REAL 'Reality Shows'

I've made a new resolution that whenever I become infuriated that I haven't slept well, I'll put my frustrations in perspective with these kinds of stories.

Exhibit A: MUGABE IS DELUSIONAL. THE END.

Exhibit B: To think THIS kind of sentiment will only grow as WWII fades deeper into memory is so tragic I can't even conjure words. Yeah, I know if we're looking at numbers, Stalin and Pol Pot and others killed far more people, but SERIOUSLY?!

Exhibit C: As if we didn't expect or suspect this already...

"I feel independent"

Thanks to "Dr. Greg" Mortenson, my Pakistan/Afghanistan interest has been piqued... poking around the web, I found a couple of things you may find interesting as well.

(I don't pretend to be an expert on this, by the way. I still have a lot of learning to do.)

Concisely shows what the Pakistani madrassas of nationalists (rather than Taliban insurgents) are up to nowadays. Nice.



Also, has anyone seen the movie Tea with the Taliban? What did you think?


And also, click through this inspiring slideshow on how Afghani women are moving forward, despite the Taliban threat.

"I love working at the National Museum—I feel independent. I can work, study, travel, earn money. Under the Taliban, I couldn't work. They beat one of my relatives so badly on the spine for not wearing a burka that two days later, she died."

- Qudsia Zohab, an employee of the National Museum of Afghanistan and a literature student at Kabul University

via Marie Claire

How much I, an American woman, take for granted.

The practicalism of peace

The other day, I both finished the book Three Cups of Tea and watched the movie Funny Face. I realized that the two had similar themes. (Ok, a stretch, but hear me out if you so desire)


In the movie, Audrey Hepburn's character is a book shop girl and budding intellectual (and then model) who harps on the concept of 'practicalism: peace through understanding' throughout the movie.

The first half of the movie was mind-blowing eye candy: New York, Paris, lots of pink and glamour, what's not to love?! However, by the end I was finished with all of the themes of or related to "about face"...the lack of depth of conventional beauty, the lame songs, even to the fact that technically, (spoiler) she and Fred Astaire don't get married (although it's implied).

Plus, Audrey's acting and singing were really bad...like "make it stop!" bad. yikes.

My point is, that while practicalism was preached in a very face-value of a movie, it can also be understood in, well, more noble ways... like in Three Cups of Tea.



Many complain that charity work is largely motivated by face value...people trying to advance themselves socially, politically or personally.

But Mortenson's story of an innately radical sense of altruism to build schools for women and girls in Pakistan is overwhelming: the scope of what is accomplished far outweighs even the grand effort, and for this, I salute him with deep respect.


Really, education and understanding is our only way to world peace.
And it's disappointing that many do not see this as a natural, 'practical' solution.

To see the unforseeable.

"Why ponder thus the future to foresee;

and jade thy brain to vain perplexity?


Cast off thy care, leave Allah's plans to him--


He formed them all without consulting thee."

--Omar Khayyam, The Rubaiyat

Photos: Morocco, March 2008

Twittering Tehran

Regarding the current events of the tainted Iranian elections, I suggest you read this fascinating Q&A on TED of how social media is quite literally, revolutionizing a revolution.

I hopped over to NY Times to get more details, and sure enough, they had an article detailing this very phenomenon happening amidst the Tehran tumult.

Wholly supports my belief that 'journalism is the first draft of history.' Exciting to see it be written in ways that, even a couple years ago, had not been invented.

(Photo via NY Times)