My two cents on Monsoon

In another post I wrote back in February, I criticized British academics who wrote boring books. Therefore, I would be rather hypocritical if I then turned around and criticized an American academic for writing a book that was very readable but had a minimum amount of substance. In this context, I will explain my critique of Robert Kaplan's Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power. Whether or not this book is too simple depends upon how much someone already knows about International Relations (IR). If someone has never studied the subject, the book will be very informative about a region of the world that has already become a major focal point for the United States, especially for the American Navy. If someone has studied IR a bit, then the book may still be beneficial to read since it explains the historical background and current trajectories of several countries and cities around the ocean. However, the book will probably read like Kaplan's travel journal with his long narratives and descriptions of the different cities he visited. If the reader is looking for the book's meat, then he or she should probably just skim these large sections. If the IR student has substantially studied India, Indonesia, or China, then this book will probably insult his or her intelligence. There simply isn't enough new information in the book to make it worth the already informed student's while. Reading a quick synopsis is probably more appropriate. Overall, the book is best for those who either know nothing about IR or who only know a little about the region. For my purposes, since I've concentrated more on European, Middle Eastern, and African issues than Indian and Chinese issues, the book was a descent introduction to the region. I still wish there had been more meat about the region's politics instead of the long passages about Kaplan's irrelevant travel adventures, but these stories do help illustrate his points, for better or worse.

As a general overview of the book, Kaplan introduces the reader to several countries along the Indian Ocean including Oman, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Indonesia, and Zanzibar. He concentrates not so much on the country as a whole but on individual cities and port developments along the coast. This concentration tends to show the internal strife within a country between the coastal cities that have always been more cosmopolitan due to trade and the rural interior that has been more isolated and xenophobic. These dynamics lead to interesting internal political developments. Meanwhile, there is a huge power-play between India, China, and the United States throughout the ocean. Unlike in the Atlantic and Pacific, land creates several shipping bottlenecks throughout the Indian Ocean. The most critical bottlenecks are the Strait of Hormuz between Oman and Iran and the Strait of Malacca in Indonesia. These areas are vulnerable to pirate attacks and slow down trade between India, China, and the oil-rich Middle East. For China and India to continue growing steadily, they desperately need to develop more trade links within the India Ocean and its raw materials from Africa and the Middle East. China has tried to work with Burma to build an oil pipeline and highways/railways that would link the landlocked southwestern China to the Bay of Bengal. Meanwhile, India is trying to build better links that would crisscross Afghanistan so that they could get oil and raw materials from Asia's interior to ports in Iran. In this light, a stable Afghanistan could be very beneficial to both China and India so that they could use this country to transport their goods to and from the Indian Ocean. Thus, American blood and treasure being used to build a stable Afghan government would probably benefit potential enemies more than secure America's strategic interests. India or China could harass each other as they vie for the same territory, or they could cooperate. This cooperation would be very beneficial to both parties, but it would extremely limit the United State's ability to extend its influence into the region. Meanwhile, there are plenty of opportunities for America to build stronger relationships with the Chinese and Indians. This multipolar environment could allow several opportunities for diplomatic failure in the next 50 years or so, and the consequences could be rather tragic since so many actors have nuclear weapons.

Though there are several chapters that I thoroughly enjoyed, one chapter annoyed the crap out of me. Kaplan tried to give a historical narrative for the region stretching from the rise of Islam to the Portuguese dominance on the ocean. I hated his analysis. First, according to him, the area was peaceful before the Portuguese arrived, but history tells us that there were many wars between naval powers on the ocean long before the Portuguese arrived. Second, Kaplan said that the Portuguese went to the Indian Ocean in order to conquer Islam. He said it was another 'crusade.' This whole narrative about European hatred for Islam is reminiscent of Huntington's Clash of Civilizations, but it is incredibly misleading. The Portuguese cooperated with the region's Muslims just as much as they competed with them. Also, the Portuguese tried to find a way around the Horn of Africa not to encircle the Muslims in the Middle East but to outmaneuver their 'Christian' rival's trade hub in Venice. If their main competitor was Christian, then how could it be a 'crusade'? Yes, the Portuguese treated the Muslims horribly, but their actions appear more like unruly pirates far from home and less like holy warriors on crusade. I almost stopped reading the book in this opening chapter because I was so tired of Kaplan's 'West versus Muslim' narrative, but the rest of the book was much better once I got passed that chapter.

