I am here...

I recently sent Zach and email about one of my experiences here in DC and also complained about not having enough time to update my blog. He told me to just copy and paste my last email and call it good, so here you go. Here is one of the many awesome experiences I've had while living the dream at our nation's capitol...

"So I just went to a Senate Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs hearing that John Kerry conducted and he invited Peter Bergen, Bruce Hoffman, and Marc Sageman (google all three of these names). These guys were my favorite readings in my International Relations and Terrorism classes... hands down the worlds leading experts on Afghanistan and Al Qaeda. I thought it weird that it wasn't until about 2 hours into it that someone finally asked about the drug problem there. The experts pointed out that it is a huge problem, but not to forget that the taliban damn near destroyed the opium cultivation and production in Afghanistan back in (and I could be wrong on the years here) the 60s or something. Yeah, the TALIBAN did. I remember reading about that and learning that they did it for religious purposes and did an extremely good job of it.

Anyway, after that hearing I gained a bit of confidence in the government for pulling these guys out of their careers for a couple of days to hear what they had to say about our involvement in Afghanistan. One of the guys was the CIA field director in Kabul, Afghanistan for 3 years, the other guys spend everyday learning about the place when they aren't actually there in person. Talk about a stimulating hearing. One of the Senators asked the three guys what they would advise the president to do if they were in the situation room with him right now. All three agree that it was going to take a sustained effort on behalf of the US, but the thing that made me realize the reality of the huge complexities of the situation was that NONE of them had a clear cut strategy that they were confident in. I thought that if anyone could judge it correctly that they could, but nope. God be with us, right?"

I'm going here

Yes, it's official. I'm spending 6 glorious weeks in the land of fire and ice, the land of my forefathers, the land of the vikings, the land of.... okay you get the idea, ICELAND! I have loved the different reactions people give me when I tell them where I'm spending half of the summer. For the most part they don't really know if they should be excited for me because they really have no idea what the island has to offer. It's interesting how Sigur Ros has opened the eyes of our generation to the beauty of the country with Heima. I was wondering why Bjork didn't promote the beauty of her home country instead of showing off her swan outfit (still trying to figure out what that was) and her right-hook on super nice fans/news reporters (still trying to figure out what that was too). As far as I'm concerned it seems to still be a pretty well kept secret in the vacation world, and I really don't mind. While everyone else is saving up for years for that trip to Paris, London, or Rome (to which I mean no disrespect and do not wish do downplay the beauty of each), I've become rather fascinated with the obscurities our planet has to offer. Antarctica... well, I'll save my latest infatuation for another blog, I tend to get carried away with the length of my posts, so I'll stop while I still have your attention. I leave June 12th and get back July 26th. It's still up in the air if I'm going to include any other travels while I'm out and about and jobless.

I Envy This

Anthony Bourdain.
I envy this man's career(s). Author- always an excuse to learn and use new words, get published, and run away into the woods so that you can focus on your writing. Chef- surrounding yourself in food and being able to create the meals you love. Traveler- well, I shouldn't need to sell anyone on this idea. Mix all three of these professions and you have what I would consider a fantasy life. I don't even care if he is one of the most arrogant people on television, he has something that I want and I'm taking the high road by loving him for it, not hating him because I want what he has. Am I allowed to call this a healthy form of envy?

Love This

I love the fact that Jack Bauer comes up in so many discussions concerning politics. Not only in my different political science classes, but I also just read a bit in the Washington Post where he was mentioned in the topic of our interrogation tactics. I asked myself if it is even possible anymore to have a discussion on the matter without using Jack Bauer as a point of reference.
It gets me thinking that maybe we should just use some privately contracted "Jack Bauers" to compose interrogations since the military and government officials' hands are tied. Issue a bounty for the information, then once Blackwater gets it out of somebody we can just pay for the information. Problem solved. (tongue in cheek)

And as for a side note, CTU was way cooler than the FBI will EVER be.