tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60189002024-03-07T11:19:52.234-08:00the blue revolutionGeographically north of the border; politically right of the pack.Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.comBlogger348125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1104583312972125352005-01-01T04:36:00.000-08:002005-01-01T05:20:38.376-08:00New Year, New BlogHappy New Year! To commerate the occasion, I'm moving: with the new year comes a new weblog, <a href="http://www.plum-blossom.net/blog/"><em>Plum Blossoms</em></a>. It's still under construction, and I don't have all the affiliation links up yet, but I'm proud to be the owner of a domain name and looking forward to this new project, which will combine my political rants with <a href="http://www.xanga.com/mr_chan">my old personal web diary</a>.
<p>Webmasters: please either change your existing links to this site to the new blog, or just add a new one (the old content will probably remain here until the Earth spirals into the Sun). And if you don't have a link, now's a good time to start. ;)</p>
Looking forward to seeing you there.Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com218tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1104539405422891522004-12-31T16:30:00.000-08:002005-01-01T04:53:57.393-08:00Don't Mix TV and PoliticsSometimes, you've just got to park the politics at the door. Otherwise, you'd just be driven to be as mad as the other people.
<p>Take television. I love television. I don't buy the so-con "corrupting our children" stuff too much (it might do that, but decent parenting should make this a <strike>non-issue</strike> lesser issue than it's made to be), and I buy even less the liberal "consumerist anti-people culture" bull. I watch TV and I watch it religiously.</p>
<p>But when you deal with either southern California or NYC, you're going to deal with liberals. Crazy liberals, the ones that believe the world revolve around them. Take my favourite shows, <em><a href="http://www.fox.com/oc/">The O.C.</a></em> and <em><a href="http://www.nbc.com/Law_&_Order:_Criminal_Intent/">Law & Order: Criminal Intent</a></em>.</p>
<p>Three of four of the young stars of <em>The O.C.</em> were visible Kerry supporters: <a href="http://www.ben-mckenzie.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=112">Benjamin McKenzie</a>, <a href="http://www.thebrodybunch.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=133">Adam Brody</a>, and <a href="http://www.rachel-bilson.net/visual/thumbnails.php?album=lastcom&cat=-99">Rachel Bilson</a>. I'm don't know about the (relatively) old actors like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001251/">Peter Gallagher</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0746414/">Kelly Rowan</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004883/">Tate Donovan</a>, but the lack of information speaks higher for them than the more visible political affiliations of the aforementioned younger actors. And thankfully, it appears that <a href="http://www.mischa-b.com/">Mischa Barton</a> is much too glamourous to get politically active.</p>
<p>But <em>The O.C.</em> is nothing compared to <em>L&O: CI</em>, which is essentially the one-man show of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000352/">Vincent D'Onofrio</a>. This would be fine, if he wasn't (supposedly) <a href="http://www.commonsensewonder.com/mtarchives/006333.shtml">losing it</a> since Kerry lost the election. This sort of behaviour, of course, is the sort that really makes me shake my head. Look, I love <em>CI</em>, but there's no way that you can produce a show with an actual lunatic as the lead.</p>
<p>I suppose it could be worse: I could live in <a href="http://www.thedissidentfrogman.com/dacha/">France</a>, where most of the news media is shipping in bull by the truckload and tempting our minds with <a href="http://cybersix.dyndns.org/Presentatrices/M-Theuriau/M-Theuriau.htm">beautiful newscasters</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.plum-blossom.net/blog/images/melissa24.jpg"><img alt="Mélissa Theuriau" src="http://www.plum-blossom.net/blog/images/melissa24-thumb.jpg" width="256" height="192"></a></p>
<p>At least she works for <a href="http://www.merdeinfrance.blogspot.com/2003_12_14_merdeinfrance_archive.html#107140127784773835">LCI</a>, which, while French, doesn't appear as ridiculous as, say, <a href="http://lemondewatch.blogspot.com/"><em>Le Monde</em></a>. Think of it as MSNBC <em>en français</em>.</p>
So yah, park the politics at the front door before sitting in front of the boob tube. If you want to be informed, go online.Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1104444089908719422004-12-30T14:01:00.000-08:002004-12-30T14:01:29.906-08:00No Cure for StupidityLook, the idea of making drugs in America, shipping them to Canada, and then buying them back to America from Canada was <a href="http://www.101-280.com/archives/000429.html">pretty dumb in the first place</a>. But some people are happy to sell snake oil, so we all waste time trying to convince the happily converted that Canada is <strong>not</strong> the world's biggest source of "cheap-o-rays".
