Monday, February 21, 2011

An apology and retraction

I made a mistake in a blog the purported broad characterizations which were inaccurate. I have since amended the offending blogs in order to rectify the situation. I was wrong plain and simple.

I mentioned that my former employer and the hiring practices of Sunni and Shia employees. It has been brought to my attention that we did indeed hire many Shia employees as well as Sunnis. Not only that we had Muslims, Christians and Hindus as well. My former employers were actually very enlightened in that regard. As a visiting ex-pat, I just do not have the knowledge and experience yet to tell the difference between a Shia and Sunni Muslim. Apparently you can tell by their accent and some of the holidays that they observe. I am just not there yet.

So if I offended or misrepresented my beliefs to anyone, I apologize. It is my objective to create a world of better understanding. When I contribute to the misunderstandings, I just defeat my own purposes.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Interview with a Russian Magazine about the Bahrain Conflict

Somehow a Russian Reporter found me on Facebook. She was interviewing me for a piece for her magazine. I took out her name to protect her identity. But I thought you might interested in our discourse.

---------- February 18 at 6:06pm Report

Mr. Beeman,

My name is ---------, I work for the Ukrainian weekly magazine Focus. We plan to write an article about foreigners who stay in those Arab countries where during the last weeks people have been protesting. What I want - to show some life stories of those Americans, Europeans who can tell me why they do not flee, why they stay and experience those events along with Muslim people. What I ask - just your views on that, I know that you live in Dubai, but still you can share your opinion with us. Or, may be, can help to contact some friends of yours who live in either Egypt, Bahrain or Yemen etc.

Appreciate your help in advance!

All the best,

-----------

Foreign Desk Editor

Focus magazine

www.focus.ua

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Rick Beeman February 18 at 11:39pm

Hi ----. I would be glad to speak with you. I lived in Bahrain for nearly two years and followed the political situation quite closely. I blogged about the unrest yesterday http://rickbeeman.blogspot.com/

I can connect you with ---------, he is a Brit right in the middle of all the action in Bahrain. Another guy is an American named ---------- he was in the Egypt mess too right before Bahrain. His fiancee is egyptian.

My situation is a little different. I loved living in Bahrain and moved only because I wanted a bigger platform to share my worldview. I was actually in Bahrain talking with my former employers about the unrest last week and left two days before the demonstrations started.

I want to use media to change the way that American think about Muslims and the Middle East. Most Americans think that this place is just a warzone filled with terrorists. I found Arabs to be great people. Unfortunately with this unrest the stereotype which I am fighting is being cemented in the consciousness of the west.

I am not worried in the UAE at all. The UAE is only 12% emirati with the rest being Ex-pat. There is no way unrest will happen here especially since the citizens love the government. If you have any more questions -----, I would be glad to answer.

Rick

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--------- February 21 at 1:40am Report

Dear Rick,

I do not know whether you received my answer earlier this day, I wrote you from my cellphone and it seems that the message haven't been sent. Anyway, I want to thank you for your quick reply and for contacts. You wrote about stereotypes of Americans about Arab people. Yes, we all are the victims of images that are often planted in our minds by force. However what do you think about stereotypes of Arab people about Western nations (meaning both Americans and Europeans)? On the other hand, what Arab world wants these days while protesting - to follow the way Western countries live, am I right? And what is the formula for a riot to explode, as well as among those countries where people protest now there wealthy as well?

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Rick Beeman February 21 at 2:19am

No ----, I didn't get your message. Stereotypes are given to us by our parents generally. We adopt the same prejudices that are modeled to us by our family. I was fortunate to grow up in California in the United States, which is a melting pot of cultures. Its the American way to accept everyone as equal no matter what gender, race or creed. Of course some people do this better than others. There is still racism in the US, but far less when compared with the rest of the world, especially here in the Middle East. I ran across this prejudice not just with sectarian divisions but divisions within arabs themselves based on the region where they emanate.

