Dawood Khan's Blog

Archive for January, 2008|Monthly archive page

Adolph Rupp — Individual Offense Part 1

In UK Basketball on January 31, 2008 at 7:30 am

This is part 1 of 3. I had to break it down into 3 segments because anything larger errors out while downloading here in Afghanistan. lol Nothing over here is ever simple. Gotta love it. Anyway. This piece is about 3 minutes long.

It’s an interesting piece. You get to see a live Coach Rupp practice as well as some game footage. I can’t tell which team it was. The film calls Rupp one of the elite of College Basketball. So I have to think it was right around the time of the Olympic team. I just don’t know the players of that era by site. Coach Rupp is in his Khaki’s in practice and his brown suit in the game segments. Overall, it gives a nice little glimpse into Kentucky Basketball in the Rupp Era. I have tried to research this film over the past week but come up empty. I know it was done sometime in the late 40s or early 50s. I don’t know which team it is. I wish I had written down the labels on the reel cans. [I hadn't planned on blogging when I came over here.] The films were sponsored by “your Coca Cola bottlers” and 3 other coaches participated. I remember that Ray Meyers is one of the others. But can’t remember who the other 2 were. The films along with the DVD versions are in my storage room in the states. I only carried the DVD of Rupp with me.

So here is part 1 of 3.

I emailed Coca Cola asking if they have any background information on this. So far no response. If anyone knows anything about this film, please email me or comment below.

Thanks, Dave

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Angkor Thom — The Bayon Temple

In Cambodia, culture, Travel on January 30, 2008 at 10:40 pm

Angkor Thom is a huge Complex that includes a series of gates with Buddha facing in the four directions, the Hall of the Leper King, the Elephant Terrace and Bayon. Bayon is the primary temple of the Angkor Thom complex. The first thing you notice when you approach the Bayon Temple is the faces on it’s towers. The 200 faces of the Lokesvara which is (and I’m simplifying the concept here a bit) the Compassionate Buddha. There must be hundreds staring back at you. Looking out in every direction actually. All smiling. Welcoming. Enchanting. Captivating all who gaze upon them. Beckoning the visitors to come for a closer look. The walls of Angkor are covered with bas-relief depicting tales of war and heroism and everyday life of the Khmer. There are also tales from Khmer and Hindu mythology. The walls of Bayon speak to the history and beleifs of the Khmer people. Their mythology. Their lives. Who they were and who they have become as a civilization.

One of the wonders of Angkor Thom is the visitors ability to explore. Angkor Thom is a huge complex with many structures and much jungle territory to explore if you are adventurous enough. It’s as if you are Indiana Jones or Lara Croft in search of ancient treasures and artifacts. Much as Indie and the Tombraider braved the elements, you will likewise battle heat exhaustion, sunburn, torrential downpours, dehydration and most of all the crowds of tourists in order to catch an inspirational glimpse and be awe stricken by these ancient and eternal monuments to Khmer civilization. The best time to view Bayon is early morning. 5 or 6 A.M. As the sun breaks the horizon and turns to gold the beautiful smiling faces on the towers. Sunset is a wonder to behold on the steps of Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat. These are cherished memories. One will never forget. These are moments and vistas that defy description.  Getting out early will not only let you beat the heat and sun but the thousands of tourists who will be out a few hours later.  2nd best time to catch any of the monuments is Noon when most of the tour groups are taking a lunch break.

Jayavarman VII established the Angkor Thom in the late 12th century. It was the last great city of the Angkorean Khmer. Thankfully, when the Ayutthayan centered kingdom of Siam conquered the area, they did not destroy everything and left us these beautiful Khmer monuments to awe and inspire us for ages to come.

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Coach Adolph Rupp plugs Coca Cola

In UK Basketball on January 30, 2008 at 2:19 am

Nothing wrong with that. This little “commercial” is from a Basketball Reel to Reel that I was able to get off of ebay a few years back. I had it converted to digits and now that I have a way to share it (this blog), I’ll be posting it on the blog over the next week. It’s a three part film on Individual Offense. It’s part of a larger effort with three other coaches and Coach Rupp explaining different aspects of the game. Of course, the game has changes a bit since these coaches were in their prime. I can’t find any information on the film on the web and the actual reels are in my storage room back in Kentucky. But I’ll post as much back ground information as I can gather.

I always find it interesting to hear Coach Rupp talking. You can tell the man has a love for Basketball and for the University of Kentucky. He smiles a lot in this film and talks to his team. From what I’ve read, he didn’t do that often in practice. So these film productions may have been a welcome respite from what I’ve read were immensely difficult practices in the Rupp Era. This film gives a quickshot of Harry Lancaster–Rupp’s longtime assistant.

mbb_history_ruppchalkboard.jpg I hope y0u enjoy.

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Driving in Afghanistans Capital City — Kabul

In Afghanistan on January 27, 2008 at 8:40 pm

A few days before I left Kabul in September 2006, I decided to take one last tour of the city. Kabul has to be experienced to be believed. One must live there. Awaken there. Sleep there. Breath in it’s polluted, dusty air. Hear the sounds of it’s loud cacophonous symphony of madness. As foreign a city as a Westerner will ever experience, it’s a smaller, more chaotic version of Cairo, Egypt. Traffic makes no sense. Mass transit is a hazard to your health. Millie Buses will run out in front of anything and the black smoke that blows from the exhaust will both blind and asphyxiate you. People are always out in traffic. Yellow Taxi’s will run you off the road. UN convoys or Embassy Convoys drive as if they own not only the roads but the city as well. Plus, you have the bonus sensation of never knowing when an IED or suicide bomber might decide to make it your lucky day. Blue Burqas everywhere. Beggers and other street people standing in the middle of the road. Kids with “lucky smoke cans.” Armed guards are everywhere. Stopping traffic so that their boss may safely exit and enter traffic. The security forces of Embassy officials will shoot at you if you come too close. General Dostum and other Afghani officials security will run you off the road. Afghani police at various junctures will attempt to stop you and extort monies from you. I’ve seen Afghani being pulled out of their vehicles by local police. Trash dumps surrounded by goats and children at random junctures throughout the city. There is no rhyme and certainly no reason to the city. The only certainty is that you will be confronted with chaos, corruption and poverty at every instant. The only other constant is Islam. For good or bad, Islam reigns supreme with it’s burqas, muezzins, mullahs and mosques.

