A Day at the Derby

The Tillamook demolition derby, that is. Because I agreed to attend the derby Saturday night, Yang agreed to spend the day at the beach with me. It is a perfect deal because, despite my moans and groans, I love the demolition derby. It is an unadulterated celebration of white trash. It is like watching a train wreck ten times over, without serious bodily injury (usually). Here are the highlights:

• Duct-taping on a neck brace before the round began
• Reading a list of sponsors (usually about five) for each car, and then proudly announcing the grand prize of $700.00.
• The respectful round of applause for the car that only made it half way to the starting line-up before it died.
• The saying on the side of the “Sponge-bob” car that read “Support are Troops.”
• The car that caught fire.
• The other car that caught fire.
• The fat, short man in a red tu-tu.
• The uninterested lady next to me reading “Psychic Self-Defense.”
• The overpriced caramel apples and elephant ears.
• The hilarious spectacle of 15 cars smashing into each other until only one car remains running.

Funny Stuff

If you haven't already, you must watch the Bush-Kerry "This Land" Spoof at Jib Jab.

Me too, me too!

After reading all the other results (here, here, and here), I couldn't resist.

Wackiness: 10/100
Rationality: 4/100
Constructiveness: 16/100
Leadership: 0/100


You are an SEDF--Sober Emotional Destructive Follower. This makes you an evil genius. You are extremely focused and difficult to distract from your tasks. With luck, you have learned to channel your energies into improving your intellect, rather than destroying the weak and unsuspecting.

Your friends may find you remote and a hard nut to crack. Few of your peers know you very well--even those you have known a long time--because you have expert control of the face you put forth to the world. You prefer to observe, calculate, discern and decide. Your decisions are final, and your desire to be right is impenetrable.

You are not to be messed with. You may explode.

Take this Quiz.

Harry Potter, the Hooligan.

The CCP banned the release of Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban in an effort to strengthen the morals of Chinese children. Ten bucks says 90% of all Chinese kids, at least those living in urban areas, already own a pirated PoA DVD. Nice try, CCP.

Thanks to mugglenet for the link.

Great.

Farenheit 9/11 to become first imported documentary in China. This will just add to their collective, "unbaised" education about America.

Oh, How the Mighty Fall

I received very disturbing news yesterday. My faithful, reliable car is only worth $1300. It is worth much more than that to me. I imagine the feeling I had looking at Kelley’s blue book value for the Tracer is similar to the way I’d feel if someone told me my pet is ugly or my child is stupid. I felt so sad. After all, I have been driving that car for nine years.

I was interested in its value because it was rear-ended about a week ago. A punk kid didn’t see me stopped in the road, waiting to turn left (with my signal on, of course), and he crashed into me. We were both okay, but the Tracer was a little beat up. Thankfully the other driver was insured, and the appraiser wrote us a check for $1350 for repairs. We deposited the check because, even with the repairs, we couldn’t sell the Tracer for that much money. Yang took his blow torch and tools to the bumper and trunk last night, and the car is almost as good as before.

The Beginning of the Hijack

The New York Times reports about the investigation into the beginning of the September 11 attacks. It is a sobering read. In 1999, I was living in Beijing. In 1999, Bin Laden was planning to crash planes. Apparently, his organizational skills aren't quite as impressive as some originally believed, but he accomplished his horribly amazing plan in the end.

We're In!

We moved in over the weekend. Every room is full of boxes and unsettled furniture, but we’re in. We can take our time unpacking. Paint is on the walls and carpet on the floor. It looks fantastic. Even our furniture looks better because it is in our house.

I have a confession (now that I am done painting and don’t have to maintain a positive mental attitude): I hate painting. I don’t like it one bit. We saved loads of money, but I lost a week of my life to pain, tears, and anguish. Yang doesn’t mind painting- he is really good at it. To his credit, he did the lion’s share of the work. Nonetheless, I still don’t like it. To all of you considering painting your own house to save money: choose wisely. Unless you have Yang helping you, I would advise against it. In fact, even if you have Yang helping you, I would still advise against it.

More good news: it only took 35 minutes to commute to work! I worried it would take closer to an hour. Hooray!

Infrastructure -- The Great Satan . . .

. . . or wait, maybe it is China. They are, after all, Godless communists. The New York Times reports on the Chinese engineers and construction workers who were killed in Afghanistan by the Taliban. The Chinese were building a road.

A senior Afghan military commander in southern Afghanistan, Hajji Mir Wali, said Mullah Dadullah, one of the top Taliban commanders, recently issued orders to his fighters to strike at road builders. "His orders were: 'First, you have to kill engineers to stop the building of the roads. Second, you have to burn schools and spread out leaflets. Third, you have to put mines and attack government officials; and fourth, if you can, you have to attack American forces,' " Mr. Wali said. He said he was told of the orders by a member of the Taliban who was present at the meeting in which they were issued.

Well, I'm Back.

I have been waiting for things to slow down, and for life to return to its normal routine, before I started summer blogging. However, after almost a month of waiting, I have learned that there is no routine (and there probably won’t be for quite a while).

WORK–Work is lovely. I like my office and I like my work. That is why I returned this summer.

CHINA–Amazing! It was so nice to see my parents and to traipse around Hong Kong. The city is very impressive, but unfortunately, the food was nothing special. (It must be the British influence). The food in Beijing didn’t disappoint us–it was worth flying half way around the world to eat at our favorite Chinese restaurant. And, as always, the shopping was great. We also went to Macau. Macau was relaxed, but still exciting. Beautiful Portugese buildings dot the hills (in between the Casinos).

HOUSE–We have one! We received our keys on Saturday. Closing was a nightmare, but all’s well that ends well. We have been furiously painting ever since Saturday. Late nights every night. Poor Yang- I don’t think he has received more than three hours of sleep a night. He pulled an all-nighter last night. I left the house after 11 pm, and he was planning to work a few more hours. A few more hours turned into all night, and he is welcoming the carpet installers as I write. (And we thought law school was hard). So, here is our tentative schedule: carpet in today; finish painting doors and bathrooms tomorrow (and put all the fixtures back on the walls), and finish cleaning the new house tomorrow; pack up our apartment and move on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday; clean the apartment on Tuesday. Hooray! Last Sunday was our last day at church. I said good-bye to all our friends there (sniff).