<p>Thankfully, if there's one thing Canada is good at, it's going bananas over Americans acting in their self-interest (even if the plan doesn't actually work). The most obvious result of Americans flocking to buy sold-in-Canada, made-in-America drugs is that Canada will run out of drugs. So Ujjal Dosahjh, the Health Minister, has flatly told the US to <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2004-12-28-drug-import_x.htm">stay out of our medicine cabinet</a>.</p>
<p>Yet I wonder if the long-term ramifications of this news is actually beneficial to anyone. Drug companies may be swimming in profits, but it's profits built upon <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A43257-2003Nov14">an increasingly unsustainable and socially unbeneficial foundation: imitation drugs for non-deadly conditions</a>. You know, the drugs that are featured in all that spam you get in your mailbox these days. Instead of developing new treatments for Parkinson's and ALS, drug companies are stifled by the FDA and patent process into developing ED drugs and marginally better cold tablets.</p>
<p>Most drug markets in the world are heavily government regulated in pricing or profit margins. And I'm not talking about Third World countries: this is Canada and the EU and other well-off places that have similar costs of living to the US and can actually afford more expensive drugs. The result, unsurprisingly, is that the largest burden of drug costs are on Americans. A US scheme to reimport Canadian drugs, and the corresponding failure to accomplish its objectives, might cause enough of a shock to do two things:</p>
<ul>
<li>Other developed countries would consider loosening their drug price regulations, to avoid the more dire prospect of a full out price or quantity shock from US purchases.</li>
<li>The failure of the reimportation scheme would finally force the FDA to review and revise its clinical trial process</li>
</ul>
Instead, we have now probably only convinced a small proportion of the pro-reimportation ostriches into realizing the folly of their scheme, while the rest of the developed world continue to get away with paying pennies for drugs at Americans' expense.Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1104047108002436892004-12-25T23:45:00.000-08:002004-12-25T23:45:08.003-08:00Merry ChristmasA slightly late but still not actually late wish for a merry Christmas to all.Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1103274953291645212004-12-17T01:15:00.000-08:002004-12-17T01:15:53.290-08:00Here's JohnnyI'm back to blogging now, after my last exam today. Okay, maybe not really "back", since I've been so out of the loop I don't know what to think about anything in the news now. So I'll just complain about how pathetic was the finale of The Apprentice (damn that's <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4326967/">three hours I'll never get back</a>), and that the <a href="http://www.nbc.com/nbc/The_Apprentice_3/">third season</a> looks even worse.
<p>Actually, I won't write about the crappiness of the finale, 'cuz <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6726290/">someone else (from MSNBC, no less) already did</a>. The opinions expressed in the article are pretty much the same as my own, although I preferred Kelly more, ever since <a href="http://www.nbc.com/nbc/The_Apprentice_2/episode_recap/eleven_2.shtml">Jen's credit-stealing stunt</a> in the <a href="http://www.nbc.com/nbc/The_Apprentice_2/episode_recap/eleven.shtml">Levi's catalogue task</a>.</p>
<p>Well, I will miss <a href="http://www.rajbhakta.com/">Raj</a>. He's the only contestant I liked in this season. And you got to love that web site of his.</p>
Speaking of web sites, I've registered a domain name and I'll be getting a hosting plan tomorrow. The new blog will merge my political and personal blogs into one, although it'll most likely be more political than anything else. Plus I'll have some personal photo galleries and other things. But everything's going to be hush-hush until I'm done.
Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1102902301614233422004-12-12T17:45:00.000-08:002004-12-12T17:46:49.093-08:00In The ROC<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/kelvinc/TP-12.jpg" alt="Property of Jocelyn Wang. http://www.paowang.com/blog/jocelyn/archives/001575.html"><br>
Events, past and present, under this flag:<br>
December 11, 2004: <a href="http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2004/12/12/2003214727">Pan-Blue parties hold their majority</a> in the election for the 6th Legislative Yuan.<br>
December 13: 1937: Japanese troops enter Nanjing, initiating a <a href="http://www.princeton.edu/~nanking/html/main.html">three month orgy of murder, rape and pillage</a>.Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1102491625472003552004-12-07T23:40:00.000-08:002004-12-07T23:41:24.540-08:00Moratorium<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/kelvinc/PH5Arizonaflames.jpg" alt="From the National Park Service at http://www.npswapa.org/gallery/album13" border="0">
<p>Apologies for the much-belated notice, but I'm not going to be blogging for a while, not until Dec. 16 at the earliest. I have six final exams, of which I have finished one as of this time. Five days of exams from yesterday to the upcoming Saturday, plus next Thursday. Yah I don't think there's much time for anything else.</p>
<p>I'm contemplating getting my own server and domain name. Recommendations for hosts are welcome (e-mail me; I'm still checking).</p>
On a different note, today is the anniversary of a <a href="http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec07.html">Day of Infamy</a>, which brought America into the world's struggle against tyranny. Her contribution was essential to victory, and I thank those who sacrificed so much for the sake of future generations.Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1101944628583400752004-12-01T15:43:00.000-08:002004-12-01T20:30:57.853-08:00Orange Oblasts, Blue Oblasts<a href="http://www.filibustercartoons.com/">J.J. McCullough</a> has quite possibly <a href="http://www.filibustercartoons.com/archive.php?id=20041130">the best attempt to bring some humour</a> into the Ukrainian situation:
<p><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/kelvinc/ukraine-stalinland.gif" alt="Property of J.J. McCullough"><br>
(Apologies to the anonymous <a href="http://www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=13482_Der_Spiegel-_Jesusland">Jesusland</a> cartographer.)</p>
<p>There's also a more detailed and serious look at the Ukraine election results with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ukraine_ElectionsMap_Nov2004.png">color shading</a>. The percentages we're dealing with here are mind-boggling. I'm not a big fan of the "<a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2004/11/03/purple_haze.html">purple map</a>" because it's pretty hard for anywhere to vote near 100% for one side, so it suggests a ridiculously extreme definition of partisanship (Philip Kennicott has a <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46719-2004Nov12.html">WaPo article</a> against excessive cartographical punditry in general). But it appears that the 100% scale would actually be appropriate in this case.</p>
And here is <a href="http://www.scsuscholars.com/2004_11_01_scsu-scholars_archive.html#110149762525685460">a map of the skyrocket in voter turnout in "Stalinland" between the two rounds of voting</a> (via <a href="http://www.instapundit.com/archives/019468.php">Insta</a>), circumstantial evidence of some sort of electoral fraud.Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1101863359857566432004-11-30T17:09:00.000-08:002004-11-30T21:27:29.126-08:00Battle of Seattle, Five Years LaterIt was five years ago today that latte-sipping hippies and anarchists <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WTO_Meeting_of_1999">descended upon the Emerald City</a>, wreaking havoc and disrupting the WTO meetings there. Property was destroyed, police authority undermined, and the protestors upheld the greatest of hypocrisies by violently attempting to block the WTO meeting, which was itself a peaceful gathering.
