Rodeo

The arena wasn't large, perhaps half the size of a track and field. The interior was soft dirt, and bordered by steel rails. On the north end were a row of bleachers, enough to seat about 300 people easily.

We arrived just as the rodeo got started. Infantrymen held the flags and a young, male soldier sang the national anthem a capella and right on key. No one sang along with the national anthem, but everyone in the audience seemed to know the Hawai'i state anthem and sang along with that. Granted, the national anthem is a challenge to sing. A prayer was said, and then the rodeo began.

I watched as various competitions unfolded. The first was where the cowboy had to catch the bulls horns, bring him up against a steel Y shaped pole and then jump off his horse, run to the bull with a rope and tie the bull's neck to the pole. Cowboy with the fastest time wins. Then there was keiki sheep riding. It was just too cute watch little 4-6 year old kids trying to hang on to a running sheep. They had wahine barrel racing to see how quickly the gals could run their horses around 3 barrels. They also had a contest where 2 riders would go out and try to rope a running bull. The first had to rope its neck and the second would have to rope it's back legs. One of the last competitions I saw were were one gal on a horse would rope the cattle's neck while another on the ground would wrestle it down. The one on the horse would have to jump off and tie the remaining 3 legs together.

I was really impressed at the skill of the horses and paniolos. It's hard enough riding a horse let alone roping the back legs of a running bull.

The atmosphere at the rodeo was congenial. The country music really matched the mood and it just seemed like these people were all part of a tightly-knit community of families who all knew each other and took care of each other. The other thing which struck me was how much they respected and cared about the next generation. They always made sure to include the kids in the rodeo and these children were give pretty big responsibilities, whether as competitors or volunteers! No doubt, the rodeo plays a big role in impressing children with the cowboy culture and values of their elders and their community.

I can't wait to attend the Parker Ranch rodeo.

Time

Today I stood on the smooth, dark and mottled beach at Kaholo, watching a beautiful, fiery orb set over a deep blue ocean. The sound of the ocean water rushing up the sand, the bleached white branches of a tree jutting upwards from the beach, my small self on that crescent. As the sun and earth performed their majestic ritual, I crouched low to the ground. How could I have the hubris to stand over a moment so poignant?

Critical Thinking Skills

Modern society, especially Western, places a heavy emphasis on critical thinking skills. Though I can't imagine the great philosophers of the past not thinking in any other way but critically, I suppose there's an element of analysis and scientific-rigor to modern critical thinking which distinguishes it from the past. Or is there?

When is critical thinking cultivated? During high school or university?

Chinese Nationalists

Chinese Nationlists around the world have been showing their "indignation" against the West in full force via large demonstrations. I can understand the reason for these actions of the Chinese people; their nation is rapidly changing and their insecure government uses nationalism and authoritarian force to maintain control and legitimacy. How else would the Chinese know to behave under this model?

All citizens of democracies have the right, under democratic law, to peacefully demonstrate against the criticism of China's lack of human rights, no matter how hypocritical.

Unfortunately for Taiwan, roughly half the population of Taiwan are made up of Chinese Nationalists. They arrived in the late 1940s from China and quickly filled the power vacuum left by the Japanese, beginning nearly 50 years of authoritarian rule where Mandarin Chinese was enforced as the only viable language, children were taught Chinese history and told they were Chinese, and any opposition to Chinese Nationlist power was quickly and brutally eliminated.

Taiwan, through the hard efforts of its activists, has only recently released itself from the 50 year totalitarian grip of the Chinese Nationalists to push forth a multi-party democracy. However, thus far, the Chinese Nationalists have used their nearly infinite monetary resources (they are the richest political party in the world) to use democracy against itself. Chinese nationalism is based on the idea that there is a strong, unified China filled with strong, unified Chinese people. A country called Taiwan doesn't fit into their plans, Taiwanese people don't fit into their plans. They've consistently shut down plans for increasing military self-defense capabilities because that would contradict their idea of Taiwan being a part of China, even though China points 1,400 missiles directly at them. They've shot down calls for reform of the Chinese Nationalist Party's "subsidy plan" (aka soft bribe plan) for teachers and civil servants, because it would erode their support base. Nevermind that it's unconstitutional, they've shot down most of the democratic reforms proposed for the 1940s-Chinese Nationalist-crafted Constitution.

I am pretty sure that the Chinese Nationalists plans are to take Taiwan, a democratic, developed nation, and serve the country on a silver platter to an authoritarian, developing nation, with little regard for the realities of what such a union would bring. Even better for the Chinese Nationalists in Taiwan if China were a developed, democratic nation. The bottom line is that, Taiwan, Taiwanese people, Taiwanese culture, Taiwanese democracy, and Taiwan's economy take a backseat to the ultimate goal of Chinese Nationalism, which is being able to feel superior and strong in Chinese-ness.

News Junkie

Ever since I subscribed to the BBC RSS feed, I've become a bonifide news junkie. I check the BBC website at least twice a day and now I even tune in to BBC radio whenever I have a chance.

Yesterday's news builds on today's news builds on tomorrow's news building on the day after tomorrow's news and so on and so forth. All the pieces of information I've absorbed begin connecting in my mind, isolated events fit and re-fit like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

I've begun forming opinions about issues that I wouldn't have had the faintest awareness of before, and relating them to my daily life and my personal values.

At one point last month, I wondered if reading the news was all just useless mental clutter adding to a daily life already filled with plenty of mental clutter.

I don't believe it is.

Welcome to the Jungle

On the BBC news, they have a video story of how unaware the Chinese are of the controversy that surrounds the Olympics in Beijing. One Chinese man said, "Sports and Politics shouldn't mix!"

Now, on a superficial level, I agree with that statement. Just like I would agree with the statement that "Lions and Gazelles shouldn't mix". But, sports and politics AND economics have been and are already inextricably "mixed". To think that they aren't and have never been interrelated is just naiive. Yes, there are the ideals of sport and excellence, but getting down to the actual logistics of the Olympics, that is where all the details and the truth of the matter lies.

From my research three years ago on the power and scope of FIFA. I can only imagine that the Olympic Committee must run something akin to the United Nations. Countries are vying for the proven positive economic impact of post-Olympic tourism. The Olympic committee has political and economic clout for sure that goes well beyond selling broadcasting rights and Olympic merchandise.

So, should people who find that their issues with the Chinese government are not being taken into consideration, be trying to grab the Olympic torch and extinguish the flame? I'm not sure yet what the answer is to that. All I know is that for the Olympic Committee, any publicity is good publicity.