Just Commenting

Please stay with me guys. I'm doing school work and although theres a ton I really want to write about, theres not much I can do right now. School takes priority. I also will be leaving for Orlando with the South River High School orchestra and music department on Friday so unless I can get to a computer there will be 6 days of which I will not be writing. Please just stay with me though!

While I'm gone though, please comment on what you might want to hear from me and how I can improve on my blog. I'm alway up for any type of comments, just nothing with degrading and bad language.

I'll post some pics later of the trip and I have some things from DC that you can find later (if I have time) on my DC blog. When something's posted I of course say.

Let's hope that our country can fit with this new health care bill. It seems like there are some bad errors still in this bill, but hopefully it will be all worked out in time.
See (write) you later!

Middle East Conflict and Resolution

Recently, PBS seems to be having a great number of specials on the Middle East. The news stations on PBS seem to be following this line. Recently, a show on how Middle Eastern women are steadily gaining a grip in society through Arab soap operas and spread of a more liberalist thinking (liberalist meaning revolutionary, not, as in America its becoming, Socialist. This is the best way for a conervative country to become a free society.

On BBC, for those with cable, PBS or living in Great Britain , theres an upoming series called the "Doha Debates". These debates are what I made this blog for. It brings the viewers into the life of Arabs and exposes them to their culture. And it will also discuss problems and their solutions to the conflicts in the Arab world. More information and showings can be found at bbcworldnews.com/Pages/Programmes.aspx?id=48.

On this topic, I have written a blog @ ateinsouthasia.blogspot.com/2010/03/middle-east-and-people.html. It goes deeper into detail of the changes occuring in the Middle East.

There are few cultures more intrinsic and complex than that of the Middle East. A region deeply entwined in traditional values and religion has made the Middle East somewhat lagging behind the rest of the world socially. But there are areas which have progresses and exampled to the Middle East, and the world, what can become of this developing area. The U.A.E, Qatar, and Egypt have done this duty. Now Iran is starting to show signs of revolt and revolution as protests have been occuring every other week it seems.

The roots of traditional bedouin nomads and tribal links of the area make it hard for peace to make a living here. Ancient disagreements of acquiring 'booty' and family feuds still exist. And the differences of Sunni and Shi'a don't help, as well as differences of these to the other religions of the world. The traditions of this religion must be accepted and a part of our everyday life in order to have peace in this world.

And then we have national rivals. Like the recent Palestine-Israel conflict noticed by the entire world for the first time (even though it's been going on for ages). Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton will hopefully represent the US in future Middle East peace talks respectably and expand our notion of God-given rights to this area of conflict.

The Islamic society has spread all over the world and has produced some fine examples of peace and harmony. The Islamic empire of the Mughals built a peaceful society with the Hindus and other ethnic and religious groups of northern India while also building grand buildings like the Taj Mahal. The Abbasid Caliphate made Baghdad a center of intellectuals and high culture. It even started the Renaissance of Europe!

Hopefully this will open your mind and entice you to explore more about the Middle East.

What It Means to Be Worldly

Worldly, huh? When was the last time you heard that word? Probably very recently. Now think back a little farther. Now do you ever remember anything regarding that word? Probably not. Its only recently that this word is popping up into the vocabulary of the citizens of this world.

But, what does this actually mean? Is it a "new world order" arising? Or is it just another social networking word like "Google it" or "Tweet," that have been popping up ever since the beginning of the internet connectiveness? And can this word be used it normal everyday speech correctly?

The answers to some of these questions are still in the making. But, I have one answer to ease your mind: No, its not the beginning of a "New World Order" brought about by Obama, America, and the 'spread of democracy' (and no, I'm not anti-democracy or lean right or left).

Like many others, I'm questioning this word on many levels. Similar to the levels of hell, I have probably put this word through so much trauma that it can't move anymore through the passages of writing and out of my mouth. But, it does deserve credit for what it has done to this world today.

The correct word I like to use more often now is 'Globalization'. Globalization has caused the word to be more interconnected in every way possible. And the world is seeing this as we are going through economic turmoil right now. YouTube, Facebook, Myspace, E-mail, mobile devices, phones, computers are all making this world one in which one can post a blog, picture, or status and literally the whole world can see it. Unless one lives in China or North Korea where the internet is partly blocked from the citizens (totally against UN human rights laws).

Globalization has made the people of this world a little more aware of how we are all connected, brought humans together for many causes, protests occur due to it, leisure can be shared throughout the world, and on a negative note- our lives made more busy and hectic. Globalization is what has brought the busy-ness to us and is what is taking the busy-ness away through new music from India, Asia and the world and new practices like Yoga and Tai' Chi. Worldly, then is a proper term of endearment for Globalization, and more popular en masse, so to say.

So, in this world of worldly-ness, we have strife. And with strife, we have confusions, disagreements and stereotypes. Thats where I and You come into this Globalization factor. It's our job not only rid ourselves of these detracting stereotypes and differences in culture and see the real people in the fog but also to spread this thinking across the world. Maybe then our problems will be solved in the Middle East and around the world.

And to do this, what better way than to use the Globalization in today's world through YouTube, Facebook, Myspace, Bebo, and Blogs.