...completely random stuff...

Grand Obstructionist Party?

2012-02-21T20:36:00.009-06:00

"The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president."
~ Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), in an interview with the National Journal, describing his goal in retaking the Senate.

One of the main political talking points of Republicans is that President Obama got everything he wanted his first two years in office:

"A lie told often enough becomes the truth"?

If one individual uses a specific grouping of words to express an idea at a particular time and place, and it's then cited by others (for example the Wall Street Journal), it's called a quote. If one or more individuals employ the same phraseology over and over again to support a specific social or economic agenda, it's called a message. To put it another way, a slogan is a slogan is a slogan. It's how ideological soap is bought and sold in the political marketplace (see Echo Chamber).

Clearly, any video which includes Rachel Maddow must be pure liberal propaganda. So, what is the truth? Instead of accepting this politically partisan video at face value, this blogger went directly to the source: The U.S. Senate. Read More...

The public record is the public record. Numbers don't lie. Can you say Grand Obstructionist Party? This blogger has a theory. The partisan goal is simple: stop and/or delay every action of government in order to create a climate of political and economic uncertainty.

Suggested Reading List:
Glass-Steagall Act
Cost of Wars

It's all about selling SOAP?

2012-02-20T00:30:00.015-06:00

Last July, Sarah Palin's documentary The Undefeated opened to an empty theater in Orange County, California (Read More). While on the surface, the movie's box office failure was rather humorous, unfortunately, a majority of journalists missed the point on why the film was released in the first place. It's the same reason that Newt Gingrich, despite his low approval ratings in every national poll, is still campaigning for President.
When this blogger lived and worked in the People's Republic of China, I discovered that cigarettes and alcohol were used to bribe local government officials. Indeed, the central government actually monitors the sell of expensive cigarettes to gauge the level of corruption in different cities. While the average price per pack was LESS than a dollar, several brands from Yunnan Province cost more than $110s a cartoon.

Why? Well, cigarettes are a form of hard currency which cannot be individually traced by the government. Thus, local officials accept cartoons of cigarettes, as bribes, without drawing the attention of the central government.

Economic crimes, such as tax fraud and corruption, routinely appear among the criminal dockets of those given the death penalty. Read More...

Intead of cigarettes, in the United States, special interest groups purchase books and DVDs (in bulk) to support candidates who support their specific agenda. Sarah Palin is a paid political commentator for Faux News. She earns more than six figures a year just giving speeches. As long as she remains a political celebrity, she'll continue selling SOAP. While I have the deepest respect for Senator John McCain, somebody spiked his Kool-Aid in 2008 when he picked Palin as his running mate.

Billionaire Sheldon Adelson Says He Might Give $100M To Newt Gingrich Or Other Republican?
Read More...

Photo of CCP Building Art, Guangzhou, PRC (August 2008).
Going Rogue: An American Life (Hardcover)

2012-02-18T14:30:00.003-06:00

"Politics is the art of postponing decisions until they are no longer relevant." ~ Henri Queuille

Contraception Crusade?

2012-02-17T09:10:00.002-06:00

Rick Sextorum surging in the polls?

Up to this point, this blogger has avoided writing anything of substance regarding this specific GOP hopeful. Why? To be honest, I've always considered the former Pennsylvania Senator a one-dimensional candidate.

Basically, his key political talking points are centered around three main social-conservative issues: abortion, same-sex marriage and birth control. On this last point, the candidate is on record as saying that states should have the right to ban all forms of birth control. Read more...

At a time when the 2012 election should be about jobs, jobs and jobs, this candidate continues to attract voters with a theocratic agenda regarding the role government in the private lives of its own citizens. Read More...

Limited government? Really? A woman who is raped should be denied the option of taking the morning after pill (a form of contraception)? A daughter, wife or mother must carry around her pain and shame for nine months to fulfill some religious, moral obligation to society? A zygote has more rights than a victim of rape or incest? Since when did an acorn dipped in water become a tree? Every Sperm is Sacred?

Morality? What morality? How is a product of rape a gift?

And condoms, which have helped turn the tide against the human tragedy of the AIDS pandemic, should be outlawed? Believe it or not, banning condoms will not stop people from having sex, so why even go back down this rather dangerous public health road? The Vatican and the Catholic Church? Humanae Vitae?

Is it really 2012? Read More...

This whole political mythology that the Republican Party somehow holds a monopoly on so-called Family Values is completely absurd. Read More...

In 2009, by it's own published estimates, Catholic Charities received 67% of its funding from "Government Revenue". Read More...

If a so-called religious organization receives more than 50% of its funding from the government, should it still be allowed to call itself a religious charity? When did a hospital become a church? Why is the government giving taxpayer money to religious institutions in the first place?

The Colbert Report Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Contraception Crusade
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive

In Florida, Mitt Romney destroyed Newt Gingrich with $15,000,000 worth of negative TV and radio ads. No matter what this blogger thinks or writes about Rick Santorum, it's clear that Romney's Restore Our Future Death Star is already preparing to put down The Alliance to Restore the Republic rebellion in Arizona and Michigan. While money "can't buy you love" (or votes), it sure helps when you're a Presidential hopeful battling all sides of the political Force.

Special Note to Dr. Ron Paul Supporters:
Speaking of liberty, Viagra is sold as an over-the-counter drug in China.

[pseu·do·nym]

2012-02-16T00:02:00.001-06:00

A fictitious name used by an author to conceal his or her identity.

"Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority. It thus exemplifies the purpose behind the Bill of Rights, and of the First Amendment in particular: to protect unpopular individuals from retaliation—and their ideas from suppression—at the hand of an intolerant society. The right to remain anonymous may be abused when it shields fraudulent conduct. But political speech by its nature will sometimes have unpalatable consequences, and, in general, our society accords greater weight to the value of free speech than to the dangers of its misuse."
~ Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens
McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Comm’n 514 U.S. 334, 357 (1995)

How to Remove Your Google Search History Before Google's New Privacy Policy Takes Effect?
Read More...

Possible Definition of Mainstream Media?

2012-02-15T11:58:00.000-06:00

Twenty years ago, if a Presidential candidate said something to a small crowd in a coffee shop in New Hampshire, the words and emotions of that moment would forever stay in that moment.

Times have changed. Believe it or not, it was just seven years ago yesterday the domain name YouTube.com was activated. It's difficult to image today's digital world without an endless stream of uploaded cute puppy and dancing baby videos. Beyond the funny and humorous, with a cell phone, one person has the power to change the political conversation. Links to a YouTube video, shared on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter, can actually be "the shot heard around the world".

In an exclusive news release to Reuters, Google reported that YouTube receives more than four billion video views a day. Additionally, 60 hours of material are uploaded to YouTube every minute. Read More...

Despite being BLOCKED by the Chinese and Iranian Government, judging this website by just the raw numbers, YouTube is already recognized globally as mainstream.

In terms of describing and defining the mainstream media itself, radio stations, TV stations and printed newspapers are all traditional, brick and mortar type business operations.