As far as the stereotypes of Westerners I have a funny story. I taught acting classes as kind of a hobby while in Bahrain. One of my young Bahraini students, age 21, was very talented. I was throwing a small little party. He was scared to death to attend. Because he knew I was a former Hollywood Director he thought the party that I was throwing was going to be filled with drugs, sex, and alcohol. He was a good muslim that thought he might be walking into an orgy. That was the stereotype that he was working with. When he arrived and found a quiet, mild, social gathering he was quite relieved. But that is the wild perception of Americans that most Arabs especially in Saudi Arabia have. The perception that these Americans live these wild and debased lifestyles. We, the Americans, stereotypically are the personification of too much freedom. That is what the Muttawa and other clerics warn against when justifying their conservatism. Interestingly enough, most Arabs I found aren't really opposed to that perceived lifestyle, many of them are envious of it. When my Arab friends get to know me on a social level they realize that we are very similar. We have the same hopes, dreams, and fears. We are not that different. However it is human nature to want to be better than the "other guy". That is why so many people adhere to stereotypes, its easier to believe corporately that one race is better than the other. It makes us feel better about ourselves. It takes a truly enlightened mind to recognize their own flaws and extol the virtues of our neighbor.

Many of my friends are concerned for my safety because of the riots that they see on CNN. What they don't realize is that these demonstrations are not Anti-western. In fact they are trying to embrace democracy and the American way of life. If anything we are supporters of this. It is unifying the great divide not increasing it.

I think it is human nature to blame someone else for our problem rather than look in the mirror of self-accountability. So when the poor rally against a regime it is giving them a tangible target to focus their frustrations. So you have this pool of emotional petrol with the protestors. All these protestors need just a small spark to ignite. The bigger the protest the smaller the spark needed. So just one person needs to be unjustly (as perceived by the public and media) injured or killed for the ignition and eruption to take place. That is where the military in Bahrain got it wrong. In today's information age, facebook and twitter "Might does NOT make right." Quite the opposite actually. The governments that fight are only hastening their own eventual demise. This is only a recent trend due to increasing power of social media. The uprisings that failed in China (Tiannemen Square) and Iran, would most likely succeed today as they did in Egypt and now Bahrain.

As far as the wealthy people protesting...well its pretty trendy isn't it. Everyone wants to be in the in crowd.

I hope those answers aren't too wordy and it gives you enough material to formulate a coherent quote. Please send me a link to your article when you finish it.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Bahraini Uprising: Fuel to the Fire



This situation in Bahrain is getting worse. Since I am now living away from Bahrain, I feel like I can objectively review the situation from afar. I am keeping close tabs on the proceedings from my many facebook friends especially John. (Somehow a reporter from a Russian Magazine got a hold of me to get my viewpoint of the events from Bahrain. It was flattering.) The violence that is happening in Bahrain now is very real and getting more and more treacherous. I still receive emails from the US Embassy in Bahrain warning of the threats and demonstrations. They are advising all Americans to stay in their homes until further notice.

Objectively speaking the Royal Family and the military seem to be really making matters worse. Common sense tells you, you don’t quell an uprising by attacking unarmed protestors. With the use of force there are bound to be accidental deaths and that is only going to inflame the situation and further entrench the opposition. Instead of dispersal you are galvanizing your opponents. Your own countrymen. In the worldwide PR game (which is incredibly important in today’s media) Bahrain has come across as the bully. Being aggressive against the opposition historically has come back with mixed results. In the pre-internet era the protests at Tiananmen Square was squashed quickly and effectively by the hardline Communist Government. More recently the uprisings were quelled in Iran too. But the emergence of facebook and social media are going to make these examples fewer and far between. The current Government of Bahrain is in a very bad way right now. The slogan is “Business Friendly” Bahrain. Isn’t that an extreme dichotomy right now. Bahrain was a great place to live while I was there, but this conflict for tourism and business is going to set them back for 20 years or so. The highlight of the year for the Bahrainis Internationally speaking is the F1 race. Bahrain has visitors from all over the world descend its borders. Bernie Ecclstone the head of Formula One just announced the race in Bahrain was in jeopardy for March. I would be shocked if they don’t cancel it soon. Its too much of a risk for them right now. Bahrain is a great great country. I have made documentaries detailing its history, but unfortunately, this conflict is going to be a black eye that will take many months if not years to heal.