My life has been our new house lately. I haven’t been reading the news, I haven’t turned on the television in weeks (that is a good thing), and I feel very disconnected to everything outside the move. A friend at work told me that Fantasia won American Idol days after it happened (I can’t believe I missed the finale!). My A Paper re-write and research assistant responsibilities are hanging over my head–I think I’ll have time to get to them later. I hope everything will calm down a bit in another week or two.

Cheers everyone, and thanks J for the strawberries!

American Underdog

La Toya London got voted off American Idol this week. That is so strange. She was supposed to win. America loves to rally for the underdog. If America thinks someone is going to go home, they all vote for her (*cough* Jasmine). Unfortunately, that has an unwanted side effect–a good singer goes home because everyone thought she was safe and didn’t vote for her. Jasmine is a doll, but she can’t sing very well at all. Strange–she might end up winning.

3L

I finished my second year of law school! I will enjoy the next few weeks of ignorant bliss–the time after finals but before my grades come out. (When an A in criminal law is still within the realm of possibility).

This Friday Yang and I are leaving for a vacation to Hong Kong and Beijing. I am very excited, but it is not the type of vacation I need right now. I need to go someplace warm and quiet. I would love to lounge for a week or so. But alas, lounging is not in store for us. We will tromp all over China, seeing the sights, hearing the sounds, smelling the smells, and eating the delicious food. Chinese opera is the antithesis of quiet, but I guess I’ll take Chinese opera!

B Paper is IN

I just turned in my B paper. I am going to leave it in the box this time. (I turned in for the first time last week, but took it out of the box a few hours later because I panicked. But now, I have revised it for the last time).

That leaves Business Associations (probably Monday) and Substantive Criminal Law (Thursday or Friday). The end is near.

You Mean We Don't Have Greater Bargaining Power?

The bank is working us. We are in a bidding war for the house. At least, that is what the bank is telling us. We offered our third offer (or would this be our second counter-offer?). If they don't accept, we have nothing left to give. I would be much more upset about all this if I didn't have to focus on my exams.

LOTR Parody

This parody made me laugh out loud in the library. (Laughter was very much needed at that point). I found it via TORN.

Aragorn and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

Memo to Self...

...the sun will still shine after finals. Focus!

Ready...set...Study!

Let the games begin. Classes ended yesterday, and tests begin Wednesday (some ambitious souls may even begin testing on Monday). Ahh, finals time. You can smell the stress in the air and cut the tension in the library with a knife. Good luck everyone!

Japanese Public Opinion

Wow. I had no idea the Japanese public blamed the social workers who were held hostage in Iraq. As the New York Times reports,

"You got what you deserve!" one Japanese held up a hand-written sign at the airport where they landed. "You are Japan's shame," another wrote on the Web site of one of the hostages. They had "caused trouble" for everybody. The government, not to be outdone, announced it would bill them $6,000 for airfare

Hmm. One of the hostages was in Iraq to help the children. She got what she deserved? The government is going to bill them for the airfare? That is so harsh. Even we don’t always bill stupid, careless hikers who get stranded for the search and rescue efforts (although we should).

To the angry Japanese, the first three hostages — Nahoko Takato, 34, who started her own non-profit organization to help Iraqi street children; Soichiro Koriyama, 32, a freelance photographer; and Noriaki Imai, 18, a freelance writer also interested in the issue of depleted uranium munitions — had acted selfishly. Two others kidnapped and released in a separate incident — Junpei Yasuda, 30, a freelance journalist, and Nobutaka Watanabe, 36, a member of a pro-peace non-governmental organization — were equally guilty.

Pursuing individual goals by defying the government and causing trouble for Japan was simply unforgivable. So the single government official to praise them was, not surprisingly, an American one.

"Well, everybody should understand the risk they are taking by going into dangerous areas," said Secretary of State Colin Powell. "But if nobody was willing to take a risk, then we would never move forward. We would never move our world forward.

Amen, Colin.

Um, yeah. America is crazy.

Fantasia and La Toya in the bottom three? Jennifer voted out? I don't know what to say. Maybe I should start voting and counterbalance the massive voting power of the thirteen year olds. Nah - I don't care that much. But still, it defies all logic that John was not sent packing last night. He knows he shouldn't be there, poor kid.

And We Have a Counter

Yang and I put our mad contract reviewing skills to work today—we received a counter-offer on *the house*! We have a few minor issues to work out, but this deal may actually happen. To be continued . . .

23 Children Killed

New York Times reports about the latest killings in Iraq.

Three car bombs exploded in front of Iraqi police stations in the southern city of Basra this morning, killing 68 people and wounding 98, the governor of Basra, Waei Abdul Latif, said. The toll included 23 schoolchildren and 9 police officers.

Mr. Latif said he believed the attacks were the work of an alliance between Al Qaeda and extremists in Iraq. He said that the attacks were simultaneous.

"The attacks have the hallmark of al Qaeda," he told reporters in Basra, adding that he expected more violence as the June 30 date for the handover of sovereignty in Iraq nears.
Samir Sumaitey, the Iraqi interior minister, condemned the killings at a news conference in Baghdad.

"The terrorists want to lead Iraq down the path of darkness and chaos," he said. "The Iraqi government condemns this and is determined to find these people and bring them to justice and bring an end to this cancer that is invading the body of Iraq.

"Every child that has been lost represents the future of Iraq."

I wonder what the majority of Iraqis think about this. Who do they blame? What do they want to have happen? Do they blame America for the death of their children? Should they? I wonder how many Iraqis sympathize with Al Qaeda. If they do, will they still sympathize after the death of children today?

In Your Heart You Know He is Right

The title of this post is what Time wrote about Simon Cowell in naming him one of the most influential people of our day. Yes Simon, we know you are right.

Well it is official--I am a fair weather friend. I am leaving the George Huff train because it derailed last night. I thought John did better than George (yeah…John was terrible too). So, unless George pulls himself together next week, American Idol will become the showdown of the divas.

I am starting to be a Fantasia believer. She was undoubtedly the best performer last night. That girl can sing. I am a bit surprised that the judges didn’t mention that Jasmine and La Toya WERE FLAT on the big notes they belted out. Rather, they praised them and threw flowers at their feet. Is it possible that the performance sounds different in the studio than on TV? I promise- those two ladies didn’t hit their high notes and the judges didn’t say a word about it. Hmmm. My prediction is that John is leaving tonight and George or Diana will leave next week.

Which New York Times Columnist are You?