In the view of this blogger, if a syndicated talk show host reaches millions of daily listeners on more than 600 radio stations, by definition, that individual is a card-carrying member of the mainstream media. If this same college dropout earns more than $40,000,000s a year speaking into a Golden Microphone and actually watched Superbowl XLVI in the luxury box of the New England Patriots owner, Rush Limbaugh's sheer wealth, political connections and public notoriety makes him the poster child of today's mainstream media.

2012-02-14T10:09:00.000-06:00

"Travel teaches toleration." ~ Benjamin Disraeli

Buddhist Temple, Seoul, R.O.K. (July 2009)

Cancer drug reverses Alzheimer's in mice?

2012-02-13T03:00:00.000-06:00

So, why does the U.S. Federal Government provide medical research grants to universities?

In case you missed it, this week there was breaking news that some medical hope may be on the horizon for millions of families battling the darkness of this dreaded disease.
Read More...
Read More...
Read More...

2012-02-13T01:57:00.000-06:00

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum (June 2010)

Happy Birthday Charles Darwin?

2012-02-12T10:45:00.008-06:00

There's a certain truth to the saying that "a dog is man's best friend". For this blogger and his wife, our JoJo is family (see photo).

Which brings me to the point of this particular post. At the time Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species, Boston Terriers, as a breed, did not exist. But then again, we could deny that a man-made process employing elements of natural selection helped create the distinctive look and personality of our beloved family member. With actual physical evidence that evolutionary processes are part of the natural order of life, why do a significant percentage of Americans still believe otherwise? Read More...

We love JoJo not because he's a Boston Terrier. We love him because he loves us. He brings joy to our daily lives. This blogger would no sooner deny his existence then the existence of God. "All dogs go to Heaven!"

Still confused? Add an R to the word evolution and it's actually possible to understand something about the guiding principals and the original intent of America's Founding Fathers. In 1776, there was no contradiction between individual faith and freedom, a belief in a God and the use science as a tool to explain our world. Read More...

America's Darwin Problem?
Read More...

"If someone in 2012 wants to criticize Henry Ford because he didn't know everything about automobiles a century ago, it's a little silly. If someone says evolution did not happen, walk away, just like you should walk away if someone says astrology works or the Moon is made of cheese."
~ Hank Campbell
Read More...

Sadly, on more days than not, the political battles in 2012 feels like the country is undergoing a rapid process of de-evolution. Read More...

Suggested Reading: The Galileo Affair

Political Quote of the Week?

2012-02-11T11:08:00.000-06:00

"Well, I thought you'd be interested in knowing, that running for President of the United States is really one series of humiliations after another. But it's also an educational experience. I learned three things when I was running for President. First of all, I learned where John Wayne was born. That's very important. And then second, I learned the day that Elvis Presley was born. These are vital issues to our Republic. And third I learned, never forget the three things that you learn. Very important when you're running for President."
~ Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann
CPAC 2012 (February 9, 2012)

2012-02-10T05:23:00.000-06:00

"Conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginative."
~ Oscar Wilde

Poet sentenced to seven years in prison?
Read More...

Marilyn Monroe 'officially' joins Twitter?

2012-02-09T09:01:00.000-06:00

"Hollywood is a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul."
~ Marilyn Monroe
Read More...

2012-02-08T10:29:00.001-06:00

CIA Following Twitter And Facebook To Analyze Public Opinion, Predict Major Events?
Read More...

Theory: Could an agent of a foreign government, employed by one of the major social networking services, directly access the accounts of human rights activists in different countries? For example, Facebook uses both facial recognition and global positioning software. Theoretically, anonymous user data, obtained using these specific technologies, could be shared between foreign governments attempting to suppress internal political opposition. Also, employing these technologies could cut both political ways.

Hacked e-mails reveal Syrian spin used to defend crackdown?
Read More...

The more a conspiracy theory appears technically plausible,
the more likely that same theory becomes highly probable.
Read More...

2012-02-07T02:02:00.000-06:00

2012-02-07T00:52:00.012-06:00

"You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog." ~ Harry S. Truman

Super Bowl XLVI?

2012-02-06T03:44:00.000-06:00

During the pre-game show, NBC Sports ran a graphic on the political connection between the eventual winner of the Superbowl and the outcome of the last two Presidential Elections.

In 2004, the New England Patriots (AFC) defeated the Carolina Panthers (NFC) and President George W. Bush won reelection. In 2008, the New York Giants (NFC) defeated the New England Patriots (AFC) and then Senator Barrack Obama won the White House. Now that the Giants have defeated the Patriots in Superbowl XLVI, if Obama wins reelection, in four more years, this blogger predicts NBC Sports will dust off this rather absurd political connection. But then again, Rush Limbaugh did attend the big game as a special guest of Patriot's owner Robert Kraft.

Here's another prediction: It will be tough for Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York City to host a ticker-tape parade for the Giants and delay a parade for Iraq Veterans. Indeed, if the country could find the money and the resources to fight two different wars, why not two different parades?

Waiting until military operations end in Afghanistan to salute the conclusion of America's involvement in Iraq is a mistake. First, by not acknowledging the differences between Afghanistan and Iraq, it sends the wrong message, at the wrong time, to the Iranian leadership. For the last ten years, Tehran has perceived itself as being encircled by U.S. Forces. Since 1979, no Administration (Republican or Democrat) has had the political will or courage to diplomatically engage the Iranians. Even during the Cold War, American leaders knew this country needed to interact with the Soviet Union. The global consequences for doing anything less were too high. Unlike North Korea, which Beijing keeps on a short leash, there is no economic, political or military counterbalance to the regime in Tehran. Libya is not Egypt, Syria is not Libya, Afghanistan is not Iraq, and Iran continues to be Iran.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, it delays the healing process for a nation that's been at war for over ten years. Once again, to hold a parade for the winners of a football game, and not the troops who served this country in the game of life is just plan wrong. It just doesn't pass the common sense test.

2012-02-06T02:01:00.000-06:00

Short video of a snow rainbow with blowing winter winds
on I-29 between Grand Forks and Fargo, North Dakota (January 2010).

Welcome to the Redundant Department of Redundancy?

2012-02-05T08:29:00.000-06:00

Can you name the first time in American history that the government cut taxes as it went to war?

What was the original mission in Afghanistan? To find, capture and/or killed Elvis Bin Laden. What was the original mission in Iraq? WMD? Oil? Tourism? This blogger is NOT an isolationist.

After spending over $1,300,000,000,000s for two wars (with follow up military occupations of 7 & 10 years respectively), perhaps it's time to seriously reevaluate the economic, geopolitical & military wisdom of maintaining the rhetorical status quo. At least during World War II, the federal government sold WAR BONDS to build the factories required to support America's "arsenal of democracy". This time around, beyond those who serve in uniform (along with their families), what real sacrifices were the American people asked to make?

Have you seen the bumper sticker "Freedom is NOT Free"? It's true. Freedom has an actual price tag. Funding the Department of Defense requires real pennies, nickles, dimes and quarters.

