Diana Kersten, an ophthalmologist from Laguna Beach, has just returned from a Vietnam trip, where she helped perform nearly 60 cataract surgeries. (Read a complete Register story about her motivation to do non profit work). (Click on the picture to enlarge)

She hopes to raise money for her counterparts in Hue to purchase cataract surgery equipment. Below are edited excerpts from an e-mail she sent this week about her work in Vietnam:

“We did 59 cataract surgeries during week. They were almost all “mature” cataracts, meaning that the lens had turned white and the patient couldn’t see anything but “hand
motions” vision. (They could detect if a hand was waving in front of the eye, but that was all.)

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In the aftermath of China’s crackdown on demonstrating Buddhist monks in Tibet, protests have been held along the Olympic torch’s path.

With the summer games around the corner, we wondered:

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UCI history professor Jeffrey Wasserstrom just posted a new entry to the China Beat blog, a forum for writings by China scholars and writers.

He says the summer games in Beijing hold a very real possibility of being anticlimactic.

(Read an earlier piece by Wasserstrom in the The Nation titled China’s Olympic Dilemma. And, read an interview with Wasserstrom in  The Register on China’s move last year to boot Starbucks out of Beijing’s Forbidden City by clicking here.)

(Read a New York Times story of rare critcism of China by the Olympic committee president.)

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Here’s another installment of “Global view” — a feature bringing you opinions, analysis and commentary from local contributors with ties to Orange County but global expertise and connections.Nasrin Rahimieh is Maseeh Chair and Director of the Dr. Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture and professor of comparative literature at the University of California, Irvine.Born in Iran, she has lived in Europe, the United States and Canada. She was professor and Dean of Humanities at McMaster University in Canada prior to moving to California in 2006.

Dr. Rahimieh writes:

“In his April 3rd interview with Vik Jolly of the Orange Country Register, the former chief U.N. weapons inspector, Hans Blix voiced lingering concerns about a possible U.S. attack on Iran. Providing North Korea as a noteworthy counter-example to Iran, Blix wondered why similar strategies could not be deployed in approaching Iran’s ambitions.

(Read the views of other local commentators by selecting the Global View category on the right or by CLICKING HERE.) 

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An estimated 60,000 Pakistani-Americans live in Orange County and more than 200,000 in Southern California.

Fullerton-based Council of Pakistan American Affairs (COPAA), issued the following statement on the installation of Pakistan’s new prime minister last week:

“The Council of Pakistan American Affairs, COPAA, congratulates Mr. Yousaf Raza Gilani on his election as the new Prime Minister of Pakistan.Mr. Gilani was sworn in on Tuesday March 25, 2008 by President Pervez Musharraf, The formation of the new elected government is a major step forward towards restoration of a true democracy in Pakistan. COPAA wishes that Mr. Gilani steers Pakistan on the path of self-reliance, rapid development of solid infrastructure, establish sound democratic, judicial, industrial and educational institutions in Pakistan. The adoption of an independent domestic and foreign policy that reflects public sentiment is bound to restore people’s confidence in the Government, bring stability and provide security to the people of Pakistan.

Here’s another installment of “Global view” — a feature bringing you opinions, analysis and commentary from local contributors with ties to Orange County but global expertise and connections.

Benjamin J. Hubbard, professor emeritus of comparative religion at Cal State Fullerton, teaches courses on Judaism, religion and the media, and world religions. His co-authored book “An Educator’s Classroom Guide to America’s Religious Beliefs and Practices” came out in April.

Dr. Hubbard writes:

DOES MODERATE  ISLAM HAVE A CHANCE?

Dr. Hubbard writes:

“Al-Qaida’s Ayman al-Zawahiri issues another threat against America and Jews, a Muslim fanatic murders eight students at a Jewish seminary in Jerusalem, religious strife—even Shi’a against Shi’a—festers in Iraq, and a Catholic bishop is found murdered there.  This is the sort of news that makes headlines, adding to the profound skepticism among Americans about Islam’s claims to be a religion of peace and reason.

(Click here to read more commentary and analysis by Dr. Hubbard and other writers with an Orange County perspective.)

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Cpl. Erik Villagran is a 21-year-old Marine assigned to 3rd
Battalion, 4th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 5. He is from Corona, Calif.

1st Lt. Lawton King, spokesman for RCT 5, forwarded a dispatch from Villagran via e-mail:

Villagran writes:

“I’ve seen a lot of progress only three weeks into my second deployment to the Al Anbar Province. I am serving with 29 Palms-based 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, which is in its fifth deployment to Iraq and is operating under Camp Pendleton’s Regimental Combat Team 5.

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TAKE A POLL

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Click here to read more military affairs stories and here for more observations from the front line in Iraq. 

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UCI history professor Jeffrey Wasserstrom just wrote a  piece for The Nation titled China’s Olympic Dilemma.

Read an interview with Wasserstrom in  The Register on China’s move last year to boot Starbucks out of Beijing’s Forbidden City by clicking here.

Prof.  Wasserstrom is the author of “China’s Brave New World - And Other Tales for Global Times” (Indiana University Press), released last year.

To watch a clip of Wasserstrom speaking about Starbucks in China, CLICK HERE.

Here’s another installment of “Global view” — a feature bringing you opinions, analysis and commentary from local contributors with ties to Orange County but global expertise and connections.Nasrin Rahimieh is Maseeh Chair and Director of the Dr. Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture and professor of comparative literature at the University of California, Irvine.Born in Iran, she has lived in Europe, the United States and Canada. She was professor and Dean of Humanities at McMaster University in Canada prior to moving to California in 2006.Dr. Rahimieh writes:

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Here’s another installment of “Global view” – a feature bringing you opinions, analysis and commentary from local contributors with ties to Orange County but global expertise and connections.

Dr. James J. Coyle is the Director of the Center for Global Education, Chapman University. He is also chairman of the World Affairs Council of Orange County.

Dr. Coyle writes:

“2008 is quite a year for elections: not just in the United States, but around the world.  We have already experienced elections in Russia and Spain where the ruling party was returned.  This week we face change elections in Iran and Taiwan.

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Read the views of other local commentators on national and international events or select from the Global View category on the right.

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A mission to promote a free and fair election seemed to succeed. Read the views of a U.S. election observer recently returned from Pakistan in The Orange Grove.

Also, here’s a full story from the Washington Post on the swearing in of the new Pakistani parliament.