Maui Vacation Home Rentals for the Wedding

Well, it's been a pain in the a$$, but we've found a couple of nice places that we might be able to rent for our families during our wedding week. Above, is a picture of the Lahaina Travis Home (link removed) which looks pretty good... except for the bedcover pictured on the website.




This one looks great too! It features a main and guest house! The Lahaina Breakwater Estates (link removed) looks big enough for all of us. Another link to the Lahaina Breakwater Estates.




This one is the Hale Kuau Sunset Estate (link removed), in Kuau... which I've never heard of even though I've been to Maui over a couple dozen times. It looks like it's right next to Kahului on the very small map provided. This one is big enough but not as fancy as the Travis Home. Another link to the Hale Kuau Sunset Estate.


So who are we trying to make space for?

• My parents


• Hyun-joo's parents


• Lynn and Cole


• Kent and Chase


• Hyun-Jung and Scott


• Hyun-Joo and Na-Young


• Lee and Elise

There are still so many things in flux. NONE OF THIS IS SET IN STONE. We're just trying to get some ideas down.


Now, keep in mind that we haven't set a date yet and we're "negotiating" the possible size of the wedding. International weddings are complicated! So many different traditions to honor. It's hard for me when I know so little about American weddings to begin with. Well, my goal is to just have fun doing the planning and not to get stressed out. Well, I already blew one goal... guess I can just focus on the "having fun" part, right?


Already, I want to thank our parents and Heather for giving some ideas and passing on information.

Defending Human Rights in Iraq!/Defending Human Rights in Iraq? (You choose, I can't)

Someone shared with me the position that one of the more important aspects of the war in Iraq was in defending the Human Rights of Iraqi citizens. So, I'm going to look for some of my own answers.



My pre-disposition: this statement was downright silly, because of the well publicized and weekly (if not daily) violations of basic Human Rights of the greater Iraqi population.

• Which Human Rights are we talking about?


• What's Bush's stance? What's the dissenting stance?
  
  President Bush Discusses Iraq Policy at Whitehall Palace in London
  
  The deepest beliefs of our nations set the direction of our foreign policy. We value our own civil rights, so we stand for the human rights of others. We affirm the God-given dignity of every person, so we are moved to action by poverty and oppression and famine and disease. The United States and Great Britain share a mission in the world beyond the balance of power or the simple pursuit of interest. We seek the advance of freedom and the peace that freedom brings. Together our nations are standing and sacrificing for this high goal in a distant land at this very hour. And America honors the idealism and the bravery of the sons and daughters of Britain.
  
  
  Since the liberation of Iraq, we have seen changes that could hardly have been imagined a year ago. A new Iraqi police force protects the people, instead of bullying them. More than 150 Iraqi newspapers are now in circulation, printing what they choose, not what they're ordered. Schools are open with textbooks free of propaganda. Hospitals are functioning and are well-supplied. Iraq has a new currency, the first battalion of a new army, representative local governments, and a Governing Council with an aggressive timetable for national sovereignty. This is substantial progress. And much of it has proceeded faster than similar efforts in Germany and Japan after World War II.
  
  
  
  US ignors Human Rights Lessons
  
  International security depends on containing these conflicts, and doing so requires clear rules about whether, when, and what type of "humanitarian intervention" may be justified to protect human rights. Here are four:
  
  
  
  • First, large-scale genocide or crimes against humanity are being committed.
  
  
  • Second, the conflict is creating major regional instability, which the neighboring countries want to contain by supporting a multilateral intervention sanctioned by the United Nations or a regional organization like NATO.
  
  
  • Third, intervention is not likely to lead to wider conflict -- for example, by stimulating increased terrorism or provoking other countries to enter into the hostilities.
  
  
  • Fourth, the planned scale, duration, and intensity of the intervention are sufficient to achieve the objective of saving lives and rebuilding the country.
  
  
  
  Bush's preemptive regime-change invasion of Iraq failed to meet these criteria. The military operation was conducted unilaterally by the United States and Britain and was strongly opposed by countries throughout the region, the Muslim world, and beyond. Despite Saddam Hussein's appalling history of human rights abuse, there was no evidence last spring that his regime was engaged in continuing genocide that required immediate military action. (Saddam's genocide against the Kurds and Shi'ite Muslims following the Gulf War should have been prevented by international forces in 1991.) In fact, Saddam's human rights record was used by Bush largely as an afterthought to make up for his administration's failure to produce evidence of weapons of mass destruction. [continues...]


• What signs does the Iraqi government show with their regards to defending Human Rights?
  
  Amnesty International deplores the removal of a key human rights provision from the final draft Constitution
  
  Amnesty International is concerned that an important human rights provision contained in previous versions of Iraq's new draft Constitution was excised from the final draft, which was handed to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) in Baghdad this week for printing and distribution.


• Which Human Rights were Saddam and his regime voilating?


• Which Human Rights are being voilated now?


• Can voilations of Human Rights be measured to the degree that we can say that Iraq is better or worse off now?