The money for Iraq & Afghanistan has already been spent. So, how will this BILL get paid? Wishful thinking? Prayer? The Free Market? More Corporate Tax Breaks? The next generation? I guess asking folks to do the right thing for the right reasons is asking too much.

Photos of Afghan Soldiers & Burger King Sign by Peter Rimar
The Iraq War (History Channel DVD)

2012-02-05T01:02:00.000-06:00

Instead of accepting political talking points at face value, this blogger usually fact checks the raw numbers behind an issue or subject. One of the central themes of this election cycle is the negative impact of government regulations on job growth. Looking at the numbers released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on February 3, 2012, considering the financial meltdown in 2008 was directly connected to the housing sector (subprime mortgage lending), it's no surprise the overall employment numbers in the construction industry remains one of the weakest segments of the economy. Read More...

The most interesting numbers released in this latest report are on page 6. If government environmental regulations are killing jobs, it's a bit curious that the overall employment numbers for the mining and logging industry are at the highest levels in more than 12 years:

"Since a low in October 2009, mining employment has expanded by 172,000, with 10,000 jobs being added in January (2012)."
~ U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Additionally, since reaching a peak of 455,595 barrels in August 2006, how do Republicans explain the continued downward trend in U.S. imported crude oil and petroleum products under the Obama Administration?
Read More...
US licenses first nuclear reactors since 1978?
Read More...

Undoubtedly, there are too many government regulations. It would be refreshing for this blogger if the politicians, particularly the Republicans, would throw this avid blogger a bone and specifically pinpoint which regulations needs to be changed, dramatically altered or thrown out with the bureaucratic bath water.

When it comes to the rising price of gasoline, Americans need to remember that the emerging markets in China and India will continue to impact global oil supplies.
Read More...
Read More...
Read More...

Apple Salesman in China?

2012-02-04T08:04:00.002-06:00

Chinese Neighborhood, Changsha, P.R.C. (June 2009)

Update: Apple supplier Foxconn says it will raise salaries?
Read more...

Working Title: Two and a Half Brains?

2012-02-03T12:46:00.000-06:00

Chuck Lorre & CBS in negotiations with Bachmann, Huntsman and Roemer for a new political sitcom? Rick Santorum slated to play the stalking neighbor and Herman Cain as the pizza delivery guy?

First Episode [Rough Draft]: Roemer helps Bachmann study for a test on the Founding Fathers. While delivering a pizza, Cain catches Santorum spying in Huntsman's bathroom window.

Winners Never Cheat:
Even in Difficult Times, New and Expanded Edition [Hardcover]

2012-02-02T04:09:00.000-06:00

"The finest clothing made is a person's skin, but, of course, society demands something more than this." ~ Mark Twain

The beauty of simplicity?

2012-02-01T03:42:00.000-06:00

"The phrase 'working mother' is redundant."
~ Jane Sellman

Polls? Polls. Polls!

2012-01-31T02:01:00.001-06:00

A day without a new public opinion poll is like the month of January in North Dakota without snow. It is what it is. All the media giants (to include Faux News) love analyzing the latest poll numbers. One political poll feeds into yet another poll.

Between December 7-11, 2011, the Pew Research Center asked voters the question, "is there too much power in the hands of a few rich people and large corporations?" 77% of those surveyed said YES, while 19% stated NO.

While the #Occupy Wall Street Movement has lost its original momentum, it's clear the widespread demonstrations in September and October changed the language of the political landscape in 2012.

Kool-Aid still comes in more than one flavor?

2012-01-30T19:41:00.000-06:00

"It would be nice if the Food and Drug Administration stopped issuing warnings about toxic substances and just gave me the names of one or two things still safe to eat."
~ Robert Fuoss
FDA: A History (DVD)

2012-01-30T02:02:00.000-06:00

2012-01-29T01:49:00.000-06:00

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."
~ Albert Einstein

Command-in-Chef Update:President Gingrich deploys Texas National Guard to the moon to put down rebellion in the 51st state? To keep illegals off the moon, Secretary of Defense Herman Cain proposes building an electric fence around the "Sea of Tranquility"?
Read More...

2012-01-28T02:01:00.000-06:00

The Absurdity of the Idiotology?

2012-01-26T09:03:00.000-06:00

Ten months after releasing his original, official, long-form birth certificate, the clogosphere is still buzzing with various conspiracy theories regarding President Obama's citizenship. Why? Since some folks still have a bad case of selective memory, here's a little CNN reminder from April 2011:

Senator John McCain's was born at the Coco Solo Naval Air Station in the Panama Canal Zone. His eligibility to run for the White House in 2008 was never questioned. Mitt Romney's father, who ran for the Republican nomination in 1968, was born to American parents living in the Mormon colonies in Mexico.

Are there racial and religious undertones to the 2012 Presidential Election?

Sadly, even when presented with a new truth, people will continue to believe what they want to believe. Read More...

Indeed, how does Donald Trump, who embarrassed the country by hitching his political wagon to the Birther Movement, still receive serious media attention from ALL the major news outlets?

2012-01-26T01:44:00.001-06:00

Operation Restore Hope

American Soldier, Mogadishu, Somalia (January 1994)

2012-01-25T04:03:00.000-06:00

"Conservatives define themselves in terms of what they oppose."
~ George Will

George Carlin ~ The American Dream

2012-01-24T15:40:00.000-06:00

While Bill Gates & Warren Buffet are well-known Billionaire philanthropists, behind the scenes, the Koch Brothers have spent millions upon millions of dollars to change the way Americans think. Is it wrong? Perhaps. It all depends on your flavor of Kool-Aid. READ MORE...

George Carlin: Last Words (Paperback)

...life in contrast...

Photo by Peter Rimar taken in Hong Kong, S.A.R. (May 2008).
Click on image to open in a new window.

A Chinese New Year's Story

2012-01-23T02:04:00.000-06:00

For those that remember the movie A Christmas Story, Ralphie's father takes everyone out to a Chinese restaurant for Chinese Turkey. Part of the joke being that Chinese restaurants are usually the only businesses open on Christmas Day. Anyhow, back in 2009, my wife and I decided to go out for lunch. The streets were completely empty. Changsha is a city of over 7 million people!

I felt like Tom Cruise standing in Times Square in Vanilla Sky.

Did the apocalypse happen while we were sleeping? ALL the Chinese restaurants were locked up. Everything was closed. Then it hit us. Logically, the ONLY restaurants open on Chinese New Year's Day must be American. Sure enough, Subway, KFC, McDonald's & Pizza Hut were ALL OPEN for business.

So where did we eat?

In China, believe it or not, Pizza Hut is considered a high class, gourmet restaurant. Why? Because Pizza Huts in China look and taste NOTHING like the States. The service, atmosphere and food are a complete 180 degrees from the Lower 48. Koh and I had Salmon Pasta, Shrimp, Garlic Bread, Salad & a Pepsi.