This city and it’s peoples are still in recovery from the past 30 years of war and catastrophe.

Kabul is madness. Pandemonium. “Pure pandalirium!” as Jeff Foxworthy might say.

Even so, I’ve always been a bit stir crazy and can’t stay confined to a safe house, hotel or base camp for too long without losing my sanity.

Kabul has it’s charms. I can’t count the times that a traffic cop has asked me to pull over and have tea with him. People smile at you on the streets if you venture out enough. Babur’s Gardens. Wazir Akhbar Khan District. The Serena and Intercontinental Hotels. Chicken Street must be experienced to be believed.

Ror–the cat who replaced me–had asked me to take him on a ride to show him around Kabul. Best places to shop. Places of interest such as Massoud Circle, Kabul International Airport, a couple of good restaurants…and other places that might be “fun” to hang out. The way to Camp Eggers and the US Embassy Compound.

So, off we went. Our vehicle was nondescript. Nothing out of the ordinary. I kept it dirty on purpose because Afghani vehicles are universally dust covered. Kabul is a dusty city. The only clean vehicles are Coalition, UN or US owned. I didn’t want to stand out in that manner. Become a target for a bicycle borne IED. Not my idea of a good day. Additionally, I try to drive exactly like the Afghanis. They drive wildly. No rhyme or reason. No real traffic laws. There aren’t any traffic signal lights or signs. The only traffic control are the cops in the circles and they are universally ignored.

It’s always an adventure on the road in the capital city.

I took Ror to see Chicken Street where you can buy every and anything from real and forged Greek coins to Chinese Rugs being sold as Persian Rugs to sapphires, rubies and emeralds to actual (illegal) Persian Rugs. It’s a great place to find a bargain. But because of the influx of foreigners the bargains are becoming more and more difficult to come by these days.

We swing by the U.S. Embassy, ISAF HQ and Camp Eggers…Massoud Circle….Kabul Airport and various other places such as Wazir Akhbar Khan District with it’s underground drinking establishments and the beautiful (and some not so beautiful) “waitresses” of the Chinese “Restaurants.” Then we get lost. I make a turn into a part of Kabul in which I had never ventured. We wound up lost for about a 1/2 hour. Eventually, I get my bearings and we cruise back to Camp Phoenix.

Later, when I return to Afghanistan with MPRI, I will stay in the Safi-Landmark hotel. This just happens to be in the area in which Ror and I were lost that day.

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The Taliban

In Afghanistan on January 26, 2008 at 2:54 pm

Above is a Taliban training and campaign video. I edited out the end portion of it because it was a series of snuff videos of the Taliban executing their prisoners by sawing off their heads with a rather dull looking knife. It was quite disturbing and the Talibanis seemed to be enjoying themselves a bit too much while yelling “Allahu Akhbar!” The Taliban are some disgustingly ignorant folks.

I was told that this video came from the south near Qandahar or possibly Helmand province. The South has the highest concentration of Taliban. Coincidentally, it also has the highest population of poppy farms. The Taliban are financing their holy war with drug money in much the same manner that the Chi-Coms financed their war with the opium trade.

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Buzkashi — A Burden in my Hand — Soundgarden

In Afghanistan, culture on January 25, 2008 at 4:02 pm

Burden In My Hand

by Soundgarden

I took the Afghani music out and laid on some Soundgarden. I like this music with the video. It’s grittier. Edgier. The original video has an Afghani fellow riding through the competition singing and looking like an Afghani version of Jolly old Saint Nick. He doesn’t fit and neither does his singing. I edited him out of both versions. He looked a bit ridiculous to me. The song is hagiography about the champions of the game.

Enjoy.

On another off note. The nets been down here for the past few days. Apparently, the Coalition forces in Herat like to surf porn. The US Army Command decided that the best way to get the puritanical “no porn ” point across to the Italians and Spanish is to shut down the internet across the board. No one could use the net period because the US is uber-interested in sexual purity and the Spaniards and Italians are…well, they’re just interested in sex.

Gotta love the U.S. Army and it’s puritan streak and the US Army’s willingness to shove that puritan streak down it’s allies throats on the sly. GO ARMY! lol

In plain English, there were several Italian and Spanish porn sites being visited on the internet. Rather than confront the Spanish and Italians on the sensitive subject, the US Army Command in Kabul decided to punish everyone in Herat across the board and shut the internet down for 3 or 4 days. Nothing like a little bit of classic Army mass punishment to get the point across to the people who already got the point. Of course, this is the 2nd time that this has occurred and the Coalition Forces likely don’t understand that they are violating any rules (you know, since no one had the balls to tell them). So it will occur again and again until someone in the US Command gets the moral and political courage to confront the Italians and Spanish about it.

Reminds me of Camp Phoenix when the Garrison Commander told the Brits that they could no longer bring alcohol onto the post. The Brits told him to go to hell and moved off of Camp Phoenix that week. It’s very important to the U.S. Army in Afghanistan that the Adults in it’s forces not imbibe. Can’t offend those Muslims. Half of whom drink themselves. I can’t count the times that an Afghani ANP officer has offered me a drink.

Gotta love America and the Army. They take the fun out of everything. They’ll send you to fight in the land of Islam and you better die sober…(and with your seat belt on or no insurance money for your spouse). These are the laws and rules as handed down by the U.S. Congress. All of whom violate these same laws when they travel to these areas.

Brit Commander; “You Yanks certainly know how to run a war but you sure don’t know how to have fun with one.”

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Buzkashi — the Sport of Central Asian Steppes and Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, culture on January 25, 2008 at 3:29 pm

Traditional Afghan Music

Gather up a group of Nomads from the North of Afghanistan. Throw in a decapitated dead goat and 40 or 50 highly prized horses. You’ve got Buzkashi. Literally, “dead goat.”

