services. With increasing energy prices all products are increase in price, and the extra cost of these tariffs and quotas are passed onto you the consumer. This is why the failure of the recent WTO talks hurts everyone. An Economist article on the WTO failure says that it will only cost the world economy $70 billion, not really that much, but in a slowing world economy and increasing energy cost Doha’s success would have lowered prices. The failure came developed on a fairly small issue. The argument was over protecting developing counties’ farmers. The draft asked for a “special safeguard mechanism” allowing developing nations to raise tariffs to protect farmers from imports. The U.S. wanted the import volume to be high before the tariff kicked in while India and China wanted it low. This caused an impasse leading to an end of negations. The failure of Doha only shows how far apart the world really is, and if we cannot agree on trade, how are we going to discuss the challenges and make agreements on the issues nuclear weapons and global warming.

Now on to Mr. Obama. Barack Obama’s website states that he will only, “fight for a trade policy that opens up foreign markets to support good American jobs.” This is especially noticeable on his stance for NAFTA in which he wants to, “work with the leaders of Canada and Mexico to fix NAFTA so that it works for American workers.” NAFTA is a hugely controversial topic especially in the Rust Belt which is where I live, so I understand the effects of liberalizing trade. I know what it is like to have a city full of empty factories, but that doesn’t mean that free trade or NAFTA is bad for the U.S. During its initial introduction, employment and GDP booth increased by the largest percentage in US history. Other say look at the increasing US deficit which shows that NAFTA is a failure. Well I do not believe that the deficit is a problem, we should be more interested in balancing the budget and removing earmarks and pork barrel projects buried in congressional legislation. The trade deficit will always even out. For anyone who has studied economics, you know that one day the U.S. will again become a net exporter, but this will most likely come in the service industries. not manufactured goods. The U.S. is a service based economy now, and manufacturing jobs will only increase when labor becomes cheaper in the U.S. Free trade saves the American consumer thousands of dollars every year whether you are purchasing a car or fruit from Mexico, lumber from Canada, or electronics from Japan, those prices will only increase with the removal of NAFTA or other trade agreements.

An Open Letter to Jimmy Buffett

Today I am writing an open letter to one of my heroes, Mr. Jimmy Buffett. Why, you may ask am I writing a letter to a cult hero whose audiences worship him in grass skirts and parrot hats? Well its because the first time in many years, I missed his annual show in Pittsburgh this past Tuesday July 22, 2008, and I want to apologize to Jimmy for not being there to support him and the Coral Reefers.

Dear Mr. Jimmy Buffett,
First of all let me say, that I am truly sorry that I missed your concert earlier this week, and though I was unable to attend many of my friends attended. My absence this year is due my ongoing internship in Munich, Germany (I am listening to “Far Side of the World” as I type) where your music is not well known (you should possibly think of teaming up with Jack Johnson on his next European tour, he was fantastic). Your music has truly been inspirational to me throughout my life, and I would like to recount some of the more vivid memories that your music brings to mind.
There will always be the summer months of course, but particularly I remember August during my high schools days when driving home from two-a-days my best friend and I would always pop in my “Songs you Know by Heart” tape. Your music put me in a relaxed state after practicing in the hot humid West Virginia summers. Jimmy, you are eternally linked in my mind with a sea foam green Honda Accord.
Another one of my favorite memories is of my senior class trip to Myrtle Beach. One night while we were “celebrating” our graduation from high school one of my close friends (and follow Jimmy Buffett fan) disappeared and I was unable to find him. Later that evening when I returned to my room, I located him sitting in a closet singing “Tin Cup Chalice” to himself. As I moved him from the closet to a bed, I joyfully helped him to finish his stirring rendition of a classic.
You have played such a large role in my life, that during my freshman year of college I wrote a paper on you have influenced me. I was required, along with everyone else, to take English 101, and for one of the many pointless papers we were required to write, I chose Mr. Buffett as my topic. The paper was about how finding Jimmy Buffett saved me. It recounts how your music has always displayed an easy going lifestyle that I found to suit me world views as well.
As you can see Mr. Buffett, your music has been throughout my life and been an inspiration, and as I mentioned earlier, I am truly sorry that I was unable to attend your concert this past week and look forward to seeing you next time you a come through the ‘Burgh.