It was our American Peking Duck Chinese New Year Dinner.
TABASCO Brand Pepper Sauce ~ Original Red Gallon

2012-01-23T02:01:00.000-06:00

Inspiration for the planet Pandora in the movie Avatar

(see mountains behind Chinese girls)

Zhangjiajie, P.R.C. (March 2009).

Google keeps recommending links selling...

2012-01-21T02:36:00.000-06:00

Plastic Bifocals, Constipation Remedies, Flatulence Treatments, Depends Underwear, Low Dose Aspirin, Pink House Slippers and the NRA.
Should I be worried?

"Life is a great big canvas and you should throw all the paint on it you can."
~ Danny Kaye
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (DVD)

2012-01-21T02:07:00.000-06:00

Is it just me...

2012-01-19T02:01:00.000-06:00

or do the morning TV talk shows sound like a mind numbing chorus celebrating the Freudian joys of human dysfunction?

Why, if you type the word "numbing" in Google's search box, it suggests "numbing condoms"? I'm almost afraid to click on the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button.

‎Life's all about product placement?

Marketing For Dummies (Paperback)

SOPA & PIPA? "We are Devo"?

2012-01-18T02:01:00.000-06:00

(█ ) ███ ██████ ██ ██ click "Share" ██ ██ ████ ██████ ██ ████ ██ ████ ██████ ██ ████ ██ ████ ██ ████ ██ ████ ██ ████ ██ ████ ██. This posted blog comment has been found in violation of H.R. 3261, S.O.P.A and has been removed.

Google Rallies Opposition to Anti-Piracy Bill Backed by Murdoch?
Read More...

Update:
SOPA + PIPA + Public Opinion = D.O.A.
Read More...

Possible Definition of Cre·a·tiv·i·ty?

2012-01-18T01:36:00.001-06:00

[kree-uh-tiv-i-tee]

The mosquitoes are so BIG in North Dakota the Department of Fish & Game could issue hunting licenses.

2012-01-16T10:57:00.000-06:00

A rural life is better:
Living in a concrete jungle is stressful and makes you vulnerable to depression?
The Daily Mail
By David Derbyshire
June 23, 2011

"Scientists have confirmed what every urbanite has long suspected – life in the city is more stressful."
READ MORE...

Photo by Peter Rimar of Grain Elevator in Hunter, North Dakota (August 2010).

2012-01-16T02:20:00.000-06:00

"I force myself to contradict myself in order to avoid conforming to my own taste." ~ Marcel Duchamp

Random image of trash in a street gutter in Baghdad, Iraq (April 2005).

Feeling depressed? Try hunting with Dick Cheney?

2012-01-15T02:58:00.000-06:00

Remember when the word Google wasn't a word? Remember when the acronym W-M-D meant Waste Management Disposal? Remember when "corduroy pants" were cool? This status update was brought to you by the makers of Hostess Twinkies.

Corporate insider rumors that Bain Capital is planning a hostile takeover of this American snack food icon are untrue? Mitt Romney plans to announce his economic strategy to save us from a Twinkie apocalypse? Rick Perry wants President Obama to call out the Texas National Guard? Donald Trump demands to see the Twinkie's Original Birth Certificate?
Read More...
The Encyclopedia of Junk Food and Fast Food

Kabul Marketplace

2012-01-14T18:24:00.000-06:00

If you look closely at the above photograph of a marketplace in Kabul, Afghanistan (July 2003), you may notice something missing (not WHAT but WHO is missing from the image). Before reading any further, please take a quick moment to look at the photograph itself. If it helps, you can enlarge the picture into a new window (i.e. just click on the image). When I first developed the negative, I viewed it as just another photograph of a typical 3rd world marketplace. People just going about the daily business of business. Then it dawned on me...

Go to any shopping district in Seoul, Tokyo, New York or Paris...
Visit a marketplace in Bangkok, Mexico City or Sarajevo...
Walk through a Shopping Mall in Beijing, Dallas or London and a you can't help but notice the sounds and faces of women & small children.
Sometimes, what is missing from a photograph actually reveals more than what it seems to contain.

Today is a New Day?

2012-01-13T02:05:00.000-06:00

Short video of morning sunrise, Las Cruces, New Mexico (September 2009).

Paris Hilton. (Pause) Why?

2012-01-12T04:42:00.000-06:00

But then again, how does a Hollywood Socialite, who's only claim to fame is her family name, a reality television show and an explicit home video, has a higher approval rating than the 112th U.S. Congress?

Confessions of an Heiress:
A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose (Paperback)

2012-01-12T02:03:00.000-06:00

Dancing with Turks?

Dear Governor Rick Perry ~ Why is Texas Pete Hot Sauce made in North Carolina?

2012-01-11T03:53:00.000-06:00

“Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbours, and let each new year find you a better man.”
~ Benjamin Franklin

The Wines of New Mexico (Paperback)

Memories are Recycled?

2012-01-10T03:02:00.001-06:00

"When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained." ~ Mark Twain

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Tea Party

2012-01-09T19:06:00.000-06:00

From website The Tea Party.net:
"The U.S. Constitution was written by our founders to limit the powers of the federal government, instead, giving the power to the people and the States."

Just out of curiosity, do people actually believe this absurd bit of revisionist history? Seriously? Somebody should have stayed awake in that freshman U.S. History class. Instead of drinking beer and playing Frisbee in the park, a few minutes reading those boring textbooks might have actually educated folks on the so-called original intent of the Founding Fathers. The U.S. Constitution was written to create a federal system (with checks and balance between the branches of government) which could respond to the needs of one, unified nation:"...in order to form a more perfect union..."

Can you say the Articles of Confederation?
That's right, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights were written to FIX the economic and political mess created by the issue of states' rights. Why did George Washington have problems supplying his troops in Valley Forge? Hello? Knock, Knock. Is anybody home?

Indeed, if it wasn't for the whole states' rights debate, believe it or not, this country may not have needed a BLOODY Civil War to finally resolve the question of slavery. Don't believe me? On March 21, 1861, in Savannah, Georgia, Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens gave what's become known as the Cornerstone Speech:

"Our new Government is founded upon exactly the opposite ideas; its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery, subordination to the superior race, is his natural and normal condition."

These are the actual words of one of the central figures in American politics at the start of the Civil War. Speaking of revisionist history, while he's NOT a darling of the Tea Party, no one talks the political psychobabble game better than Congressman Ron Paul:

And since we're on the subject, why was there a Civil Rights Movement in this country? Why were some Americans forced to sit in the back of the bus? Skin pigment? Can you say states' rights? During this dark period in American History, the political theme of States' Rights was code for the fight to protect and preserve over 100 years of institutionalized racial segregation:

In the aftermath of 9-11, Americans waved only one, unified flag. IF you're an active contributor to the Tea Party, here's a challenge: the next time you go shopping, buy Made in the USA.

Observation: For everybody who thinks a majority of this country's university professors are left-wing socialists never sat thru a lecture of the History of the Constitution at Mayville State University in North Dakota.

Free At Last: A History of the Civil Rights Movement and Those Who Died in the Struggle (Paperback)

2012-01-09T02:59:00.000-06:00

...Americana...