Washington has denounced these attacks and this is quite important. The US is faced with a quandary who to support. Ideologically the States always falls in the line of pro-democracy. However, the ruling Khalifa family is very tight with the US and the UK. The Fifth Fleet is evidence of that. If the US wanted to, it could flex its muscle and squash the uprising in a heartbeat. Fortunately, they have not done that. I pray that they don’t become militaristically involved. I don’t believe its their place to do that. Let the Bahraini’s figure it out for themselves. As long as there is not genocide happening we should stay out. If the Shia prevail and topple the government there are real and immediate concerns that Bahrain would become a province or close Ally of Iran. With Iran’s potential of nuclear arms they are the US’ “threat du jour” The US’ key presence in the region would be compromised and quickly come to an end if Bahrain becomes associated with Iran. The fifth fleet could relocate to Qatar or even the UAE and still be able to operate effectively. There are some that argue that the US should have no presence in the Middle East at all, but I do not fall inline with that camp. There are some radicals over here in the Mid East still and left untended to, could do major international damage. Like it or not, the reality is that the US has become sort of the human rights police, a more militant arm of the UN so to speak. As an American I’m grateful for that as I believe they do more harm than good. There is a lot of chatter about their involvement with Afghanistan. But my good friend and co-worker is leading a humanitarian effort through the UN to help rebuild Afghanistan. Even with the US military presence, Afghani suicide bombers are still blowing themselves and their country men up. Without our presence it would be a lot worse.

So back to Bahrain, the US would love for the Khalifas to stay in power but by the aggressive action of the military, politically its getting harder and harder for the US to stand behind the rulers. Not only do the Khalifa’s run the risk of ostracizing their own people but they are going to lose their most powerful allies in the process. The Government/Military of Bahrain will tell you that this is a Sectarian (Religious) conflict. But there are increasing reports stating that Sunni’s are crossing over to join with the Shia in the protests against their government. If that is the case, then it seems like its only a matter of time for the Bahraini monarchy to fall. With their increasingly aggressive efforts to maintain control they are only hastening the end result, domestically and internationally.

Jennifer asked me to write about how this conflict could eventually affect us here in Dubai. Apparently there are a lot of well-meaning American friends advising her to steer clear of the Middle East. While Bahrain is only a 45 minute plane ride away, the conflict might as well be a world away. In my opinion there is no way that this sort of disturbance happens in the UAE for several reasons. First the Emiratis for the most part are very happy with their government. They hold the late Sh. Zayed in such high regard. They treat him like the Americans treat George Washington. Second and most importantly, Emiratis only account for about 15% of the population of the UAE. The rest are ex-pats from the Philipines, India, US, Canada, and Russia primarily. If the expats don’t like what is happening in the government, all they have to do is leave. Thirdly the UAE looks to directly benefit form these regional conflicts by increases in tourism and economy. If people are wary of doing business or vacationing in Egypt or Bahrain, Dubai offers a convenient and cheap alternative. So Im not worried about my safety here at all. I still believe Im called by God to be here for this period in my life. He will protect me. My faith is in my God, not the military surrounding me.

So for my friends still in Bahrain let me encourage you with Psalm 91. Our prayers are with you.

Psalm 91

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]

2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.”

3 Surely he will save you

from the fowler’s snare

and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,

ten thousand at your right hand,

but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes

and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”

and you make the Most High your dwelling,

10 no harm will overtake you,

no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;

you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;

I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble,

I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life I will satisfy him

and show him my salvation.”