The goal of the game is for the rider to grab the goat, carry it from one pole to the other and then throw it in the circle at the center of the field.

I was given this video by an Afghani friend who lived in Mazr-e Sherif for a number of years. He’s lived and worked all over the north of Afghanistan with coalition forces. He’s attended the game several times and says it is an exciting spectacle. He confirmed the stories that I have heard about the riders being injured, maimed and killed during competition. Riders have been knocked from their horse and trampled to death in the midst of the game. The horses are specially bred and trained for the sport. They have to be able to stop on a dime, bend down and allow their rider to grab the goat and then take off at a full gallop from the standstill.

Incredible horses. Amazing riders.

They say that these competitions can last for days. Often more than a week. Leaving both horse and rider exhausted and more often than not with several injuries–broken bones and bloody Gashes.

If you wish, you can learn more about this game here — Buskashi.

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Temple Club/Apsara Fusion Jam

In Cambodia, culture, Music on January 20, 2008 at 11:07 pm

Same video footage as before. But I felt like adding some modern music. This is Vanessa Mae‘s re-interpretation of Cream’s I Feel Free. Vanessa Mae is a sexy little uber-talented Thai-Chinese Fusion/Classical Violinist. She does some good stuff. Updated, fresh interpretations of classical, folk and pop as well as original work.

Check it out and tell me what you think of this version.

This is the lovely Vanessa Mae:

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The Boys in Blue lost in overtime

In UK Basketball on January 20, 2008 at 10:43 am

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81 – 70 UF takes it in overtime.

Easy to get frustrated. But don’t do it. Keep the Faith.

Those of you who can. Turn Rupp Arena into a mad house on Tuesday. Scare the shooting slump right back into Orange Chris. Everytime Smith or Crew or anyone else gets close to the rim roar so loud that they lose their balance.

This is the time for all of the Big Blue Faithful to come together and cheer our Boys on to Victory!

Ramel, Joe, Jodie, Pat, DJas…it’s time to step it up a few notches and make this victory happen.  Time to take it to another level of play.

Coach. It’s time to coach the boys up. Raise their level of intensity. Create a plan. Show the fans and the team that you can will your team to victory. Show us the future.

GO BIG BLUE!!!

Beat UT!!!

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The Cats are coming together

In UK Basketball on January 19, 2008 at 10:40 pm

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So a few days have passed since the Mississippi Game. Sure it was a loss. And I do not believe in moral victories. The game did however show that the team is coming along and improving as a whole. Still have a ways to go. But the kids are getting it. Gillispie growing into the job. Good signs.

The Vandy game showed that the Cats were capable of winning in the Gillispie “run at them hard and don’t let up” style and system. Imagine if all of the guys were healthy. Imagine if they’d been healthy all year. I’ve said all along that Coach Gillispie will get it together. It’s happening. It will continue to happen.

Being in Afghanistan, I don’t get to watch many games. I’ve watched three this year. Even so, I read all of the game reviews. It seems to me that the seniors are finally getting the Gillispie philosophy. I don’t think it’s been a case of them “buying into the system” so much as comprehending the “never say die, never stop” intensity of Gillispie. After the last few years of a complete lack of intensity and lackadaisical attitudes of the previous coaching regime, it’s difficult to adapt swiftly to a system which espouses hyper-activity, high energy, give it your all at every second intensity. So the Seniors can be forgiven for not seeing instantly what Mark Coury was able to see from the beginning. When you are allowed to skate by on your talents for 3 years and finally someone comes along who expects you to give it your all–ALL THE TIME, it’s a difficult transition.

So here we are. 15 games into the season. About to play Florida. The evil nemesis of the ’00 Decade. They have a team of Frosh and Sophs. UK is starting over in a new system with the majority of it’s starters Frosh and Soph along with two Seniors who are starting to groove in the new system. Seems to be an even match experience wise. Florida, unfortunately, has a coach who can recruit his butt off. He’s also proven that he can coach a bit. Even if he is a bit indecisive career wise. I won’t even attempt to try to break the teams down. Not my thing.

What I wanted to say was that all of you who were saying that Gillispie can’t do it or should be fired. All of you who were impatient and expected miracles this year. Sit back and watch as it all comes together over the next couple of years.

I think the cats will surprise us and take one away down in Gainesville. Patterson will have a great game against Speights. Bradley and Crawford want this and you can’t blame them.

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The future of Kentucky is a team that runs teams out of the gym. The future of Kentucky is athletes who are elite and uber-talented. The future of Kentucky is fear in the eyes of the opponent. The future of Kentucky is Billy Gillispie. He’s going to bring the elite recruit back to Kentucky. He’s going to restore intense, run ‘em out of the gym play to UK. He’s going to bring back that killer instinct. He’s going to bring back attitude. He’s going to restore UK to the elite ranks of College Basketball. He’s going to re-take the SEC. Coach Gillispie is going to bring Number 8.

Championship Basketball is the future of Kentucky. Thank God. It’s been too long.

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On a short football note: Congrats to Rich Brooks and to the future of UK Football — Joker Philips. Go Cats!!!

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The Temple Club and Apsara

In Cambodia, Travel on January 19, 2008 at 5:17 pm

The first time I visited Cambodia, I went with a small tour group. I flew alone from Bangkok to Phnom Penh and met up with my guide at the Airport. In Phnom Penh (P-nom Pen), it was me and the guide. He drove me around Phnom Penh. We stopped took photos of the various sites there. The National Museum. The Silver Pagoda and National Palace. Wat Phnom. After my tour of Phnom Penh, I was driven for 4 hours to Sihanoukville where I overnighted. I spent that night with an Irish guy and 5 Cambodian gals drinking beer with ice in a Karaoke Bar that doubles as a Brothel. The next day–early, my guide picks me up at the Inn and takes me back to Phnom Penh for the flight to Siem Reap and my first visit to Angkor Wat and it’s 1,000 Apsara.

