Global Warning and Eating a Meat Based Diet.

This is a short 3 minute video. PLEASE watch it. It won't take much time out of your day but the effects could be monumental.~Peace to all beings~

2009 Alabama V.S. Florida Hype Video

Bits and Pieces

(Picture taken on the Taipei MRT - Obama campaign rhetoric Taiwan style)

Couple of things out there which caught my eye:

• A guy called Ed Begley Jr who apparently is an environmental TV series presented in the US went on Fox news and got in a very heated row with the presenter / interviewer. Ed loses the argument owing to his rude gesturing and talking over the presenter but the presenter's arguments are facile and his questioning of how any American could support the government banning incandescent light bulbs on the grounds that the 'government is coming into my house' is puerile to say the least. Ed has all the right arguments but his presentation sadly destroyed the effectiveness of them.

• Fascinating charts on American public opinion across a range of sensitive social issues - the patterns seem quite clear (you can actually see the bible belt)

Which would you rather lose?

283,859 people have answered

• David Villano questions if a belief in God is hurting America ... with these interesting points:

Phil Zuckerman, a sociologist at Pitzer College whose research looks at the link between religion and societal health within the developed world, agrees with that assertion. "The important thing we're seeing here is that progressive, highly functional societies can answer their problems within a framework of secularity. That's a big deal, and we should be blasting that message out loud," he contends.

In a paper posted recently on the online journal Evolutionary Psychology, independent researcher Gregory S. Paul reports a strong correlation within First World democracies between socioeconomic well-being and secularity. In short, prosperity is highest in societies where religion is practiced least.

"Popular religion," Paul proposes, "is a coping mechanism for the anxieties of a dysfunctional social and economic environment." Paul, who was criticized, mostly on statistical grounds, for a similar study published in 2005, says his new findings lend support to the belief that mass acceptance of popular religion is determined more by environmental influences and less by selective, evolutionary forces, as scholars and philosophers have long debated.

Zuckerman warns against hasty emulation of the Danes and Swedes. "We can't just say that secularity is good for society and religion is bad," he warns. "And nor can we say the opposite. The connections are very complex."

Yet in spite of his findings, and his secularist agenda, Paul stops short of proposing measures to suppress the role and influence of religion in America. Why? It's already happening, he insists. Although we remain largely a nation of believers, our faith and commitment are slipping. Religious affiliation, church attendance and belief in God are all in slow decline in the U.S. A recent Gallup poll found that two-thirds of adults believe the influence of religion in American life is waning, up from 50 percent just four years ago.

As these trends continue, he believes, policymaking will more effectively address the true needs of society, rather than the dogma of religious idealism. "People need to know that society without religion is not a bad thing," Paul says. "And we're seeing this in other countries. We don't need religion to have a thriving, prosperous nation."

• Security personnel (protecting President Ma) advised to minimise inconvenience for the public (Taiwan News)
• Taipei, Nov. 30 (CNA) Two descendants of Taiwan's indigenous Tsou tribe from a small village in China's Henan Province are currently on a roots-tracing visit to Taiwan to learn more about their tribal heritage and their clan.
• New Council for Cultural Affairs Minister Emile Sheng told lawmakers Monday he would only open offices in China if the principles of equality and respect were met. (I'll believe this when I see it happen i.e. equality and respect coming from the Chinese side)
• President Ma splashing out on the campaign trail - spending NT$3.71 million a day on campaign appearances according to the DPP.
• Another hard hitting Taiwan News editorial - quotes:

Ironically, Ma's transparent sense of urgency has led to several grave errors.

For example, Ma blatantly violated the strict ban on publication of opinion polls 10 days before an election contained in Article 53 of the Election and Recall Act Wednesday by discussing the results of a TVBS survey on the Yilan race in front of news media cameras.

After an initial attempt to excuse the blunder, KMT Secretary-General Chan Chun-po apologized on Ma's behalf the following day, but the incident displayed Ma's willingness to disregard electoral laws by taking advantage of his presidential immunity from prosecution.