<p>Such vile acts of self-proclaimed "civil disobedience" has done little, except to denigate peaceful activism and overshadow serious debate. These people have done more to discredit their own arguments and radicalize political discourse than their "Bushitler" bogeyman. <a href="http://www.carolmoore.net/sfm/seattle.html">As a lamenting libertarian non-violent activist observed</a>:</p>
<blockquote>Network news reports, which frequently stressed how well organized the "so-called anarchists" were, showed scenes of protesters breaking windows, looting several stores, smashing up a Nike store sign, occupying one under-renovation building, setting big nighttime bonfires in the middle of the street. Television network news video shows activists throwing a bottle at a police officer standing on top of an armored vehicle; he shoots back rubber bullets. Demonstrators block an entrance and exchange blows with an Asian delegate trying to get in. Other activists throw unidentified objects at police. Networks also repeatedly showed video of the June, 1999 Eugene riot where young people jumped on passenger cars and smashed at them with chains.</blockquote>
The ACME Collective, an anarchist group consisting of the most extreme violent protestors, would later brag of their challenge to civil authority and direct attack on democracy:
<blockquote>Those attacked by federal thugs <em>[note: in reality Seattle Police]</em> were <strong>un-arrested</strong> by quick-thinking and organized members of the black bloc.<br>
<em>(Emphasis mine.)</em></blockquote>
<p>And hey, this was back in the Clinton presidency!</p>
The Battle of Seattle was the beginning of a strange new age, when "the people" conspired to keep regular folks from going to their jobs in the city and their "message" was sent through vandalism and destruction. Their insanity peaked in the prologue to the Iraq War, when <a href="http://www.ajc.org/InTheMedia/Publications.asp?did=902">anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism</a> became the only two forms of "politically correct" bigotry. The question is how long will the damage from 1999 last.Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1101813443260733122004-11-30T03:17:00.000-08:002004-12-01T09:47:48.310-08:00Young Guns Need Live Ammo<a href="http://skrepnek.blogspot.com/">Kevin Skrepnek</a> would like to see a <a href="http://skrepnek.blogspot.com/2004/11/yeah-take-it-all-whore.html">formal youth wing</a> in the <a href="http://www.conservative.ca/">Conservative Party</a>. Being at the age of 17, I don't blame him. But I wonder whether such a move would have undesired side-effects.
<p>In a <a href="http://www.canada.com/calgary/calgaryherald/">Calgary Herald</a> article last year, <a href="http://www.canada.com/calgary/calgaryherald/columnists/nigelhannaford.html">Nigel Hannaford</a> wrote about <a href="http://www.uoguelph.ca/~uogpc/news/07102004-herald.html">the Conservatives' impressive young caucus</a> (the party has the most under-30 MPs). The experiences of Saskatchewan MP <a href="http://www.jeremyharrison.ca/">Jeremy Harrison</a> explain why the young and right might be better served without official party recognition:</p>
<blockquote>For one thing, the Conservatives don't believe in sandboxes, as young conservatives derisively speak of the Liberal and NDP youth organizations. For another, the Conservatives -- unlike the Liberals -- have an open nomination process in the ridings with little interference from the party leadership. (Compared to, say, Dhalla, to whom Martin handed a safe seat uncontested, as part of his parachute dream-team.)
<p>Harrison: "Older people in other parties push you to the youth wing. Our people say, 'Go for it, run for any position you think you can handle.' Nobody has ever said, 'You can't do this, you're not old enough.' "</p>
He would know. Turned on to politics in his second year at the University of Alberta by Matthew Johnston, one-time executive assistant to Edmonton Conservative MP Jaffer, he has held every position in his riding association, was president of the campus Alliance club, and sat on the Alliance National Council: "Two years ago, I met Stephen Harper and he encouraged me to go after the nomination. That was a huge boost to have him give me a nod."
</blockquote>
<a href="http://www.freedominion.ca/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=26663">Free Dominion has a thread on this issue</a>, and the general consensus is that the best way to involve youth is to let them work with the real system and not a "sandbox", as they put it.