Stroll Around the Tidal Basin

For the first time since arriving to the DC metro area, I finally walked around the Tidal Basin, which has the Jefferson Memorial. In the 1880s the city first constructed this reservoir in order to drain water from the Washington Channel, and twice a day the tides sweep away the water from the basin. During the Cherry Blossom Festival, the Tidal Basin is one of the focal points.

[Images Deleted: see http://peregrinatorphoto.blogspot.com/]

View of the Washington Monument through

the cherry blossoms next to the Tidal Basin.

Jefferson Memorial through cherry blossoms.

Inside the Jefferson Memorial.

We hold these truths to be self evident.

Washington Monument through the Jefferson columns.

Marine One over the Tidal Basin.

I don't know if President Obama

was on board or not.

Next to the Washington Monument was a stage where the

festival will have performances for the next couple weeks.

This performance with drums came from a Chinese-oriented

club associated with the DC public schools.

Cherry Blossom Afternoon

The Cherry Blossom Festival first started in 1935, but the cherry trees and their annual blooming in early spring had already become a regular symbol for the capital. The Japanese donated the trees in 1912, and today the festival still celebrates Japan and Asia. On the first day of the festival, I took the metro into DC to walk around the Tidal Basin and photograph the trees around the monuments. Here are some of the photos I took next to the Washington Monument, but I'll post more photos soon.

[Images Deleted: see http://peregrinatorphoto.blogspot.com/]

Bracketology: just flip a damn coin

Cal Grondahl. The Utah Standard.

I've never really followed college basketball until it came time for me to fill out my March Madness brackets, yet somehow I usually predicted the winners just as well if not better than many of my friends who spent the whole season following a team or conference. Instead of following the sport, I would research the teams' statistics just before the tournament began. The defense statistics would be the first numbers I would use to pick which team would win and lose. In the past this strategy served me fairly well even though my bracket has been pathetic in some years; then again, all of my friends' brackets tend to fall apart certain years. This year, however, I followed a bit of the Big East in late February and early March in addition to my statistic research. After this additional research, I chose Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and San Diego State for my Final Four. This was the bracket I entered into a pool with friends, but it wasn't my 'gut feeling' bracket. I honestly didn't think Pittsburgh was going to make it past the Sweet Sixteen, so I created another bracket that had Wisconsin going to the Final Four along with Kansas, UNC, and Duke. As it turns out, my 'gut feeling' bracket has done much, much better than the one I entered into the pool. For instance, in this bracket I picked the Florida State upset over Notre Dame, and thus far this bracket has been slightly luckier. However, this entire month has been crazy for college basketball. Anyone who chose Butler for the Final Four is either a genius, an idiot, or (more likely) just plain lucky. Before the tournament began, I used a coin to help me fill out another bracket. For every close game, I would flip a coin to tell me which team would win. In this bracket I chose Butler upsetting Pittsburgh (which happened) and then losing in the Elite Eight (which didn't happen). It's a bit frustrating for me that flipping a coin gave me a bracket better than the one I entered into a pool (though my gut feeling bracket is still doing better). I think all of this shows that picking a good bracket is more about luck than research.

Baltimore Saint Paddy's Day Parade: Do Americans Realize Scotland isn't in Ireland?

