Smoking Jacket

Reasonably Effective

 "I always try to be reasonable and effective." -Ian Douglas Smith.

Needless Apology

It is incredible that Mitt Romney was pressured to apologize for a hazing incident that occured when the Republican candidate was in prepatory school. The incident was fairly harmless by many hazing cases we often here about: having a fellow classmate pinned down as his hair was cut.

The deterioration of society continues.

Veni, Vidi, Vici

"I have a phrase to tell you. And for those who will not understand it, I will be more specific. 'Veni, Vidi, Vici.' It means: you accused me, you defamed me, you silenced me, I defeated you." -Nikolaos Michaloliakos.

Rise O Voices of Rhodesia

On American Parenting

"The thing that impresses me most about America is the way parents obey their children." -Edward VIII.

Now Reading

 

Time to see what all the fuss is about.

New Look

I have tinkered around a bit with the template and have (hopefully) finally reached the finish product. I felt it was about time I did away with the generic, though not atrocious, template provided by Blogger. All that being said, my activity with this blog will surely increase!

Cheers.

Mad Men

Femme Fatale

La Marinière

Man Among Men

Everyone is a Social Activist

So there is a video that has been circling the internet for the past week in relation to Ugandan rebel Joseph Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army. This has sparked numerous conversations with friends and acquaintances alike on the issue. Apparently, this 30 minute video clip was able to spark social activism in the masses of social networking sites and now everyone is an authority on Joseph Kony and his organization. I, personally, only watched about 10 minutes of the video clip having known about the LRA for quite some time. The rage that this video has incited in people who ignorant of happenings around the world is quite humurous and I have enjoyed reading posts on the matter.

I have been asked the question quite a few times on my stance on this issue. Believe it or not, I was asked twice why I had not linked the video clip (a very annoying question indeed). My response has been the same, I simply do not care enough about an issue that is relatively trivial to myself, my family, or my country. That is not to say that I support Kony, I simply have other things to worry about. What happens in Uganda is of relatively little interest to me, sitting here in the United States. Joseph Kony has been operating for years and has had no affect on my life to date so why should I start caring now?

When I am challenged, I enjoy returning the favor. I have asked everyone that has questioned my views on the issue if they would support sending troops to stop Kony. Most said "Yes", an idea I found hilarious since they are the same people who criticize the country for our ongoing military operations in Afghanistan. So, basically, they support risking the lives of American troops to stop a Ugandan warlord who poses little to no threat on the United States, instead of conducting operations against terrorists who have already proven that they are a threat to the United States.

Sorry, I personally am against risking an American life for a few thousand Ugandans over a few thousand fellow Americans.

For those who said "No" to military intervention, they supported working with the Ugandan government to stop the LRA. If one wants to pump money into an overly corrupt government, go right ahead.

In the end, this issue is not going to be resolved and, quite frankly, I do not care.

Immigration Reform

After all, we are just living in the Hornburg.

Brigitte Bardot

Spain Needs Another!

King Pelagius of Asturias.

Volga Boatmen by Ilya Repin

Volga! Volga! In the spring your torrents
Cannot flood the fields as much
As our people's awful pain
Floods our land-
-Nikolay Nekrasov, "Thoughts at a Vestibule", 1858.

What I Am Reading

Battle of Diu (1509)

The Lion of the West Transvaal

Rum, Cigars & Hemingway

I have just returned from a weekend trip down to a relative's second home in the Florida Keys, Key Largo to be exact. It was quite relaxing and a much needed break from University and the accounting office I work at. I was able to enjoy rare intellectual discussion with some cousins I had not seen in a while over the tangible delicacies of Havana Club rum and Romeo y Julieta Cuban cigars. When I was able to get away from the discussion and enjoy the refreshing breeze paired with some alone time on the back porch by the water, I managed to read Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. Not only was the book more than appropriate for the setting, but also the fact that reading a book written by Hemingway in his beloved kingdom (or perhaps his "Conch Republic"?) made the experience that much more treasurable.

Butrón Castle

Boyhood Dream

C'est Dommage!

Peace Inspires Hatred

"Ah, those people who love peace! They are those who are worthy of the hate of patriots." -Sabino Arana.