<p>Recalling my own volunteering on the <a href="http://www.jamesmoore.org/">James Moore</a> campaign in Election 2000 (when I, too, was 17 years old), I believe that a youth wing in the Alliance would not have been much of a plus in rallying the campaign or enhancing my own experience. I worked with the campaign because I was a part of a group of young students who believed in the CA's principles, but we didn't need any guidance from above. And being able to campaign with someone that we can relate to, being not that much older than we were (seven years), was what made the campaign truly interesting. If the CA had a youth wing then, it would be a lot less likely that James would've had the experience or confidence to run as MP; yet today James is the Tories' Public Works critic.</p>
<p>To be fair, it's totally possible that I would've agreed with Shrepnek back in the day, and I don't think that a party youth wing is necessarily a bad thing. After all, Conservative membership is open to anyone aged 14 years or above: I imagine that it'd be easier for someone in Grade 8 to have some sort of support structure when being introduced to the party. But I don't think that it should go anywhere past federal voting age (18). Then it just gets condescending.</p>
<strong>UPDATE (Dec 01, 09:40 AM):</strong> Turns out that we're <a href="http://skrepnek.blogspot.com/2004/11/insert-title-here.html">on the same page after all</a>. Not clear if the <a href="http://www.yestoyouth.com/">YesToYouth.com</a> guys feel the same.Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1101777033033654432004-11-29T17:10:00.000-08:002004-11-29T17:10:33.033-08:00Buy Nothing Day 2004Last Friday was "<a href="http://www.pejmanesque.com/archives/008615.html">Buy Nothing Day</a>" (via <a href="http://www.instapundit.com/archives/019471.php">Insta</a>). In the spirit, I purchased three books and declared the official start to the Xmas shopping season. And to really spite the Lefties, one book is John Lewis Gaddis' <a href="http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/GADSUS.html"><em>Surprise, Security and the American Experience</em></a>, while another is Niall Ferguson's <a href="http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,0_1594200130,00.html"><em>Colossus</em></a>. The third, <a href="http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?sid=0203323F-5AAC-410B-ADC4-FD828911BACF&ttype=2&tid=3472"><em>Without A Map</em></a>, is an academic book on Russian economic reform that I bought for class.Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1101770610088294422004-11-29T15:23:00.000-08:002004-11-29T15:23:30.086-08:00Stupid's Bad Enough; Don't Be Biased About ItLook, I really don't want to give much more weight to the "<a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/frum/diary102904.asp">Arafat had AIDS</a>" meme, simply because I think it distracts from all the <a href="http://bluerev.blogspot.com/2004/11/too-much-irony-alert.html">vile things</a> that he had done over the years, plus I don't really believe it. But Daniel Pipes raises a <a href="http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/373">good point</a>: if the media is going to report on crazy assassination conspiracy theories, it might as well cover another improbable cause of death.
<p></p>
Although I disagree that whether Yasir was HIV+ is "really on the minds of serious people", I would hope that those serious people aren't dwelling over whether this was another Mossad job or just an individual that died a much more peaceful death than he deserved.Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1101719350712274842004-11-29T01:09:00.000-08:002004-11-29T15:41:27.676-08:00November 29, 1947 - November 29, 2004<p><em>This BlogBurst piece is cross-posted by participating websites, to commemorate a milestone in Israel's history. The list of the participating sites is appended at the end of this post.</em></p>
<center> <Big> <strong>November 29, 2004:
<br>Anniversary of the UN vote on Resolution 181</strong> </Big>
<br><br>
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/kelvinc/2004_11_13-un_resolution_181.jpg" alt="Map of the Resolution 181 partition plan.">
</center>
<br>
<p>Today is the anniversary of the UN vote on resolution 181, which approved the partition of the western part Palestine into a predominately Jewish state and a predominately Arab state. (It is vital to recall that the UN partition plan referred to western Palestine, to underscore that in 1921 the eastern part was ripped off the Jewish National Home by the British Government and handed over to the then Emir Abdullah.)</p>
<p>The partition plan was approved by 33 to 13, with 10 abstentions.</p>
<p>The 33 countries that cast the "Yes" vote were: Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Byelorussia, Canada, Costa Rica, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Haiti, Iceland, Liberia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Sweden, Ukraine, Union of South Africa, USSR, USA, Uruguay, Venezuela. (Among other countries, the list includes the US, the three British Dominions, all the European countries except for Greece and the UK, but including all the Soviet-block countries.)</p>
<p>The 13 countries that chose the Hall of Shame and voted "No" were: Afghanistan, Cuba, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Yemen. (Ten of these are Moslem countries; Greece has the special distinction of being the only European country to have joined the Hall of Shame.)</p>
<p>The ten countries that abstained are: Argentina, Chile, China, Colombia, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Honduras, Mexico, United Kingdom, Yugoslavia.</p>
<p>On November 30, 1947, the day following the vote, the Palestinian Arabs murdered six Jews in a bus making its way to Jerusalem, and proceeded to murder another Jew in the Tel-Aviv - Jaffa area. This was a prelude to a war that claimed the lives of 6,000 Jews, or 1% of the total Jewish population in 1948. This toll is the per capita equivalent of today's Canada losing 300,000 lives, or the US losing 3,000,000.</p>
