Good news from the West Bank

I know I blog a lot about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and most of it not so happy stuff. But Thomas Friedman's Wednesday column actually highlights some good things coming from the West Bank thanks to Prime Minister Salam Fayyad:

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is to the wider Middle East what off-Broadway is to Broadway. It is where all good and bad ideas get tested out first. Well, the Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, a former I.M.F. economist, is testing out the most exciting new idea in Arab governance ever. I call it “Fayyadism.”

Fayyadism is based on the simple but all-too-rare notion that an Arab leader’s legitimacy should be based not on slogans or rejectionism or personality cults or security services, but on delivering transparent, accountable administration and services.

Fayyad, a former finance minister who became prime minister after Hamas seized power in Gaza in June 2007, is unlike any Arab leader today. He is an ardent Palestinian nationalist, but his whole strategy is to say: the more we build our state with quality institutions — finance, police, social services — the sooner we will secure our right to independence. I see this as a challenge to “Arafatism,” which focused on Palestinian rights first, state institutions later, if ever, and produced neither.

Things are truly getting better in the West Bank, thanks to a combination of Fayyadism, improved Palestinian security and a lifting of checkpoints by Israel. In all of 2008, about 1,200 new companies registered for licenses here. In the first six months of this year, almost 900 have registered. According to the I.M.F., the West Bank economy should grow by 7 percent this year.

Sorry for the long-ish block quote, but the whole piece is worth reading.

Congratulations Judge Sotomayor \\ have a great weekend!

Congratulations to the newest member of SCOTUS, Judge Sonia Sotomayor!
All Democrats voted yes and 9 of the 40 Republicans voted yes.
The NYT has this nifty chart of how the Republicans voted & interesting stuff popped up:
(1) Six of the nine Republicans that voted yes, were from states Obama won.
(2) Three of the nine Republicans that voted yes, included Lindsey Graham (S.C.),
Christopher Bond (Mo.), Lamar Alexander (Tenn.)

--

We're nearing the end of the summer so I'm going to have fun in the sun this weekend.
Have a wonderful weekend!

thursday thank you's

thank you, DICK'S, for the veggie omelette with extra tomatoes and four cups of coffee.

thank you, J., for providing me with sustenance and inspiring conversation.

thank you, tailor lady, for hemming my pants for my interview tomorrow.

thank you, tailor guy, for running after me into the parking lot with my mom's drycleaning that I left inside.

thank you, borders, for having Beowulf on the Beach in stock.

no thank you, sleezebag at the post office, for whistling at me this morning. you singlehandedly devolved the male race.

overall, thursday was a great day.

good night!

a song for snogging.

What words do you live by?

"Life has meaning only in the struggle.

Triumph or defeat is in the hands of the gods.

So let us celebrate the struggle!"

-Swami Sivananda

@ The Griffith Observatory

Repeat Assault

"Smack Into You" by Jon McLaughlin

It's not the kind of song you'll find in the annals of superbly-made music. But my mood gravitated me to this. Apparently, it's not an official song of his and Beyonce supposedly has a version of this on her album.

Smile...for your Sears Portrait!

Photographer: "1, 2, 3, 'Bikini'!"

Kim, Clinton & Co.: (chirp chirp)

Why the long faces? Could they not come to a consensus on the background? Look Kim's and Clinton's hands. Kim's hands placement make him look eager to leave and awkward. Whereas Clinton looks like he's trying to hide something.

My mandatory department store portrait, circa 1991:

Poetry meets art in the bathroom of a cafe (in Berkeley)

Do you enjoy a good mind f**k?

Then feed on SoulPancake.com

It spewed from the loins of Rainn Wilson (aka Dwight Shrute), which makes it doubly awesome.

In the last few days...

Updating you on recent world haps...

5.) Only Clinton could go to North Korea?

(via Times Online)
Only this morning I found out that Bill Clinton was in North Korea fraternizing with the enemy and securing the release of two U.S. journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling. What will Lee and Ling say about North Korea in the coming days?

4.) The passing of Corazon "Cory" Aquino, former Philippines President

(via Pinoy Wired)
Cory Aquino was the subject of my 6th grade essay, "My Heroines," the other was Hillary Clinton. An iconic woman, she rallied and ran against ex-President Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, became a uniting figure during the People Power Revolution, and shepherded democracy in the Philippines after 20 years of Marcos' authoritarian control and imposition of martial law. Although her presidency was far from perfect--she struggled with economic and agrarian reforms and faced strong opposition from the military in the form of five coup attempts--she is hailed by the masses for her role in halting Marcos' oppressive regime. To this day, she is a national and international hero. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize (which she lost to Elie Wiesel) and was Time Magazine's 1986 Woman of the Year. A huge loss for humanity, but her courage and noble work will always be remembered.


(via Huffington Post/Associated Press)
NYT Obit.

3.) The Iranian Revolution will be _____-ised.

(via CBS News)
Despite the Ayatollah's repeated affirmation of Ahmadinejad's victory, anger over the Iranian elections have not subsided and the protests have not come to a halt. To the chagrin of Iran's highest leaders, the protesters are proving to be stubbornly resilient. Should the protests continue over the next few months or within the next year, will President Obama recognize and speak with Ahmadinejad?

2.) (In a sultry Marilyn Monroe voice) Happy Birthday, Mr. Pre-ssi-deeennnnnt...

(via Wikipedia)
President Obama turned 48 today!

Speaking of POTUS, thanks to the Beer Summit, America learns Obama has bad taste in beer.

1.) "Recent Rise in International Disputes Traced Back to Cute U.N. Tour Guide"

"Idle hands are the devil's playthings."

I know I've been remiss lately in keeping up with blogging, but I've had my hands busy.

First, I started a new internship! I'm really happy about it. But I'm more excited of the prospect of landing a FT job afterwards within the field.

Second, I'm volunteering with a non-profit. I telecommute and do everything from Peet's. Yay for Peet's free wifi and highly-caffeinited coffee.

And third, I've been reading a lot books. Last weekend, I finished reading God-Shaped Hole and The Little Prince. Since then, I've started to read a couple of different books. There's the 6th Harry Potter book because I was slightly devastated by the lack of color in the movie. Then there's a book about meditition because it's something I've always wanted to start. And Crime and Punishment as usual. I'm still trying to make a dent in that one.

But mostly, I've been stuck on Reza Aslan's How to Win a Cosmic War: God, Globalization, and the End of the War on Terror. I started reading it because the book's argument reminds me of a class I took in college on Terrorism and Homeland Security. I'm promise to write more about it when I finish.

I have to start working now, I have a busy day. Ma'a Assalama!

"To me, there is only one form of human depravity - the man without a purpose." Ayn Rand

Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero.

Seize the day and place no trust in tomorrow.

The REAL 2009 UCLA Commencement Speech

After Franco pulled out, officials contacted Brad Delson (Communication Studies B.A. '99 & guitarist for Linken Park). Hilarity ensues.

He reflects on not being the first choice, sings a song, and..just watch: