The illuminati ?
For all you conspiracy theorists out there. Whaddya think?
And if that isn't spooky, well, this is.
Saturday, November 13, 2004
Friday, November 12, 2004
Iris Chang dead at 36. R.I.P.
Iris Chang, the young historian who chronicled Japanese war crimes in China during World War II in her book The Rape of Nanjing committed suicide. For years Chang was harassed and threatened by right-wing Japanese nationalists in an effort to intimidate Chang and prevent her from further research. More here.
Iris Chang, the young historian who chronicled Japanese war crimes in China during World War II in her book The Rape of Nanjing committed suicide. For years Chang was harassed and threatened by right-wing Japanese nationalists in an effort to intimidate Chang and prevent her from further research. More here.
Thursday, November 11, 2004
Waste of time and money...
I just finished a novel called Overtaken by Alexei Sayle. And although the one Amazon reader who felt it worthy of a review raved about it, overall I thought it was crap. The guy's dark sparkling humor coarses through the book, but both the denouement and the surprise ending were overtly contrived and risible. I fear Mr. Sayle has been reading a surfeit of Martin Amis, as his cast of characters are all too uniquely despicable.
Again, again and again!
We had two more earthquakes over the past 24 hours, one last night a t 10:48 which weighed in at 5.5 on the Richter scale. The epicenter was in the Pacific ocean. And we had another one today that measured 6.0. Enough already!
On to other things. Sorry I haven't posted as much in the past week, the US election results knocked the wind out of me, but I'm recovering.
We had two more earthquakes over the past 24 hours, one last night a t 10:48 which weighed in at 5.5 on the Richter scale. The epicenter was in the Pacific ocean. And we had another one today that measured 6.0. Enough already!
On to other things. Sorry I haven't posted as much in the past week, the US election results knocked the wind out of me, but I'm recovering.
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
Reaching out ...
Uh, I know this could sound silly, but I think sometimes my limited Internet reading needs some expandin'. So what I would like if you have the time is to send me some esoteric links you've found. You can either lay a few on me in the comments section or, if you prefer, in me email box, which you can find at the bottom of the sidebar. Thanks!
Uh, I know this could sound silly, but I think sometimes my limited Internet reading needs some expandin'. So what I would like if you have the time is to send me some esoteric links you've found. You can either lay a few on me in the comments section or, if you prefer, in me email box, which you can find at the bottom of the sidebar. Thanks!
Whole lotta shakin' going on ...
That one is too hard to resist! For those of you who either slept through it and never speak with your colleagues or don't live here, we had another decent earthquake last night. At first gently swaying from side to side, the tremor made the light fixtures dance around a bit. Last night on the news it was reported at 5.7 on the Richter scale, but the Taiwan seismology center has changed that figure to 6.7. Fortunately, no one was hurt. More here.
That one is too hard to resist! For those of you who either slept through it and never speak with your colleagues or don't live here, we had another decent earthquake last night. At first gently swaying from side to side, the tremor made the light fixtures dance around a bit. Last night on the news it was reported at 5.7 on the Richter scale, but the Taiwan seismology center has changed that figure to 6.7. Fortunately, no one was hurt. More here.
Hey there!
You could also check out my other blog here. Yet I have to warn you, nothing has been done over there. Just a concept at this point.
You could also check out my other blog here. Yet I have to warn you, nothing has been done over there. Just a concept at this point.
Monday, November 08, 2004
Another food movie ...
I watched a fairly good food movie last night, not the best but decent. Mostly Martha is a German film about an incorrigible cook who lets her guard down for a niece and an Italian cook. It's too sentimental at times, but the scenes of Martha dealing with ignorant, finicky customers are priceless.
I watched a fairly good food movie last night, not the best but decent. Mostly Martha is a German film about an incorrigible cook who lets her guard down for a niece and an Italian cook. It's too sentimental at times, but the scenes of Martha dealing with ignorant, finicky customers are priceless.
Sunday, November 07, 2004
In the lions' den ...
Taiwan madness hooks up with US political satire here. And yes, the man was actually trying to convert the lions.
Taiwan madness hooks up with US political satire here. And yes, the man was actually trying to convert the lions.
Friday, November 05, 2004
Thursday, November 04, 2004
The 11 states.
I was having a conversation tonight with an Ohio voter living abroad. He claims that as soon as he saw the gay marriage amendment on the Ohio ballot, he thought the Bush people had pulled a brilliant move, and could very well go on to win the election. But he also said he thought the amendments were placed on the ballots in 11 key states, all states in which Bush would have to rally his base and get them to the polls.
I must admit I didn't pay much attention to which states had the amendment on the ballot. I knew about Arkansas because that's my home state, and somewhere I read about Oregon. But that's it. So the 11 states are: Mississippi, Arkansas, Oregon, Montana, Ohio, Utah, Kentucky, Michigan, North Dakota, Georgia and Oklahoma. And take note here, the amendment was not on the ballot in Florida or Pennsylvania.
It seems to me that Mississippi, Montana, Utah, Kentucky, North Dakota, Georgia and Oklahoma were never in play for Kerry anyhow. Of the four left Oregon and Michigan were leaning toward Kerry, but were still in play to some extent just as Arkansas leaned toward Bush with some hope that it might be the only southern state that could go blue. And then there's Ohio. I know that this is an issue that energized Bush's base, but I'm not sure I buy the argument that it was a concerted Republican Party effort to get gay marriage on the ballot in key states to help swing the election. Eight of the 11 states were already red.
I was having a conversation tonight with an Ohio voter living abroad. He claims that as soon as he saw the gay marriage amendment on the Ohio ballot, he thought the Bush people had pulled a brilliant move, and could very well go on to win the election. But he also said he thought the amendments were placed on the ballots in 11 key states, all states in which Bush would have to rally his base and get them to the polls.
I must admit I didn't pay much attention to which states had the amendment on the ballot. I knew about Arkansas because that's my home state, and somewhere I read about Oregon. But that's it. So the 11 states are: Mississippi, Arkansas, Oregon, Montana, Ohio, Utah, Kentucky, Michigan, North Dakota, Georgia and Oklahoma. And take note here, the amendment was not on the ballot in Florida or Pennsylvania.
It seems to me that Mississippi, Montana, Utah, Kentucky, North Dakota, Georgia and Oklahoma were never in play for Kerry anyhow. Of the four left Oregon and Michigan were leaning toward Kerry, but were still in play to some extent just as Arkansas leaned toward Bush with some hope that it might be the only southern state that could go blue. And then there's Ohio. I know that this is an issue that energized Bush's base, but I'm not sure I buy the argument that it was a concerted Republican Party effort to get gay marriage on the ballot in key states to help swing the election. Eight of the 11 states were already red.
Spoiling for a murder ...
Well, if you think politics in the US is ugly, take a gander over here. As KMT Chairman Lien Chan and his party wait for the ruling by the High Court this afternoon as to whether the March election will be annuled, they have little to hope for. But one of the lawyers representing both the KMT and the People First Party told the KMT Central Standing Committee that it doesn't matter what the judges say, the election was illegitimate. In response, Lien had this to say:
Well, if you think politics in the US is ugly, take a gander over here. As KMT Chairman Lien Chan and his party wait for the ruling by the High Court this afternoon as to whether the March election will be annuled, they have little to hope for. But one of the lawyers representing both the KMT and the People First Party told the KMT Central Standing Committee that it doesn't matter what the judges say, the election was illegitimate. In response, Lien had this to say:
No one is so great that people cannot touch him. As long as we see anyone who makes frauds or unlawful actions, every one could put this guy to death.Everyone in Taiwan, on both sides of the political fence, knows precisely what Lien is getting at here. He is advocating the murder of President Chen Shui-bian. Yet because Lien is one of the wealthiest and most powerful people in Taiwan, he'll get away with this. He may take some flak or be forced into retracting the statement, but he'll continue to walk among us enjoying the liberties that, had he attempted this in most countries, would have evaporated in the confines of a prison cell.
The fall.
... from Morn to Noon he fell, from Noon to dewy Eve. - John Milton, Paradise Lost.
This passage in the first book describes the descent of Hephaestus after Zeus has thrown him off Mount Olympus, whereupon Hephaestus falls for a full day.
That day came again on Nov. 2. Hephaestus went on to fight more battles. He was ugly, gimply and a cuckold, as Ares, the god of war, took his wife Aphrodite, but his hands crafted the gods' most treasured possessions and his anvil produced their armor.
Ares had two sons, Phobos and Deimos, terror and fear. George W. Bush goes into his second term on the shoulders of those two, and as many have noted, he is inheriting the pall of his first four years in office. His administration is already wracked by dissention and scandal. And though he may be able to stem the rancor in the White House with a number of Cabinet appointments, it's difficult to imagine that he'll be able to stanch the leaks and investigations already pouring forth.
"He who troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind."-Proverbs 11:29. Inheritance has been Dubya's lifelong pursuit, so he may as well follow it to its bitter end.
... from Morn to Noon he fell, from Noon to dewy Eve. - John Milton, Paradise Lost.
This passage in the first book describes the descent of Hephaestus after Zeus has thrown him off Mount Olympus, whereupon Hephaestus falls for a full day.
That day came again on Nov. 2. Hephaestus went on to fight more battles. He was ugly, gimply and a cuckold, as Ares, the god of war, took his wife Aphrodite, but his hands crafted the gods' most treasured possessions and his anvil produced their armor.
Ares had two sons, Phobos and Deimos, terror and fear. George W. Bush goes into his second term on the shoulders of those two, and as many have noted, he is inheriting the pall of his first four years in office. His administration is already wracked by dissention and scandal. And though he may be able to stem the rancor in the White House with a number of Cabinet appointments, it's difficult to imagine that he'll be able to stanch the leaks and investigations already pouring forth.
"He who troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind."-Proverbs 11:29. Inheritance has been Dubya's lifelong pursuit, so he may as well follow it to its bitter end.