I arrive in Siem Reap and am taken to the Angkor Sokha Hotel. It’s an incredible hotel with 4 bars and a swimming pool with a 20 foot waterfall. I get about 4 hours to hang out and do as I please so I get the hotel Tuk Tuk to take me to the local market. I like to buy a Buddha statue from each country that I visit in Asia. (I must have over 50 Buddhas by now.) Later that night, I’m picked up by the tour guide. We are joined by two German gals. We are taken to a Dinner Theatre and I see my first Apsara dance show. I like to think that I’m an artsy type. I can enjoy a bit of culture with the best of them. The Apsara. I loved it. Absolutely. Beautiful Costumes and gorgeous, spritely Cambodian women dancing and moving about gracefully on stage.

Since then, I’ve seen several iterations and interpretations of the dances. The video shows the Temple Club Apsara show. It last about 90 minutes. I find it fascinating. I can watch it all night. There are many dances showing various aspects of Khmer mythology and life. My favorite, though, is the mermaid dance. It is also called Khmer Classical Dance. Khmer Dance of the Ancient Style is the official Cambodian title.

The Apsara, in mythology, are minor deities who entertained the Gods. They were also caretakers of mythological heroes. Their province was gaming and gambling. So if you wanted to win and win big, you’d better have these gals on your side. They were sky dancers, river dancers. Like the Greek sirens, they lured men to their deaths. They cared for Khmer heroes at the behest of the Gods. They were lovers. They brought with them favor and intrigue. You can read of them in the Hindu texts of the Rigveda and the Mahabharata. An interesting note on costume. The original Apsara of the court danced topless. Unfortunately, they do not use this practice in Siem Reap today.

I’ll be going back to Cambodia in either February or June/July. I have a Sony HD digicam now. So when I go back I’m going to record the Apsara in High Definition. I’ll post it here. You can see here well enough. There are better shows. Better productions of the Apsara. We saw the Cambodian National Opera dancers in an open air theatre on one visit to Siem Reap. There was a Korea/Cambodian friendship Expo in town. My batteries died on me that day so I couldn’t get them on video.

Needless to say, I think this is one of the most beautiful dances that I’ve seen anywhere. I find it utterly fascinating. On my second trip to Phnom Penh, I met a former Apsara dancer. Srey Neang. She had broken her arm and could no longer make the hand and arm movements. She loved seeing the shows and it was nice to have someone to interpret the dance for us.

Apsara dance as seen in Cambodia today is said to have originated during the Khmer civilizations in the 800s to the latter part of the 13oos. At that time, the Khmer were conquered by the peoples of what is today Thailand. Thailand was known as the Kingdom of Siam. Khmer and Southeast Asian cultural experts

Khmer people, in general, love this dance and the stories and mythology behind it. Pol Pot, monstrosity that he was, attempted to end the tradition by murdering all Apsara dancers and teachers. I can’t imagine why someone would want to erase from human memory such a beautiful tradition. The monstrous ideals of communism. Thankfully, it survived. Khmer girls start studying the dance as early as age 4. There are dance troups that girls can join at very young age. Of the shows that I have seen, I would say that the girls on stage range in age from 14 to 26.

Enjoy the video. I have always enjoyed seeing the shows live. I hope this gives you at least a glimmer of the joy that visiting Siem Reap and seeing the Apsara has given me. If you ever get the chance…

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The Children of the Khmer

In Cambodia, Travel on January 18, 2008 at 5:24 pm


Cambodia is probably the poorest country that I have visited. It’s much more of a backwater than even Afghanistan. Their only industry is the silk trade. Silk crafts such as scarves, table cloths, clothing, etc. Not much else in the way of industry. Handicrafts such as statuary. Precious and semi-precious gems. Tourism must be one of the, if not the, largest industry for Cambodia. Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, Siem Reap are the primary destinations of most tourists. Eco-tourism in the more remote areas for the more adventurous souls. It’s a country stricken with extreme poverty. High illiteracy rates. High birth rates. High crime.

A great part of the tourist industry is Siem Reap and the Angkor Temple Complex. Within this complex and in the three major cities of Cambodia, the children are exploited in order to make money off of the sympathies of tourists. It works. These are children of the Khmer. The children of Cambodia. The children of Angkor. Some. They’re simply adorable. You want to pick them up and hug them and make it all better someway. Anyway. Some will annoy the hell out of you. They’ll make you want to scratch your eyes out. Scream at the top of your lungs for them to get away. So many I wanted to adopt. Take home to my Momma or Sister to give them a good home. I have come to believe that every child deserves a good home. Children deserve a chance. These children are severely handicapped. Not physically. Socially. Economically. In many cases, emotionally. They didn’t ask to be born. But birthed they were. Brought into existence in a world of abject poverty and near hopelessness. My heart went out to these children. Many of whom are loving, adorable, huggable. Eminently lovable. You’ll see just what I mean in the above video.

Most, if not all, of the children seen here work from 7 or 730 AM to 9 or 10 PM. I’ve seen some of them out with their mothers begging or selling food ’til 1 AM. Not the life for a child. When do they get to just be children?

Another strange experience for me were the “beggar costumes.” The faux beggars. It must happen elsewhere. But I don’t think they are as brazen as what I witnessed in Cambodia.

Srey Mao and I had finished our day exploring the Angkor temples for the day and headed back to my hotel room. While passing Angkor Wat, we stopped to grab a beer and watch the sun go down over the great temple. As I did, a mother and 3 children approached us looking completely destitute and pitiful. They were filthy. So I bought some food and gave it to the mother. They went off to eat. The sun went down. I continued upon my path feeling good about having done something nice for someone.

I dropped Srey at the Banana Bar on Pub Street where she is manager. Then returned to my hotel. Grabbed a shower. Dressed and found my way back to Pub Street. By this time it was 9 PM. I sat and drank a few beers with Srey. Then walked over to the Temple Club for a few games of pool with the local gals. The Temple Club is one of the best places in Siem Reap to catch a game of pool. It’s also a great place to watch the Apsara Dance. (I will put some videos of this on the blog at a later date.) Each visit to Siem Reap, I find my way to the Temple Club. I love watching those beautiful little Khmer ladies re-enact the dance of the Gods. And I love to play pool with cute little Khmer women. I played pool for an hour or two and proceeded to get fairly well sauced on the old standby Jack and Coke.