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Unrest in Bahrain

It is an amazing, disheartening, and surreal scene happening in Bahrain now. The stage of empowerment was set in Egypt and now the impetus for change has spread throughout the Middle East to the tiny country of Bahrain (1.2 million) which I called home for nearly two years. I wonder if Mark Zuckerberg had any idea how much his creation would actually change the world in just under 10 years. It has nothing to do with facebook really. Facebook just gives people a forum to which they can communicate. Most every paper in the Middle East and other Communist countries are state-run. So they are filled with propaganda. I was blessed to grow up in a country with what was a free press. The press in the states acted as the fourth branch of the government able to keep politicians and the judicial system in line by way of informing the public of the truth. I often wondered if someone growing up in a controlled media environment actually trusted their own country’s media. When I was in Bahrain I read the paper everyday with the knowledge that it was essentially 100% propaganda, a glorified national press release. I wondered, do people actually buy into this stuff? With the forum of facebook acting as a galvanizing force, you see that they really do not. Even the headlines in the Gulf Daily News are avoiding all topics of the insurrection. As if ignoring them will make it all go away.

So for my American and non-Bahraini friends let me synopsize the conflict. There is a vast divide between Sunni and Shia Muslims. This is not just Bahrain, but Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi, and Bahrain wherever there are Arabs there are conflicts between these two factions. It would be similar to Christians going up against the Mormons, or the Baptists going against Presbyterians. It all could have been avoided if the Prophet Muhammed would have left a will. Generally speaking, Sunni Muslims believe after the Prophet died that Islam should be carried on by his disciples. Shia Muslims believe that Islam should be carried on by his family. The two factions have been warring with each other since then. Bahrain is run by the Al-Khalifa family which is among the 30% Sunni minority. While 70% of the Shia Majority are the ones behind the conflict. The Shia do have a legitimate beef as they are discriminated against. History tells us over and over that the minority can only control the majority for a short period of time. Go ask any Brit, they will be glad to tell you. So it seems like the hold on Bahrain is a tenuous one for the Al-Khalifa-Sunni’s. The thing that the Khalifa’s have going for them is that they are very tight with the US and Britain. Bahrain is home to the 5th fleet, the largest navy base outside of the continental US. It’s a very key presence in the Middle East region for the US. So if the Khalifa’s need to go to Big Brother, it will be interesting to see how the US gets involved. The US stayed out of the Egypt mess as well as it should have. Hopefully they will stay out of this mess as well.

This sort of conflict between Sunni and Shia in Bahrain has been going on for decades. I was witness to several demonstrations. They were rather simple displays of burning tires in the middle of the street, burning couches to block roadways or more seriously the occasional Molotov cocktail. Its human nature to blame someone else for your problems and the Shia seemed to content to blame the Khalifa/Sunni’s for their problems.

The escalation all started of course with Egypt. That sent a strong message that uprisings could topple governments no matter how wealthy the royal family. The escalations in Bahrain all started because a group of people were holding a funeral procession to honor someone killed in Egypt. A soldier inadvertently (or advertently I don’t know) shot a Bahraini protester. Then more Bahraini’s amassed to protest the shooting and another two were shot. Then more protesters and more people were shot. Soon they were gathered by the thousands in the Pearl Roundabout (a landmark) and tear gas and riot police were out in force trying to aggressively and physically quell the uprising. Don’t they realize that aggression is only going to unite the minority and galvanize (I like that word) them into action? If they just would have let the protests go on protesting peacefully they would have become either bored or hungry after awhile and have resumed their lifestyle. (Look at how many peaceful protests go on peacefully in the US without any violence. Of course the states have freedom of speech.) With the increased aggression by the government/military its giving the protestors something tangible to fight against. Its like they are backing the Shia into the corner. As I watch Youtube videos of tanks rolling into the streets and tear gassing the protestors, and outlawing any demonstrations, it seems like the conflict is escalating. They might be able to temporarily quell the uprising but thanks to facebook and twitter the protestors will still be able to communicate and coordinate with each other. Egypt showed them it can be done. Now unfortunately the Bahrainis seem to want to find out for themselves it can be done there too. My hearts and prayers go to all my friends Bahrain.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Lohan, child actors, and various other train wrecks

What a train wreck Lindsey Lohan’s life has become. I think it is a cautionary tale not only for child actor’s life but all children of privilege when not enough discipline is meted out. We have seen the out of control stories over and over again in the world especially in athletics. A kid from poverty has millions bestowed upon him, gets the entourage with “yes” people and no one around to tell him no. Without discipline he pisses the money away, hello MC Hammer. Tiger Woods didn’t fall apart until after he lost his father and thus the discipline that he brought to hold Tiger in check even as an adult.