Ouch!
Well, the Democrats in the US got clobbered. They lost in the marketplace of ideas. I haven't lived in the US for some time so I really don't have a feel for what goes on there now, but the windows into the Democrat community there suggested that the race would be tight, but John Kerry would prevail. It didn't happen. Yet now there are some powerful organizing tools in place and those leading the Democratic party are going to have to do some real soul searching after losing two elections in a row. I think it's time for new blood.
Here in Taiwan, as if US politics wasn't exasperating enough, there is a legislative election around the corner.
Well, the Democrats in the US got clobbered. They lost in the marketplace of ideas. I haven't lived in the US for some time so I really don't have a feel for what goes on there now, but the windows into the Democrat community there suggested that the race would be tight, but John Kerry would prevail. It didn't happen. Yet now there are some powerful organizing tools in place and those leading the Democratic party are going to have to do some real soul searching after losing two elections in a row. I think it's time for new blood.
Here in Taiwan, as if US politics wasn't exasperating enough, there is a legislative election around the corner.
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Monday, November 01, 2004
Copper's case ...
The piece that I cited below should be taken with a grain of salt. Copper gives us very few sources to back up his claims. In the eighth paragraph, he says that some of Kerry's supporters even advocate ceding one of Taiwan's outlying islands to China as a warning against independence for Taiwan. This sounds like complete shiite to me. It's the Fox News technique of "well, some people say ..." Since Copper neglected to tell us who these supporters were, shall we guess? Maybe he went to find some mainland Chinese Kerry supporters in Flushing, Queens.
In the fifteenth paragraph, Copper tells us that it "has been reported" that Kerry received funds from China for his presidential campaign. Yet Copper refuses to tell us who reported this scandalous gem. Newsmax perhaps, Rush Limbaugh, or better yet the Drudge Report?
If within the next 36 to 48 hours, George W. Bush gets voted out of office, I will be ecstatic. I still think that a Bush presidency would be more beneficial to Taiwan, but not because of Copper's argument. It's a pity that a man whose career has been dedicated to chronicling Taiwan's journey, as well as many other works on China and Asia, marshaled his reputation for this piece of partisan hackery. Then again, my guess is he's done it before. John Copper's CV says it all.
The piece that I cited below should be taken with a grain of salt. Copper gives us very few sources to back up his claims. In the eighth paragraph, he says that some of Kerry's supporters even advocate ceding one of Taiwan's outlying islands to China as a warning against independence for Taiwan. This sounds like complete shiite to me. It's the Fox News technique of "well, some people say ..." Since Copper neglected to tell us who these supporters were, shall we guess? Maybe he went to find some mainland Chinese Kerry supporters in Flushing, Queens.
In the fifteenth paragraph, Copper tells us that it "has been reported" that Kerry received funds from China for his presidential campaign. Yet Copper refuses to tell us who reported this scandalous gem. Newsmax perhaps, Rush Limbaugh, or better yet the Drudge Report?
If within the next 36 to 48 hours, George W. Bush gets voted out of office, I will be ecstatic. I still think that a Bush presidency would be more beneficial to Taiwan, but not because of Copper's argument. It's a pity that a man whose career has been dedicated to chronicling Taiwan's journey, as well as many other works on China and Asia, marshaled his reputation for this piece of partisan hackery. Then again, my guess is he's done it before. John Copper's CV says it all.
Kerry bad for Taiwan?
The whole reason I brought up Powell to begin with was to further the argument that a Republican president will be better for Taiwan in the long run. A couple of things caught my eye today, one of which I think drives the point home.
First, on Yahoo news, we find that China would prefer a Kerry presidency because Beijing is opposed to the Bush doctrine. I wonder why?
Also, the Taipei Times has an opinion piece written by Rhodes College Professor John Copper on why a Kerry presidency may not bode well for Taiwan's future. The link. Take this one with a grain of salt. More later.
The whole reason I brought up Powell to begin with was to further the argument that a Republican president will be better for Taiwan in the long run. A couple of things caught my eye today, one of which I think drives the point home.
First, on Yahoo news, we find that China would prefer a Kerry presidency because Beijing is opposed to the Bush doctrine. I wonder why?
Also, the Taipei Times has an opinion piece written by Rhodes College Professor John Copper on why a Kerry presidency may not bode well for Taiwan's future. The link. Take this one with a grain of salt. More later.
Oh hell, I'm nervous ...
Here in Taiwan, we should know the results of the US election Wednesday morning. According to a number of polls, Osama bin Laden's tape didn't seem to have much of an effect on voters over the weekend. Republicans have been push-polling minority voters in West Virginia to convince them that they are not registered to vote. Sounds like its crazy out there.
More coming on Kerry and Taiwan soon.
Here in Taiwan, we should know the results of the US election Wednesday morning. According to a number of polls, Osama bin Laden's tape didn't seem to have much of an effect on voters over the weekend. Republicans have been push-polling minority voters in West Virginia to convince them that they are not registered to vote. Sounds like its crazy out there.
More coming on Kerry and Taiwan soon.
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