Trust Me, There Won't Be Beef Between 50 Cent & This Guy

When things get dreary in the White House and President Bush's legacy appears destined for doom, naturally, Karl Rove finds song and dance to be his outlet.

Rove has the charisma of a 5th grader that just got pushed out onto the dance floor and is in the company of girls for the first time. But I think by the end he really gota hang of it.

Though, I must admit, Karl's high-pitched scream at the end came off as a sign of weakness that other rappers might try to expoit.

But I am not sure if he'll be challenged to a rap battle any time soon. I mean, Karl has torn apart CIA agents!

NYY: Injury rattles Chien Ming Wang

I hate reading pre-season Major League Baseball predictions. They are rarely accurate because over the course of a 162 games there is always something that will change things. Or in the case of the New York Yankees and their number one starter, Chien Ming Wang, there is something that changes things BEFORE the season starts.

Wang, who won nineteen games last year and finished with a 3.63 ERA, will miss most of April due to a hamstring injury.

During Spring Training, it would be ludicrous to assert that this somehow threatens the Yanks season, yet it will have an impact in the pennant race if Boston or Toronto show considerable improvement and the pennant race is close.

Consider this. The Yankees and Red Sox play two three-game series in April and one three-game series in May. That means half of their head-to-head match ups will occur potentially with their number one starter either injured, or in the beginning of his season. Wang struggled in his first several starts last year.

To me, that means a lot, and not just because I might have to wear a kimono.

The Yankees will have to replace their number one, most reliable starter with either minor leaguers Jeff Karstens or Darell Rasner, two guys that would be five-starters in the majors . For those that don't know, the fifth slot of a five-man rotation is usually filled by a team's worst starting pitcher.That means the Yankees will have three guys that scouts project as "number five" guys with either Karstens/Rasner, injury plagued Carl "Heart of Glass" Pavano, and unknown Japanese import Kei Igawa beginning the season.

Last year, the Yankees battled through injuries when star outfielders Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield missed most of the year. In fact, for a stretch in early June, when leaders like Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada got injured, centerfielder Johnny Damon reported bone chips in his foot, and young phenom Robinson Cano went down with a hammy injury--there was a joke among Yankees fans that 2006 might be the "Year of the Injury."

Yet, the Yankees defied the expectations of fans and pundits to win the AL East. So although there is no question that they are at a disadvantage as of now, I wouldn't rule anything out. Predictions can be dirty things.

UPDATE: The Heart of Glass looks to start Opening Day against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Discount what I just said and shoot me.

Some things you might find at the CIA

During my NYLF-Defense, Intelligence, and Diplomacy conference, I visited the CIA headquarters in Northern Virginia. I found some very interesting things:

Scented Candles

Shot Glasses

Russian Dolls

These are all the things stashed away in the place where America's most vital intelligence matters lies. To be more precise, this is what you can find in the wonderfully bizarre, random CIA gift store. It also happens to be just about the only place the CIA actually let us visit. In case you didn't know, the CIA happens to be strict and secretive.

On our bus ride to CIA headquarters in Northern Virginia, we learned the CIA checked everyone's background two weeks in advance of our visit. We weren't allowed to bring any electronic devices on the bus (That is right, my Ipod is a national security threat) and the first thing that happened when we arrived was a complete search of the vehicle with bomb-sniffing canines.

As strict and secretive the CIA is, everything else was pretty normal. I didn't find James Bond, but I did see a lot of forty-year old men that looked balding and grey, perfectly suitable for a Viagra or Cialis commercial.

An analyst spoke to us about working for a CIA, describing its perks, follies, and the various misconceptions about working there. She was a young hispanic girl, several years out of grad school and she seemed very down to Earth. She traveled abroad, but never as undercover case officer. In fact, instead of traveling or participating in any life threatening activities, the bulk of her job consisted of reading, thinking critically, and then writing. She and the rest of her colleagues work very hard, explaining the seemingly random selection of things at the CIA gift store. CIA employees don't get out much so the gift shop serves as the one-stop place for all their needs.

Its too bad I learned that those needs aren't necessarily mine.

Little Five Points, ATL

I have yet to really talk about my trip so far. That ends today. Meet Atlanta's Little Five Points.



In the quaint, conservative South, where a church seems to occupy every single block, Little Five Points is the quirky sanctuary for the weird, the eccentric, the misfit.