You are Nicholas D. Kristof! You enjoy travelling,
going as far as China, Africa, Alaska, and
Central America for a good story. You use a lot
of quotes and references in your stories. You
tackle tough issues like AIDS and religion,
which makes you controversial among Christians.
You're a good man, Nicholas D. Kristof.


Which New York Times Op-Ed Columnist Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

That is Not Censorship!

Chinese officials responded to criticisms that the national media censored Cheney's speech. They didn't censor Cheney-they just edited his remarks! Rather than "rising prosperity and expanded political freedom" the transcripts simply stated "rising prosperity." That is not censorship. That is editing. They "edited" out discussion of Taiwan, North Korea, and numerous references to political freedom. See the NY Times report here. And the response here.

"Plan of Attack"

I am really excited to read Woodward's new book, "Plan of Attack." Unfortunately, I can't (and shouldn't) read it until I am finished with finals. I watched Woodward's 60 Minutes interview last night and it was fascinating. I am not sure if his account of the days leading to war in Iraq will ultimately help or hurt Bush, but it seems like Cheney has no chance of surviving unscathed. Read the review here.

Weekend Update

Surprise! We are still here. At the encouragement of Shelley, we will post while the details of our move are ironed out.

Legal Writing is over for the year. It ended on a high note at the Multnomah County Courthouse Tuesday and Wednesday. I was nervous about judging the advocates, but I warmed right up to it once things started. I must say, judging is much more fun than arguing.

American Idol
Finally, JPL was sent packing. John, you are next. Many of my fellow “I watch American Idol” friends have expressed their opinion that Fantasia is the best. I disagree. She does have a refreshingly edgy quality; however, I cannot get over George. (Despite his average performance last week).

Tonight is the JSEBL Banquet. Yang has graciously agreed to accompany me. I am not sure I’ll be welcome because I am dropping law review next year, but I am not one to pass up free food.

Yang and I offered to buy a lovely house in Aloha. I have thought of little else since Tuesday. Unfortunately, the owners have yet to respond to our offer, even though we asked them to do so by Thursday at 8 A.M. Yesterday our realtor told us to mentally move on. (Easier said than done). I refuse to give up hope. It is still a live issue (like a split in the circuits). Maybe next week they will accept our offer without condition! (Yeah, right). *Ohh, house-o, I’ve never really lived there so I don’t really know.* (Sung to the tune of Mexico by James Taylor).

What now?

Following up on Yin's post, I am fairly disturbed by what has happened in Iraq. I won't post the links, but the pictures are out there.

I can understand there are some in Iraq who feel the need to be Guerrillas. I can respect that. I can respect someone who for whatever reason feels the need to fight against what they consider an occupying force. I may not agree with it, but I can most certainly respect it.

However, what kind of sick individual takes pride in dragging a dead body through the streets, and then hacking at it with shovels and hoes? There is nothing respectable about that. That is animal savagery. Part of me is beginning to wonder if a culture that accepts/condones/promotes that kind of mentality is worth the time. What a mess we have got ourselves into.

Psychological warfare is certainly an effective element of any conflict. I don't credit the Iraqis with being that organized, but it is possible that this is exactly the reaction they wanted.

Tragedy in Iraq

FALLUJA, Iraq, March 31 - An enraged mob attacked a group of foreign contractors here today, shooting four people to death, burning their vehicles, dragging their bodies through the downtown streets and then hanging the charred corpses from a bridge over the Euphrates River.

Three of the victims were identified as Americans, a State Department spokesman, Lou Fintor, said today, adding that work was continuing to identify the nationality of the fourth.

Meanwhile, less than 15 miles away, in the same area of the increasingly violent Sunni Triangle, five marines were killed in one of the deadliest roadside bomb incidents for coalition troops in weeks. The marines were traveling through a dusty village along a supply route when the explosion ripped into their vehicles.

I don’t know what I think anymore. I have always believed getting rid of Hussein was a legitimate goal, but I’ve felt very uncomfortable with the whole WMD debacle. Now I don’t know what I think. I don’t know why we are there, I don’t know if we should be there, and I don’t know what should be done in the future.

After the attacks of September 11, 2001, I felt such a sense of loss; yet I was so far removed from New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. I decided the least I could do was to read the obituary of every victim in the attack. The NY Times ran a special section of 9/11 victim obituaries every day, and, if I remember correctly, it took about a year to print all the obituaries.

I think I am going to do the same with the war in Iraq. Rather than ignore the news or pretend it is not happening, I want to read every story about every death in Iraq. Not just the deaths of Americans, but the deaths of Iraqis as well. I don’t know what this will accomplish, but as I said earlier, I don’t know what else to think or to do.

"You're Terminated!"

The Donald has a fight on his hands. In 1998 Susan Brenner filed for the “You’re fired” trademark. She didn’t pay her renewal fee, but she is claiming common-law rights to its use and challenging The Donald. Her lawyer sent The Donald a letter warning him not to license merchandise in the areas reached by Brenner’s mailing list. Ha! Cnn link.

American Idol (group 19 is replacing Karl Rove)

George Huff is it. I’m calling it now. He is the next American Idol. Last night was his night. I predict the bottom three will be Camile, John, and JPL (the stormin’ mormon). JPL will be saved another week or two because Camile and John both had terrible performances. I kind of wish Diana would go. She has a great voice, but I really don’t like her performances. She bugs me. Go George.

Planes Down

Its been an expensive week for the Navy: Two F-18s, one in NC and the other in Tenn, and an F-14 off the coast of Cal.

F-18s are 40 million if they are the older ones, 60 if they are superhornets.

F-14s are 38 million.

Cats or Kids

"Cynthia Warner said her daughter, Heather was stabbed at least 47 times in her eighth month of pregnancy. Fliegelman's husband was convicted of her murder. He could have faced four additional years in jail for killing the family cats under Maine law, but he faced no extra charges for the death of the fetus, Warner said."

That is an excerpt from this article. This is a very interesting issue. Right to lifers say it protects the mother and unborn baby, and right to choicers claim it is a thinly veiled attempt to give rights to an unborn fetus. Why not make it a subjective test, if the woman wants the attacker to be charged doubly, once for her, and once for the unborn child, then the attacker should be charged charged doubly. Then the rights of the mother are protected, and her unborn child if the mother wishes. There are no rights created in the unborn fetus, (though I think there should be). That allows lifers and choicers to be happy.

