Afghanistan

As we await the 'official' results of the recent election in Afghanistan and pundits ponder the possibilities of voter fraud it seems a very good time for a little deeper reflection on U.S. goals in the region. Although Iraq ca. 2006 posed significant problems for strategists debating the need for a change of course, Afghanistan ca. 2009 has those same policy wonks pining away for simpler days. I have no specific policy recommendations of my own to make, but I would like to draw your attention to a series of thoughtful articles examining the aims of the 'good war'. Each author supports interventionism in some form, but the different visions on offer in the selections below range from the 'minimalist' to the 'maximalist'.

In this article in the London Review of Books, Rory Stewart makes a strong case for more modest interventionist goals. Stewart suggests western forces should abandon their ambitious, but ambiguous 'state-building' project. In contrast to those who advocate further troop increases, Stewart argues for the necessity of leaving a very light footprint. I think those who disagree with Stewart will find him stimulating and refreshing because he is not afraid to question strategic 'sacred cows'. He may be wrong, but, given his knowledge of Afghanistan, he cannot be ignored.

Stewart's arguments can be usefully contrasted with those who support the 'maximalist' approach. In this interview, Stephen Biddle of the Council on Foreign Relations explains why the Coalition needs to channel more resources into the improvement of Afghan governance. Frederick Kagan in this op-ed in the Washington Post strikes a similar note. Kagan, who hails from a prominent family of conservative intellectuals, was a major advocate of the surge in Iraq and he believes a similar approach can work in Afghanistan.

Nature's Bounty

As we begin our second year living in West Cambridge, we have helped ourselves once again to nature's bounty in the form of some very tasty blackberries. One of the sad things about modern living is the disconnect between consumers and their food supply; simply going out and gathering what nature has to offer is an uncomplicated, wholesome pleasure. We picked some berries when my parent's visited and made the customary blackberry/apple crumble, but yesterday Todd and I went out, brought home 3.5 lbs of berries, and I tried my hand at jam-making.




Here is the recipe I followed:

Equal weights of blackberries and sugar
The juice and rind of 1 lemon

I stewed and mashed the blackberries and lemon, then added the sugar and waited until the mixture reached the 'setting point' (when a spoonful turns 'jammy' in the fridge after about 5 mins.). Apparently I needed the lemon to help with this setting process, since it adds extra pectin, which makes the jam jell. I ended up with about 8 jars of jam.

We're pretty pleased with the results, though it is SUPER SWEET!

Qatar

Well, I have had a few email inquiries from the curious after my elusive reference to our upcoming move to Qatar a few blogs ago. Here are the details:

Todd has accepted the position of Assistant Professor in the International Affairs Program (IAP) at the University of Qatar. The appointment will be for three years in the first instance. He will be responsible for teaching European history courses, as well as political thought. He will begin teaching in the spring semester, so we will likely relocate at the end of January, 2010. The IAP was established in 2006 on the model of the Georgetown School of Foreign Service and is primarily responsible for training civil servants for Qatar. I am going to wait until we arrive to see what job possibilities are available--I may begin a master's of library science degree and/or offer piano lessons.

The university is located in Doha, the capital city. Already a major oil and gas producer, Qatar has recently sought to become a key player in the educational and research sector for the region. In addition to the U. of Qatar, which was established in 1973, the Qatar Foundation has recently invited several American universities to establish branches in Education City. We are really excited by Qatar's vision for education, and are thrilled to be a part of it. These educational initiatives along with the presence of Al-Jazeera (the well-known Arab news channel based in Qatar) and a host of other regional and global institutions mean that the tiny independent emirate is punching above its weight on the international scene.

Todd really wanted to spend some time in the Middle East after completing his PhD. His research focuses on British interaction with the Middle East and with Islam in the early and middle twentieth century. Living in Doha will be a perfect way for him to continue to pursue these research interests. Qatar really seems like the logical place for us to begin the next adventure!

Chelsea Bun Mission Accomplished

Fitzbillies was less busy today, so my parents and I did get to enjoy our Chelsea Buns. Now they have really experienced Cambridge!

Cloverton's debut EP

There's a new band on the rise and I hope you will take notice. Their name is Cloverton and they honed their distinctive melodic piano-driven rock in the houses, coffee shops and Churches of Manhattan, KS, before cutting their debut self-titled EP. Full disclosure: two of the band members, Layne and Lance Stafford, are friends of mine. Further disclosure: they're also very talented.

Cloverton's sound is built around Lance's vocals and piano, but filled out with atmospheric lead guitar, quality backing vocals and the support of a very tight rhythm section. Their songs possess that inviting, sing-along quality shared by the best rock anthems and worship tunes. The soulful quality of Lance's voice may remind some of Mac Powell from Third Day, but it has an elasticity and range more reminiscent of Coldplay's Chris Martin. The style of piano rock on display here has an edge that invites comparison to the likes of Something Corporate, Jack's Mannequin or the Ben Folds Five. However, I should emphasize that Cloverton is forging a musical direction all their own. Their sonic warmth and intensity mixes beautifully with their hopeful lyrical refrains. They resist the heady temptation to be preachy and they never fall back on the overly sentimental and hackneyed lyrics that seem to come so easily to so many Christian 'rock' bands. Yet, there is a directness and an honesty that bypasses the roundabout 'hidden' message approach favored by so many rock bands composed of 'Christians'. This is simply a group of five humble souls sharing words of comfort and sounds of joy both with fellow-travelers and those who don't yet know they're on a journey.

In an introduction he wrote for The Book of Psalms published back in 1999 in the UK, Bono said, 'Music is worship; whether it's worship of women or their designer, the world or its destroyer, whether it comes from that ancient place we call soul or simply the spinal cortex, whether the prayers are on fire with dumb rage or dove-like desire... the smoke goes upwards... to God or something you replace with God... usually yourself'. Cloverton is sending their smoke in the right direction and I want a place around their fire. I congratulate Layne, Lance and the rest of the crew on an auspicious debut.

In a summer chock full of new albums from some of my favorite bands like Green Day, Rancid and U2, it is the songs of Cloverton that I can't get out of my head. Check em out for yourself on ITUNES or YOUTUBE.

The Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert Redick

We finished The Red Wolf Conspiracy a few months ago--the first book we completed utilizing our new-found form of entertainment: reading aloud to each other. Not only does this exercise save money we would have otherwise spent renting movies to entertain and distract ourselves in the evenings, it also provides a lot of scope for the imagination. Reading aloud forces one to slow down and really come up with vivid thought-movies for what is described. R. Reddick's book, the first in a trilogy (yay!), is an almost-perfect vehicle for this sort of imaginative escapism.

The fantasy epic is set on board the ginormous, ancient sea-faring vessel, the Chathrand. It is, in essence, a swashbuckling high seas adventure story. The key protangonist is Pazel Pathkendle, a victim of imperial oppression who possesses a seizure-related linguistic gift acquired through magic. Another main character is Thasha, the spunky daughter of a high-ranking diplomat, doomed to serve as a treaty-bride in a planned rapprochement between two warring empires. The various story-lines intertwine as these "little people" become caught up in the throws of high political intrigue and conspiracy, not to mention dark magic.

Redick's world, Alifros, is very convincing. The various cultures he describes are richly endowed with plenty of customs, including fleshed-out religious beliefs, to make the story believable. Believability is a must in the fantasy genre, as far as I am concerned. I want to escape to a plausible world with some internal conistency. The various religions he dreams up and their conflicting ideals and beliefs almost echo some of our contemporary religious troubles. There is also a plethora of interesting creatures, such as 'awakened' animals and the tiny Ixchel people, all of which have their own fully-realized story-lines that are in turn woven into the main plot.

There are a few draw-backs: some of the names are unpronounceable and maybe a bit silly (this is especially noticeable when reading aloud and resulted in several fits of giggles), and once in a while the plot devices are a tad too obvious. Those things aside, however, the book is a real page-turner and we often stayed up too late, not wanting to put it down.

Blog not forgotten...

I haven't blogged in so long--the past half-year has been so filled with the worries and joys of finding jobs that chronicling the experience was far from my radar screen. However, I've decided it is a good exercise to put oneself out there in writing for other people to read, so hopefully I can be a lot more regular.

My parents arrived on Tuesday en route to their new life in Kosovo. We have SO enjoyed just having them around and seeing Cambridge anew through their eyes. It's weird how my eyes were so dimmed to what a cool place Cambridge is--there is so much living history all around. I think that the uniqueness of our four years here will continue to sink in more and more as we prepare to leave and continue our lives in a very different setting. We will be moving to Qatar in February--the whole idea seems so adventurous! I'm looking forward to experiencing the enchantment of a new place.

The parents and I have particularly enjoyed sampling afternoon tea at various Cambridge establishments. So far, we have been fairly impressed with the Michaelhouse Cafe, though I think the clotted cream was better at The Orchard. Fitzbillies was too crowded to venture in at this time of year, so the joys of Chelsea Buns will have to wait.