Back in Kentucky, I’m a Kentucky Bourbon man. Rarely drink anything else. I’ll hit Jack sometimes in Kentucky. But usually only when I am first returning from overseas. It’s a habit. Overseas. No one knows Kentucky Bourbon. There is one bar that I have found from Beijing to Kuala Lumpur that serves Maker’s Mark and I once found a bottle of Elijah Craig at a liquor store. Both establishments are in Saigon–Ho Chi Minh City. I guess the communists like good bourbon.

At any rate, I finish playing pool and walk over to the Banana Bar to pick up Srey Mao. She and I return to the Temple Club and sit out on the patio.

That’s when I spot her. (Reminds me of Prince and Raspberry Beret. lol)

The little girl from our “sunset and beer” viewing of Angkor Wat. She is cleaned up and changed into a different set of clothing. I just start to laugh. Rolling up directly behind her is her little sister. Finally, here comes brother. By this time, I am laughing loud and hard. I can barely breath. I realize immediately what I’m seeing. What I saw earlier. The scam that these kids mother plays out every day. Srey looks at me like I’m insane and asks what is wrong with me. Why am I laughing? I point out the kids. She sees it and starts to laugh as well. So I tell Srey to call them over. I ask them to join us and I’ll buy them supper. Srey and I start to poke and prod our way around the subject of their little subterfuge. Whose idea is this scam? Why are they doing it? How long?

So we slowly pull the story out of them. They tell us that their father abandoned them and moved on to Phnom Penh and disappeared. Mom has them dress down in rags to look destitute so they can beg for money. Apparently, Mother can barely write. In typical Khmer fashion she is uneducated. No job. No prospects. It’s either beg or starve. So they ditch their good set of clothes in an alley. Put on rags. Beg for money for food and clothing. Trying to save up money for a simple room to live in.

Honestly, I can’t begrudge that. It may have been an over-dramatization. Even so, these kids were so happy to be eating that I can’t see how it could have been an act. Afterward, I felt so sad for these children that I purchased food for about half the kids on the street. They all shared. No one fought. One little girl came up and held my hand for the longest time. I wish that I had my camera to take a photo. She was adorable. I left that night like most nights in Cambodia with a new appreciation of the life with which I have been graced. Fortune by birth. This old Kentucky boy has traveled to many a place about which many can only dream. I’ve had experience after experience that has enriched my life. Made possible by the simple accident of fate by which I came to be born American.

I know that some of my fellow Americans enjoy poking fun at those who say that America is the greatest nation on earth. But the simple truth is that everyone born in America is blessed. We have the means to lift ourselves up from our modest roots. Our destitution if that is our lot in the beginning. We have the tools to overcome our challenges. Much of the world does not.

To have been born in America is truly a blessing.

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In and Around Kabul

In Afghanistan, Travel on January 18, 2008 at 8:36 am

These are photos that I have taken in and around Kabul over the past couple of years. Kabul is a bit dangerous. It’s also a fun place. I have never had a bad experience in the city. Chicken Street is a riot even if it is a bit pricey these days. City Centre is a nice place to have a cup of coffee on the roof and survey the city. The Kabul Coffee House is a great place for an Ice Mocha with other ex-pats. Night time at Wazir Akhbar Khan Line 15 is a great place to dance the night away or have a few drinks and check out all of the femme ex-pats, Chinese hookers or Filipina gals. The Marco Polo Restaurant is good for excellent Italian cuisine. Some of the Chinese Restaurants actually serve chinese food. lol

I do know of people who have had terrible experiences there. One friend of mine was beaten badly in a roust of the local underground clubs. The “police” took him outside and beat him until his ribs were bruised black and blue. Then took him to their “police station” and kindly accepted a couple hundred dollars for his release. During this same raid, a group of Filipina girls were taken out and raped repeatedly. This set off a huge international incident. The Chinese “Restaurants” are raided about once every three months. Any place that sells alcohol is subject to being raided by one faction or another. Womens Beauty salons can be raided at any time if they are accused of being houses of prostitution. The accusation of prostitution can stem from an incident as simple as a local Mullah walking by and hearing loud laughter. Police at checkpoints will attempt to bribe you for a 20 spot to pass through their territory. This is easily defeated by stating loudly and aggressively that you are US Army and not backing down. This works as I’ve used it. The local police are scared to death of the US Army. Now that I train them and am on cheek kissing terms with the local Regional Commander, I’m pretty much untouchable. Not that I go off post alone these days. Since being hired by this new company and moving to the West, it’s UAV MILCON or nothing. Can’t go wrong in an armored vehicle.

This place wasn’t always so terrifying and violent. Before the Taliban, before the War of the Warlords. Back when the King was attempting to enact liberal reforms. Kabul was a haven for dope smoking hippies. That was the 60s and 70s. Kabul was also a Euro holiday spot. Places like Mazar-e Sherif, Ghazni and Herat, even Q’andahar, were tourist spots as well. Of course, that all came to a screeching halt when the Soviets came crashing in to install peace and prosperity at the tip of the communist sword. Back in 2006. As I was driving around, I did see a few tourist running around. I saw a couple of backpackers in September of 2007 sneaking around Kabul and I’ve heard of the occasional tourist and backpacker passing through Herat since I’ve been here. It will be years before the tourists come back in any respectable numbers due to the terror element. Such a shame. There is much to be seen and much to experience in Afghanistan.

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The capture of Saddam Hussein.

In Middle East on January 17, 2008 at 4:12 pm

Saddam looking frazzled. It’s a pretty humorous photo. He certainly doesn’t look like the guy who would later appear in court attempting to bully the judges, prosecutors and the judiciary process as a whole. He no longer looks like the man who stood on a balcony of one of his many palaces and told the Iraqi Army that the “mother of all battles” is upon us and that victory is assured them by Allah.