<p>The object of the war, launched by the Arabs in the former Palestine and the armies of Egypt, Tansjordan, Syria and Lebanon (with help from other Arab countries), was to "throw the Jews into the sea". As the partition map indicates, however, rather than annihilate the Jewish population, the Arabs ended up with less territory than they would have gained by peaceful means.</p>
<p>In addition to the bloodshed in nascent Israel, immediately after the UN vote, Arabs attacks their Jewish neighbours in a number of Arab countries, the murders in Syria's Aleppo being the best known.</p>
<p>Bruised and bleeding, Israel prevailed nonetheless. May our sister-democracy thrive and flourish.</p>
<p><strong><u>List of participating sites, in alphabetical order of site name</u></strong></p>
<table width=99%>
<tr>
<td width=33% valign=top>
<a href="http://www.nicedoggie.net/">Anti Idiotarian Rottweiler</a><br>
<a href="http://arkansas_bushwhacker.bravejournal.com/">Arkansas Bushwacker</a><br>
<a href="http://armiesofliberation.com">Armies Of Liberation</a><br>
<a href="http://bamapachyderm.com/">Bama Pachyderm</a><br>
<a href="http://biurchametz.blogspot.com/">Biurchametz</a><br>
<a href="http://blimpish.typepad.com/blog">Blimpish</a><br>
<a href="http://Blithered.blogspot.com">Blithered</a><br>
<a href="http://blog.willy.no/">Blog Willy</a><br>
<a href="http://bluerev.blogspot.com/">Blue Rev</a><br>
<a href="http://canadiancomment.blogspot.com">Canadian Comment</a><br>
<a href="http://www.caosblog.com/">Cao's Blog</a><br>
<a href="http://www.catholicfriendsofisrael.com">Catholic Friends of Israel</a><br>
<a href="http://christian-patriot.blogspot.com">Christian Patriot</a><br>
<a href="http://christianactionforisrael.org/">Christian Action for Israel</a><br>
<a href="http://clarityandresolve.com/">Clarity and Resolve</a><br>
<a href="http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org">Crusader War College</a><br>
<a href="http://www.cuanas.blogspot.com">Cuanas</a><br>
<a href="http://www.danegerus.com/weblog">Danegerus</a><br>
<a href="http://www.danieldavis.tk/">Daniel Davis</a><br>
<a href="http://www.flig.us">Flig</a><br>
<a href="http://www.godpigeon.com/ ">God Pigeon</a><br>
<a href="http://harald-tribune.skynetblogs.be/ ">Harald Tribune</a><br>
<a href="http://hatshepsut.blogdrive.com/ ">Hatshepsut</a>
</td>
<td width=33% valign=top>
<a href="http://vyer.typepad.com/hereticsalmanac/">Heretics Almanac</a><br>
<a href="http://hiddennook.blogspot.com/">Hidden Nook</a><br>
<a href="http://www.history-nerd.blogspot.com">History Nerd</a><br>
<a href="http://icevikings.blogspot.com/">IceVikings</a><br>
<a href="http://iloveamerica.splinder.com">I Love America</a><br>
<a href="http://www.instantknowledgenews.com/">Instant Knowledge News</a><br>
<a href="http://israpundit.com">IsraPundit</a><br>
<a href="http://www.israel-commentary.org ">Israel Commentary</a><br>
<a href="http://jpundit.typepad.com">JPundit</a><br>
<a href="http://www.jerusalemposts.com/">Jersusalem Posts</a><br>
<a href="http://www.leaningrightnews.blogspot.com">Leaning Right News</a><br>
<a href="http://www.livejournal.com/users/dfrankfurter/">Letter from Israel</a><br>
<a href="http://lindasog.com/">Lindasog</a><br>
<a href="http://mcns.blogspot.com">MCNS</a><br>
<a href="http://www.martinipundit.com">Martinipundit</a><br>
<a href="http://www.mererhetoric.com">Mererhetoric</a><br>
<a href="http://motnews.blogspot.com">Motnews</a><br>
<a href="http://mugged-by-reality.blogspot.com/">Mugged By Reality</a><br>
<a href="http://mysteryachievement.blogspot.com ">Mystery Achievement</a><br>
<a href="http://mysticalpaths.blogspot.com ">Mystical Paths</a><br>
<a href="http://www.naebunny.net/~mommylemur/">Naebunny</a><br>
<a href="http://www.netwmd.com/">NetWMD</a><br>
<a href="http://www.nicejewishboy.net">Nice Jewish Boy</a>
</td>
<td valign=top>
<a href="http://www.peaktalk.com/">Peaktalk</a><br>
<a href="http://www.protectourheritagepac.org/">Protect Our Heritage</a><br>
<a href="http://www.reaganesque.blogspot.com">Reaganesque</a><br>
<a href="http://redtigress.tblog.com">Red Tigress</a><br>
<a href="http://riteturnonly.blogspot.com">Riteturnonly</a><br>
<a href="http://www.shimshon9.com">Shimshon9</a><br>
<a href="http://www.solomonia.com/blog">Solomonia</a><br>
<a href="http://spitballdefense.blogs.com/">Spitball Defense</a><br>
<a href="http://supernatural.blogs.com/weblog/">Supernatural</a><br>
<a href="http://www.tampabayprimer.org/">Tampa Bay Primer</a><br>
<a href="http://www.techievampire.net/wppol/">Techie Vampire</a><br>
<a href="http://texasbug.blogspot.com">Texasbug</a><br>
<a href="http://texthepontificator.blogspot.com/">Tex The Pontificator</a><br>
<a href="http://groups.msn.com/theautismhomepage">The Autism homepage</a><br>
<a href="http://www.theconservative.info">The Conservative</a><br>
<a href="http://www.thehomeland.org ">The Homeland</a><br>
<a href="http://thesealclub.blogspot.com">The Seal Club</a><br>
<a href="http://whackingday.com">Wackingday</a><br>
<a href="http://whosyourrabbi.blogspot.com">Who's Your Rabbi</a><br>
<a href="http://www.voxfelisi.blogspot.com/">Voxfelisi</a><br>
<a href="http://YoanHermida.com ">Yoan Hermida</a><br>
<a href="http://www.newciv.org/nl/newslog.php/_v256">Weblog of a Wondering Jew</a>
</td>
</tr>
</table>Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1101384337513195112004-11-25T04:05:00.000-08:002004-11-25T04:05:37.513-08:00Wrong MessageThe Canadian government's <a href="http://bluerev.blogspot.com/2004/11/not-really-suspension.html">timing</a> on the <a href="http://www.conservative.ca/english/subpage.asp?t=hl&id=256">return of its Ambassador to Iran</a> is nothing short of brilliant. You can't make this stuff up.Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1101370946131707322004-11-25T00:22:00.000-08:002004-11-25T00:22:26.130-08:00"Operation Baghdad" ReduxThis might just be a local phenomenon, but the case of these two <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6574540/">dead Mexican policemen </a>sounds a bit too much like another case of the <a href="http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/001361.php">body-burning lynch mob</a>.
