Yesterday my roommate and I went to see the movie Control Room. It recently opened at a local film festival, the AFI Silverdocs, and it is a documentary about the coverage of the Iraq War on al Jazeera. I highly reccomend it and believe everyone should see it simply on the basis that it gives you an insight into the way the Arab world views Americans. It was a very eye opening experience. Most of the movies is filmed as the behind the scenes coverage of the station, with interviews of the staff and managers of the station that explain their position on things and how and why they broadcast certain things that they got heavily criticized for by the Bush administration. Just to warn you I am about to spoil the end for you - not that it really is a spoiler because it is a documentary. One of the most interesting things in the movie is the exchanges between a US soldier who is one of the American press officials. He is not the guy that gives the big press conferences, but is who the media interview afterwards for clarifications of the US position. He is a good character because he represents the "average American" perception of the conflict. He is not high military brass. As the movie progresses he starts to gain an understanding of the Arab culture and how they view America. One of the best exchenges he has is with an al Jazeera reporter that once worked for the BBC. In trying to explain the American position and how Americans view this conflict in relation to the one in Isreal, the BBC reporter interrupts him and says, "I understand what you are saying, and I understand how the west sees these as two different conflicts, but the Arab world sees them as one. Though the REALLY bad things Isreal does are not done by Americans, the Arab world sees them as one in the same." The soldier responds: "That is interesting. Because if everyone in Arab world sees the Isreal conflict and the Iraq war as linked. There is noone in America that would even think of those two things as the same. The two countries could be on opposite sides of the world for how Americans view the conflict." It was really interesting to hear that those two conflict are considered one by the Arab world. I would never ever think that. That revelation alone is worth the price of the ticket. I think all Americans should see that movie so they can understand how the Arab world views us. That is a really important element that has been overlooked in our approach to foreign policy. Unfortunately, I doubt many will see this movie, and many of those that do aren't the ones that need to see it most.

This leads into another documentary I saw this past week - The Fog of War . It was another amazing and eye opening movie. It is set up as a series of life lessons that Secretary of Defense Robert McNamera (he held that position during the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations for the start and escalation of Vietnam) One of the points he made directly ties into Control Room - Empathize with your enemies. He explains that how we viewed the Vietnam conflict was so strongly from our view that we did not realize that it was viewed by them as a fight for independence. When he went to Vietnam years later and met with his counterparts on the opposite side, and they were telling them how they viewed the war and how they would never be puppets of the Chinese because they hated the Chinese was a revelation to him. He goes on to say that Vietnam failed because we failed to understand this critical fact about our enemy. I think this can be applied to the current war. Because we do not understand the Arab world and how they view us, we will never be successful. That is why everyone needs to see the movie Control Room. Another interesting thing I learned from Fog of War was how close we actually were to nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Castro had essentially told Kruschev that he sho
ul
d fire the missiles, even though it would mean total annihilation for Cuba. It was really quite scary. I highly reccomend that movie as well.

Sorry to get so political on your ass in this journal. To change topics: How to Disappear Completely is an amazing song and the entire Kid A album is one of the greates albums of all time. That is all. Thank you. Bye.

Hello all. I guess I haven't updated in a while. I guess I have been sort of busy/lazy as of late. Here is the craziness of a story for you. Last night my roommate chris invited my other roommate siv and I to a birthday party. Chris is an orientation leader for my school this summer, which means he takes incoming freshman that come to get orientated on tours and team building games and stuff. Anyway, one of the other orientation leaders was having a birthday, so another friend of ours, Vaani, who is also an orientation leader, offers to have it at her house. Because Chris is picking up the cake and has to pick up some other people for the party, we get to the house right on time. When we knock on the door, Vaani's roommate answers and says Vaani does not live there. She has her stuff in the house, but is living on campus while she is an orientation leader because it is easier. We tell her that Vaani is having a party at the house tonight. That was the first she had heard of that. We called Vaani and she told her what was going on, but Vaani still was not at the house. Needless to say, it was quite awkward sitting there at someone else's house for a party, especially when the host isn't there and the roommate that is is still eating dinner because she did not know about the party. Luckily we knew the roommate so it wasn't as awkward as it could've been.