From a constitutional standpoint, I can respect the rights of women who want to make a choice. However, when the law places greater punishment on those who would kill a cat as opposed to those who kill an unborn baby, our priorities are screwed up.

I think a person would be somewhat hypocritical to promote rights for animals but not rights for unborn children. I will concede it is not a perfect parallel. However, on a basic premise, is there a meaningful difference? We get completely bent out of shape as a society when someone kills a cat. Why not get the same upset when someone attacks an unborn child? I think this law is a step in the right direction.

Not dead, yet

Yin and I are on spring break, and so the posting is going to be a little thin for the next few days. The only real exciting news I have is that I took a Myers Briggs test and I am ESTJ-- if thats exciting.

Crazy

Next time you are fired by an employer, you can seek comfort in the fact that your boss may have to send royalties to Trump. He apparently wants to trademark "you're fired." Maybe I'll try to trademark "hello," or "that sucks." Does this sound crazy to all you trademark and patent types out there, or is it just me?

The American Idol- receiving more votes than the President.

Time to come out all you closet American Idol fans! Sadly, our own NW girl, Leah, was voted off this week. She was the best looking girl (besides Jasmine), but her voice wasn’t as strong as the others. I think I want George Huff to go all the way, but my opinion is likely to change next Tuesday. There is Jon Peter Lewis representing (uh…representing Idaho…), but I don’t think he is good enough to last much longer. Yeah, I love my weekly pop culture fix.

Not Appeasement

Friedman's editorial says that the Spanish vote will be remembered as an act of appeasement if they pull their troops out of Iraq. I don’t think pulling Spanish troops out of Iraq is appeasement. If anything, it is a good example of democracy in action. The Spanish people didn’t want to be part of this war, and they voted for the socialist party because of its opposition to the war. Had the tragic events of 3/11 not occurred, the Spanish people would probably have voted out the pro-Bush government, and the socialist party would have made good on its campaign promises and pulled troops out of Iraq. Why should the Spanish people change their demands because of a terrorist attack? They have the courage to do what they were planning on doing, despite terrorism.

WARNING: Personal Rambling Below

Yesterday I received feedback from my A paper writing professor. One of his comments was particularly painful because I realize the comment was not just a critique of my paper, but indicative of a larger problem in my education and thinking. He commented that I “really bought the alternative dispute resolution mantra hook, line and sinker.”

I think I lack quality critical thinking skills. I remind myself of my Chinese students, who never seriously questioned the propaganda of official governmental newspapers. I would always tell them not to take what they read at face value, but to think about the arguments and potential flaws. Yet, here I am in law school, taking too much of what I read at face value. I have a hard time cutting through the fluff, isolating the true argument, and identifying weaknesses.

Why do I have a hard time evaluating the merits and flaws in academic writing? Am I alone in this? I have thought of two possible explanations for my educational weakness. First, I am not yet smart enough or well-read enough. Second, this problem originated because of my unique upbringing and my primary education. (It is probably a combination of the two).

Reason one: I believe I am fairly well educated and relatively intelligent, but I do not spend enough time reading academic journals and books. If this is the cause of my weakness in thinking, then it can be cured by continuing education and a stronger commitment to independent study. There is hope.

Reason two: Let me explain a bit, and please take what I write with a grain of salt. I was raised in a very religious setting (both in my home and in my community). As a child I was taught that there are certain absolute truths and I should not really question them. I was taught to take my religious teachings and scripture at face value. Now, as I got older I had to question my religious views and come to individual understanding of and belief in religious doctrines—which I did. However, there was a certain amount of “propaganda” in my early education. (I don’t want to propagate the idea that Mormon kids are brainwashed. We aren’t. To a certain extent, I think all children are told to believe things “just because.” As we get older, we fill in the “just because” when we can grasp difficult concepts.) If this is the reason for my educational weakness, then there still is hope. Everyone has to learn to critically think. I may have started my critical thinking at a later stage than most students, but there is no reason that I can’t catch up. I’ll just have to try harder. Somehow I’ll have to catch up between now and when I turn in my final draft of my A paper.

So, there you have it. I am suffering through a not-quite-mid-life educational crisis.

Fuzzy Facts

"If you're going to make an accusation in the course of a presidential campaign, you ought to back it up with facts," Mr. Bush told reporters after meeting with Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands. (NYT Reports.) (Regarding Kerry’s claim of support from international leaders).

But, apparently, if you are going to make an accusation in the course of invading another country (even if the motives of removing a megalomaniacal monster are pure), backing it up with “fuzzy” facts is sufficient. Hmmm.

Brilliance in Action

Can you think of a worse way to commit suicide?

I understand there are those who are emotionally unstable or distraught, but come on, this is seriously not thinking it through.

Tragic Irony

Stephen King (no, not that one) definitely makes the all time top 3 hypocrite list.

Just Walk it Off

Life is hectic right now—not just for me but for everyone. We have law review, A papers, B papers, class work, “real life” work, first year moot court training camp (for us writing TAs), life, significant others, eating right, exercising, trying to think of the right answer to the question of “what type of law do you want to practice,” etc. I would not say that I am overly stressed, but I am not very pleasant or happy, either. So, I went for a walk in the park with Chaitna this afternoon. I forgot the power of a walk outside—especially in Tryon State Park in Portland, Oregon on a sunny day. Man, life is good.

House Hunting

"You have to kiss a lot of frogs to find that prince." The words out of my realtor's mouth as we stood in the back yard of a house where the neighbor's two 150 pound Rots were trying to jump over the fence and eat us. It is scary when a dog that big can jump high enough to show his head over the top of a 6 foot fence.

Anyway, we looked at a pair of houses in a neighboring community. They were not terrible, but somehow not exactly what we wanted. Renting looks more and more advantageous for us all the time.

Random Philosophical Conversation of the Day

So I was approached by two classmates, regarding a very interesting question. If I donated my body to science, and then my body was used for testing in land mine protective gear, does that qualify for "scientific purposes?" Should my family be upset with that use?

I think on this one I would have to say that if I donated my body to science, then I would likely think my family would not be upset, because the purpose of donating ones body is for the betterment of society. Sometimes that betterment comes via teaching new doctors. Sometimes that betterment comes via using spare parts. Sometimes for medical and pharmacological research, but for whatever reason, for the betterment of society.

If my body was used in land mine protective gear research, I think that is for the betterment of society too. This would especially be true if as a result of the research, those who live in landmined areas, or those who are charged with removing them mines get the benefit of the research.