<blockquote>The killings, filmed and broadcast on local television stations, were carried out by a crowd of people who cheered, chanted and shouted obscenities as they kicked and beat the agents. The mob then doused two officers with gasoline and set them ablaze.<br>
(Mexico)
<p></p>
Jubilant residents dragged the charred corpses of four foreign contractors, one a woman, at least one an American through the streets Wednesday and hanged them from the bridge spanning the Euphrates River. Five American soldiers died in a roadside bombing nearby.<br>
(Iraq)</blockquote>
It's not the first time that someone has noticed the <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6419506/">"export" of Iraqi terrorist inhumanity</a> (pro-Aristide thugs had launched a campaign of terror in Haiti called "Operation Baghdad"). But even if the police lynchings in Mexico were not directly inspired by Fallujah insurgents, the two incidents both illustrate the basic human need for legitimate authority to protect the rights of the people.Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1101338809385154962004-11-24T15:26:00.000-08:002004-11-24T15:26:49.386-08:00Not Really A SuspensionI didn't expect <a href="http://bluerev.blogspot.com/2004/11/iran-nuke-mess-and-cia.html">diplomacy</a> to work, but <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2004-11-24-iran_x.htm">this</a> must beat some sort of brevity record:
<blockquote>Iran is demanding that it be allowed to make an exception in its commitment to freeze all uranium enrichment activities so it can operate about about two dozen centrifuges, diplomats said Wednesday..
<p></p>
The Iranians have told the International Atomic Energy Agency — the U.N. nuclear watchdog — that they want to operate the centrifuges "for research purposes," the diplomats told The Associated Press.</blockquote>
The Iranians say they do it for commercial purposes, yet spend who knows how much cash on their nuclear programs when electricity-generating reactors are readily available on the market. Heck even those have been used for the wrong reasons for <a href="http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-75-104/science_technology/candu/">thirty years</a>. Iran can get all the nuclear power it wants if the international community can see that it was an honest player, but it's not an honest player, and that induces a lot of very serious questions.Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1101337339496899382004-11-24T15:02:00.000-08:002004-11-25T00:48:08.666-08:00Don't Pee On My Leg And Tell Me It's RainingOh not <a href="http://www.ubyssey.bc.ca/20041119/article.shtml?<!--2-->news/newsbriefs.html">this</a> again:
<blockquote>Though Wednesday's demonstrations went without major incident, the AMS executive and the Safety Committee will be issuing a letter to the UBC administration regarding GAP's presence on campus and the <em>safety concerns involved in the displays</em>, said AMS VP Administration Lyle McMahon. (italics mine)
<p></p>
(The article in Tuesday's Ubyssey is more detailed, and even more ridiculous. Unfortunately it's not online yet)</blockquote>
"Safety" is a ridiculous excuse to stifle free expression on campus. It is up to the university administration to ensure that people are not physically harmed for what they say, write or display on campus. Although this maneuver is an initiative of the student society, and not the university administration itself, it demonstrates that some students have no real sense of what the heck is university supposed to be for in the first place.
<p>Of course, it's not the first time someone tried to restrict speech on campus under the pretense of "<a href="http://www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=12977_Concordia_U_Bans_Ehud_Barak">security</a>." It <a href="http://www.israpundit.com/archives/2004/11/concordia_canad.php">failed</a> then, and by Good Grace it'll fail again.</p>
<p>Note: I have previously been quite involved with <a href="http://www.ams.ubc.ca/clubs/lifeline/">Lifeline</a>, but my participation has declined over the years as a general trend of disengaging from campus clubs-related activities (former <a href="http://www.ubcecon.com/">ESA</a> execs can attest to that ;D). But this isn't so much about me as about the moronic notion that some people in university should shut up for their own physical well-being.</p>
<p><strong>UPDATE (Nov 25, 12:30 AM):</strong> I've read the <a href="http://www.ubyssey.bc.ca/20041123/article.shtml?<!--1-->news/3gap.html">newer article</a> and it appears that the argument is the exact opposite: the AMS is arguing that GAP is the threat to student safety. I guess I was right when I wrote that it's more ridiculous.</p>
<p> While my involvement with the UBC <a href="http://www.vancouverhillel.ca/israeladvocacy.html">Israel Advocacy Club</a> (unfortunately also lower this year) has made me a front-line witness to the disapproving views of some on <a href="http://www.cbrinfo.org/">GAP tactics</a>, I am disappointed that the AMS feels that it should perpetrate an already repressive atmosphere against GAP participants. I respect those who view the GAP displays as insensitive (even grossly so), but the displays are not inflammatory.</p>
And as for the notion of restricting GAP displays to a "closed space", the proponents can <a href="http://www.townhall.com/columnists/johnleo/jl20030505.shtml">take</a> the <a href="http://www.skywriting.com/misc/pics/free-speech-pen/">idea</a> and <a href="http://www.thefire.org/index.php/case/30.html">shove</a> it.Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1101175754960843592004-11-22T18:09:00.000-08:002004-11-22T18:09:14.960-08:00Happy Corner<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/kelvinc/happycon4.jpg">
<p>As I try to ease myself back into blogging, after an unintended midterm-induced sabbatical, I'm going to start off with a light-hearted fare. <a href="http://www.zonaeuropa.com/02112.htm">This</a> (via <a href="http://simonworld.mu.nu/archives/055832.php">Simon World</a>) is why even though it may suck to take tests, I'm still glad that I'm attending university in Canada, as opposed to Hong Kong:</p>
<blockquote>Suddenly, three to four students rush over to you. They lift you up, they split your legs apart and then they slam your sexual organ right into a post or a wall corner. The name of the game is Happy Corner, and this perverted game is the method by which university students communicate and bond with each other.</blockquote>
