through my lens

Running on the beach in Ensanada, I acquired a massive blister on the bottom of my foot. Trying not to walk on it, I created a shin splints problem. Eating in Little Italy in San Diego, I bit my tongue hard. It still feels like I have a huge canker sore on the tip of it. I also scalded my tongue with coffee so I can’t really taste much. On top of that, I let my lips get so chapped that they split apart when I smile. I have been wearing a sea sickness patch, but I still don’t feel one hundred percent in that department either. I can barely see anymore. This patch is really doing a number on my eyes. Physically, I feel like crap.

The good news is that I like my roommate. I’ve met hundreds of people. I have yet to eat in the dining hall because I’d rather sit on the deck outside and watch the ocean go by. It sure beats the heck out of the Food Zoo in Zoo Town. The most amazing thing is that the crew waits on us hand and foot: Refilling glasses, taking plates away, cleaning our room everyday, changing the sheets every four days, doing our laundry. The beds are actually fairly comfortable, especially after a Dramamine.

They renamed pub night to Aft-er hours. We can drink from five to six and then from nine to eleven. We can have two drinks in the first consumption session, and then four in the next. Technically we can have an entire six pack in one night, but splitting the times up like that almost defeats the purpose. Beers are $2.50, and I’ll be keeping a tab on how much money goes to that.

The attitude of everybody on this ship is superb. Everyone wants to meet everyone, and almost everybody has a brain in their head. I’m actually sick of meeting new people, I’ve met so many. I’d rather have a few good friends rather than knowing two hundred people as acquaintances. The faculty looks superb as well. It is extremely competitive to get a job as professor, so they are top of the line.

The past two days I’ve just been meeting new people and going to orientation sessions. I’m constantly thinking about my sister, imaging her in my position. It’s crazy she did this.

Tomorrow night is the student fair, and I plan on creating a College Republican – SAS Chapter. I’ve been the lone voice of reason over many meals already, constantly defending America and everything she stands for. Oddly enough, the students I’ve talked to aren’t interested in politics at all. I don’t understand how you can want to travel the world, and at the same time have no interest in politics. I’m going to see each country I visit through the lens of a Political Science major and a white, middle class, Republican. Stay tuned.

San Diego

It's been different not having internet. I doubt I'll ever get used to it.

I've seen the boat I'm getting on and it's beautiful! I've had a great time in San Diego with my mother! SAS students are smart!

The top left is the MV Explorer, which will be my home for the next 100 days, starting tomorrow.

The top middle is my mother in Little Italy in downtown San Diego.

The top right is myself and a host of SAS (pronounced sass) students. My mother and I were sitting in the hotel bar when I decided to introduce myself to a student. We headed up to the room where this picture was taken, and it’s all digitalized from there.

The middle left is me in Mexico. We went down to Ensanada for a drive and a visit. We ate some quesadillas and shrimp, which is what the middle middle picture is of. I have to mention that we drove down there in a convertible, which is what the middle right picture is of.

The bottom left picture is of my mother in a little seafood joint on the pier in San Diego. I don’t know if she knows, but I took a picture of her in every restaurant we ate.

The bottom middle picture is the balcony of the hotel we’re in. We have a fantastic view of downtown San Diego, San Diego Bay, and Coronado Island. Not only that, but we just watched the MV Explorer depart San Diego and head for Ensanada. I’ll be meeting it there tomorrow.

Welcome to Manhattan Montana where the rivers run clean and the biggest event of the year is the Potato Festival. 

"Have you tried restarting your router? My head hurts right now because my desk is so messy. Don't worry about restarting your router, I'll call Northwestern Energy and have them cut the power to your house for a few days so you can let your router cool down. Give me a call back if that doesn't work." 

consider it tested

"More than 200 Holocaust cartoons from around the world are on display at a museum in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

Organisers of the exhibition say they are testing the West's commitment to freedom of speech.

A competition to choose the drawings was announced in February, in response caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad published by European newspapers."

-BBC Tuesday, 15 August 2006

I don't really think this needs much analysis, but here it goes. The Iranian President Mahmoud made statements last year calling the Holocaust a "myth" and saying Israel should be "wiped off the map."

Iran, a nation rich with oil, wants to have nuclear fuel. One little reminder here; the development of nuclear fuel hurts Iran's economy. Does Iran not care about money or do they want to build a nuclear weapon?

I will not compare these people to Nazis, because it is wrong to do. Nobody or nothing should be compared to the Holocaust. But even still, their anti-Semitism runs strong.

Let's remember the mass protests, riots, fires, bombs, killings, hostages, and ransoms that took place after the cartoons of Muhammad were published.

When Hamas, Iran, and Hezbollah all call for the extermination of Israel and continue to support terrorist groups that attack all Western nations, Israel is told to cease-fire and pull out.

The organizers of the competition can now consider our commitment to free speech tested and passed.

Kill them or lose freedom

"Do I have to take my lipstick out of my purse?"

"Can I bring my baby's milk onboard?"

The terrorists have won, even while losing. Everytime they chip away at our freedom, they win.

If we don't fight them overseas, we will fight them at home. Fighting them at home means giving up our freedom.

If these terrorists that were planning Terror in the Sky had been rounded up by the CIA and shipped to Gitmo on secret flights, mothers would still be able to bring milk onboard the flight.

If these terrorists had died on a mission in Iraq, peace-loving Americans like myself would not have to wait for hours at the airport.

proving my point

The New York Times today proved my point that I made yesterday.