Come to think of it, this is likely a rather fitting way for my crusty old dead body to be used. I think I am going to look into this. Time to call the estate lawyer.

More on China

Xinhua reports that the Chinese government may add a clause to their constitution protecting the right to own property. The days of ideological purity in China are long past. Unfortunately, only the incredibly wealthy can afford to buy property in China, and they are too afraid the goverment will not respect the constitution.

More importantly, Beijingren finally get to watch LOTR: Return of the King! Hooray! (That is assuming they haven't already purchased a street copy for a dollar).

Madrid Train Attack

Always tragic to see another mindless taking of life. So completely mindless, that perhaps even the perpetrators aren't going to claim responsibility, because the death was too extensive to do them any political good.
10 coordinated zero hour explosions, secondaries for police and rescues... Either ETA has been to school or this is someone better organized then they are. Whoever they are I hope they are caught and dealt with quickly. Tim Mcveigh can welcome them into hell.

Completely tragic.

The China Environmentalist

These events in China, as reported by the NYT, are as encouraging as they are discouraging. China wants to dam the Nu river in an effort to create more energy. However, the river and surrounding areas is a world heritage site, which hosts many endangered plant and animal species. In contrast to the Three Gorges Dam project, which has and continues to garner intense international outcry, resistance to the Nu Dam project comes mostly from within China.

This new is encouraging because of its socio-political ramifications. There is a grass roots movement within China against this project. That is amazing! According to the article,
“The dam proposal became public last August after reports appeared in the Chinese news media, including China Environment News, the official newspaper of the national environmental agency. It ran several front-page articles, including one titled ‘The Pristine Environment of the Nu River Should Be Preserved.’”
An official news paper is voicing opposition to a Beijing project. I can only imagine the discussions going on in Chinese universities and business places. Instead of focusing on the evils of the world outside China, the people may actually be questioning and discussing the relative merits of their own nation’s policies. Wow.

I think it is awesome to see increased environmental awareness in China. When Yang and I were in Beijing, we were amazed at the pollution. Beijing was polluted on all levels: industrial pollution (mostly from burning coal for energy); agricultural pollution (copious pesticide use in farming and the dust storms from the desertification of areas around the Gobi); and individual pollution (people threw trash in the streets and rivers, people spit in the streets and indoors, and most shockingly- we actually saw a mother let her child defecate on the street). While we were there (1999-2000), people around us were barely starting to realize the seriousness of the problem. It reminds me of the U.S. in the 1980s. I am just old enough to remember the environmental TV ad of the Indian on the hill crying as he watched the teenagers dump their fast food waste out the window of their car. Remember- we used to dump trash on the streets too. Attitudes changed in America and they are changing in China. I don’t mean to be paternalistic or patronizing to China. I love the place. But the pollution is shocking.

The discouraging news is that the dam project will likely materialize. China is short on energy, and its economy only continues to grow. Pressure has been placed on Beijing to become less dependent on coal and more dependent on cleaner forms of energy. That is exactly what China is doing with this dam project. The giant has awakened and it is hungry. It needs energy to fuel its growth. Hopefully Beijing can weigh its present needs with its future needs and follow the best course of action.

Rubens

NYT reports that an art exhibition in France is finally giving Rubens his due recognition. Apparently, France rejected Rubens for nationalistic reasons. Glory for Rubens meant less glory for the French painter of the time, Poussin. Furthermore, France at the time only appreciated Italian art. I think this shows that art is not independent of politics--It wasn't in the 17th century and it isn't today. What a fascinating class that would be- politics and art. *Thinking I should have been an art history major*

Personally, I love Rubens for his "extravagant regard for female flesh" (as the NYT puts it). His room at the Louvre Museum was my favorite.

Give junior a ballot

I think allowing kids the ability to vote is a great idea, but it should be qualified in ways other than just age. Why not give them a half vote if they pay any significant income taxes, and a full vote if they drive? Aside from entering the military and being able to legally drink, what is the difference between a responsible, tax paying, driving 16 year old and an 18 year old who votes? I cannot see a meaningful one. Are kids fickle? Probably. Are they irresponsible voters? Probably some of them. That doesn't make them any different than most adult voters.

230 years ago a handful of us got bent out of shape over, among other things, being taxed without any represetation. I don't see how this is any different of an issue. Perhaps our public schooling problems wouldn't be as dire as they are if we would allow students the ability to vote.

Ideas?

Narnia

Nicole Kidman may be the Witch in Disney's production of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. I think that is a great choice! Now for the voice of Aslan...(I hope it is not James Earl Jones). Thanks to TORN for the link.

Ah, Utah.

SCM pointed out that I haven’t posted lately. Sorry. Real life is my only excuse. I am actually posting this during Business Associations. This is not the best time because BA is about as RL as it gets for me, but this class is really boring. I can’t help it.

On to the point of my post: I stumbled on this link via times and seasons. There has existed an unfortunate baby name trend in Utah- especially among Mormons. The trend is that parents are naming their children really horrible names! Be creative with pet names- play it safe when naming your child! Some of my favorite Utah names: Liberty Lulu, Zion Anakin, Tithing, Xione (pronounced Zion), and LaVoid. Ha! (See the best of the list linked above: the cream of the crop). In addition to pioneer-esque names, I have noticed many religion-specific names (generally only Mormons recognize the significance- Nephi, Lehi, Liahonna, Nauvoo, Kirtland) and alternative spellings (Jaxon, Kayte, etc). I haven’t always been very fond of my name, but my parents could have done a lot worse! (Kori is my name in rl).

I am sure this is not a phenomenon unique to Utah, or to Mormons for that matter. Maybe the names with alternative (made-up) spellings are not a Utah/Mormon trend, but rather a small town trend? I know biblical names have been around for a while, but people generally stick with the simple biblical names (John, James, Matthew, and the occasional Isaiah). Do people pick more “unique” biblical names in the Bible belt? The entertaining hippie-name trend seems to have ended in the 70s- what is the name trend that will characterize our generation?

Enough. Back to the differences between preferred stock and common stock.

Religion gone way too far.

Do a search for "lambuel" and prepare to be shocked. I won't link to it for fear they would hunt me down and shoot me. To think this kind of stuff is geared towards kids. I like how the pastor there has a degree in Theobiology. Zach and I were thinking that is definitely not a hard science, likely not a soft one either. We decided it would be a meringue science, light and airy.

More Beagle

The Brits are still looking, but no thanks to the Germans who have offered their help.

I think the last couple of lines of this article are quite good. At least someone besides me is getting a charge out of this.

Quote of the day.

I love it when the press ask stupid questions. This response from a Col. in Haiti is classic.


Asked how he knew the man killed was a gunman, Gurganus said: "He had a gun and he was shooting at Marines, that's what I call a gunman."

Alternative version of "Footprints in the Sand"

Below is a different version of a very cheesy religious poem.

One night I had a wondrous dream,
One set of footprints there was seen,
The footprints of my precious Lord,
But mine were not along the shore.

But then some strange prints appeared,
And I asked the Lord, "What have we here?"
Those prints are large and round and neat,
"But Lord, they are too big for feet."

"My child," He said in somber tones,
"For miles I carried you along.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait."

"You disobeyed, you would not grow,
The walk of faith, you would not know,
So I got tired, I got fed up,
And there I dropped you on your butt."

"Because in life, there comes a time,
When one must fight, and one must climb,
When one must rise and take a stand,
Or leave their butt prints in the sand."

Thanks to Ben over at Times and Seasons.

Moms

Never underestimate the determination and wit of a mother.

"Hey kid, there is some gum in your hair. Let me pull it out for you." That's pretty cagey. I am very impressed.

Cambodia?

After seeing that Zach was quizzed out to have "questions about... sexual promiscuity and the threat of disease," I figured I should try this one out.

You're Cambodia!

Life's been really rough, but it's slowly improving.  You know
way too much about the skeletal structure of humans, mostly from being forced to study
it.  This has given you a fear of many things, most especially the color red.
 The future has to be more promising though, and your greatest adversary can now
never come back to hurt you any more.
Take
the Country Quiz at the href="http://bluepyramid.org">Blue Pyramid

Point of Clarification

Yin would never say Jackass, nor would she ever watch the movie. Her actual words were, "that MTV show that I have heard about where they try to outdo each other with stupid stunts."

FYI

Landing on a Comet

Some of the recent news has renewed my geek driven interest in space. I confess, I went to Space Camp as a kid and loved every minute of it. They made me Mission Commander of our simulated shuttle mission, and I even bought a little blue flight suit and lots of patches to sew on it. Bad, I know.

Anyway, the Mars Rovers have been fun to follow. I was expecting a little more of a dog and pony show for today's press release. The anticipation leading up to it reminded me of Forest Gump: my friends had told me how great it was, when I finally came around to seeing it, disappointment was the only possible outcome.

I laugh every time I see the Diet Pepsi commercial that shows the Martians taking the wheels off the rover and putting it up on cinder blocks. That's clever.

Anyway, I am reading about this comet chasing mission and thinking- no way. There is no way this will be pulled off. Landing a washing machine sized probe on a comet? I just don't think that is going to happen. Another article I read said the probe was going to have to harpoon the comet and reel itself in, seeing as how there isn't enough gravity to actually "land" on it.

I hate to be pessimistic, but my prediction is bleak. Hitting a comet, which can't be very big, 10+ years from now millions of miles away? No offense to the Europeans who worked on it, but considering their recent adventures in space-- the failed Arianne rocket launch recently, and the M.I.A. Beagle, their track record is not so hot. Good luck, you are really going to need it.

Yin says, "Why do people do things like this? Its like Jackass for geeks. Somewhere there are a bunch of people sitting together thinking up the next craziest thing to try to pull off."

Don't get mad

So there's a study out now that says if you get angry a lot you are likely to have a heart attack. I wonder if there is money in this medical research, because it doesn't appear to be too difficult. Some ideas I have for possible studies: I would like to establish that if you don't sleep, you are likely to become tired. Or even better, those who don't exercise and eat too much are likely to be overweight. I am reminded of the SNL weekend update where it is announced "in another study, it was found that 75 percent of all people equals three quarters of us."

Will someone buy me a subscription to this magazine? I think Circulation would be a real conversation maker for the coffee table.

Vacation anyone?

The getaway we have all been waiting for.

Off to the dentist

Poor Yin. She had a bridge come loose this morning. I feel for anyone who has significant dental work to constantly worry about.

When I was a kid I broke one of my front teeth off in a bicycle accident at a cousin's house. They were a little rougher than I was used to (though it was good for me, looking back). After I stood up and realized my tooth was broken off, we searched the ground looking for it. We actually found a different tooth, but not mine. I didn't really think much of that then, but looking back now, thats pretty funny.

First Amendment Rights

I started laughing today while I was studying. I don't know why I remembered this today. Last year during a Con Law discussion, I don't even remember what about, someone in the class raised their hand and asked, "What about our first amendment right to happiness?"

Now I had said (and continue to say) plenty of idiotic things in class, but after that one I didn't feel so bad. I wouldn't guess there are many who could recite the guarantees of the first amendment (or any of the first ten) without some kind of refresher. However, considering this was a Con Law class, it was particularly embarrassing for everyone involved. Oh well. The nice thing about situations like this is that I am sure no one can remember who said it (me included), just that it was said.

Lets all do what we can to protect our first amendment right to happiness.

What Ice Cream Flavor are You?

You scored 44.4% Butter Pecan
Butter Pecan ice cream types are organized, put-together, and generally valued for their fairness, efficiency and lack of pretension -- you won't see a Butter Pecan type putting on airs. In fact, it may be hard for a no-nonsense Butter Pecan type like you to express yourself at all, even though you’re privately quite sympathetic and observant. No doubt you like to plan ahead and take charge, which means you're often over-committed. When it comes to romance and relationships, you’re most compatible with your own kind -- other Butter Pecan types who appreciate hard work and good sense.

I’m also 22% Strawberry, and 11% of Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, and Vanilla. I’m a mut.

Link to the quiz.

Comanches Crusaders and Schools

"The Pentagon has spent $6.9 billion on the RAH-66 Comanche, an armed reconnaissance and light attack helicopter, since it began development in 1983. More than two decades later, it has only two of the helicopters, officials said."

"Army acquisitions chief Claude Bolton said he expected to incur termination fees of between $450 million and $680 million to Boeing and Sikorsky, far less than some analysts had said. "

I applaud the DOD's decision to scrap the Comanche. However, where did all the money go, and what purpose do the termination fees serve? As dependent as aerospace contractors are on military projects, when we have half a trillion dollar debt, doesn't 5-700 million in termination fees seem excessive? Especially in light of this quote from the Washington Post:

"The Army would have spent $14 billion on the Comanche program through 2011 without getting aircraft significantly more capable than the upgraded Apaches it already plans to buy, Army officials said. "

SO, in summary, the money is spent, there is no improvement over what we already have, and we have to pay half a billion plus to cancel the contract. I need to get into weapons research.

I understand that military equipment takes years to procure and lots of money to develop, but this seems outrageous, especially on the heels of the Crusader cancellation, after 11 billion dollars had been spent (wasted?).

I can't even believe I (generally a big fan of military spending) am saying this, but how far would 18 billion dollars go in our schools?

REALITY TV

Why do people want to go on reality TV? 99 percent of all people who go on reality TV look like idiots. I just don't understand it. I am watching Fear Factor, and thinking, why? Is the money worth it? Is the fame (or notoriety rather) worth it? There is a snowman's chance in hell that I could win 50 thousand dollars. I think I will eat this plate of worms coated in rotten cheese.
I guess that is what I get for watching network TV.

GRACIAS

Hats off to SCM for her wonderful party, enjoyed by all.

CHAINSAWS

A good friend wakes me up Saturday so that I can go with him to purchase a chainsaw. Not being one to pass up such an opportunity, I quickly found my way to his house where we loaded up and went chainsaw shopping. We found ourselves looking longingly at some Husqvarna saw, but settled for something more practical for him as he will not likely use it more than a few times. We returned home, assembled the saw, and proceeded to cut down every tree in his yard. My friend, (now affectionately called "the lumberjack") was thrilled to be rid of them. It was great fun, I even brought home a slice of the biggest trunk myself. I love being a spontaneous shopper.

Re: Church

*Crossing fingers that nothing I said in my talk today shows up on this list*

Church

Yang and I spoke in church today. I am glad it is over. I don’t know why I get so nervous about speaking in church. I think I was less nervous arguing for moot court last year than I was this morning. Anyway, I know Yang did excellent (he sang a beautiful song in addition to his talk), and I think I did okay. At the very least, I am still alive. Plenty of people came up to me after and told me it was wonderful. However, I can’t really gauge the quality of my speaking ability from those comments. People are just too nice. I could have talked about Harry Potter the whole time and I am sure I would receive the same compliments. I wish I had critical feedback from a panel of judges- like first year moot court. “Well, Yin, you looked confident but your intro was really weak.” “You were too stoic when you related that first story, but way too emotional during the other story.” “Perhaps you should use less scripture and more policy.” “Yin- you are just not believable. Perhaps you should try and avoid religious speaking.” Yeah. On second thought, maybe it is best to just receive compliments from the really nice people in the congregation.

Get Your Groove On

A post over at Times and Seasons got me thinking of the rock songs that inspire me. In high school, “Hammer and a Nail” by Indigo Girls helped me keep my priorities straight.

Gotta get out of bed
And get a hammer and a nail
Learn how to use my hands
Not just my head- I’ll think myself in to jail…

Unfortunately, this song just makes me feel bad now that I am in law school. I am using my head way too much lately, and I definitely need to get outside more.

During finals, the rock song that inspires me most is “The Eye of the Tiger.” I find that humming it helps me internalize lists and rules. I feel courage in the face of inevitable defeat.

I usually start humming “Hey ya” by OutKast when my mind is mush from studying too hard for too long because I don’t have to think about the lyrics.

Lately, the song that inspires me most is “Into the West” by Annie Lennox. I love combination of her haunting voice, the thoughtful lyrics, and the song’s connection to Hobbits and Valinor.

What about you? What is the rock (hip hop, country, alternative) song that inspires or motivates you?

The “A”rrrggh Paper

If I knew then what I know now….
I absolutely love the appellate brief issue Johansen’s first year writing class is working on. It involves the Alien Tort Claims Act and whether businesses can be held liable for torts committed against aliens outside the U.S. Fascinating stuff. I could write a novel about this issue. Unfortunately, I chose my A paper topic last September, before I knew about ATCA. My actual topic is as interesting as the ingredients list on a box of Cheerios. *sigh*

PEPSI MUSIC

How clever! Will the Convenience Store Industry Association of America (CSIAA) begin to file suits to put an end to the madness?!

FALLING LAPTOPS

I dropped my computer this morning. Luckily it appears the only damage is cosmetic, and with a little super glue and possibly some heat it should be back to normal. I have been fairly pleased with this computer, all except it is so flimsily built. I wish Dell would start using something other than this rubbery plastic for its cases. Its a little disconcerting that you can pick up one corner of my laptop and it will raise off the desk 3/8ths of an inch before any of the other corners will lift off the table. I see it is becoming more reasonable to procure a civilian version of the military "hardened" laptop. When these get a little faster with a little more memory- or a little cheaper, sign me up.

GAY MARRIAGE:

I think she is right, though I would hate to see the inbox of her email knowing what I know about Utahns.

MISSILE LAUNCHES

Nothing sucks worse than having the PR fireworks display go wrong.

Hobbit

I would LOVE to be a lawyer working on this negotiation!

CHANGING OIL

A good friend went to a quick-change place and had a horrible experience. I am not terribly surprised. I thoroughly enjoy going to these quick change places and toying with the "mechanics." My favorite is the PCV test. Often they come in with a shiny little silver piece of metal and say, "Your PCV valve is bad, and you need to have it replaced. We have one in stock and it will only be 45 dollars." Of course if you don't replace it, you will get bad gas mileage, you will have terrible emissions, you could get serious engine damage, you might be liable to any passengers for hydrocarbon exposure, you could be liable for the breakdown of the mideast peace process, etc...

I enjoy responding with a small test. If they can tell me what a PCV valve is (specifically what the PCV stands for), what its purpose is, and how they know it is bad, then I will indulge their pseudo-mechanic wishes and allow them to change it out.

Anyway, my friend had his transmission fluid changed (because if he didn't, it would surely start a spiral of events leading to the breach of the Hoover Dam) and they didn't reconnect a return hose correctly. This was not an operation that required tools, we were able to fix it with only our hands. What does that say about their "mechanics" that a couple of geeky law students were able to reconnect it without any trouble.

Anyone who has been to these places know my other favorites as well. "You need a new radiator cap." "Your air filter is so bad I am surprised your car even runs." "You definitely need to have your radiator flushed because it is just about to rust out and when that happens the engine will fall out of your car." "Your belt has more cracks in it per inch than the manufacturer allows, you need a new one." Curiously, there are never any suggestions on major work that needs to be done. I think it is somewhat telling that you never hear, "You are going to need your main seals replaced, and we have those in stock now."

Oh well, I will continue to go because it is easier and cheaper than doing it myself. I just wish they would take the effort used in finding quick and easy things to replace on the car and put that effort into finding a me a donut while I wait.

IRAQ

Meet the Press by Thomas Friedman (Registration required, so excerpt provided below)

The situation in Iraq is fast approaching the tipping point. The terrorists know that if they can wreak enough havoc, kill enough Iraqis waiting in line to join their own police force, they can prevent the U.N. from coming up with a plan for elections and a stable transfer of U.S. authority to an Iraqi government. Once authority is in Iraqi hands, the Baathists and Islamists have a real problem: They can't even pretend to be fighting the U.S. anymore. It will be clear to all Arabs and Muslims that they are fighting against the freedom and independence of Iraq and for their own lunatic ideologies. Which is why they are desperate to prevent us from reaching that tipping point. Their strategy is to sow chaos, defeat President Bush and hope that his Democratic successor will pull out. Which is also why at this moment the most important statement on Iraq that can be made — one that could even save lives — is nothing President Bush could say. No, the most important statement on Iraq right now could only come from the likely Democratic presidential nominee, John Kerry.

I really like Friedman’s writings on Middle East politics. However, sometimes I think he defines things as too cut and dry (too black and white). I like the point he made above, but I fear that he is not correct. I believe the Baathists and foreign (non-Iraqi) Islamists will continue fighting after authority has been transferred to an Iraqi government. They will not give any credence or legitimacy to the new government. I think it will always have the ‘western puppet regime’ stain.

I took Middle East politics in 2001. It was taught by a wonderful professor at BYU. She was liberal by BYU standards, but fairly moderate compared to the greater academia. We spent approximately two weeks studying Iraq’s governmental and security structure under Hussein. It was shocking- it is shocking. We also studied the popular form of Arab/Islamic government- the paternal system. Ibn Saud was the greatest, most successful example of the paternal system. He was the father of his country and he cared for it. I love the story about when Ibn Saud met with Roosevelt. Roosevelt invited Ibn Saud to board the USS Murphey. Ibn Saud agreed, but insisted upon bringing along his tent, which he pitched on board, his attendants and his sheep. Hussein is a good example of the paternal system gone wrong. Rather than a father, he was a megalomaniac. He didn’t love his people, he feared them. Thus, he repressed and tortured them.

I have always secretly desired to be a foreign relations political advisor to the president. However, I would hate to be an advisor to any president about what to do in Iraq. I believe this is our mess and we have to clean it up. I also believe that we have enormous potential to leave Iraq as a stable and effective nation. I just don’t know how we will accomplish that.

COOKIES and SINGING

I made some cookies this evening that were far too greasy. Didn't have the right amount of flour I think. Having given up on the cookies, I think I am just going to go to bed. There is so much I should do, but very little I feel like doing. I am getting lazier as I get older. I need to be writing a talk I have to give on Sunday. In order to keep everyone awake during my talk, I am going to sing. There is often signing during typical meetings, but for a speaker to sing during a talk is rather unorthodox (but not entirely unheard of). I have found whenever I unexpectedly break into song, one of two things happen--either those around me cover their ears in horror, or they stare in shock and wonder (not because I'm good, but rather because they wonder why is this person suddenly singing). Either way, the results will be a congregation full of people wide awake.

LOTR

I really hope Lord of the Rings: Return of the King wins best picture. I think it has a good shot. I have always loved watching the Acadamy Awards, though I do not always care about the movies. (I like the celeb fashion show). The only other time I have really cared about a movie winning was when Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was up for best picture. Sadly, it lost. Come on, Acadamy. Do the right thing this time.

CELL PHONES

I have decided that I generally don't like people with cell phones. Don't get me wrong, I have had them myself. Several of them. The first one I ran over with a tractor, and to my relief and amazement, it still worked afterwards. Admittedly they are very useful, and I will undoubtely own one again in the near future. However, there are several things about the average cell phone user that bother me-

Objection 1.
Seems that every phone now has some motion-alert function. Why do we need ringers anymore? There may be situations where ringers serve some purpose, but they are few. I am sitting here in class, when across the room a distorted William Tell Overature perks up from wihtin someones bag. Nervous glances and reddened faces ensue. The perpetrator discovers her phone and quickly shuts it off, whispering sorry to those around her. All completely unneccessary. It is probably worth noting, my all time tacky favorite ringer is definately the Hallelujah Chorus.

Objection 2.
When Yin and I lived in China, we quickly tired of the lack of cell phone etiquette. People screaming into their phones while at dinner is just innapropriate. There are few situations where people need to have their phone with them while at a restaurant, and if they do, see objection 1. In those rare situations, when when it rings, get up and leave the restaurant to speak, don't make those around you suffer.

Objection 3.
This one is more just personal thing... People who walk around with their hands free talking to people look like morons. Hands free are for the car, not the grocery store. There are very few situations where using one hand to hold the cell phone has resulted in serious injury or fatalities while driving a shopping cart.

Objection 4.
The antennas and covers that light up? DUH!

These are just a few that come to mind right now. I may have to add to this later.

Blogging is interesting. I enjoy regularly reading a few choice weblogs, but I cannot escape the feeling of being a sneak- a voyeur, even. (It is the same feeling I have when I go through clients’ medical histories at work). Yet despite feeling like a sneak, I still read other blogs. I can feel a connection to someone I don’t even know, or I can argue (in my head) with someone I have never met. Blogging seems like a lonely way to express feelings. I have always been a people person. I love to talk face to face with family, friends, and my spouse. Yet, despite the anonymous face of a blog, I want to have one. I have the support of Yang, to balance out my craziness. Dave shared his approach to blogging. I like that style, but I fear I am no where near honest enough (or thoughtful enough) to pull it off. Thus, I will try to post a good mix of things interesting, funny, thoughtful, and honest.

I don't particularly like Dean, yet I feel a bit for the guy. Whatever your take on his political ideologies, there is no denying he had passion.

I have found a summer program for Yin. I think she will particularly enjoy the skinning and shooting. Gracias JBBang for the link.