Mesilla, New Mexico (September 2009).

Could you pass a US citizenship test?
Read More...

Could somebody PLEASE turn on the "Nothing but Blue Skies" & "Walking on SUNSHINE" machine?

2012-01-08T03:45:00.000-06:00

"If we are to remain a decent society we must treat one another decently."
~ Jerry DeMartin

Ice Cream: The Full Scoop (Paperback)

2012-01-08T03:01:00.000-06:00

Πολιτικά?

2012-01-08T01:46:00.000-06:00

"It's so easy for propaganda to work and dissent to be mocked."
~ Harold Pinter

Photo of DPRK Painting, 798 Art District, Beijing, P.R.C. (May 2008).

2012-01-07T02:48:00.000-06:00

Photo of peaceful government protest in Seoul, R.O.K. (July 2009).

Karl Rove's Answering Machine?

2012-01-06T19:09:00.000-06:00

Rick Perry: Hey Karl. This is Rick again. After our Vail meeting with the Koch Brothers back in June, this whole running for President sounded like a sure thing. Heck, waiting until after the debt ceiling crisis to announce the campaign was outstanding advice.

[PAUSE]

I'm not sure why no one is answering my calls. I've left a dozen messages with the folks over at Faux News, but they keep telling me you're out. Anyhow, it'd be great buddy if you could call me back. The wife's cooked up your favorite brisket and potato salad...

[BEEP]

Hello? Karl? You there? Hello?

[CLICK]

Astroturfing versus Occupy?
Wikipedia: The Boston Tea Party was a direct action by colonists in Boston against the British government and the monopolistic East India Company that controlled all the tea imported into the colonies. Can you say corporate greed in bed with an unresponsive government?

Bilingual Sign in Burger King Parking Lot, Socorro, New Mexico (September 2009).
Burger King Deluxe Latex Mask

Bloomberg Markets Magazine
Koch Brothers Flout Law Getting Richer
With Secret Iran Sales
By Asjylyn Loder and David Evans - Oct 3, 2011
Read More...

The following comment was posted by an anonymous reader regarding Bloomberg's featured exposé on Koch Industries:

"As a Kock employee I know for a fact that if you call their compliance line to report anything that violates their code of coduct that you will end up being fired. I've seen it happen with several former employees, and they are in the process of trying to fire a person who just reported illegal activities.

So maybe you should look up the facts first. I live the horror of the Koch brothers everyday. They only believe in liberalism for themselves and their billionaire friends. The rest of us are just ants that need to be squashed."

"The culture of investment banks was conveyed to commercial banks and everyone got involved in the high-risk gambling mentality. That mentality was core to the problem that we're facing now."
~ Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize-winning economist (September 19, 2008)

Suggested Reading Links:
Glass-Steagall Act
Astroturfing
Echo Chamber
Nation of Whiners?
Health Care Reform Fact Checker

...

2012-01-05T02:01:00.000-06:00

Why do ALIENS always invade New York City, L.A. & Chicago?

2012-01-04T13:51:00.000-06:00

Why not Toad Suck, Arkansas, Blue Ball, Pennsylvania or Climax, Minnesota?

“Our constitution protects aliens, drunks and U.S. Senators.”
~ Will Rogers

2012-01-04T02:04:00.000-06:00

Every lime has a purpose?

Short video of a Lime in a Tecate Beer at 8,600 ft. in Cloudcroft, New Mexico.
Recorded by Peter Rimar (October 2009).

It appears my invitation to the ROYAL WEDDING is still LOST in the mail.

2012-01-03T11:12:00.000-06:00

“Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you're a thousand miles from the corn field.”
~ Dwight D. Eisenhower

Photo of Farming Mural in Morris, Canada (November 2010)
Prince William & Kate Middleton Wedding Commemorative Coaster
Heart Motif on Union Jack.

...

2012-01-03T03:37:00.000-06:00

Real men wear PINK!

2012-01-02T22:33:00.000-06:00

Could the NCAA please STOP pretending that college BASKETBALL & FOOTBALL are altruistic amateur sports which promote team spirit & academic excellence?

“Football players, like prostitutes, are in the business of ruining their bodies for the pleasure of strangers”
~ Merle Kessler

NCAA Montana Grizzlies Team Backpack

Photograph of the 1903 Mayville High School Football Team taken at the Goose River Heritage Center Museum, Mayville, North Dakota. Click on image to open in a new window.

"I love a dog. He does nothing for political reasons." ~ Will Rogers

2012-01-01T18:29:00.000-06:00

JoJo Rimar

Going, Going, Gone...

2012-01-01T01:31:00.000-06:00

[ih-lip-sis]

"I think in terms of the day's resolutions, not the year's." ~ Henry Moore

Message to Faux News

2011-12-31T11:55:00.000-06:00

If a user LIKES a candidate on Facebook, it does not mean that person actually supports that specific individual. Don't believe me? Just spend a few minutes reading the comments left on Michele Bachmann's page.

Because of Facebook's technical architecture, in order to leave a comment on a candidate's page (either positive or negative), a user must JOIN that candidate's LIKE page. IF a journalist (and/or news agency) uses a candidate's Facebook LIKE page to gauge popular support, that journalist (and/or news agency) is an IDIOT.

FYI: The Facebook LIKE function does not represent a scientific poll or survey (even one funded by a special interest group). Anyhow, these days, this blogger watches Comedy Central for an insightful look at the news and laughs from watching Faux News.
Fair and Balanced, My Ass!:
An Unbridled Look at the Bizarre Reality of Fox News (Paperback)

...Americana...

Mural on Town Post Office

May 2010

Stromberg, Nebraska

"The Swede Capital of Nebraska"

Why does the HISTORY Channel produce a show called "Pawn Stars"?

2011-12-30T19:36:00.000-06:00

With all the debt relief, tax lawyer, car insurance, buy GOLD commercials, it's strange how these difficult economic times have changed what's on television.

Elvis and Me (Paperback)

2011-12-28T02:01:00.000-06:00

...reflections...

Baghdad, Iraq (April 2005).

For anybody that's attempted to take a large group photo, even under the best of circumstances, it's difficult to get every face in the picture. Particularly, when all the subjects are moving in different directions. Sometimes, luck plays a role when attempting to capture a single image at just the right moment.

During the Berlin Airlift in 1948, German children would scramble for packages of goodies dropped from relief planes landing into the besieged city. Fast forward to 2005. No matter where U.S. Troops traveled in Iraq, children were soon to follow. Once a convoy stopped in a village, the American soldiers became a magnet for kids. When I snapped this photograph, dozens of children ran towards our vehicle hoping for candy and soccer balls.

Smoking and Atomic Bombs Kill?

2011-12-27T20:45:00.000-06:00

The only difference is how much energy is used to equal mass multiplied by the speed of light squared. It was relativity easy to give up using atomic bombs. However, quitting smoking for this blogger continues to be a real beach...

The Day After Trinity (DVD)

3.5% Unemployment in North Dakota?