Sincerely,
A Fan for Life

Now I know Mr. Buffett will probably never read this (if he did that would be super awesome), but I felt that I needed to apologize because he has played such an important role in my life. I am also including a small list of the top Jimmy Buffett songs you probably never heard of.

Barefoot Children in the Rain
Desperation Samba
Kinja Rules
One Particular Harbor
Gypsies in the Palace
Public Relations
Vampires Mummies and the Holy Host

I am sure there are many more but these are some of my favorites.

Where does the time go?

Well, time flies when you’re living in Germany and forget you have a blog. It has been an amazingly long time since I last posted about my initial problems arriving in Germany for the summer. However, since then things have been great and things have been bad, but I am thoroughly enjoying my time immersed in another culture. I guess what Ill try and do is my version of a weekend update.

June 7-8
On the Saturday I took a day trip to Salzburg with Joseph and Lisha. We had a really great time seeing the sights. Though I had already been there I enjoyed the trip. I learned that in Austria (because of their coffee culture) that coffee is called mélange. The best part was that Austria and Switzerland were co hosting the Euro Cup and they had a huge fan zone setup which was pretty wicked. Sunday Munich was having a street festival on Leopoldstrasse which was pretty fun to see. I went with John, Sarah, Joseph, and Lisha. In the evening we found a TV outside and watched Germany beat Poland in the Euro Cup.

June 14-15
Saturday I went to Berchesgarten with John, Sarah, and Joseph. Again it was a place I had already been before, but it was fun to go back. After we finally got up to Hitler’s Eagles Nest we did some hiking in the mountain and I cut open my finger on rock. Still fun though. When we got to Munich we got a pizza at Pizza Punjabi probably the best place in Munich for cheap food. We went out with Sarah’s co-workers to a bar called the Nage Sauge which was pretty cool. We later tried to get into some of the clubs near Ostbahnhof but were denied. Sunday Joseph and I went into the old town for Munichs 850 birthday celebration. Joseph fought off a bunch of crazy Germans for free birthday cake. I decided not to join in the fray.

June 21-22
I think of this weekend as the weekend of day trips. On Saturday I went to Regensburg a really cool city in Bavaria. They have this awesome medieval stone bridge over the Danube river and the city is really nice as well. After I got back I met up with Joseph and his cousin Joachim at the Hofbraukeller to have a drink and watch the Euro cup. Sunday Joseph and I went to visit Augsburg. It was a really nice city unfortunately since it was a Sunday it was rather dead. The churches were pretty cool and the Fugeri was awesome to visit.

June 28-30
This was probably my favorite weekend so far. A co-worker from the Georgia office took us to visit her family’s home in the Black Forest near Strasbourg. It was like living with a host family for the weekend. On Saturday the family took us into Strasbourg for a quick visit highlighted by the main sightseeing attractions and then returned to the house. Afterwards we went into a friend’s farm also really cool. Sunday went into the Village of Gengenbach and went to the Fasend (Carnival) museum. I think this was my favorite mostly because of the food. Home cooked meals are awesome.

July 5-6
This weekend I went to Berlin mostly for work but I still did a little sightseeing. The new US Embassy opened this weekend in Berlin and they had a street festival called Amerika Fest. The state of WV had a booth setup to for tourism that I got to work at. Sunday we did a little more sightseeing before making the six hour drive back to Munich. The best part of this weekend was again the food the hotel had the best continental breakfast.

July 12-13
I went to Vienna this weekend with Joseph. Vienna is a really nice city to look at, but there is nothing super interesting to see. Saturday we were going to go to Bratislava, but I forgot my passport in Munich (to much drinking the night before with John and Sarah). Instead we saw the Hundrtwasser Haus which was really cool and also the Vienna city museum which was fairly good except for the fact that after the revolutions of 1848 it stopped . . . interesting.

July 19-20
Saturday I went to Neuschwanstein with Joseph and his friend Meghan from home who came to visit. Again I had already been there but it was cool to see again. For anyone who wants to go make sure you checkout the view from the Mariabrucke. A tour of the castle will go rather fast since the castle was never finished because Ludwig II was mysteriously drowned. Sunday it rained and I stayed at the apartment; however, I now do not have any roommates all three have moved back to Ireland so I am running the joint for now.

Munich

Where has the time gone? I haven't posted in over three weeks but I have been super busy. First I had graduation from college which I must say was nice but way to long. Then two days later I left for my summer abroad in Munich, Germany where I am interning until mid-August.