It even happened to Elvis. Elvis is a distant relative of mine (like 14th or 15th cousins) not enough to get royalties from his empire but enough to mention as a conversation piece at parties. I was able to work on two Elvis biographies early in my career. Elvis was just a poor country kid who had fame and fortune thrown upon him at an early age. His opulent lifestyle was well documented. Though he was very generous with the people surrounding him, he didn’t know how to handle the pressure and the wealth. It ultimately killed him. So when he died in 1977 he was almost bankrupt. Priscilla, a savvy businesswoman, went on the build up estate again.

OK back to Lohan. You see this lack of discipline and careening lifestyle in many of the child actors. Look at the cast of Different Strokes with Dana Plato, Todd Bridges, and Gary Coleman. Children aren’t supposed to have that much power and control. If children don’t get their discipline from their parents how are they going to learn to self-discipline. Kids get their security from their parents setting up their boundaries and then being consistent with those boundaries. It simply isn’t healthy for a child to grow up that fast.

I have always been interested in stardom and Hollywood. When I was in Hawaii in the 1970’s they were filming an episode of Hawaii 5-0 (the original with Jack Lord). I waited for hours hoping the crew would see me and discover me. Finally I was able to sit at a table by the pool when the co-star walked past. I was on the screen for a half-second in a blur shot. But I was thrilled. When I worked in Hollywood my children were “discovered” when they were infants and toddlers at a Costco. Perhaps I fell into the trap and tried to live my life through the kids and their performances which was absolutely wrong of me. I think my daughter was 3 when she got “discovered.” She was and is beautiful. We got them into acting classes and they went on several auditions. They were beautiful and talented, all three of them. We would get callbacks on about 50% of our auditions (which is very good) and then second callbacks on half of those. But by the time we got to the third call back with 10-15 equally as beautiful and talented children it became a simple crapshoot. We booked several commercials, a few minor bits on a TV series, and some print work but never the big national spot or starring role that would go to cover the kids college tuition. We probably would have better odds at playing the lottery. The pressure on those auditions was intense. The parents would get into the child’s face like a coach would a player and try to hype them up but it wound up scaring the kids. Some of the things that I saw were appalling. I tried not to emulate that with my children. Now this isn’t just child actors, it’s a problems with sports, and any other example when there is not enough discipline meted out. I remember when my middle son was playing baseball at the age of 5 I think. I overhead a parent talking that they were targeting the big leagues for their child. “What!” The kid was 5.

Now my children had a little bit of success in Hollywood but we were sure to keep them in check with the discipline. That is until my divorce. Now it sucks that I have no authority to discipline my kids. I do believe my kids are great and I do love them, but how they are responding to me at present is wrong. The frustrating thing is that I can do very little about it. My ex decided to let the kids make their own choices in which they are too young to do so. (Its interesting that she only allows them to make their own choices as long as it adheres to what she wants. When its not she manipulates the situation until she gets the response she desires). Fortunately, I can see through this parental alienation and in no way do I harbor any resentment towards the kids. I blame the source. I still love the kids and know that they will see my heart someday.

OK, back to the child actor thing. I remember being at a party once with a high powered and seasoned agent. He mentioned that he would never allow his children to be child actors and any responsible parent would do likewise. I took issue with him since my kids were doing the child acting thing at the time. But in hindsight, he was right. Kids crave discipline its essential to their development. When that discipline isn’t there the children grow up too fast. Kids grow up too fast enough today anyways.

Think about it, if we all had a little more self-discipline, wouldn’t this world be a better place. It all starts at home. “Spare the rod, spoil the child.”