This action compounded the shocking and unprecedented dressing up of National Security Bureau special service guards and military police in the campaign vests of KMT Hsinchu County commissioner candidate Chiu Ching-chun during a vote-stumping parade in an action that has sparked fears of the possible renewal of KMT political control over Taiwan's military and security agencies.

In addition, despite promises of "party reform," Ma has evidently failed to curb vote buying by KMT candidates as shown by the fact that 11 KMT mayoral or council candidates in Miaoli, Pingtung and other counties have already been indicted, detained or questioned on vote-buying charges compared to zero for the DPP.

This unattractive tally follows the annulment of the electoral victories of five KMT legislators in the January 2008 Legislative Yuan polls and subsequent KMT defeats in two of the three by-elections held so far, including the Yunlin drubbing.

Ma, whose prestige has already been hurt by his breaking of a presidential campaign promise not to take over the KMT chairmanship if elected, is now spending the bulk of his time stumping for KMT candidates and defraying unpopular measures, such as a hike in national health insurance premiums, until after Saturday's polls.

Ironically, Ma himself has turned Saturday's local polls into the first opportunity for a large portion of Taiwan voters to express their judgement on the performance of his KMT administration.

A Walk In The Mountains

Eva and I simply couldn't pass up this lovely weather we've been having in Taichung recently so we got on our bikes and rode up to Fongyuan to find some hiking. Here's some pics of a quite amazingly beautiful and generally deserted trail. Amazing weather for November.

Toomer's Last Night After Bama's 2nd Straight Victory

And Rammer Jammer:

Bill and a few friends

I got tired of looking at the crappy and expensive Christmas lawn decorations so decided to make some of my own design. Hopefully a little better than the store bought junk. First I drew out the characters to the size I wanted then transferred the drawings onto 3/8" fine ply wood, cut them out and painted. If the rabbits remind you of Thumper you have a good memory for Disney characters. Do you remember the Christmas Bunny?

Cartoon of the Week

The following is a list of the way in which China suppressed Taiwan on the international stage during the Chen Presidency. Things haven't improved greatly since Ma became President despite his claims to the contrary. Many many thanks to Άλισον for the great work in finding this.

China's Diplomatic Suppression of Taiwan 2005 - 2007

March 2005
After passing the "anti-separation law" (ASL) China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues a diplomatic notice pressuring more than 60 countries, including Vanuatu, Tanzania, Cuba, Azerbaijan, and Madagascar, to express criticism of Taiwan and support for the ASL.

Early April 2005
The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA), sponsor of the AAAA Trade Show, announces that the billboard at the show entrance will feature the exhibiting countries and their flags, including the flag of Taiwan, which is to be presented side by side with those of the United States, Japan, and China. Moreover, a large banner and billboard with the word "Taiwan" will be erected at the area for Taiwan exhibitors. Chinese Consulate-General in Sydney is intensely dissatisfied and lodges a protest with the sponsor demanding that Taiwan's flag be removed from the billboard. Consulate officials also deliver a letter of protest from Consul General Qiu Shaofang to the show venue demanding that the sponsor meet with him and take responsibility for settling this matter.

Early April 2005
Vice President Yeh Ching-lung of the National Teachers' Association ROC and three others go to France to attend the “EI Conference on GATS and Education” that takes place in Paris on April 4-5, 2005. During the conference, China's representative to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) demands that the UNESCO General Conference prohibit Taiwan's representatives from entering the UN headquarters to attend the meeting. After the UNESCO secretary-general speaks on behalf of the Taiwan representatives and issues a warning, the representatives are finally able to attend the meeting.

Late April 2005
The ROC embassy to the Dominican Republic is invited to attend the opening ceremony of the Santo Domingo International Book Fair in the Dominican Republic. After the ceremony, Cai Weiquan, China's commercial representative in the Dominican Republic asks fair staff to place a PRC name plaque and tabletop PRC flag at Taiwan's exhibition booth, intending to disrupt Taiwan's participation in the activity.