Arriving in Munich was rather nerve racking. First of all, British Airways lost my luggage, but with the new tracking systems they have today it was easily located and arrived on the next flight. But not having any luggage was only a small problem because I had no where to live. My boss helped me get settled in a small hostel room until I could find an apartment. This hostel would have been nice for a day or two, but living there for a week was horrible. The place was undergoing remodeling so construction workers were everywhere. Though the worst part was the dam elevator. It was so noisy every time anyone used it I could hear it in my room. However, I have finally located a new place which is pretty decent and close to the office.

I have had so time to do some exploring of Munich and I am really starting to get familiar with the city. The other intern and I have found a lot of interesting things, and luckily for me he is fluent in German unlike myself who only knows simple words and phrases. Work has not been too bad either. I really like my boss and I am really interested in the work we do because I love West Virginia and I want to help bring as many jobs as I can to the state.

Saying Goodbye is Hard

As my undergraduate career comes to close, my roommates and I are cleaning out are house that we shared for three years. Its amazing how much crap you gather up over the years and you shove something in closet, forget about it, and three years later it reappears. Our house is now pretty much a shell of its former self all the things that made it ours are gone. Next year one of my roommates sister and her friends move in, it will be a completely different place and never feel like the home it has been for three years. I can honestly say that the last three years of my life have been the best. Living with two of your best friends, going to classes, football games, and the bars, these last three years have been awesome.

In other news, Hillary Clinton began charging up her campaign here in West Virginia last week. She sent her husband Bill to town to try and gather up support, but she must not have realized that college campuses are pulling for Obama. The only thing I got to say its was cool seeing the former president. Speaking of presidents, WVU's president is caught in the middle of controversy in his first year. Prez Garrison, the provost, and the dean of the business college all decided to give the governor's daughter and MBA when she was 22 credit hours short. While the provost and the dean of have done the honorable thing by resigning the president is holding on for is life even though the faculty and the students no longer have any confidence in him. It is completely embarrassing and an insult to all WVU students past, present, and future. Unfortunatly this politically backed president isn't going to resign. As a new graduate I know they will soon be calling me for donations, but I will not donate one cent to the university until they remove this man for his position. I love this place more than anything, but he has personally insulted me and I will not stand for it.


After that wonderful rant against my school, I found this saying from a friend of mine and I feel that it is perfect for this point in my life:
There is no doubt that West Virginia University means something to everyone. That's the special thing about this university. To most, WVU represents school spirit, higher education, and a rapid increase of its student body. To me, WVU is my heart and soul. It's my everyday life, my routine, my world. That world is filled with countless memories, an abundance of smiles and laughs, enough heartache to make us all stronger, and friendships that make us realize how lucky we all really are. As we depart this campus, whether it's to return soon, or never again, we'll all carry a special place in our hearts for this school. In the end, it's not the school which we carry, but it's the experience. We part only to meet again and we will. That's the great thing about WVU. Country Roads will always take us home

I am sure people can say substitute WVU for their own school but it defiantly captures the college experience especially for those graduating.

We dont' think about "it"

A very good friend of mine lost her grandfather this weekend, and my condolences go out to her. I also lost my grandfather recently, in October, and though your grandparents are old and its expected that their time here on this Earth are shorting it always hurts. I feel as if I have been exposed to death alot in my short life, and its something that I always keep on my mind . . . that later today I could be gone. Death is something that most people push away from their thoughts, a natural human condition we couldn't function if we always thought of death, but it's never very far from my thoughts. This week in class we read "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" by Tolstoy, it very strange to read a book about death especially when you know someone grieving for a loved one.

Moving to a more light hearted subject, tomorrow is WVU's annual spring football game, and in light of all the negitivity surronding the program during the Fraud Rodrigeuz Morgantown is very excited to see the new Mountineers. However, I probably will notbe able to attend the game because I have a ton o work to this weekend including a ten page pape due Tuesday, I only have 2 pages as of now. All of this work is another reason I skipped on visiting a friend of my in DC this weekend, and thought I really wanted to go I just couldn't and its very dissappointing because I probably won't be able to see her for a very long time.

This has been a very depressing post, but it feeks good to talk about this stuff hopefully next time there will be some better news.