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These are some photos from the capture of Saddam Hussein. A friend gave me these a couple of years back. He knew some of the guys on the Task Force that caught Saddam. Below are photos of Saddam just after he was pulled from the spider hole in which he was found. There is also a photo of the entrance to his hiding place and some of the money that he had stashed with him.

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I blacked out the faces. I figured there may still be some folks running around out there who would rather not be easily identified.

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Jalalabad Road

In Afghanistan, Travel on January 17, 2008 at 7:14 am

This is Jalalabad Road. As the name implies, it’s the primary road from Kabul to Jalalabad. When I first arrived in the capital, it was not terribly dangerous in the explosive sense. It was and still is a dangerous place to drive from the perspective that Afghans are horrendous drivers. One need not be licensed to drive. One need only be able to afford a vehicle. But you didn’t have to look over your shoulder for suicide bombers. I think there were 5 or 6 hits in 2006. These days, the road gets hit 2 or 3 times in a month and Kabul will get hit a couple more times. Most of it aimed at Afghan forces. Mainly the ANP. By hit, of course, I’m talking about IEDs, VBIED, even bike born IEDs. Yes, these idiots will strap a bomb on their back, jump on a bike and aim themselves at an armoured vehicle.

The road is always in bad shape. When I was in the Capital three months ago, it was not much more than two mud tracks. Now they’ve paved it nicely. It may last a while in it’s new and improved incarnation. I suppose that depends on how many IEDs explode on it.

As you cruise down Jalalabad Road heading away from Kabul, you’ll pass most of the Major Afghan Military installations. It’s equivalent to Arlington, VA or Route 50 where you have 8th and I, the Pentagon, Fort Meyer, Arlington National Cemetery, the Hoffman Building and a whole host of other important US Military installations and buildings.

This video was taken back in August of 2006. I was preparing to leave Afghanistan to take a position in Kuwait. I was getting stir crazy so I decided to take my replacement on a tour of the local area. I took him to a Ciano Supermarket. Those guys had booze at that time. You had to ask for it and you had to be a non-National. You could get all the Jack Daniels you wanted but no Maker’s Mark. There are also a few places down in Wazir Akhbar Khan where you could get a drink or two at that time as well–Paradise, The Silk Road, Crazy 8s, 999 and a few others. You could pretty much get anything you want in the Wazir Akhbar Khan District. You can even spend the night with a little rented company if that’s your thing.

Alas, this is no more. All of the Cianas were shut down. There was a huge crack down on all of the underground funhouses. Some have been re-opened. But they aren’t near as entertaining as they used to be. You used to be able to go out and dance the night away. Now, it’s rare to find one of these places with enough patrons to make an impression.

Also, because of all of the recent bombings, US Forces Command and many of the Companies that hire for work over here have put Kabul, and by extension, all of these places off limits. NATO still frequents them as do many employees from your smaller companies in Kabul. Kabul is not quite the quiet backwater that it once was. At least once a week, you hear of some incident in the capital city. Suicide bombings, local nut jobs, IEDs. They say some of these cats are passing through Iran from Iraq to get here to spread their special brand of hell. You hear rumors. Never know what is complete truth and what is mere chaff in the wind.

It’s always exciting here. Enjoy the vid.

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That’s me driving and a billboard of the tea that is a daily part of every Afghani’s life. Imagine the injustice of putting her in a burqa.

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Kentucky’s Adolph Rupp “passed” on All Time Wins list by Northern State Coach Don Meyer

In UK Basketball on January 15, 2008 at 3:43 pm

That’s the claim at any rate.

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I laughed when I read the statement. Then I had to ask myself; “Who on earth is Don Meyers and who are the Northern State Wolves?”  Ranked #15 Nationally at what? Over the past few years, High School powerhouse Oak Hill has been ranked #1 nationally several times. Good for them. It’s just not the same as being the #1 or # 25 ranked NCAA Division 1 Team. Likewise with a JUCO Coach or a Division II Coach and All Time Wins. No comparison. Period. End of story. End of debate.

The Keloland TV Station website is claiming that Northern State Coach Don Meyer has surpassed Adolph Rupp on the All Time Wins list. Claiming that Coach Meyers is now Number 3 and Coach Rupp is now down to Number 4. I have to call them on this one. I think it’s bogus. There is no comparison. If you are going to include Division II schools on the same list as Division 1 schools, we may as well include JUCO and the lower Divisions as well. Why not lump in High School Coaches as well?

I’m sure that Don Meyer is a fine coach. I’m sure he has accomplished much down there in the little leagues. That said, it’s no comparison.

Adolph Rupp won four NCAA Championships. He won the NIT when it was the BIG GAME in town. He placed so many players on the All America lists that they named the NCAA National Player of the Year Award after him. Adolph Rupp coached 28 future NBA’rs. The 1948 USA Olympic Basketball Team consisted of 7 Kentucky players and the starters from the ’48 Philips 66 Oilers Championship team. Coach Rupp was assistant Coach to Bud Browning of the Phillips 66 Oilers. Coach Rupp has a 23,000 seat capacity Arena with 7 National Championship banners flying inside.

A Division II coach is not on the same plane of existence as the Baron of the Bluegrass. No debate necessary. That’s why it hasn’t made the news on any real level. It’s not news. Keloland TV is erroneous in it’s statement that Don Meyers has passed anyone on the All Time Wins list. It’s a pipe dream and it’s up in smoke. A Coach at Division II should not be mentioned in the same breath as Adolph Rupp, Dean Smith and Bob Knight. You may as well include Dean Smith and Adolph Rupp on the list of All Time Winning NBA Coaches. You just can’t do it. 800 wins at Division II–while a great achievement at that level–does not compare to 800 wins at Division 1.

This is the House that Rupp built.