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

The 10-40 Window

I haven’t been writing in this blog that much lately. After the top ten list, everything that is happening in 2011 seems a little bit anti-climactic. But that doesn’t mean that there is nothing going on. I don’t want this blog to continually focus on the past as I have bemoaned it plenty of times. I do feel led to talk about it periodically as I know that it has benefitted some of you readers out there of which Im grateful. If I can be a blessing or if someone can learn from my hardships it sure makes it a little easier for me. But I have such a wonderful life to look forward to, especially finally living like a regular family with Jennifer and the addition of the little one. I know she is going to be a wonderful mother. One of my greatest joys in life is being a father. So I get to experience that once again. Jennifer is chronicling her pregnancy so if you haven’t read it, I’d encourage you to do so. jenni-sloan.blogspot.com/

Another huge reason I am not writing in the blog daily, like I did in Bahrain is there are just not a lot of cultural insights here. I feel like Im living in Los Angeles, only with more Indians and Russians. But something did happen to me yesterday that was noteworthy. I left my sunglasses in Hardees. The sunglasses weren’t super expensive, but not cheap either. So I went back the next day and they were waiting for me behind the counter. Would that have happened in the US? Another story Im not sure I mentioned. My videographer lost his phone on National Day (their July 4th). That was a crazy crazy day. There was so much excitement spilling everywhere into the streets. I thought the phone was lost for good. But he called it, and the person that answered arranged to deliver it back to him. Again, would that have happened in the US? People are very considerate and trustworthy here. This is the safest place I have ever lived. Even though things are getting nutty in Egypt and Jordan, this part of the Middle East is still great. Now, Im going to be absolutely honest, like I always am in this blog and give you both sides of the story. There are some negatives about living here. One of them, is that Arabs have a peculiar way of doing business. It has taken me awhile to adjust, but I think Im there. Without getting into specifics, and I know this is a stereotype but Logic just doesn’t seem to be that important here. Mr. Spock would be totally lost. Those westerners that live here will know exactly what Im talking about. But the good still far outweighs the bad. I do miss the US. The beef for one thing isn’t really that great out here because there just aren’t a lot of cows grazing in the desert (go figure). And the Diet Coke (to which Im addicted) is called Coke Light and tastes more like Diet Rite, than Diet Coke. But I still feel like Im called to be here for this certain period of my life. Im thrilled that Jennifer will be joining me. I think part of the reason why Im here is to spread my faith. I do it a lot through this blog and interpersonally. I haven’t had a chance to reach as many people as I did in Bahrain, but I think that point will come.

The area in the Middle East where Im living is called the 10/40 window. This means a geographic area or belt that has very little Christian Influence. Ill let Wikipedia explain: The 10/40 Window is a term coined by Christian missionary strategist Luis Bush in 1990[1] [2] to refer those regions of the eastern hemisphere located between 10 and 40 degrees north of the equator, a general area that in 1990 was purported to have the highest level of socioeconomic challenges [3] [4] and least access to the Christian message and Christian resources [5] [6] [7] on the planet. The 10/40 Window concept highlights these three elements: an area of the world with great poverty and low quality of life, combined with lack of access to Christian resources.The Window forms a band encompassing Saharan and Northern Africa, as well as almost all of Asia (West Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, East Asia and much of Southeast Asia). Roughly two-thirds of the world population lives in the 10/40 Window. The 10/40 Window is populated by people who are predominantly Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Animist, Jewish or Atheist. Many governments in the 10/40 Window are formally or informally opposed to Christian work of any kind within their borders.

So Im right smack dab in the middle of that window and maybe that is why I am here. I do want to make a difference in this world. I think if everyone could experience the peace and joy that I have in my life (despite the trying circumstances) this world would be a better place. Perhaps I can make a mass impact through the use of media. Wow I didn’t mean to write this long. One of the main reasons I haven’t been writing that much in this blog lately is that Im finally working on another screenplay. I haven’t written a screenplay since 1999. But I am working on a pretty good one now. Its an Arabic love story with some really great spiritual twists. Im pretty sure this one will sell since I know about this culture now. I have written in many different genres but never a love story before. But for one like me that has loved, lost, and loved again, I think I bring a very unique perspective. You are supposed to write about what you know. I think I know love thing now.