May 4-6, 2005
The “World Health Organization (WHO) Conference on the Health Aspects of the Tsunami Disaster in Asia” is held in Phuket, Thailand. A six-member delegation from Taiwan, including Dr. Ming-Jer Tsai, head of the Department of Emergency Medicine at National Cheng Kung University Hospital, attends the conference in the capacity of “participants.” China places intensive pressure to prevent the Taiwanese delegates from attending the opening ceremony.

Early May 2005
Ten days before the opening of the World Health Assembly (WHA), the Chinese delegation sends an official diplomatic note to the Geneva delegations of Taiwan's allies, using untruthful language to again distort the importance and legitimacy of Taiwan's application to become a WHA observer and substantively participate in the International Health Regulations (IHR), and demands that Taiwan's allies not support the application.

May 25, 2005
Council of Labor Affairs Chairwoman Chen Chu leads a delegation to participate in the 38th WorldSkills Competition in Finland. Due to China’s deliberate suppression, the host country issues an official letter notifying that Taiwan will not be permitted to use its national flag at the competition.

Early June 2005
Under pressure from China, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretariat omits the official titles (such as Counselor, First Secretary, Second Secretary and Third Secretary) of the members of Taiwan's Permanent Mission to the WTO, except for the titles of the Permanent Representative and Deputy Permanent Representative, in the newly published WTO members directory. The directory entries include only the names and duties of the officials.

Late July 2005
Taiwan's ambassador to the Dominican Republic John Feng and China's Commercial Representative in the Dominican Republic Cai Weiquan are invited at the same time to attend a groundbreaking ceremony at the Chinatown district of the capital Santo Domingo. Cai's staff arrives early at the event and stubbornly occupies the seats of honor for the diplomatic corps. Event personnel try three times to vacate the seats, to no avail. The matter is finally resolved after Ambassador Feng negotiates with the sponsor to get back the seats for Taiwan's delegation members.

August 2005
According to a report in Switzerland's Neue Zurcher Zeitung, the Chinese embassy in Switzerland lodges a protest with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs over a visit to Taiwan in August by the president of the Swiss Council of States. Wang Yanmin, the spokesperson for the Chinese embassy, expresses strong dissatisfaction to the Swiss government and states that countries maintaining diplomatic relations with China are not permitted to have any kind of contact with Taiwanese officials

August 12, 2005
China's United Nations (UN) ambassador Wang Guangya issues a letter to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan protesting motions by Taiwan's allies in support of Taiwan's bid to join the UN and a petition urging the UN to help maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait.

September 2005
In response to transit stops by President Chen Shui-bian in the United States (US) and United Arab Emirates (UAE) en route to Central America, China seriously takes up the matter with the US and UAE and expresses its strong dissatisfaction. China also clearly states its position to the Indonesian government after Typhoon Longwang forces President Chen's plane to make a provisionary stop in Bali.

Mid-September 2005
Fearing Chinese pressure, Syria refuses to provide visas for Taiwan's delegation to the 15th Conference of the Afro-Asian Rural Development Organization Conference (AARDO), of which Taiwan has been a member since 1968. The move deprives Taiwan of its participation and voting rights at the conference.

October 2005
Internet search engine Google obtains an operating license in China and at the same time declares that it identifies with Beijing's "One China" policy. Google’s Map Service entitles a map of Taiwan as a “province of China.”

October 2005
Due to intense suppression and intimidation by China, Chinese language media in Brunei, including the United Daily News, See Hua Daily News, International Times and Sin Chew Daily, are instructed by their main offices not to publish originally planned special reports on Taiwan's National Day celebrations.

In the capacity of member of the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), Chinese ambassador to Papua New Guinea Li Zhengjun hosts a dinner for all SPTO members. During the dinner he emphasizes that, based on the “one China” policy, the Taiwan issue is a matter of China's internal affairs and China strongly opposes Taiwan's membership in the SPTO. At the 15th SPTO Council of Ministers, China reiterates its firm opposition to Taiwan's membership in the organization.

Mid-October 2005
Chinese ambassador to Canada Lu Shumin issues a warning to the Canadian government stating that if the Canadian parliament approves a bill to establish official economic, trade and cultural relations with Taiwan, it will destroy the basis of Sino-Canadian relations.