In a row of single storied shop fronts, cafes, and tatoo parlors, punks, rastas, hip hoppers, goths, and bums unite.

Need a bong, a LRG hoodie like Kanye, vintage jeans, or the latest mixtape of local bands or rappers?

You can find all four of those things here.

I bought a vintage Lacoste windbreaker for about 35 dollars. Its bright green, so until I find something matching, I have my reservations about wearing it. I suppose I only really bought it to flirt with the girl who worked there. She bore a captivating resemblence to Erykah Badu, complete with the afro. We talked about visiting Emory and she told me about going to Florida State. I left feeling bad for not liking Emory. At least if I go back to Georgetown, I will be able to blend in with the locals.

Addressing the Walter Reed Scandal

This week President Bush announced a new commission to investigate the appaling treatment of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The commission will be joint headed by former Veteran and Senator Bob Dole and Donna Shalala from the Clinton administration.

Thats nice, of course, but if the President hopes to get to the bottom of this national travesty, perhaps he could save some energy and take a look into the mirror.

The VA and military hopitals have always been underfunded, yet these problems were accelerated by a war that has created over 15,000 and counting life-long injuries. Because Bush, Rumsfeld, and Cheney always expected it to be quick and easy, the administration had no comprehensive plan to tend to the massive increase of injured soldiers that their war created. Instead, the task was out-sourced to private companies, concerned for profit rather quality.



Recent reports from the Washington Post suggest the administration's preference for contracting work to IAP Worldwide Service contributed to the decline in service. From January 2006 to January 2007, the number of facilities management workers at Walter Reed declined from 180 to 100. IAP has extensive connections to the Bush administration and (gasp) Halliburton. Former Treasury Secretary John Snow chairs the managment firm that owns IAP.

But enough finger pointing, we have one of the greatest embarassments in our nation's history staring us in the face. Democrats and Republicans alike need to address this moral challenge. Democrats in Congress plan to propose a $3.5 billion increase in Veterans funding in an upcoming war funding bill. Considering we spend have spent about $426.8 billion in Iraq, I find that number to be figure to be embarassingly small.

And problems of care transcend Walter Reed. Army hospitals across the country face similiar conditions. The VA's record is indeed far worse due to even greater neglect from Congress and the President in the Federal Budget.

Any efforts to improve conditions must be big and sweeping. They must represent the same magnitude of will and dedication that our brave servicemen and women have showed overseas. The VA's budget must increase tenfold and Bush's tax cuts ought to end to pay for this. Congressional oversight of the VA and DoD hospitals must ensure reform. It is a matter of national priorities. For too long, uniformed service men and women have payed the sole cost for Iraq and Afghanistan. If that doesn't change soon, America's moral integrity will cease to exist.

The Kimono Bet

Last winter, the Boston Red Sox payed about $100 million to get Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. Scouts regard Matsuzaka as a legitimate major league starter with ace potential, meaning the signing seems reasonable for a team that finished in third place last year largely due to bad pitching.

Of course, the seething passion, intensity, and hubris of Red Sox fans make the expectations for "Dice-K" to be anything but reasonable. My good buddy Joe believes Matsuzaka will not only pitch amazingly, his leadership will greatly improve a rotation that ranked in the bottom of the AL in ERA. Joe is not alone. Matsuzaka will beat the Yanks and compete for a Cy Young, according to some other friends.



As a result of Joe's expectations and my Yankee loyalties, we have made a bet for Matsuzaka's first game against the Yanks. If Matsuzaka beats the Yanks, I will wear a kimono to school. It sounds humiliating, but I am a senior; everyone's opinions are unimportant. Oh, and silk feels really really good!

A Tale of Two Presidents, Pakistan, and the beginning of baseball

To look at Al Gore and George W. Bush now, nearly seven years after the crazy election, adds a fascinating dimension to a tale of two Presidents. Hurricane Katrina and the Iraqi misadventure leave Bush floundering in a sea of mediocrity and shame. History will not remember Bush very fondly. At the same time, Al Gore has enjoyed critical and popular acclaim as an Oscar and Nobel prize winner. Many people believe, myself included, that Al Gore still is a legitimate presidential candidate.

Yet locking back over the last seven years, to what extent would Al Gore's reaction to events like Katrina or 9/11 been better than Bush, if better at all?