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Ta Prohm

In Cambodia, Travel on January 15, 2008 at 1:47 pm

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Ta Prohm is magnificent. Walking the path back to this Temple is a journey to the past. You walk down a wide, well trod path through dense jungle. Though the path is full of tourists (mostly Japanese), you still get a sense that you journey towards another world. Another time. At the end of the path, you come upon a stone bridge spanning a moat. An ancient tree has ripped through the middle of the bridge. All of the larger Angkorian temples are surrounded by moats and walls. Some of these larger structures of Angkor seem more fortress than temple. Ta Prohm and the surrounding area was actually built to support some 12,000 inhabitants. This group included the royal family and the royal retinue, priests and guard force and the usual group of royal eunuchs, concubines and servants.

Once across the bridge, you enter the Temple grounds through a small portal. Just wide enough to allow two people side by side. The portal is leaning and looks as if it may not last long enough for you to pass through to the other side.

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Some of the Wats (temples) of Angkor have signs like these that provide the visitor with background information. Many of them are written in English that is so confused and mangled that it’s difficult to determine the intended message. This was one of the more accurate signs that I saw in Cambodia. The aerial photo-map was a great addition. The third picture is the bridge of which I wrote earlier. Notice how the tree has grown through the middle of the moat bridge.

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The West entrance is dilapidated. Leaning to and fro. It was a bit intimidating as I felt as though I were walking towards my imminent death and entombment as the walls look as though they might collapse at any moment. The Wat has been left mostly as it was found. It is a great effect. It is as though you are discovering it for the first time. It’s a little dangerous if you wander from the tourist path, though, as can be seen from the warning in the photo below. I wandered off anyway. It’s more fun and there were fewer of my fellow tourist clogging the way.

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The roots of these magnificent trees wind their way at will in an effort to reclaim the jungle from the grasp of men.

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The Wat is fairly large with many corridors leading you to recently emplaced Buddhist shrines. The shrines are maintained by locals for the most part. You’ll also see some of the poorer local Khmer on the inside. Strategically placed in their attempts to sell small charms or water and soda.

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Above is one of the shrines mentioned earlier. This particular Buddha, I was told, is part of the original Wat. The trees have made the temple grounds their own. Those roots have ripped apart walls that are 12 feet thick. One of the local tour guides said that one of the reasons that they left Ta Prohm as they found it was that to repair it would most likely mean destroying it. My personal opinion is that it would be a great disservice to remove the jungle. This particular Wat is made more beautiful, more majestic with natures touch.

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And, or course, there are always the children. This particular part of your travels through Cambodia will leave you with feelings of great joy and deep sadness. Such overwhelming poverty. Parents and others who use children to earn the families money. Many of these children are so, so cute. That is exactly what the parents and the more decrepit element count on. Empathy and kindness of the tourist leads to many of these children going uneducated. This perpetuates the problem of the lack of education of the majority of the Khmer peoples. It’s a catch 22. Most of the local tourist guides will advise you to not purchase from the local children. Purchase from the souvenir and drink stands in the markets around the temples. Purchase from the handicapped adults that are all around the various sites and in town. But do not finance and encourage the abuse of the children. It’s difficult to follow through on that course of action. Especially when one of these beautiful little children are holding your hand and looking into your eyes like a sweet little angel. My friends and I would more often buy food for the children and let them sit with us and eat. We found that a better way to aid them. It was our own small way of helping.

Quotation from Maurice Glaize:

Ta Prohm should be visited either in the afternoon or the early morning, and crossed from west to east according to the itinerary that we have traced on the plan. This precaution will prevent the visitor with limited time from becoming disorientated, due to the relative simplicity of a clearly marked route. In contrast, those who wish to spend several hours exploring the monument will find here the potential for an adventure – but without danger of ever getting lost, since the main axis is clearly defined from place to place by an uninterrupted line of rooms and vestibules, almost always made inaccessible by their collapse but providing nevertheless a good point of reference. We would advise, however, not to wander but with extreme caution in the areas of crumbling vaulted galleries remote from the normally frequented passageways.

Maurice Glaize was the conservator of Angkor from 1937 to 1945. His book, The Monuments of Angkor Group, was published in 1944. It is still used by thousands of visitors each year as a guide to the Angkor Temple Complex.

Angkor Wat

In Cambodia, Travel on January 14, 2008 at 4:49 pm

This is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. I took this photo at dusk as we returned from Banteay Srey.

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Postgame interview with Coach Adolph Rupp

In UK Basketball on January 14, 2008 at 2:32 pm

Coach Rupp was interviewed by Claude Sullivan after the 1966 National Championship loss to the Texas Western Miners.

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Claude Sullivan: OK, well it’s a tough one to give tonight because everybody in Kentucky and on this Standard Oil network, who was listening. I know that almost everyone of them was for these Kentucky Wildcats. And of course, it’s a heart-breaking thing because a journey that Adolph Rupp talked about earlier that began back in December, ended here on heartbreak highway tonight. For the Wildcats who now are sitting dejectedly across the floor. They came into this thing heavily favored, maybe that hurt them. The way these Washington papers played it up today as no contest, they thought Kentucky was going to walk away with it, maybe that hurt the Wildcats more than anything else.

Adolph Rupp: Seems, they made about 17 more free throws than we made, and I think that was the entire story of the game. We made, more, five more field goals than they made, that’s the fact of the case. But we didn’t play very good tonight. Texas Western made a lot of mistakes against our press, and I was sure we’d catch them. But I think it will show that the shooting average tonight did not take care of us at all. In the first half it was 33%, and I don’t believe it was much better than that in the second half.

And I’ve always told you on this program that shooting has taken care of us, but tonight it didn’t. And I don’t think we had a single boy that played up to par tonight.

Claude Sullivan: Coach Rupp I’m sure that a lot of people will be asking you, ‘How good is Texas Western’ ?

Adolph Rupp: Well, the way they handled the ball tonight, it’s a good ball club. I put them in the same class with Michigan, I put them in the same class with Tennessee, and Vanderbilt, teams like that. I think they’re a good ball club. They hit tonight, they hit very well tonight. They hit the clutch baskets when they needed it. We got them down there in the second half, I think we got them down to one point one time, two points another time, but we never could get the clutch basket. And it was our shooting that hurt us tonight. We missed shots. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if the rebounding doesn’t show that we stayed on the boards with them pretty well, in spite of the fact that they’re much bigger than we were. But we just couldn’t shoot well.