While driving into Baltimore last Sunday, I didn't realize there would be a St Patrick's Day parade clogging most of the roads I wanted to us. After walking around the Inner Harbor for a little while, a couple old family friends and I stopped by the parade to take some photographs. The whole event showed how Americans perceive Ireland. I was amused to see a plethora of Scottish flags and Scottish-themed associations there. Seeing all these symbols alluding to Scotland wasn't a complete surprise, though. For years I've seen Americans mix and match Scottish and Irish symbols and identity. The parade almost assumed that Scotland and Ireland were practically the same celtic nation. Never-mind Scotland's closer identity to Britain (during the days of Empire- not today) and Protestantism (except from Irish descendants). Still, many Scots told me they would always cheer for Ireland whenever they played against England, so there is a bit of unified celtic front against England. Moreover, when would these Scottish associations have their own parade? St Andrew's Day on November 30 just after Thanksgiving? In this country St Patrick's Day is probably the best chance for them to pull out their saltires, kilts, and bagpipes and march around time.

I'm quite amazed at how so many Americans claim to have an 'Irish' identity or heritage even though their family has been in the United States for over 150 years; they have never been to Ireland, don't know anyone in Ireland, don't know anything about Irish politics, and don't know much about Irish history other than the Potato Famine and the IRA. If most of these Irish-Americans went to Ireland, they would probably stand out as American tourists with their fake tans, dyed hair, and heavier weight. Nevertheless, watching an American St Patrick's Day parade is amusing if only to see how Americans perceive Ireland.

Greater Kensington String Band from Philadelphia.

I think I know what I want to dress up as for Halloween.

Chesapeake Caledonian Pipes & Drums from Annapolis.

"Caledonia" is what the Romans called the territory that

is now Scotland. "Alba" was another popular old name.

I really like these sunglasses with the kilt.

Mid-Atlantic Scots for Tots.

I like the mix of flags.

The one on the far right is a mix of the Scottish

flag with the District of Columbia flag.

Seeing all these bagpipers marching kinda makes

me want to learn the bagpipes- not enough for me

to actually learn- just enough to think about it.

A political group advocating for the unification of

Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland.

The "Don't Tread on Me" flag beside the Sinn Féin flag

is a rather interesting touch. Sinn Féin is an Irish left-wing

party that was once associated with the Provisional IRA.

The lady told us to spread the word.

I assume they don't mind Scotland and

Wales being in Northern Ireland.

Reilly Raiders from Willow Grove, PA.

I got on a bridge to get a different angle.

View of the Power Plant from the bridge I was on.

Friendly folk willing to pose for a stranger's photo.

Baltimore Inner Harbor

Some old family friends invited me to lunch in Baltimore's 'Little Italy' next to the Inner Harbor. It was only my second trip into Baltimore, but last time I didn't bring my camera. Some people like this area, and the city promotes itself as the 'Charm City' even though I have never heard anyone not from the city call it "charming." Others say it's a rundown industrial harbor with more rust than hope. Personally, I would rather live closer to DC and Northern Virginia than Baltimore. It was nice to go into this city to take a few photos, but it does feel like a place struggling to survive now though it once had many years of economic vitality. The city's population has declined from almost a million in 1950 to around 620,000 today.

View of Inner Harbor from Pier 5.

Knoll lighthouse on Pier 5.

Built in 1856 but became inactive in 1987.

This building is the oldest surviving screw-pile lighthouse

in the United States and is the only one of its design.

This building was originally near the front of the harbor,

but the city moved it here in 1988.

Lighthouse base.

Lighthouse shutter.

Footbridge between Piers 3 and 4.

Lightship 116 Chesapeake in front

of the National Aquarium.

USCGC Taney.

After being commissioned in 1936, this ship was

sent to the Pacific where it stopped opium smugglers

and conducted search and rescue missions near Hawaii.

Just before the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, the

ship received larger armaments and was put under the

Navy's command. It was in the harbor during the

Pearl Harbor attack and engaged enemy aircraft.

Throughout the war the ship participated in various

operations in the Pacific and Atlantic, and it served as

as Rear Admiral Calvin Cobb's flagship during the

Battle of Okinawa. After the war it served in peacetime

operations in the Pacific. In the 1960s it was the last ship

that had been in Pearl Harbor that was still operating,

so it became known as "The Last Survivor of Pearl Harbor."

It again served during the Vietnam War in the 1970s.

In 1986 Coast Guard decommissioned the ship

and donated it to Baltimore, where it is a museum.

View from my parking garage,

which was next to Little Italy.