"Mr. bin Laden's organization, now often referred to as Al-Queada central by counterterrorism officials, has not been able to match or exceed the devastation caused by the 9/11 attacks, though in numerous video and audio statements he has described that as his goal."

The world is a safer place because of what the Bush Administration and America did in Afghanistan. The war on terror is being won, but Osama is obviously still out there, and there is obviously more work to be done.

The New York Times decided to conclude the article with a cryptic statement.

"In part because of the Iraq war, he said, "We are seeing a radicalization of the ummah, the larger Muslim community around the world."

Iraq is causing terrorism! If we pull out of Iraq the radicals will disappear! We're winning in Iraq, their government is becoming stronger and will be able to handle most of the security of the nation within a year, according to Prime Minister Maliki, but we should leave!

It makes no sense. The terrorists want us to leave Iraq, and so do the Democrats. Who's side are you on?

short young males

Eleven students from Egypt failed to show up in Bozeman Montana for a study abroad program at Montana State University.

The FBI says they pose no terrorism threat. The FBI would be the ones to know if they posed a threat, but we must still use precaution because of two facts. One, Cairo University is where the brains of Al-Queada graduate, and Egypt is an Al-Queada stronghold. Two, two of the 9/11 hijackers entered the United States completely legit, with Student Visas and multiple identities in hand.

In other news, an Al-Queada plot to blow up at least six airplanes going from the UK to the US was foiled today by free nations. More than twenty people have been arrested, and they all were young, Arab, males with names like Mohammad.

I can't believe this has come up in educated conversations, but should we use racial profiling when looking for the students or screening people in airports? We can not and should not violate anybody's rights, but at the same time logic has to be used. If you are wandering down Main Street in Bozeman, Montana when you see eleven young, male, Egyptian students, call the cops! If you are an airport security guard and you see ten young, Arab, men barking at each other, and then you see an old lady with a walker, you should check the Arabs and let the old white lady board the plane without questions. I don't see this as racial profiling. It is simply following the statistics, using our knowledge of the past, and using common sense.

It is unfortunate that some Arab men will get randomly checked at the airport, and it is unfortunate that Egyptians walking down the streets of Bozeman should be questioned. Think of this way. If Manhattan, Montana was overrun by a gang of short, young, males who marauded through the streets at night and stole things, then I would expect to be questioned if I were walking down the street at night. It is unfortunate that I have to be questioned, but as a freedom loving American and in the interest of the town's safety, I would gladly tell the cops that I am not in the gang of marauding, short, young, males.

These two events, combined with the ongoing conflicts in Lebanon and Iraq, can be interpretted two different ways, and solved two different ways.

The liberal Democrat view says that the terrorists are attacking us becuase we invaded Iraq. They think pulling out of Iraq immediately is the best solution to that problem, and that Israel needs to cease-fire. They don't believe we should be fighting the terrorists overseas, because it just feeds the problem. They don't think firmly securing the border is a top issue.

The conservative Republican view realizes that the terrorists are attacking us because we are what they call "infidels" meaning we are not Muslims. They realize that the war in Iraq is a central front in the war on terror, and must be won to prevent Al-Queada and Iran from taking it over and using it as a base of operations. They think we should fight the terrorists overseas, and believe that border security is a top issue.

Are you still down?

There has been a huge development in Iraq. The NY Times writes:

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 4 — More than 100,000 followers of the Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr marched today to show support for Hezbollah, denouncing Israel and the United States for the violence in Lebanon.

I was quite stunned to read this. These are the people who support the Mahdi Army, an insurgent force vying for power in Iraq. Al-Sadr wants to creat an Islamic theocracy in Iraq. He has no interest in democracy at all. They support Hezbollah, meaning they want Israel wiped off the map. These people want the newly elected Iraqi government to fail miserably. They want to see Iraq descend into civil war. Most importantly, they want America out of there so they can take control.

I really want people to understand that this is truely a global war on terror. Israel right now is fighting a war that is doing copious amounts of good for American security. I really want people to understand how the insurgents in Iraq are tied to Hezbollah, and Hezbollah is tied to Iran and Syria, and how they are all so similar to Hamas. These are not separate things going on over there; it's one giant war, and Iran is funding all of it. The insurgents in Iraq are on Iran's payroll. Hezbollah is on Iran's payroll. Hamas is on Iran's payroll. Suicide bombers from Palestine used to be on Saddam's payroll, but not anymore.

With all of these being readily known facts that are reported daily, it blows me away that there are Americans calling for a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah. There are Americans saying we need to get out of Iraq. I don't understand how Europe, Canada, and India can be reapetedly bombed by Islamists, and yet not be publicly singing praise for the United States and Israel for what they are doing, which is protecting the entire world from terrorists.

Iran has until the end of August to end their nuclear ambitions. They won't, and we all know it. When that happens, we need to sanction Iran into bankruptcy. Iran needs to go down. Every American should be praying nightly for these people's souls, while at the sime time, if they don't change, hoping they go down hard, hoping we can starve them to death with sanctions. I support sanction after sanction, because sanctions on Iran are sanctions on the insurgents in Iraq, Hamas, Hezbollah, Al-Queda. Perhaps the most effective solution in Iraq involves cutting off the hand that feeds the insurgency.

Iran might actually be doing us a favor by trying to get nukes. It gives us an excuse to sanction them. If they didn't go after nukes, they could just continue on their merry way, providing hundreds of millions of dollars to terrorist organizations that fight proxy wars for them.

Can someone please tell me if this is not as crystal clear as it seems me?