Hmmm. That was a good story when it happened. I don't know if the humor/awkwardness translated well in the retelling. Oh well, you can suffer through my bad stories. Everyone else who knows me does.

Yesterday my roommate and I went to see the movie Control Room. It recently opened at a local film festival, the AFI Silverdocs, and it is a documentary about the coverage of the Iraq War on al Jazeera. I highly reccomend it and believe everyone should see it simply on the basis that it gives you an insight into the way the Arab world views Americans. It was a very eye opening experience. Most of the movies is filmed as the behind the scenes coverage of the station, with interviews of the staff and managers of the station that explain their position on things and how and why they broadcast certain things that they got heavily criticized for by the Bush administration. Just to warn you I am about to spoil the end for you - not that it really is a spoiler because it is a documentary. One of the most interesting things in the movie is the exchanges between a US soldier who is one of the American press officials. He is not the guy that gives the big press conferences, but is who the media interview afterwards for clarifications of the US position. He is a good character because he represents the "average American" perception of the conflict. He is not high military brass. As the movie progresses he starts to gain an understanding of the Arab culture and how they view America. One of the best exchenges he has is with an al Jazeera reporter that once worked for the BBC. In trying to explain the American position and how Americans view this conflict in relation to the one in Isreal, the BBC reporter interrupts him and says, "I understand what you are saying, and I understand how the west sees these as two different conflicts, but the Arab world sees them as one. Though the REALLY bad things Isreal does are not done by Americans, the Arab world sees them as one in the same." The soldier responds: "That is interesting. Because if everyone in Arab world sees the Isreal conflict and the Iraq war as linked. There is noone in America that would even think of those two things as the same. The two countries could be on opposite sides of the world for how Americans view the conflict." It was really interesting to hear that those two conflict are considered one by the Arab world. I would never ever think that. That revelation alone is worth the price of the ticket. I think all Americans should see that movie so they can understand how the Arab world views us. That is a really important element that has been overlooked in our approach to foreign policy. Unfortunately, I doubt many will see this movie, and many of those that do aren't the ones that need to see it most.

This leads into another documentary I saw this past week - The Fog of War . It was another amazing and eye opening movie. It is set up as a series of life lessons that Secretary of Defense Robert McNamera (he held that position during the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations for the start and escalation of Vietnam) One of the points he made directly ties into Control Room - Empathize with your enemies. He explains that how we viewed the Vietnam conflict was so strongly from our view that we did not realize that it was viewed by them as a fight for independence. When he went to Vietnam years later and met with his counterparts on the opposite side, and they were telling them how they viewed the war and how they would never be puppets of the Chinese because they hated the Chinese was a revelation to him. He goes on to say that Vietnam failed because we failed to understand this critical fact about our enemy. I think this can be applied to the current war. Because we do not understand the Arab world and how they view us, we will never be successful. That is why everyone needs to see the movie Control Room. Another interesting thing I learned from Fog of War was how close we actually were to nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Castro had essentially told Kruschev that he sho
ul
d fire the missiles, even though it would mean total annihilation for Cuba. It was really quite scary. I highly reccomend that movie as well.

Sorry to get so political on your ass in this journal. To change topics: How to Disappear Completely is an amazing song and the entire Kid A album is one of the greates albums of all time. That is all. Thank you. Bye.

It was pointed out to me that you need to sign into the Washington Post to access those stories. Though I am sure you ALL have Post profiles, I figured I should repost them for the benefit of those that don't as well as another additional story from today's post.

In the Loop
By Al Kamen
Friday, June 18, 2004; Page A27

Dead Dove Disaster:

This just in from BBC News! While Americans are preoccupied with investigations of world terrorism, other nations have different concerns.