Claude Sullivan: Coach Rupp did you feel that in the beginning of the game when after nine minutes you only had nine points, that it was bound to break for you with such a slow start.

Adolph Rupp: Yep, I told the boys at the half, I said we can’t play a miserable second half the way we played this first half. We gave them four baskets the first half that we shouldn’t have given to them. And, those two steals. I told the boys in the locker room, just before they came out at the beginning of the ball game, that they double team the boy bringing the ball up. But you can’t dribble the ball with your head down and not look around to see what’s going on, and that’s exactly what happened. Those were the two baskets, I believe, that hurt us early in the ball game. Then we gave another one by throwing the ball away, and they took it and threw it in and it got them a six point lead. And we never were able to get the momentum going after that. We started pressing a little bit then then and I think that’s the story.

Claude Sullivan: Well we’ll be back here at College Park talking with Coach Rupp in just one minute.

Claude Sullivan: Well the college basketball season is over, Coach Rupp, what are the plans now ?

Adolph Rupp: Well it’s been a long year, it’s been a good year, it’s been a better year than any of us ever dreamed it would be. Now then of course we’ve got to go out, we had a miserable recruiting year last year, one of the worst we’ve ever had. And we’ve got to go out and find us some boys, with size. This little button kid has gotten us an awful long way but, but it proves what I’ve been saying all year long, that when you get in there with those big guys who can dunk that thing, you’re going to be in trouble and that hurt us tonight, badly here. This team was very quick, they’re very fast, and although we did have five more field goals, they stepped up to that free throw line, they just got all the breaks in that way. So, I guess we just have to start a new string somewhere along the way and that’s just the way it’s going to be.

Claude Sullivan: Well, Coach Rupp, thank you very much for the visit, not only tonight but all season. We’ve certainly enjoyed being with you, it’s been wonderful. We’ve enjoyed it, and we’ll look forward to another year.

Adolph Rupp: Claude, thank you and thanks to the sponsors who have made this program possible, and I’ll come up and help you broadcast one of the Reds baseball games some day.

Claude Sullivan: Needed, he will be a knee high. Thank you coach and we’ll hold you to that promise.

Here at courtside at College Park Maryland, the Baron Rupp has bowed out for another college basketball season with a record of 27 and 2. Finished second in the NC double A’s, but for the first time in five tries, has lost the championship game.

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I always enjoy hearing or reading Coach Rupp talk about Basketball. I’ve recently purchased two of his books on coaching basketball. I purchased some original reel to reel footage of Rupp as well. Eventually, I plan on posting clips of Coach Rupp on here. Note in his comments the need then for the big man and the challenges of finding quality bigs. Gillispie is confronting that same challenge today. Another similarity to the present. Coach Rupp was a huge proponent of the Man to Man Defense. He felt that Zone Defenses should be used sparingly if at all. Gillispie is also similar to Rupp in that he is hot and heavy on discipline and conditioning.

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Kbal Spean

In Cambodia, Travel on January 13, 2008 at 5:36 pm

This is Kbal Spean otherwise known as the Valley of a Thousand Lingas. This video is of the bridgehead of the Stung Kbal Spean. The river is sacred to the Khmer peoples in the same way as the Ganges is sacred to the Hindu people of India. To arrive at this site, one must trek through a well worn path through the jungle for about 45 minutes. This was a bit of an arduous journey as much of it is uphill and the Cambodian summer was already upon us in late May. Average daily temp was around 90 degrees. If you go, don’t forget to grab a bottle of water or two for the trek. It will take something out of you trekking through that jungle. The water will save you.

Even with the heat, it was exhilarating to finally make it to Kbal Spean. I had tried to get out to see this site the last two times that I visited Angkor. For whatever reason, I could never quite make it. It was well worth the journey. I only wish I had a digital camcorder that could do the place justice.

After climbing through the jungle and hills, you come upon the site in this video. After that you follow the river down to a larger waterfall. In between the bridgehead and water fall there are thousands of linga and yoni carved into the river bed. There are also Hindu motifs of animals, humans and Gods. Because the Khmer consider the Kbal Spean sacred, it’s waters are believed to have healing properties. People were bathing in the waterfall or collecting water in bottles to take home or to loved ones to cure their ailments and injuries. One Khmer fellow was taking the water home with him to have his sick cow drink. One humorous note was the arrival to the scene of a British Doctor who was horrified by the fact that people were bathing in the water. He took great pains to warn everyone to NOT drink the water as it is supposed to be heavily contaminated with parasites. He would not step foot into the water. Of course, he arrived after I had already immersed myself in the waterfall.

Below are several pictures taken of the area.

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These are the paths and hills through which you must trek to reach Kbal Spean. We came upon the butterfly nest at the beginning of the trail. The mushroom looking rock is sacred to the people of the area. Monks and locals come here to cast off evil spirits. Newlyweds will come here to enhance their fertility. The area is said to have great powers.

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Above you see Shiva. He is the destroyer in Hindu mythology. The god who brings about the destruction of the Earth so that Vishnu can re-new it. Most of the Temples in Cambodia are consecrated to Vishnu. Many have been re-dedicated to Buddha or serve dually as Temples to Vishnu and Buddha. Jayvarman VII mixed Hindu mythology into the work in all of his Temples to Buddha. It was a way to get the people to buy into the new Buddhist theo-philosophy that he brought with his reign. Very similar to how Christian rulers adapted pagan symbolism as Europe was converted during the reign of Constantine. In the river, you can see the “linga” of the rivers name. Thousands of those linga are carved into the riverbed of the Kbal Spean. This was started by King Suryavarman I sometime in the 11th or 13th Century in order to ensure the fertility of the Khmer Kingdoms.

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The little girl in this pic was standing on the side of the road on the way back to Siem Reap. I stopped to take pics of the water buffalo and she just stood there smiling that big smile at me. So I gave her some candy and took her pic as well. She was certainly a cute little thing.

Coming soon: Exploring Ta Prohm…

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