Another view from the garage.

A handshake is worth a thousand emails

Before I left Scotland last September, I knew that the job market would be a beast. "In this economy" has become a cliché in many of the conversations I've had with friends and family about my job search. I read reports last summer that employers had on average around 70 applicants for ever job posting, and another article said that there were 6 unemployed job seekers for every job opening. I watched CNN as the analysts talked about how many employers don't bother looking at applicants if they're not currently employed because they have to eliminate people somehow. Classmates have talked about how having a Masters degree probably hurts us because a potential employer would have to pay us more or expect us to leave once a better opportunity is available. Of course, Mississippi has never been known as an economic powerhouse. As of January 2011, the unemployment rate there was 10.7%, which was a bit lower than January 2010's 12% but still higher than the national average of 9.5%. I figured things would be better for me in Washington, DC where the unemployment rate was significantly lower. Once I got in town, though, I realized that the rate around here could be a bit skewed: if someone doesn't have work here, he or she quickly moves somewhere else because it's too expensive to live in this area. Still, I considered it my job to find a job. I've sent out 300+ applications to just about anyone who had a job posting. I applied to government agencies, government contractors, think-tanks, trade associations, lobbyist firms, community colleges, staffing agencies, NGOs, law offices, and so forth. I've applied for low-end jobs that barely require a high school degree and for positions that are probably closer to my pay grade. My primary goal is to get my foot into the door somewhere so that I can make some connections that will lead to a stable career. In all of this, I believe another blow has hit my job search: the federal government never passed a budget last year. The government contractors and agencies probably won't hire anyone new until the Republicans and Democrats on the Hill tell them how much money they'll have, at least that is what several people have told me. This standstill has been going on for months now. Not only does this legislative gridlock prevent me from finding a job, it increases the number of people looking for a job so that I have more competition. Nevertheless, I figured that as long as I'm in the metro DC area I might as well do everything I possibly can to get a job. Whereas in Mississippi I would only be able to apply for jobs via email and online databases, here I can hand deliver applications directly to the offices for which I want to work. It's always nerve racking hand delivering an application. About half of the employers I visited didn't even bother letting me into the building without an appointment. A little more than a week ago I hand delivered an application to a receptionist who was baffled that I would actually show up in person. She told me that they don't accept walk-ins because they do everything online. It's supposed to be more efficient and more in accordance to the new technology age where computers remove all but the most necessary human interaction. There was a hint of contempt in her voice. I told her that I had already applied online but wanted to hand deliver an application so that I would be able to put a face with the name. They never asked for an interview. After sending 300+ applications I've learned that applying for jobs online can be a respectable waste of time, especially in this economy. Again, I hand delivered another application to a staffing agency this past week. I already sent them an online application a couple months ago but never heard anything from them. This time they actually shook my hand and called me the next day to ask for an interview. As things look now, I'll probably start working for their clients as soon as they verify my credentials, so I could be working for government contractors, trade associations, public relations firms, lobbyists, or whomever else they find. It's not a long term solution, and I'll continue applying to as many positions as possible. Maybe I'll impress one of these employers and get hired directly. At least now I can stop applying for retail positions and receptionist jobs since this staffing agency can get me more money and better connections. Now I can concentrate on those employers who can give me a career I'd want. Hopefully, the economy will get better and the House might just decide to do its job and pass a budget that should have been passed last year. Maybe soon and very soon I can tell people that I'm doing something other than "looking for work."

Cymbeline: golden lads and girls all must, as chimney sweepers, turn to dust

My cousin Jessica portraying the character Imogen

during a rehearsal in the church where they performed.

Photo by Nate Pesce for Howard County Times.