In a few hours of research, I'm having a very hard time finding people talking about America's beneficial contributions to Human Rights in Iraq. I retract my previous statement, "downright silly". I do think that my friend's statement was unfounded, and much to his credit I didn't take the time to hear more about his views. And this I do regret. Thankfully, I still have time to find out.


An unrelated article I wished to link for future reference:
Democracy cannot coexist with Bush's failed doctrine of preventive war

Iraqi Blogs pt. 2

Neurotic Iraqi Wife

This woman lives in the Green Zone and she sees the reconstruction going forward. She shares and defends her position that what they need is safety, a sound infrastructure, and a caring government... not ongoing politicizing of the constitution. She doesn't feel that anything is better than when Saddam was the one murdering people. And yet, she deeply appreciates the freedom that she and her husband now have.



I don't think I'll be keeping up with posting direct links and thoughts on journey through Iraqi blogs. I'm finding that even within a particular blog there are so many different emotions and stances on the horrible-hopeful situation there. I haven't even begun to scratch the surface. After a couple days, I'm left with an overall appreciation for the struggling hope of the bloggers of Iraq.

Iraqi Blogs

Hyun-joo and I spent and evening last night with friends and we got to the subject of a very controversial topic, the war in Iraq. I'm respectfully leaving our friends anonomous.



If I understand his position correctly, it was morally obligatory for the US to invade Iraq on the basis of human rights violations. The ongoing war is necessary to hopefully plant the seeds of democracy that has the potential to spread through out the region in a stabilizing effect.



He asked whether I had actually read any Iraqi blogs. (My friend is an avid blog reader.) I admitted that I hadn't. So this post is about just that. And what have I begun to find?



First off, I am suspect of the bias of any blog that I am able to read. Of the Kurds, Shiia, Sunni and vast number of others, how many of them are able to communicate the thoughts of the average people in their communities?



Secondly, it is essential that I understand my own pre-judgements and level of awareness of those involved in Iraq.

• I believe those that we label as terrorists or act with violence against the western aggressors are islamic extremists and do not represent the majority or essence of islamic teachings.


• I believe that I war was improperly initiated. I also believe it is impractical to argue the premises of the war to a degree and focus on the immediate and future needs of those involved. I believe that it is right for Americans to fight a war in Iraq until they are able to build up enough internal security forces to protect themselves.


• I believe that there is a difference in democracy that is chosen by the people and one that is established for them on the basis of the readiness of the people. Like tragedies at high altitudes with climbers using guides to take them to places they could not go on their own is a situation fraught with potential disaster.

Upon the recommendation of my friend here is the breadcrub trail of my blog journey:

1. Where is Raed ? I wanted to know first "who is Raed?"


2. Iraq the Model begins with praise for the overthrow of Saddam. A blogger who honors the Americans fighting in Iraq and dislikes the protestors of the war. I was surprised by the optimism of the birth of the "New Model" in Iraq but found it difficult to assess credibility of the posts being unable to determine some basic information about the posters.

Here are some useful resources I've found along the way:

Establishing a Stable Democracy

Iraqi History

Democracy in Iraq?



Previously I thought it was overly optimistic to think that the democratic model that is forming in Iraq today is the key to peace in the region. There are too many parties involved in Iraq with so many deep scars from the many years of war and oppression. And yet, the Israelis have pulled out of Gaza and Zarqawi may be struggling to fight the elections... perhaps there is more to be optimistic for in the distant future of Iraq. Whether America can live up to its future as "non-occupational, non-exploitive" force of guidance still remains to be seen and in that I have little belief.



The present danger is excess of benevolence; we might undertake yet another selfless mission of mercy, failing to understand that "there are limits to what outsiders can do" and that "the armies we dispatch to foreign soil for humanitarian reasons" may not be able "to save people from others or from themselves." -Noam Chomsky, 1994

Wedding Planner

We gotta start getting some stuff together about the upcoming wedding.



When: Summer 2006 - ideally

Where: Maui

What: Umm, party!

Who: relatively small wedding

Three weeks in and I'm whipped.

It's been a long series of days... re-adjusting to Japan, adjusting to both Hyun-joo and I working, getting used to driving around in a car, new folks, extra classes... whew. I could really use some good exercise along the way.



We just had a huge typhoon pull through the area. It was forecasted to be strong enough to get the guys running the show to close down school for the day. Unfortunately there wasn't much of a show. Yesterday turned out to be windy with some clouds. Nothing like New Orleans.



Man, those guys are screwed. I hope the right people get pinned to the wall for that one. Not enough evacuations, support or rescues. It was Bush's responsibility. He really dropped the ball on that one. There should have been enough resources set in motion days before Katrina hit to get EVERYONE out of there. Someone said that they just didn't know. Bullshit. They knew it was Cat5 and headed straigt for LA. They can't even handle an evacuation... what happens when the next terrorist strike happens?



I don't seem to have many pleasant thoughts now days. Not much pleasant going on. And it does bother the hell out of me.