2011-12-26T13:03:00.000-06:00

Over the last year, one of the few bright spots in the U.S. economy has been the ongoing Oil Rush in North Dakota. Before you load up the family van and head north, please be aware, the winters in this state are extremely ka-ka-ka-COLD. Also, there's a housing shortage in the western half of the state. It's a good idea to pack baby wipes, a sleeping bag and a tent for the trip:
Read More...
Read More...

Short video from the Aneta Turkey Barbeque Parade, North Dakota.
Recorded by Peter Rimar (June 2010).
Silent Towns on the Prairie :
North Dakota's Disappearing Towns and Farms (Paperback)

Speaking of new jobs in North Dakota...
Strippers earning up to $2,000 a night
in North Dakota town thriving amid
oil boom
by Larry McShane (NY Daily News)

"A pair of strip clubs in Williston, N.D., are drawing exotic dancers who can earn up to $2,000 a night thanks to the influx of well-paid oil workers in the remote region, CNN Money reported."
Read More...

2011-12-26T03:02:00.000-06:00

Is it WRONG to play dress up with your dog?

2011-12-25T03:23:00.000-06:00

While taking our dog JoJo out for his morning constitution, I was reminded of one of life's simple lessons...
sometimes...
it's important to stop & smell each & every blade of grass...

Boston Terriers For Dummies

2011-12-25T02:04:00.000-06:00

2011-12-24T18:33:00.000-06:00

"Do not hire a man who does your work for money, but him who does it for love of it."
~ Henry David Thoreau

Classroom in Baghdad

2011-12-23T12:13:00.000-06:00

Admittedly, NOBODY visits this blog to mentally digest the author's various rhetorical rants and raves. It is what it is. Politically, this small corner of cyberspace will never challenge the likes of a The Huffington Post or Politico. A majority of this blog's daily traffic comes from folks searching for a specific image on Google or Bing.

Yesterday, someone in Spain did a Google search looking for an image of a classroom in Baghdad. Unfortunately, in terms of what I've already posted on this blog, this anonymous person's search only yielded classroom photos from China.

That's is until today...

In April 2004, this blogger tagged along for a week with a U.S. Army Civil Affairs team working in downtown Baghdad. The above images were captured on a mission which delivered supplies to a school for the deaf and blind.

Virtual Refreshment?

2011-12-23T03:10:00.000-06:00

"Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh."
~ George Bernard Shaw

2011-12-23T02:34:00.000-06:00

Social Networking = The BORG. IF you're reading this message, you've been Assimilation!

2011-12-22T18:39:00.000-06:00

Make your Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie
before it's too late!

"I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts."
~ Will Rogers
Chairman Mao Watch

etc. etc. etc.

2011-12-22T03:21:00.000-06:00

Tax Breaks for Job Creators?

Can you say "Kool-Aid"? Really? Who came up with this talking point? Some K Street lobbyist?

According to CelebrityNetWorth.com, on July 2, 2008, Rush Limbaugh signed an eight-year contract with Clear Channel Communications for $400 million. The conservative talk show host "broadcasts his show from a $26 million ocean front home in West Palm Beach, which has 7 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms and an elevator".

Between January and May 2009, Clear Channel Communications eliminated 2,440 positions (roughly a 12% drop from its December 2008 workforce).
Read More...

Still confused?
Here's what Seattle billionaire Nick Hanauer wrote in Bloomberg's op-eds section in November, "When businesspeople take credit for creating jobs, it is like squirrels taking credit for creating evolution. In fact, it’s the other way around." Read More...

At what point will the GOP wake up and finally retire its silly "job creator" talking point?

Every person who spends money is a job creator. Every person with money deposited in a savings account is an investor. At the end of October 2011, one month after the start of #Occupy Wall Street Protests, the Congressional Budget Office published a detailed report on the distribution of household income between 1979 and 2007. The raw numbers are alarming.

Can you name the first time in American history that the government cut revenue as it marched off to war? Once again, President Obama needs to stop calling his proposal to raise revenue to address the budget deficit the Buffet Rule. It needs to be called the After 9-11 Tax. Speaking of which, how many millionaires and billionaires served in Iraq or Afghanistan? 1%?
Read More...

"I Pledge of Allegiance to Grover Norquist"?

In case you missed it, according to the latest Gallup, only 11% of Americans approve of the job U.S. Congress is doing. The 86% disapproval rating for the 112th Congress is the highest since Gallup started asking the question in 1974.
Read More...

Public service is NOT about being a Republican or a Democrat. It's not about being a liberal or conservative. It's about doing the right things for the right reasons. It's about being a citizen. And believe it or not, the word Compromise is NOT one of George Carlin's original seven dirty words.

Understanding the latest political games being played out in Washington D.C. is not complicated. Power is crack. Money buys crack. Perhaps it's time for this country to take a serious look at enacting a 28th Amendment to the Constitution which overturns the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case (perhaps the worst decision in America's judicial history since Dred Scott).

"94% of elections in America are won by the candidate with the most money. Is this how we want to pick our leaders?" ~ Buddy Roemer

...contrasting imagery...

Dirty Blue Jeans in Broken Window, Changsha, PRC (December 2008)

Predictions for 2012?

2011-12-21T14:29:00.000-06:00

Television, radio, and newspaper journalists (from all shades of the political spectrum) engage in Ambulance Chasing. Basically, when deciding which major news stories to cover, "if it bleeds, it leads".

Inevitably, WARS and natural disasters top the list of major world events actively covered by the media. Raw human suffering naturally creates powerful images which help to remain us of our own inevitable mortally.

Beyond the so-called end-of-days predictions about the Mayan Calender or Radio evangelist Harold Camping's continued incoherent ramblings about The Rapture, a laundry list of news worthy possibilities makes forecasting world events for 2012 (pause) predictable.

This year, this 3rd Rock from the Sun will experience one or more of the following natural events: avalanches, earthquakes, famines, floods, heat waves, hurricanes, lightning strike, tornadoes, Tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and wildfires. It's not complicated. While it's possible some future government funded, technological advancements may take the mystery out of forecasting recurring biblical events, in 2012, this blogger can confidently predict natural disasters around the world will change the lives of millions of people.

So, what about the future prophecies of Nostradamus' quatrains?

This French Apothecary recognized one important thing about human nature: Man is a politically motivated sexual animal.

There will be at least one SEX scandal in 2012?

Speaking of politics, 59 countries will hold national elections, referendums or plebiscites. Democratic elections will take place in the United States, Russia, Mexico, India and France. The People's Republic of China will hold it's 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people will experience an already predicted change in it's top leadership. Additionally, Egypt and Venezuela are slated to hold elections.

Next month, the United Kingdom will observe Queen Elizabeth II's 60 years on the throne. This summer, London will host the Games of the XXX Olympiad.

There will be monthly stories about Internet Privacy, Facebook and Google. And finally, somebody, somewhere in the world will upload a cute baby video to YouTube.