Moving

Have you ever realized how much stuff you collect? As I wind down my undergraduate career, I've begun going through all my stuff in preparation of moving back to my parents house in Wheeling. This is turly a pain in the ass since I have lived in the same house in Morgantown for three years. Locating what is mine from all my roomates, deciding on what to throw away, packing it all up has proven to be a difficult challenge. The worst part about all of this is that I have to take it home because I didn't get into graduate school and I don't have job but . . .

I have secured an internship this summer in Munich, Germany. I will be working for the West Virginia Business Developement Office trying to recruit businesses to WV. It will be a truly awesome experience and I really can't wait. The only major problem I have come across so far is locating an appartment or room. After talking with other people however, it appears that it will be easier to find housing once in Germany.

Today I also got a new cellphone. It's a blackberry curve. I really wanted to get an iPhone but the price was still too much, and the blackberry was only $50 this weekend a deal I couldn't pass up. Also, if anyone really cares, the NHL playoffs have started and my team the Pittsburgh Penguins are up 2-0 in their series against the Ottwa Senators. The Pens haven't won the Cup since the 1992 season with Mario Lemuix leading the team. They have a really great team this year ad should make it deep into the playoffs.

Back to Morgantown

Spring Break has officially ended and the WVU libraries are packed with students completing homework and papers they should have completed over the week. This week I was able to pretty much finish my history capstone paper, its still a little rough, and though its not what I expected at the beginning of the semester I am happy with my research project. I was also able to read a couple books.


The best out of all them was "The Lady MacBeth of Ltsenk District" by Nikolai Leskov. This book, written in 1865 was an amazing novella about a women who falls in love with a peasant, and the ensuing actions she takes to keeper her lover. I also read a short biography of Martin Luther by Stephen Nichols. As Christian and product of the Catholic school system, I find religious history interesting. I also began reading "Blowback" by Chalmers Johnson for by history class on US foreign Policy. I have only read the first few chapters, and I can agree with some of his arguments.


During my week off, I also watched a handful of movies and by far "Death at a Funeral" was the best. This dark comedy had an amazing story, cast, and I would recommend it to anyone. Another film I finally saw was "Into the Wild", this film based on a book by the same name, by the way the book is one of my all time favs, did an accurate job of telling the story of Christopher McCandles and is just as moving as the book.


Tonight the on HBO the fourth installment of the John Adams story will be shown. I have not read the book the series is based on, it actually been in my to read pile for a year, but the story from what I have read about Adams does an excellent job; watch it!

Holly!

Spring Break has been amazingly lackluster. Besides catching up on my school work I have the responsibility, nay, the privilege of my babysitting my parents new puppy. Holly is seven week old Miniature Schnauzer. She needs constant attention or she'll eat your shoes with her amazingly sharp teeth. However, she is very lovable, and enjoys torturing our thirteen year old Siamese cat Tibbs.




Tomorrow is an amazingly important day in history, not only do the WVU Mountaineers play in the Sweet Sixteen, but my brother turns 21. Not that anyone reads this blog, and not that anyone who may happen upon here knows my brother, but my brother is one of those people who is the loudest, funniest, and life of any room or party he may attend. I have feeling its going to wild night.

Last Saturday, I and some of my classmates attended the regional Phi Alpha Theta conference in lovely Buckhannon, WV. We went there to present our research papers and just generally bs with other nerds who enjoy the study of history. Now. going into this I never believed I would win a any awards so not winning didn't bother me; however, as a competitive person (ask my room ates they won't play video games with me anymore) my pride was a little hurt. Anyways I just have three words to leave this off with:

LET'S GO MOUNTAINEERS

Madness

March really is madness, and I am truly thankful for Spring break because now I can finally catch up on all the school work I have been pushing off. Like those three papers I have to write, those four books I have to read, and lets not forget about that job I need to find. With all that work I need to do, I am instead relaxing watching the NCAA tournament. I'm pretty excited that tomorrow my team will be playing Duke and wish I could be in DC to watch, but I will be presenting a paper at a Phi Alpha Theta conference.



One thing I never understood about Spring break is why do students fell the need to go somewhere and just get completely obliterated? I can do that any night of the week. They only thing that makes Spring break better is that its at the beach, if you like the beach. This is my first year in college that I have not gone anywhere for break. I went skiing twice and last year I went to Poland and had blast everywhere. I'm just curious what makes the beach the ideal Spring break destination?



Last weekend, after booking it home from NYC, I went to Pittsburgh for St. Patrick's day and I just want to say that bar hoping in the South Side was a blast and I can't wait to do it again.

