STEAM MACHINE

A poem by: Enkhsaikhan Saan Ulziidamba.

The extraordinary Cleveland drummer, Eric Bambic, can be seen playing out on an average of 3 nights a week with various bands.  I caught up with Eric at Sunset Grille while he was playing with Madison Crawl, a rockabilly band, where I witnessed his rock-solid experience in providing concrete rhythms for harmonies to flourish.   If you ever have a chance to see Eric Bambic live, you will clearly notice his ability to independently control his limbs in a jazz oriented manor.  His technique stresses dynamics while easily adding syncopated filler, ultimately leaving the viewers in awestruck.

I definitely encourage you to check out his work.  Eric’s two main bands are Madison Crawl and The Ohio Sky.  For his schedule of gigs, please visit www.ericbambic.wordpress.com

I fully support local music!  If you have any musicians that should be in this category, please email me at kurtedwards1@gmail.com

Google is helping internet expand into poverty-stricken Africa using O3b Networks (Other 3 Billion w/o internet, serious) Article 
Many people like Google, many hate Google.  Usually it stems from core beliefs such as the one I am about to lay on you.  I think this is a perfect example of capitalist free-market anthropology where the alpha companies use there above normal profit to do some good.  Now come the cynics who say its for Google’s self-interest though, “the more users, the more revenue for countless ad apps”.  Of course it is, but the greater development opportunities for these people who have this technology far outweigh what Google is getting from it. 

If bringing the internet to Africa was going to be a successful profitable venture then the countless private companies in Africa would have done it instead of squabbling over fragmented infrastructure problems.  Some people will say, “How are they going to use computers and internet when they don’t even have fresh water to drink!”.  To that, I point to the Cell Phone phenomenon where they have been widely accepted in rare places in Africa. 

This might be out of place but if Google came out with their “google phone” where you listen to a 10 second Ad before making a FREE call, I would be all over that.  Its called voluntary exchange where I’m getting what I want and Google’s getting what they want.  I wouldn’t feel swindled. 

I think we sho

In quick other news: THERE WAS NO BLACK HOLE TODAYS YOU DOOMSDAYERS!  SCIENCE REPRESENT!

Welcome to my blog!  Kurtedwards.com is a platform for presenting noteworthy items in 6 categories which include: Social affairs, Business, Economics, Technology, Music and Travel.  Discussions are welcomed and comments will be replied to.

I, personally, am a news junkie and I encourage readers to incorporate any items they have unearthed.  Within the same mentality, this site will also display pictures and travel blogs from close friends of mine.  I believe that you must expose yourself to things outside of your own culture to fully comprehend who you are and where you are from.

Thank you for visiting and I look forward to some comments!

-Kindest Regards
                         Kurt

Welcome to the “Travel” section.  My first several blog posts will incorporate Jessica Prusa’s adventures around the world.  Our friendship started in Australia where she was another American studying at QUT and conveniently from my hometown in Ohio.  Jessica and I ended up living together for most of my time in Oz.  During this time together, I soon realized that Jessica had an eclectic mentality that allowed her to live free from the usual wants.  For instance, instead of being materialistic and consumer driven she was very happy with owning a few items and being the most frugal carefree traveler.  Jessica’s ability to view cultures from an objective stand-point is very rare and affords her the ease to discover many aspects of the “ethnosphere”.  

Jessica’s first installment on this website will be her trip to Cambodia.
Visit her blog at http://jesstd.blogspot.com/

If I had to describe Cambodia in one word, it would have to be intriguing if not unsettling. The genocide by the Khmer Rouge only ended in 1979 and the devastation and horror of it is definitely still lingering throughout the country. I’ve been to third world countries before, but this was the first time where I had an uneasy feeling throughout the entire trip and felt that I was in a haunted country. The Tuol Sleng (former Khmer Rouge S-21 Prison) was the first site we visited in Phnom Penh, followed by the killing fields. Both were equally disturbing as there were skulls and bones of the victims on display and pictures detailing how the prisoners were tortured. My friends and I were horrified to the point of being silenced. We also learned that there were shooting ranges just next to the killing fields where tourists were able to shoot off AK-47s or live grenades…not really something I’d be into after witnessing the aftermath of the atrocities of genocide, but backpackers do it ‘to let off some steam after seeing the killing fields’—pretty f-ed up in my opinion. (youtube ‘shooting guns in Cambodia to see these backpackers’ videos).

We were happy to leave Phnom Penh after a day and went to Sihanoukville, a beach town in south Cambodia. It was less eerie than Phnom Penh initially and we were just happy to be on a beach. We met 15 year old prostitutes at the beach shack bars, saw landmine victims begging on the beach without limbs, and got to know a few children who worked as bracelet slingers. It’s hard to even eat while this is going on around you, let alone try and have a good time. I guess that’s always the conflict when travelling in third world countries; it just had never been so weighted or intense as it was in Cambodia. We left after a few days and headed to our last destination, Siem Reap.

The temples in Siem Reap were amazing and putting them into words is almost impossible. The most famous, Angkor Watt, was where we spent the most time exploring, followed by the temple where ‘Tomb Raider’ was filmed (we met or eavesdropped on far too many tourists talking about Angelina Jolie). Siem Reap as a city is pretty beautiful but very touristy. They have lots of markets, up-scale restaurants, and French influenced architecture (like Phnom Penh). We were happy we only spent one full day there to see the temples.

Overall, I’m glad I went to Cambodia, but probably wouldn’t go back.

Milton Friedman once wrote a book called “Freedom to Choose” (a personal statement)

I plan to expand on excerpts from his book coming soon