If you enjoyed 2011, fasten your seat belts. Using my politically neutral Magic 8-Ball, this blogger can write with confidence that the events of 2011 were just a prelude to what's in store for our wonderful world in 2012.

Ten 100-year predictions that came true?
Read More...

2011-12-21T03:04:00.000-06:00

Operation Restore Hope
Egyptian Soldiers, Mogadishu, Somalia (January 1994).

Ron Paul Wins Iowa?

2011-12-20T14:01:00.000-06:00

Even though the GOP's establishment is carpet bombing Iowa with millions of dollars in anti-Newt campaign ads, once again, the candidate's worst political enemy appears to be the candidate himself. Seriously, Newt's mouth is like a "human hand grenade".

Believe it or not, during 2011, at one point or another, SIX different Republicans (to include Sarah Palin) have lead in the polls in Iowa. Since "7" is a lucky number, it just stands to reason that Congressman Ron Paul will narrowly win the Iowa Caucus.

Ron Paul Campaign Update: (12/23/2011)
Despite the latest media frenzy over the candidate's questionable affiliation with a series of racially charged comments printed in newsletters bearing his name, it's still possible for Paul to win the upcoming Iowa Caucus. Ironically, the newsletter controversy itself only reinforces a conspiracy theory held by many of his most ardent supporters. Basically, the so-called mainstream media (which includes Faux News) wants to derail his candidacy and silence his Revolutionary ideas.

Honestly, this blogger has never believed that Ron Paul could, would or should be elected President. Also, despite Ron Paul being upset that his integrity is being questioned, in 2011, it's fair game for reporters to ask questions regarding the comments contained within these newsletters.
Read More...

Political Quote of the Week:
"Trying to negotiate with Speaker Boehner is like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall."
~ Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)

Election 2012 Update:
Mitt Romney wins Iowa with exactly six less votes than in 2008:

...somebody, anybody & nobody...

2011-12-20T02:02:00.000-06:00

‎I just watched an hour of CNN with no mention of Casey Anthony, Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Sheen, Paris Hilton or Donald Trump. Perhaps the whole Mayan Calendar end-of-days prediction is wrong...

Solving the Greatest Mystery of Our time : The Mayan Calendar (Paperback)

Breaking News: North Korean Kim Jong-il Dead?

2011-12-19T02:29:00.000-06:00

This may be the first real foreign policy test of the Obama Administration.

As I've already stated in a previous post, since the collapse of the former Soviet Union, the DPRK has been a proxy state of the People's Republic of China.

With the announced death of Kim Jong-il, it remains to be seen how Beijing will respond to any unforeseen internal power struggle within North Korea itself.

Despite the best efforts of Beijing's leaders, it's still possible the death of Kim Jong-il could eventually lead to a crisis similar to what the Chinese themselves experienced following the death of Mao Zedong in 1976 (see Gang of Four). Historically, the transition of power within a Communist country after the death of a cult of personality type leader is not uncharted territory. The question remains whether a Stalin or a Gorbachev is waiting in the wings to eventually seize the reigns of power in Pyongyang.

With or without Kim Jong-il, the CCP's economic and military approach to the DPRK will remain the same. For both China and North Korea, the shared political goal for both regimes can best be described with three simple words: Stability. Stability. Stability.

Let me be clear about this next point. Despite its policy to maintain political stability on the Korean Peninsula, if the DPRK ever attacks South Korea, blood will be on the hands of the CCP and the PLA.

"As soon as man began considering himself the source of the highest meaning in the world and the measure of everything, the world began to lose its human dimension and man began to lose control of it."
~ Václav Havel

For this blogger, it's interesting how the weekend passing of a man like Václav Havel contrasts with the death of the DPRK's "Dear Leader".
The Power of the Powerless:
Citizens Against the State in Central-Eastern Europe [Paperback]

...perspective...

North Korean Performers
Wangjing, Chaoyang District, Beijing
June 2008

2011-12-19T02:06:00.000-06:00

That was then...

Downtown Seoul, R.O.K. (Circa 1983)

This is now...

Downtown Seoul, R.O.K. (Circa 2009)

Photos by Peter Rimar.

#Occupy Wukan?

2011-12-18T02:05:00.000-06:00

Violent political clashes in Egypt? London burning? A nuclear crisis in Japan? Military tanks crushing government protesters in Syria while American troops leave Iraq? The Libyan people rising up against Muammar Gaddafi? #Occupy Wall Street protests in every major American city? Russians marching again on the streets of Moscow?

And the year 2011 is not quite finished...

Analysis: Democracy is like a rice cooker. When too much pressure builds up inside, excess steam is released so the cooker (i.e. society) doesn't EXPLODE.
Read More...

Update:
Wukan protesters end action after Chinese government offers concessions
December 21, 2011
Read More...

Freedom? What's does it really mean?

2011-12-18T02:01:00.000-06:00

This blogger discovered a long time ago, it sometimes depends on where a person is standing: Geography. IF you peel away the rhetorical onion, Freedom is the RIGHT to safely and peacefully live ones own life FREE from religious or political fear. Not the fear of the unknown, which will always be a part of our own humanity, but the RIGHT to search for & perhaps discover for ourselves our own individual truth.

FREE from the burden of fear.

This may be the reason why the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects freedom of expression, was 1st. From the seeds of this one simple idea, all the other freedoms enjoyed by Americans followed...

While the United States of America cannot solve all the world's problems, at the very least, as a country & as a people, we must never compromise our values & ideals for liberty & freedom.
It's from this light...
all hope shines.

...perspective...

"As we debate how the United States can best influence the course of the Arab Spring, can’t we all agree that the most obvious thing we can do is stand as an example of a nation that holds an individual’s human rights as superior to the will of the majority or the wishes of government?"
~ Senator John McCain
May 11, 2011
The Washington Post

Photo of Senator John McCain taken by Peter Rimar in San Antonio, Texas (January 2007).
The Fall of the Berlin Wall:
The Revolutionary Legacy of 1989 (Paperback)

When your house is on FIRE, it's absurd to argue with your wife about how to rearrange the furniture.

2011-12-17T08:24:00.000-06:00

“God gave men both a penis and a brain, but unfortunately not enough blood supply to run both at the same time.” ~ Robin Williams

Make It Fast, Cook It Slow:
The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking (Paperback)

‎"It's my MONEY and I need it NOW"?

2011-12-16T03:06:00.000-06:00

“Computers have enabled people to make more mistakes faster than almost any invention in history, with the possible exception of tequila & hand guns”
~ Mitch Ratcliffe

Three Generations

2011-12-15T03:43:00.000-06:00

Since the end of the Korean War, South Korean society has undergone a complete political, economic and social transformation. In 1953, after a brutal Japanese occupation and civil war, the country was on life support. Most Koreans lived in the countryside and worked the land. After just 50 years, South Korea has transformed itself into an industrial powerhouse in Asia. The country's largest automaker even built a $1.1 billion dollar auto assembly plant in Alabama.

This photograph of my wife's grandmother was taken in a farmhouse in 1983. The story of her rough life mirrors the transformation undergone by the country. When she was sixteen years old, she was forced into an arranged marriage.