All we can do us bring our bias to the table and speculate.

Certainly, I think the US would be a better place with Gore, but that is not saying much when the alternative is Bush's America. There are real problems in this country that transcend a single man like Bush, like education, the affordability of healthcare, and poverty. My point is I think Gore's America would be only mildly better.

Whatever your opinion, it is clear that Gore has enjoyed a more succesful life since 2000. Perhaps he really did come out on top.

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From rouge provinces in Pakistan, both Al Qaeda and the Taliban pose an unacceptable threat to world stability. Yet, the US and international forces lack the ability to go on the offensive. Pakistani officials have repeatedly threatened against foreign intervention into their borders.

Pakistan is a critical ally. President Musharraf is a man the United States supports for very important reasons. Musharaff posseses nuclear weapons, is not an Islamic fundamentalist, and did play a critical role in the initial invasion of Afghanistan. We like Musharaff because we don't like any of the alternatives, therefore we must be somewhat supportive of him.

That being said, The United States should be able to act against Al Qaeda under any circumstance, including through missions in Pakistan.

The Pakistani government has no real control over the regions where terrorists find shelter. Operations there wouldn't be a threat to the Pakistani government so much as it would be sweeping the bacteria that seeks to do great harm.

I consider myself an internationalist. I never supported the war in Iraq and believe that foreign nations and other international institutions should be respected and cooperated with in most cases. But sometimes acting alone is necessary, this seems like one of them.
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I saw my first baseball game of 2007 yesterday. A spring training game between the Atlanta Braves and the Pittsburgh Pirates on ESPN. I am an American League guy, therefore I don't pay much attention to most NL teams during the regular season. But seeing baseball--however meaningless it might have been--I couldn't help myself from feeling a joyous rush of happiness, the kind one gets when they get a new car, tell a good joke, or see an old friend for the first time after a long departure. I follow football and basketball, but they don't come close to baseball. Thank God baseball is back!

Flying "Home"

I returned from Washington/Atlanta yesterday, and I will reflect on some of my individual experiences later, including my visit to the CIA headquarters. But an important matter hit me miles above the Pacific Ocean that needs to be addressed now.

I fly to the mainland at least once or twice every year and yesterday was the first time in my life where I have flown back and realized there is very little left here in Hawaii for me. Instead of flying home and looking forward to my room, my favorite chair in the living room, and the bright beaches and lush rainforests, I felt as if the flight and my arrival in Honolulu was merely temporary.

In little more than a month or two, I will already be planning my permanent departure from the place that, for better and worse, I lived the first eighteen years of my life.

Leaving will be a bittersweet experience. Honestly, I have always believed that lending the word "paradise" to describe Hawaii is inacurrate. I value my experiences growing up here, attending Punahou, participating in Little League baseball, tossing a football around on the beach. Yet, I never have felt completely welcome or accepted in Hawaii. Perhaps this is a result of my own insecurity. Being known as the redhead, the pale boy, the haole, I always felt aleinated, an outcast trapped among rows of surfboards, rice bowl hair cuts, bright floral printed boardshorts, and the sound of ukuleles.

That flower lei my grandparents put on me after graduating Queen Emma Pre School must have suffocated something in me.

Despite my issues with Hawaii, I will miss some things, particularly my family: the aroma of my mother's lasagna and how she shreiks if you don't come to dinner on time, the way my dad curls up in his favorite chair to watch Dallas Cowboys games, my sisters loud voice singing a long to John Mayer, and the sparkling smile of my little brother's face whenever he finds out the New York Yankees win.

Yet, when one turns 18, they can't live like they are eight. It is time to leave Hawaii, the swamps and sunshine of Kailua, the familiar blocks of Wanaao Road and turn it in for something dramatically different. Even my reluctant parents know that. I will be living a lot closer to the real world in a few months.

The trip to DC/ATL solidified my belief that leaving is not merely a change that is necessary, but rather an oppurtunity to improve and grow. Certainly, I want to go to school in Washington DC. Spending a week there alone, I already feel like I have a head start in adjusting. Hopefully, I will be afforded the oppurtunity to spend more time there very soon.

The world awaits and it is a hell of a lot bigger, more diverse, more sophisticated than a rock in the Pacific Ocean. Sorry if that disappoints you.