October 25, 2005
After having received monetary incentives from China, Senegal announces that it decides to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

October 25, 2005
At the press conference after the “Health Ministers Meeting on Global Pandemic Influenza Readiness,” Chinese Minister of Health Qiang Gao reiterates that Taiwan is not a sovereign country and therefore does not meet the regulations for membership in the World Health Organization.

November 2005
China obstructs participation by Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng as representative of President Chen Shui-bian at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Informal Leaders Summit in Busan, Korea.

November 17, 2005
More than 10 overseas supporters of Taiwan carry ROC flags and vest with ROC flag designs to the venue of the First Asian Indoor Games in Bangkok to root for Taiwanese competitors. China lodges a protest with the sponsor and tries several times to interfere. However, overseas Taiwanese involved argue persuasively that they are spectators and not members of the Taiwanese delegation, ultimately preventing China from achieving its scheme to belittle Taiwan.

December 2005
The Australian government rapidly incurs the protest of the Chinese authorities over plans to send the Minister for Education, Science and Training on a visit to Taiwan at the end of 2005. China states that countries maintaining diplomatic relations with it should not send ministers or other high-ranking officials to visit Taiwan, and therefore it strongly opposes the Australian government's sending of ministers to Taiwan for visits.

Late January 2006
The Chinese government, Commission of European Union, and World Bank jointly hold the "International Ministerial Pledging Conference on Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza," attended by nearly 700 representatives from over 100 countries. Taiwan has clearly expressed interest in attending, but it is still excluded in the end.

Late January 2006
China's embassy in Indonesia demands that Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs should not violate the “one China” policy and cannot agree to Taiwan's request to allow its naval fleet to visit Indonesia.

February 13, 2006
Under China’s suppression, the sponsor of the 9th World Firefighters Games in Hong Kong prohibits Taiwanese contestants from bringing their national flag, membership flag and firefighter banners into the game venue, as contestants from other countries are allowed to do so. China also forces Taiwan’s team to change its name to "China Taipei," making it part of the Chinese delegation. Taiwan vigorously protests the move without effect and finally decides to withdraw from the contest.

China lodges two demands with the European Union (EU) to suppress Taiwan's diplomatic space: (1) It hopes that EU member countries will refuse Taiwan to hold regional coordination work report meetings and prevent Taiwan's minister of foreign affairs from presiding at the meetings; and (2) It hopes that the EU will block Taiwan's attempts to join the WHO. In other words, Taiwan should not be allowed to join international organizations open only to countries.

April 2006
Taiwan is a major supporter and board member of the International Crisis Group (ICG). However, when China is invited to join the ICG, it not only demands that Taiwan change its membership name to "Chinese Taipei," but also demands that no officials from Taiwan participate in the organization activities.

April 20, 2006
Haiti's newly elected president René Préval indicates to ROC Ambassador Yang his hope that Taiwan send less sensitive officials to attend the May 14 presidential inaugural ceremony. The request is aimed at avoiding China's obstruction at the United Nations (UN) Security Council in August 2006 to the extension of the stationing of UN peacekeeper forces in Haiti, which will affect the stability and development of Haiti.

Early May 2006
The APEC Ministerial Meeting on Avian and Influenza Pandemics is held in Vietnam. Vietnam's Ministry of Health originally agrees to the signing of a "Taiwan-Vietnam Memorandum of Cooperation on Prevention of Avian Influenza" between Vietnam's National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) and Taiwan's Center for Disease Control under the Department of Health at the meeting. However, coercion and suppression from China prevents the two sides from completing the signing formalities.

May 2006
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) refuses to allow Taiwan to join the organization as a member. The ISO 3166 directory of names of countries and territories lists “Taiwan” as “Taiwan, Province of China” due to Chinese pressure.

May 12, 2006
Under pressure from China, the International Hospital Federation (IHF) deliberates the matter of Taiwan's membership under the name of "Taiwan Hospital Association" (THA) at a meeting of the IHF Governing Council. The IHF not only resolves to change Taiwan's membership name to “Taiwan Hospital Association, China”, but it also demands that the THA sign a memorandum that is aimed at belittling the name and position of Taiwan.