My wife's great-grandparents traded a small plot of land & a cow for their son's new bride. Basically, she was treated as a piece of property.

During the Japanese occupation, the laws regarding marriage changed. While a woman could no longer be bought or sold, families still arranged marriages for their children. In the case of my wife's mother, she actually meet her new husband (my wife's father) on their wedding night. My mother-in-law had ZERO control over her future. Love was not a requirement for marriage.

In 1983, for the first time in my wife's family, a woman controlled who she married. In just three generations, a woman's status in Korean society changed forever.

One of my wife's favorite movies is "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." Why? Well, when we announced our engagement, her older brother attempted to stop the marriage. However, unlike two-generations before, he had no legal authority over his sister. Just like the movie, my brother-in-law invited dozens of Korean men home for dinner. When the movie came out, even my brother-in-law recognized his character as the Greek father.

OBSERVATION: Globalization has contributed to the rise of Islamic Fundamentalism. The dramatic changes for the status of women in Asia mirror the modern pressures currently underway in the Islamic World.

Century of Struggle:
The Woman's Rights Movement in the United States, Enlarged Edition (Paperback)

2011-12-15T03:41:00.000-06:00

2011-12-15T02:02:00.000-06:00

"Taking time to sit back and watch and think about what you've seen is important. Traveling did a great deal to me. I found that when I travel and just sit in the corner and watch, a million ideas come to me."
~ Lionel Richie

On this day in history?

2011-12-14T12:17:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, lost in all the polarized political debates going on in Washington D.C. and across this country, Americans seem to forget that the United States has been a country at war for over ten years. It remains to be seen how future scholars will judge this particular decade in World History.

"Unlike the old empires, we don't make these sacrifices for territory or for resources. We do it because it's right. There can be no fuller expression of America's support for self-determination then our leaving Iraq to its people. That's says something about who we are."
~ President Barack Obama
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
December 14, 2011
Read More...

Final Update?
December 18, 2011
The last convoy of American troops leave Iraq.
Read More...

Photos by Peter Rimar. Baghdad, Iraq (April 2005).

2011-12-14T12:16:00.000-06:00

"In wilderness I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia." ~ Charles Lindbergh

Favorite Movie Quote of 2011?

2011-12-14T10:27:00.000-06:00

"Blogging is not writing.
It's graffiti with punctuation."
~ Elliott Gould as Dr. Ian Sussman
Contagion

Photo of H1N1 alert taken in Changsha, PRC (June 2009).
ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income
(See all Computer & Internet Books)

Top "YouTube" Music Video Quote of 2011?

2011-12-13T12:59:00.000-06:00

“It’s sort of like my past is an unfinished painting and as the artist of that painting I must fill in all the ugly holes and make it beautiful again.”
~ Lady GaGa
Marry the Night

...reflections...

2011-12-13T03:44:00.000-06:00

“We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.”
~ Jonathan Swift

9:01 ~ One Minute before the World Changed, Oklahoma City National Memorial (June 2010).
Others Unknown: Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombing Conspiracy
(Paperback)

2011-12-13T02:02:00.000-06:00

Buddhist Nun, Angkor Wat, Cambodia (January 2005).

From Russia With Love?

2011-12-12T18:59:00.000-06:00

This post is NOT about the 1963 James Bond film which starred a young Sean Connery. Indeed, while this blogger has previously babbled about the 2012 Presidential Election, #Occupy Wall Street, the People's Republic of China and Facebook Privacy, until today, I've refrained from writing anything about the former Soviet Union.

That's why it's a bit curious that this completely irrelevant corner of the blogosphere has an active Russian readership.

...speaking of Russia...
Why do Russians hang rugs on the walls?

In my quest to find the answer, I discovered two outstanding web-sources, which married together, provided this blogger with the best possible answer.

According to the website English Russia, Russians started the custom of hanging rugs on the wall in the 1950s. Why? Evidently, the walls of Soviet-era apartment buildings were extremely thin. Hanging rugs on the wall had a real world, practical application. The custom itself helped mask private conversations from noisy neighbors as well providing some added interior insulation against the COLD Russian winters.
Read More...

A first-person narrative written by an American living in Russia provided this blogger with another possible answer to the original question. Lindsay Kosarev's detailed observations about the country's society and culture are a must read for every American who plans on living and working in Russia:

"Russians love putting carpets on their walls. At first, I thought it was for extra insulation, but they put them on inside walls as well. No matter how stylish or traditional Russians believe this custom is, they always pick a rug that does not match the rest of the room. They either look like the furniture covers, which are brown and tan floral patterns or the rugs are red and black. There are other styles of rugs, but these are the most common and memorable."
Read More...

Thus, based on these specific web-sources, this blogger reached a simple conclusion. What started off as a practical solution to address real world concerns (noisy neighbors and cold apartments), over the course of fifty-plus years, the custom itself simply became a part of the cultural fabric of Russian society.

Hanging rugs on the wall is just one more thing
which helps define Russia as Russian.

Lonely Planet ~ Russia [Paperback]

Newt Gringrich for President?

2011-12-11T13:08:00.000-06:00

Seriously? Really? Could General Ripper's conspiracy theory linking "fluoridated water" with a Communist plot to weaken American society be true? Every time this blogger reads about the candidate's recent surge in the polls, a single rhetorical cliché best describes my thoughts regarding Newt's book selling run for the White House:

Can you say "Lipstick on a Pig"?

Despite Newt's well-documented, extremely checkered political record, a growing number of Republicans actually believe he's the best candidate to beat President Obama in 2012.

Good luck with that one!

Perhaps Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, who's NOT known for her intellectual prowess or problem solving skills, put it best. On CBS' Face the Nation, Bachmann stated, "He's the 'King of K Street. For a person who's been influence peddling for over 30 years in Washington, D.C. - to think that Newt Gingrich is somehow an outsider, when he is the consummate establishment insider?"

Hopefully, between now and the Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire Primary, GOP voters will WAKE UP and take another look at Jon Huntsman and Buddy Roemer. Otherwise, Republican voters should be prepared for the GOP to suffer its biggest Presidential defeat in its long, proud history. In terms of Jon Huntsman, he has an extremely strong foreign policy background (which during the Cold War actually meant something with Republican voters). As far as supporting a candidate like Buddy Roemer, well, GOP voters could walk away from a 2012 defeat with dignity and some glimmer of hope for the Party's political future.

Political Quote of the Week:
"If a corporation is a person, I can't wait until they get drafted in the next war."
~ Buddy Roemer on MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan Show
December 8, 2011

Photo Credit: Peter Rimar's wife in a gallery located in Beijing's 798 Art District (May 2008).
Reference Links:
Lipstick on a Pig
Dr. Strangelove

Top "Non-Political" Quote of 2011?

2011-12-10T10:37:00.000-06:00

"I am on a drug. It's called Charlie Sheen. It's not available because if you try it once you will die."
~ Charlie Sheen

Carrizozo, New Mexico (December 2009).