<p>Chinese readers can laugh even harder at the original <a href="http://www.com.cuhk.edu.hk/ubeat/041164/story03.htm">campus newspaper article</a>. Of course, the university administration <a href="http://www.com.cuhk.edu.hk/varsity/0404/education_happy%20corner.htm">isn't pleased</a>. I don't blame them, for I dare not imagine the sort of damage this can cause.</p>
Mainstream newspapers that have covered the phenomenon include <a href="http://hk.news.yahoo.com/041119/197/16w9n.html">The Sun</a>, <a href="http://hk.news.yahoo.com/041119/12/16wf2.html">Ming Pao</a> and <a href="http://hk.news.yahoo.com/041119/60/16wbq.html">Sing Tao</a> (articles in Chinese).Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1100599910704289612004-11-16T02:11:00.000-08:002004-11-16T02:11:50.703-08:00The Iran Nuke Mess And The CIAI don't care <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1116/p08s02-comv.html">what the Euro-troika and the mullahs have agreed to</a>. I still don't trust the Iranian government to not go nuclear. In such a situation high on unknowns (or even "unknown unknowns," as Rummy would say), it is the job of the intelligence services to get behind what exactly is happening in Tehran. But because the CIA's such an incompetent mess in assessing the other three rogue state weapons program that's been in the spotlight in the past four years (Iraq, Libya, North Korea), we're not likely to know anything anytime soon (without, God forbid, a mushroom cloud appearing somewhere in North America). Which is why <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1116/p25s01-usgn.html">Goss' necessary reforms at the CIA</a> is riling so many people in the agency, and why I take that as a positive sign of things there.Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1100204697780306612004-11-11T12:24:00.000-08:002004-11-14T20:32:34.710-08:00A Tragic EndIris Chang, author of the acclaimed <em><a href="http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,0_0140277447,00.html">Rape of Nanking</a></em>, was found to had <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/books/11/11/obit.chang.ap/">committed suicide</a>. Her work helped bring the world's attention to Japanese wartime atrocites. May she rest in peace.Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1100178544523204722004-11-11T05:09:00.000-08:002004-11-11T05:09:04.523-08:00Lest We Forget<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/kelvinc/Poppies_at_Gallipoli.jpg" alt="Property of the Royal British Legion">
<p></p>
A heartfelt thanks to those who served to keep us safe and free, in the past and present.Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1100173989875174542004-11-11T03:53:00.000-08:002004-11-11T03:54:50.746-08:00Too Much Irony AlertOn CNN's <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2004/arafat/">Arafat special report</a>, there is a quote at the top.
<blockquote>The battle for peace is the most difficult battle of our lives.</blockquote>
I suppose of all people, <a href="http://www.israelactivism.com/resources/factsheets/factsheets/arafat_controls_violence_Factsheet.asp">he</a> <a href="http://www.heritage.org/Research/MiddleEast/Test061402.cfm">should</a> <a href="http://www.iact.ca/articles.php?category_id=9&article_id=21">know</a>.Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1100165380129334332004-11-11T01:29:00.000-08:002004-11-11T01:34:33.406-08:00A Public Service AnnouncementFor Democrat partisans, the American Left, and anti-Americans in general: here is a picture of the voters that didn't go your way. One that's a lot more realistic than the portrayal by <a href="http://www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=13445_Brit_Rag_Pouts">a certain British tabloid</a>.
<p>We start off with <a href="http://www.asmallvictory.net/archives/007678.html">Michele from A Small Victory</a> (via <a href="http://belmontclub.blogspot.com/2004/11/cormallen-recent-presidential-election.html">Belmont Club</a>):
</p>
<blockquote>I voted for George Bush.<br>
I am not a redneck.<br>
I do not spend my days watching cars race around a track, drinking cheap beer and slapping my woman on the ass.<br>
I am not a bible thumper. In fact, I am an atheist.<br>
I am not a homophobe.<br>
I am educated beyond the fifth grade. In fact, I am college educated.<br>
I am not stupid. Not by any stretch of facts.<br>
I do not bomb abortion clinics.
<p>You will not be thrown in jail for the sole reason of being a liberal.<br>
Your child's public school will not suddenly turn into a center for Christian brainwashing.<br>
Your favorite bookstore will not turn into puritan central.</p>
This is not Nazi Germany in any way.<br>
You will not be forced into concentration camps.<br>
You will not be burned in human-sized ovens because of your religion.<br>
We will not be forced to wear uniforms and march in line every day.<br>
You will not live in fear.<br>
If you think this is a country in which you have to live in fear, I have some friends in Iran who would like to have a little talk with you.</blockquote>
Now we have <a href="http://www.economist.com/agenda/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3360235">the Economist's take</a> (via <a href="http://meatriarchy.blogspot.com/archives/archives/2004_11_07_meatriarchy_archive.html#110009068939869241">Meat</a>):
<blockquote>Yet there is counter-evidence. When asked directly about their attitudes to abortion, the responses this time were no different from 2000: 55% said it should be always or mostly legal. On gay marriage, 26% approved and 35% supported civil unions. So it is possible that “moral values” are not just a matter of social conservatism but also code for trust in the candidate, or respect for a man’s willingness to take a stand—where Mr Bush won easily. Mr Kerry never quite managed to persuade voters of his leadership qualities.</blockquote>
And I'm taking the following from the ever excellent <a href="http://belmontclub.blogspot.com/">Belmont Club</a>, although you should also read <a href="http://belmontclub.blogspot.com/2004/11/november-3-2004-presidential-election.html">this</a>, <a href="http://belmontclub.blogspot.com/2004/11/cormallen-recent-presidential-election.html">this</a>, <a href="http://belmontclub.blogspot.com/2004/11/ex-wave-of-future-samizdata-has.html">this</a> and <a href="http://belmontclub.blogspot.com/2004/11/red-and-blue-this-article-from-jane.html">this</a>.