Last November I wrote about going to see a play in Baltimore with my cousin, who is an actress. Recently, she has been working with the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company in their production of Cymbeline in Columbia, Maryland, which is in between Baltimore and DC. Because she was able to get us complimentary tickets, I went along with some family to see her performance just down the road from where I've been staying. The 'theatre' is actually a church most of the time, but the building was originally a carriage house for a local estate. On the first floor there are still several horse stalls with bars on the doors, and the church uses this space for its offices. The building also has exposed wooden beams and stone facades that make the place feel like an 18th century lodge. Two large stone fireplaces were on the first and second floor, and extra lofts overlooked the sanctuary. The theatre company had arranged two rows of seats in a small rectangle in the middle of the sanctuary for the performance 'in the round.' I had never seen a performance done in the round, and the audience had a very intimate feel with the actors and actresses because there were only about 30 people in the audience. When the actors had to deliver an aside to the audience, they would often sit next to one particular audience member and speak directly to him or her. It was one of the coolest presentations of Shakespeare that I have seen.

In addition to the the unusual theatre space, the company made an unusual adjustment. Instead of having each actor and actress learn just one role, everyone had to learn two roles. On each night of the performance, the director would flip a coin to determine which role the actors would play. Therefore, every night was different. However, the company guaranteed the actors at least one night which they would know beforehand whom they were portraying. That's why my cousin had us come to this particular showing. The director still flipped the coin for the audience, but we knew that the toss was rigged. Therefore, she played Imogen, the leading female role.

One of Shakespeare's last plays, Cymbeline is an odd story compared to other Shakespearean works. It's part tragedy and part comedy. For the first four acts it has an ominous feel like Othello, but the final act dramatically changes everything so that there is a happy ending that feels like a happy-go-lucky comedy. My cousin's character, Imogen, was a princess in Celtic Britain after Julius Caesar invaded but before the Roman Empire had conquered the territory. Imogen falls in love with Posthumus, who had been her childhood playmate, and they secretly marry. However, her stepmother wants her to marry her son, Imogen's step-brother, so this queen sends Posthumus to Rome. There he meets up with an Italian who says that Imogen is not as faithful to him as he believes. Therefore, they make a wager about whether or not the Italian can seduce her. While in Britain, the Roman seducer is unsuccessful because Imogen remains faithful, but the Roman still tricked Posthumus into believing that she has not been faithful. From there things fall apart.

My favorite performance from my cousin was when she delivered a soliloquy to a dead body that she assumes is Posthumus.

Whenever I read or see a Shakespearean play, I like to take note of the popular phrases that we use in everyday speech. In Cymbeline, I found two: "The game is up." "I have not slept one wink."

It's always nice to go out to the theatre, and it was especially nice to see my cousin in a performance because I had never seen her perform even though she has been an actress for years.

Fried Chicken & Such

Ingredients:

Chicken (or string cheese)

Flour

Bread crumbs

Eggs

Seasoning salt

Vegetable oil

Pour the flour into a bowl and mix seasoning salt or another spice into the flour for extra flavoring. Break and scramble a couple eggs into another bowl, and pour bread crumbs into a third bowl. Dip the chicken or string cheese into the flour, then the egg, and then the bread crumbs. Meanwhile, heat oil on a stovetop until the oil reaches 350º F (or until the oil reacts a little to a sprinkling of water). Put breaded chicken into oil and cook for 5 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. For cheese sticks, cook for a couple of minutes.

Homemade cheese sticks.

Fried chicken wings next to pot of heated oil.

I wasn't expecting to cook dinner when I visited my friend in Northern Virginia, but once I figured out that we were frying chicken and cheese I decided to go ahead and take some photos for the blog. The recipe I've posted here is just a rough description of what we did, so I didn't list the exact amount of chicken, flour, seasoning, and so forth. I once tried making fried chicken with a honey flavor, but it was only semi-successful. After making fried chicken in Virginia, I might try to perfect my old recipe with some variations.

The kitchen table after we breaded the chicken.

Though I enjoyed breading and frying chicken, I'm not sure if I would do it again unless I was trying to create a unique recipe. Breading the chicken was a very messy process, and I'm not sure if it was worth it or not. It would probably be cheaper and easier to buy a box of 'fried' chicken and cook it in the oven than doing this again. I didn't think this chicken tasted much better than something that would be easier to cook. That's why I'd like to try making several adjustments to the recipe to see if I could develop a unique flavor that is worth all the extra work.