One Hellish Week

This week, while the Democratic party began to self implode, I worked my way through two more midterms and turned in an outline and rough draft for my capstone class (My paper happens to focus on German Expellees after WWII). After taking four exams in the past two weeks I am burnt out and look forward to an restful weekend in the library researching. As graduation quickly approaches I am now searching for a job or an internship especially since I was rejected from graduate school. However, I plan on reapplying next year (I really think that I rushed into the entire process which made my applications look sloppy). As for the job search, next weekend I am going to NYC for the Big East job fair which should be fun, yet I will miss what I am sure will be an awesome lecture on Russian prison tattoos. With the popularity of Eastern Promises, our Slavic studies program is bringing in a guest lecturer next Friday, but I will be in the city.



The business news is not looking so good this week either. With rising inflation and the current recession, the job market for new graduates looks the bleakest in years (except for my roommate who was hired by the consulting giant Accenture), and a Wall Street Journal article reports that job cuts have already begun. The EU Central Bank decided yesterday that they will fight off inflation instead of trying to increase growth . . . the opposite of the Fed. Yet, the Fed's plan to grow the economy instead of focusing on inflation seems to failing as reports today indicate that the economy may have negative growth this quarter.



This week I began reading "Crime and Punishment" by the famous Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, which I must say is interesting. The plot and the story is intriguing, but the style or maybe the translation makes the work some what confusing. Also this week the film "Into the Wild" came out on DVD, and I can't wait to see it because the book of the same title is amazing and one of my all time favorites.

Economics and Foreign Films

The US economic situation is turning into a joke. The president and the Fed both believe that the economy can avoid a recession; however, to dodge the recession the Fed will focus on stabilizing the economy with rate cuts that allow banks to recover capital from defaulted loans. This will poor money into banks which will only increase inflation driving up the prices of consumer good particularly basic food stuffs and oil. The hope is that the stimulus package passed earlier this month passed by congress will help to encourage market stabilization.



Earlier this week I saw two foreign films. The first, Prisoner of the Mountain is a Russian film based on the short story Prisoner of the Causes by Tolstoy. The film is about two Russian soldiers who are captured during the Russian-Chechen War and held as prisoners while their Chechen overseer awaits ransom. While the acting and cinematography are sometimes laughable the story itself is interesting and contains some laugh out loud moments. The other film was the first in a series of ten by the famous Polish director Krzysztof Kieślowski called The Decalogue. Each film is loosely based on the one of the Ten Commandments. The first film examines the commandment "I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before Me..." . This film was a really great interpretation of the commandment where a man's belief in logic and reason is challenged by his young son. I would recommend this film and I am curious to see the others.

Kosovo Creates World Headaches

In the week since the tiny province of Kosovo declared independence from Serbia the world has been watching the results. While the Serbian public embarrassed itself looting and pillaging Belgrade, the government quickly called on their traditional ally Russia for support. Russia stated that it would support Serbian efforts to retain the Kosovo region while the western world still supports the independence of Kosovo. The Russians helped ignite the first World War in 1914 by defending Serbia, and with nationalist tensions still an issue the chances for another war growing.

During the Cold War the Balkan Peninsula was united as the single nation mostly under the leadership of Josip Tito. Tito was the only person able to hold this entire region and all its ethnicities together, and soon after his death in 1980 Yugoslavia began collapsing. By the 1990s the entire peninsula became engulfed in war until NATO stepped in to end the conflicts.

Why do the Serbians care about a region that is 90% ethnic Albanians? Because the greatest battle in Serbian history took place in Kosovo where the Serbian Hero Prince Lazar and his army faced off against the Ottoman Empire, and losing this territory would be like the US allowing Massachusetts to become its own nation.

With Russia's re-emergence as a world power, and the continued disagreements with the US governments missile defense system in Eastern Europe, the threat of a new confrontation with Russia is very real. As Putin tries to re-expand Russia's influence into Eastern Europe disagreements with the west will be occurring more often, and his successor will carry on his tactics of intimidation.

For more info on the Kosovo see Noel Malcolm's Kosovo: A Short History, for a great interpretation of the Balkan War and its after math see Slavenka Drakulic's They Would Never Hurt a Fly, and for info on Russia and the emerging conflict see The New Cold War: The Future of Russia and the Threat to the West by The Economist's Edward Lucas.