May 22, 2006
At the 59th World Health Assembly (WHA), China brazenly thwarts a motion for Taiwan's membership. Chinese Health Minister Gao Qiang also raises four principles, intentionally manipulating the illusion of helping to resolve the matter of health cooperation with Taiwan and Taiwan's participation in international health activities within the "one China" framework.

Late May 2006
The PRC chapter of the Lions Club places diplomatic pressure on Lions Clubs International to demand that the membership name of the Taiwan chapter be changed from “MD300-Taiwan” to “MD300-China Taiwan.”

July 2006
Chinese diplomatic personnel in Geneva intend to lobby the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) not to accept financial assistance from Taiwan.

August 5, 2006
Influenced by the incentives of financial aid and military wares from China, Chad announces that it decides to sever diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

China's acting permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) issues a letter to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan protesting a motion for Taiwan's membership in the UN raised this year by Taiwan's allies. The letter states that Taiwan has been an indivisible part of China's territory since early times and that the Taiwan issue is the internal affair of China.

End of August, 2006
During the 40th International Children's Games (ICG) in Bangkok, members of the Beijing delegation team thrice wrest away the ROC flag draped on Taiwan's gold medalists.

September 2006
China forcefully obstructs Chinese Petroleum Corporation's promotion of an investment project at a petrochemical complex in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

September 2006
The International Cooperation and Development Fund (Taiwan ICDF) originally plans to publish an image advertisement in the September 2006 issue of the World Bank quarterly “Perspectives on Development.” However, the World Bank demands that the official English name and identity symbol of the fund be changed from "Taiwan ICDF" to "Chinese Taipei ICDF."

Late September 2006
International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) President Doeke Faber explains the background of the forced cancellation of the AIPH annual meeting and the association's principles and position in handling the matter. He states that the meeting has to be canceled because of political factors related to China's demand that the name of the Taiwan Floriculture Development Association be changed and that activities sponsored by Taiwan receive the approval of the China Flower Association.

September 27, 2006
The World Economic Forum (WEF) originally refers to Taiwan as “Taiwan” in its reports. However, at a press conference on the announcement of the WEF's March 2006 "Global Information Technology Report," Ambassador Sha Zukang, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, protests the use of the name "Taiwan" in the "Country" items. In order to avoid dispute, the WEF changes Taiwan's name to "Taiwan, China" in its "Global Competitiveness Report 2006-2007," published on September 27, 2006.

November 8, 2006
The Union of International Fairs (UFI) convenes its annual session in Beijing. The Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) originally plans to send a delegation to attend the meeting. However, the sponsor sends a written reply informing that due to the demands of the host country China, TAITRA must add "China" or "Chinese" to all references to Taiwan or Taipei in the council's name and address. After lodging an ineffective protest, Taiwan withdraws from the meeting.

November 2006
Taiwan is an official member of the International Competition Network (ICN) under the name of "Taiwan." Since China has not drafted a competition law, it is unqualified to be a member in the organization. However, in order to join the ICN in 2007 as an observer, China demands that Taiwan change its membership name.

Late November 2006
Mao Rubo, director of the Environment and Resources Protection Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), leads an NPC delegation to visit Taiwan's ally Costa Rica and signs an environmental protection cooperation agreement.

A delegation from China's National People's Congress visits Taiwan allies Guatemala and Nicaragua and discusses cooperation plans with the civil aviation industries there.

January 2007
China seriously takes up with the United States (US) the matter of President Chen Shui-bian's transit stop in the United States en route to Nicaragua. It even pressures Mexico to disallow President Chen’s plane to fly over Mexico's flight information region.

January 2007
China pressures Korea to change the nationality on visas issued to Taiwanese exchange students to "China."

February 2007
According to a report by Japan's Sankei Shimbun, China uses its veto power to block United Nations' peacekeeping efforts in Haiti, thus causing Taiwan’s ally Haiti to issue a letter to China stating that it will no longer support Taiwan's bid to join the UN.

