2030 by Jeff Hess
In a country where the military, and by extension, the government directly or indirectly cuts the paycheck for a huge sector of the nation’s people, the generals want everyone, and they mean every one, to stand completely behind the party line. If there’s a split it can only be bad news for the generals; and good for the people.
From Mizzima News:
There is a growing rift within Burma’s military government over the country’s political future and road-map to democracy. A battle is now beginning to emerge between those who are currently in control of most of Burma’s assets and those who see themselves as the country’s true guardians. Several key members of the ruling junta are secretly being investigated for corruption.
The junta is no longer cohesive and united, as two major camps have clearly emerged. On one side there are the ministers and members of the State Peace and Development Council who have major business interests and are associated with Than Shwe’s brainchild, the mass community-based Union Solidarity and Development Association.
On the other side are the top ranking generals, led by second in command Maung Aye, who want a professional army and see its main role as protector of the people. They have become increasingly dismayed at corruption within the government and understand that it is undermining the army’s future role in the country. Continue Reading »
Posted in Free Burma, Myanmar | No Comments »
1400 by Jeff Hess
I’m constantly tossing interesting websites into what I call my blogpile. Some of them find their way here in the form of regular posts, but more often than not they languish and get buried deeper in the pile. The end result is that I have to go back and do a bit of shoveling. Today’s item is 10 Effective Productivity Tips for Writers.
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1200 by Jeff Hess
LTC Robert Bateman: I now work in the Pentagon. The Puzzle Palace is a curious place, five sides and political appointees mixing with uniformed professionals results in a potential for chaos which nears perfection. Indeed, it can be bizarre. One ceases to wonder when one finds signs in the latrines which refer one to the “Building Command Post” if…
Posted in The Sandbox | No Comments »
0800 by Jeff Hess
I could never bring myself to forward all the email jokes, cartoons and other Internet comedy that land in my inbox. But then I started posting the ones my dad sends me. Judging from my comments and emails, my dad has become one of my greatest blogging assets. This week he brings us all a reminder that we complain way to much: From My Dad.
If you’ve missed the beginning of this series, please start from the first post.
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0430 by Jeff Hess
In President Richard Nixon’s first administration, Henry Kissinger succeeded in bringing Communist China out of political isolation through quiet diplomacy. But he did so knowing that the United States had President Theodore Roosevelt’s big stick close at hand. But would the diplomacy have worked without the stick?
Thailand’s foreign minister seems to think that his country can transform the generals in Myanmar with quiet diplomacy alone.
From AFP:
Thailand pledged Thursday to help transform Myanmar into a democracy through quiet diplomacy, but said that change has to come from within and Western sanctions against its military-ruled neighbor would fail.
Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama said, as a start, his country would help Myanmar organize a May constitutional referendum preceding elections, both of which he emphasized should be “inclusive and credible.”
“Quietly though slowly, we aim to turn this burden of proximity into a pragmatic opportunity for the sake of the people of Myanmar, our next door neighbour,” he said at a forum of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. Continue Reading »
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0400 by Jeff Hess
My name is Jeff Hess and I’m a biblioholic. I own hundreds of books. Not valuable books, mostly Science Fiction paperbacks and text books, tomes rescued by the bag from library book sales. A few years ago, in the interest of not burying myself, I began reading more books from the library and taking notes. My electronic chapbook was born.
This is a passage I copied from Midrash and Literature edited by Geoffrey H. Hartman and Sanford Budick.
Heuristic: A teaching method encouraging the students to discover for themselves. [xii] Historiography: The body of techniques, theories and principles of historical research and presentation. [29] Homily: 1 : a usually short sermon 2 : a lecture or discourse on or of a moral theme 3 : an inspirational catchphrase; also : PLAT. [49] Hypostases: 1 a : something that settles at the bottom of a fluid b : the settling of blood in the dependent parts of an organ or body 2 : PERSON 3 3 a : the substance or essential nature of an individual b : something that is hypostatized 4 [New Latin, from Late Latin] : failure of a gene to produce its usual effect when coupled with another gene that is epistatic toward it- hypostatic \9hÚ-p0-8sta-tik\ adjective- hypostatically \-ti-k(0-)lÎ\ adverb [131] Idiosyncrasy: A characteristic, habit, mannerism that is peculiar to an individual [30]
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0001 by Jeff Hess
Today, as I go about my tasks, I’ll think about: Rationalization provides us with a way of justifying our inappropriate actions. p. 29
Posted in Time Power: Today | No Comments »
2030 by Jeff Hess
This morning I questioned what Thailand’s Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej was thinking when he said that Myanmar’s generals were OK with him because they meditate like good Buddhists. I’m glad to see now that I’m not the only one who found Samak’s statement disconcerting.