<blockquote>The recent Presidential election was neither a mandate for empire nor a signal to impose a set of values on an empirically diverse world. If it was revolutionary it was also defensive in character, but in the way of Midway and Stalindgrad; a kind of turning of the tide. The passage of the gay marriage ban in eleven states occurred in the same election that rejected the candidacy of Alan Keyes. It is not that most people wanted to thump a Bible, it was that they didn't want to be thumped at all -- least of all by a synthetic political correctness. The rejection of gay marriage cannot be understood except in relation to the social activism from the Left, any more than a Warsaw barricade can be explained by a sudden desire to pile domestic possessions in the middle of a roadway without glancing at the Panzerkampfwagen VI rattling down the street.</blockquote>
I feel compelled to do this because I'm starting to feel that I don't really exist in the minds of some people: I'm young, a college student, and an ethnic minority (geez all that's missing is the lesbianism). It means that it is inconceivable to some that I am <a href="http://bluerev.blogspot.com/2004/11/us-election-night-liveblogging.html">calling voters to help President Bush</a> instead of, um, <a href="http://www.livejournal.com/users/michellette/87198.html">moping and killing my brain cells to lament his victory</a>.
<p>It had seemed that some of those politically opposed to myself have, in their blind fury, abandoned all their <a href="http://bluerev.blogspot.com/2004/11/abandoning-principles.html">cherished political principles</a>. This wouldn't freak me out so much if the human shells that are left seem so unable to maintain sane dialogue, which is essential for the health of our society.</p>
So, now that you hopefully learned something about that strange population called "<a href="http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/11/05/025631.php">Middle America</a>" (and the 25 million Bush voters in the Blue states), there's a letter for you from <a href="http://www.truthlaidbear.com/archives/2004/11/11/memo_to_the_lefttimes_up.php">Truth Laid Bear</a>.
Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1100147387268204392004-11-10T20:29:00.000-08:002004-11-10T20:51:59.386-08:00Ding Dong!<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41474-2004Nov10.html">The Witch is dead.</a>
<p></p>
CNN reports that the likely US represenative to Arafat's funeral in Cairo will be <a href="http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/4573.htm">Asst. Secretary of State William Burns</a>. And even I thought it'd be Powell. <em>Ouch.</em>Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6018900.post-1099977023956427922004-11-08T21:10:00.000-08:002004-11-08T21:16:58.016-08:00Abandoning The PrinciplesI think a lot of us have been staring at those <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6291779/">red-blue</a> maps, or <a href="http://www.princeton.edu/~rvdb/JAVA/election2004/">purple</a> maps (via <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6383323/#041104a">Cosmic Log</a>), or whatever for way too long. What I haven't noticed, though, is talk about the economic correlation between personal income and voter preference. From the <a href="http://us.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/US/P/00/epolls.0.html">exit polls</a> (on which I <em>still</em> have my <a href="http://bluerev.blogspot.com/2004/11/post-election-thoughts-us-edition.html">doubts</a>), the numbers are pretty obvious (and standard): you're more likely to vote Bush if your income is high, and vice versa for Kerry. So it's sorta shocking that ultra-partisan Democrats are abandoning their own principles of economic equity for the sake of <a href="http://powerlineblog.com/archives/008555.php">political gains that will probably never materialize</a>:
<blockquote>Lawrence O'Donnell (I believe this is the Larry that talked on McLaughlin), said the "blue states" should over the next 20 years seriously consider seceding from the union, because the red states are welfare recipients without supporting the federal government.</blockquote>
And <em>now</em> the Democrats talk against redistributionism? I'm in awe. What's particularly interesting is that this sentiment comes from the fact that the states with higher per capita income voted Kerry, although the Bush voters are the ones with higher personal incomes. The following map shows exactly how "Kerrystan" would carve off the parts of the country with the highest per capita income (2001 data: reds and browns are rich, greens are poor).
<p><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/kelvinc/kerrystan-per_capita_income.gif"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/kelvinc/kerrystan-per_capita_income-small.gif" border=0 alt="Income data from nationalatlas.gov"></a></p>
<p>What's more intriguing is that, when compared to the <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/vote2004/countymap.htm">county-by-county map</a>, the parts of the country <em>within</em> the red states that went for Kerry are amongst the lowest per capita income in the country, including along the Mississippi (south of Missouri and Kentucky), central New Mexico and the southern tip of Texas.</p>
<p>Now I'm not trying to teach Democrats how to do their job, but it would seem to me that the idea of Blue state secession is not only nutty and impossible, it represents a complete abandonment of their long-held beliefs on economic distribution in society. To borrow that overused term from the Left, it looks like economic apartheid. Now I'm not totally new to this idea of <a href="http://www.blogscanada.ca/egroup/PermaLink.aspx?guid=accd4cab-e5e2-4470-b428-fd2323a618c4">ill-thought-out calls for separation</a> (by "<a href="http://atlas.gc.ca/site/english/maps/reference/elections/election2004">blue provinces</a>", incidentally) after electoral defeat. Thankfully, cooler heads seemed to have prevailed here in Canada as the talk died down and we bitch about health care as usual.</p>
At least in Canada there's some <a href="http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/politics/article.jsp?content=20040906_87912_87912">history</a> to this sort of talk. Amongst the American Left, separatist sentiments seem to have been spurred upon by nothing more than a personal hatred towards President Bush, and by inference, those who support him. While I am not terribly worried about the territorial integrity of the United States at this time, the extremely personal feelings motivating this discussion, which have overwhelmed all other sense of priorities in these people, is very unhealthy for the future of the nation. It is possible to have a rational discourse over the prevalent issues of the day. It isn't possible to debate whether the President is the spawn of Hitler and an ape.Kelvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07458424081517134306noreply@blogger.com1