So we find that "the Sri Lankan authorities have ordered an inquiry," the BBC reported, "after a dove-freeing ceremony intended to symbolize peace went disastrously wrong."

Seems "one bird was dead before takeoff and 'dropped like a brick,' " the BBC said, quoting its cameraman, Sriyantha Walpola, "soon after it left the hands of the public security minister, Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, at a ceremony last weekend."

And it wasn't as if a flock was taking off. Seems the poor bird was one of seven being released at a recent U.N. ceremony attended by Lt. Gen. James L. Campbell, commander of U.S. Army forces in the Pacific. His bird flew off quite smartly.

So "instead of soaring majestically into the air to symbolize the government's commitment to peace and goodwill," the BBC reported, the bird nose-dived to the ground.

Not to worry.

"A three-member delegation of the military police," led by an army major no less, has been called in "to investigate the mystery of the dead dove." They will look into the circumstances and try to see if there was any sabotage, a defense ministry spokesman said.

Sure, maybe it was the fault of Tamil Tiger separatists. Or maybe it was keeping the birds waiting for a half-hour in 90-degree heat and excessive humidity?

Clear as Mud:

Some folks in Congress are upset by our Saudi friends' occasional hallucinatory outbursts.

Crown Prince Abdullah -- remember, he's the enlightened one in the family, the one the Bush administration is counting on -- was shown on a tape obtained by NBC News blaming a recent wave of terrorist attacks on Zionists.

"Zionism is behind it," Abdullah said, through a translator. "It has become clear now. It has become clear to us," he said. "It is not 100 percent, but 95 percent that the Zionist hands are behind what has happened."

This might be a bit perplexing, since al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

But not to worry. Prince Nayef, the interior minister, explained what's going on. "Al Qaeda is backed by Israel and Zionism." Ah, but of course.

So Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) has circulated a "Dear Colleague" letter asking for House members to condemn these "scurrilous and inflammatory charges."

It was only a matter of time before people figured out those obvious ties between Osama bin Laden and Ariel Sharon.
    

Just think of it: A Zionist wave is sweeping the Arabian peninsula. Who knew?





Blind Man Drives Golf Cart in Ga. City

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. - A blind man drove a golf cart for two miles through the
winding streets of Peachtree City, accompanied by his guide dog - and an
inebriated friend giving instructions - before running into a parked car, police
said.

Nobody was hurt, but Samuel McClain, 35, of Stockbridge and Michael Johnston,
47, of Peachtree City were charged with reckless conduct "due to the blatant
disregard for public safety," a police report said.

The report said McClain was driving the cart Saturday while Johnston gave
directions after having six or seven beers and "admittedly under the influence
of alcoholic beverage." Also on the cart was McClain's golden re
tr
iever guide
dog.

The city of 34,000 about 25 miles south of Atlanta has about 80 miles of paved
cart paths and 9,000 registered carts that residents use for daily tasks like
going to the grocery or taking children to school.





Va. Tells Men: No Sex With Young Girls

RICHMOND, Va. - The state is posting billboards with messages such as "Isn't
she a little young?" as part of a campaign to dissuade men from having sex with
underage girls.

The campaign is aimed at reducing the number of young girls who have children
with older men, the Virginia Department of Health said Monday.

In 1999 and 2000 in Virginia, men over 18 were responsible for 219 births
involving girls who were 13 and 14, the department said.

Messages such as "Isn't she a little young?" and "Sex with a minor, don't go
there" also appear on posters, coasters and napkins in bars, restaurants and
stores in five cities.

"We encourage adult men to talk to their peers and discourage them from
pursuing teenagers. What they are doing is unhealthy and against the law," said
Robert Franklin, a health department official.

Here are two funny stories I found at washingtonpost.com yesterday at work. I highly reccomend reading them.

Blind Man Drives Golf Cart in Ga. City


Va. Tells Men: No Sex With Young Girls