From The Bangkok Post:
”Burma is a Buddhist country. Burma’s leaders meditate.” Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej brought that information out of Burma last week after an official goodwill visit. Nothing about his statement is wrong, and I personally believe it’s true: the generals do meditate.
But the prime minister failed to answer a key question: What are the generals meditating on? I believe the generals meditate on things that would horrify true Buddhists. Continue Reading »
Posted in Free Burma, Myanmar | No Comments »
1400 by Jeff Hess
I’m constantly tossing interesting websites into what I call my blogpile. Some of them find their way here in the form of regular posts, but more often than not they languish and get buried deeper in the pile. The end result is that I have to go back and do a bit of shoveling. Today’s item is 17 Fitness Truths To Get You In Great Shape.
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1200 by Jeff Hess
The Usual Suspect: One year ago, we were nervous and excited and apprehensive. Ready to do this. Green as snot. We jumped through training hoops at Fort Lewis, counting down months. This epic thing looming in front of us, like some tidal wave we were waiting to catch. Before we knew it, they stuffed us on buses and into airplanes and flew us to the other side…
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1037 by Jeff Hess
Via an email from Twitter:
Hi, Jeff Hess.
Kosher.com (kosher1) is now following your updates on Twitter.
Check out Kosher.com’s profile here:
You may follow Kosher.com as well by clicking on the “follow” button.
Best,
Twitter
Thank goodness for the block button.
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0800 by Jeff Hess
I could never bring myself to forward all the email jokes, cartoons and other Internet comedy that land in my inbox. But then I started posting the ones my dad sends me. Judging from my comments and emails, my dad has become one of my greatest blogging assets. This week he reminds us that we complain way to much: From My Dad.
Posted in From My Dad, Social Justice & Advocacy | 2 Comments »
0430 by Jeff Hess
I have to seriously question the standards of Thailand’s new prime minister and how his attitude bodes for the coming months of his country. I want to believe that his statement regarding the spiritual practice of a good Buddhist is badly translated or taken out of context. Otherwise the Thai people could be in for a rough ride.
From Pakistan’s New Times:
Thailand”s new prime minister said Sunday that Westerners are overly critical of Myanmar and he has newfound respect for the ruling junta after learning that they meditate like good Buddhists should.
“Westerners have a saying, ‘Look at both sides of the coin,” but Westerners only look at one side,” Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said in his weekly television talk show, two days after an official visit to Myanmar. “Myanmar is a Buddhist country. Myanmar”s leaders meditate. They say the country lives in peace,” Samak said, noting that he has studied Myanmar for decades but just learned that the junta meditates. Both countries are predominantly Buddhist.
Myanmar”s junta has come under global criticism for its deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protesters last year and its detention of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but Samak said he preferred to talk about bilateral trade not democracy during talks with junta chief, Senior Gen. Than Shwe.
Could the Thai people be satisfied with Prime Minister Sundaravej’s business trumps rights philosophy?
Posted in Free Burma, Myanmar | No Comments »
0400 by Jeff Hess
My name is Jeff Hess and I’m a biblioholic. I own hundreds of books. Not valuable books, mostly Science Fiction paperbacks and text books, tomes rescued by the bag from library book sales. A few years ago, in the interest of not burying myself, I began reading more books from the library and taking notes. My electronic chapbook was born.
This is a passage I copied from Midrash and Literature edited by Geoffrey H. Hartman and Sanford Budick.
Fin de siecle: : of, relating to, or characteristic of the close of the 19th century and especially its literary and artistic climate of sophistication, world-weariness, and fashionable despair [127] Frictional: Moved, worked or produced by friction. [13] Hekhalotic: Hebrew [136] Hendiadys: A figure in which a complex idea is expressed by two words connected by a copulative conjunction: “To look with eyes and envy,” instead of “To look with envious eyes.” [8] Hermeneutics: The science of interpretation, especially of Scripture. [xi]
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