President Ma breaks election law

At a meeting of the KMT Central Standing Committee that was open to the public and being covered by the media, Ma inadvertently(?) mentioned poll numbers in contravention of the election law that states polls must not be mentioned 10 days before a vote. This has drawn criticism from even staunch KMT supporters such as Chiu Yi, who suggested that Ma apologise.

The Ilan Election Commission said Thursday it would write a letter to the suspect and request an interview with him. If found guilty, he would be fined between NT$500,000 to NT$5 million, regardless of his position in society, a commission spokesman said. The investigation would likely only come to a conclusion after the elections, he added.

Caught live on camera and reported instantly but the investigation would only be complete after the election ... wow the wheels of justice do move ponderously and with procedural certainty, unless your name is Chen Shui-bian of course.

Oligarch-Party-State-Police Taiwan

Today's newspaper was depressing reading. Aside from the apparent rampant vote buying (which the DPP was not exempt from) we are now seeing the police and security forces being blatantly used to constrain freedom of campaigning and movement of DPP personnel and freedom of assembly by independent media workers in areas where there are no restrictions. Add to that the already bad planning of Taichung City Government and Pro-China hawk Mayor Hu for the coming Chun Yunlin visit in December (there will be 'protest areas a la Beijing Olympics) and the misuse of the Parade and Assembly Act to criminalise public peaceful protests anywhere near the Chen talks and we have a recipe that looks increasingly like Martial Law in all but name. This is Martial Law redux though ... nothing official but a series of actions by police that have the same effect without the Government risking inciting outright revolt by making official moves to clamp down on democratic freedoms. Below is one such example of police acting ultra vires, in a manner that suggests their overt politicisation. These are troubled times for Taiwanese democracy and sovereignty indeed. The unofficial sell-off seems to be well underway and the role of the police is apparently to prevent 'provocations' from impeding the stampede of capitulation:

Meanwhile, a reporter with online news outlet Taiwan Independent Media, Clyde Kan (簡世寬), said he was considering filing a lawsuit against two police officers who he said tried to take him to the police station for no apparent reason.

He also said they twisted his arms before Ma was scheduled to visit Jhubei City with Chiu.

Kan told the Taipei Times in a telephone interview that he was playing a hand-held videogame as he awaited the arrival of Hsieh and Peng.

“A police car stopped, two plainclothes officers came out and asked to check my national ID card. I declined and told them they had no right to check my ID because I was just standing there doing nothing,” Kan said. “They responded by grabbing my hands and wanted to put me in the squad car and take me to the police station.”

Kan said he told the officers that he is a journalist and wanted to show them his press pass, but they told him not to move.

One of Kan’s colleagues recorded the argument between Kan and the police on video and posted it on the company’s Web site. The video shows the officers repeatedly trying to cover the camera with their hands while saying they had the right to detain Kan for up to three hours to check his identity and interrogate him.

The officers finally released Kan when former DPP legislator Kao Chien-chih (高建智) showed up and asked what was going on.

“It was too much — the police don’t know to respect a citizen’s basic rights,” Kan said. (This is one of the Wild Strawberry's main complaints)

“They twisted my arms when they tried to force me into the car. I will speak with my attorney to see if I should file a lawsuit against them,” Kan said.

In related news, at the request of the Presidential Office, the National Security Bureau (NSB) yesterday apologized over a controversy in which NSB special agents wore candidate campaign vests while on duty.

The special agents were spotted wearing Chiu campaign vests and baseball caps while working in Ma’s security detail during the campaign events on Tuesday night.

The DPP accused the NSB of abusing its authority.

NSB official Yang Hsiao-hua (楊小華) said he had asked the agents to wear the campaign outfits as a disguise to help them blend into the crowd while providing security.

“We just wanted to do our jobs well, but I admit that we did not realize that it would result in a misunderstanding,” NSB Chief Chi Tai-lai (冀泰來) said.

Mass Animal Killing Takes Place in Nepal.

PTI, November 24, 2009

Kathmandu, Nepal -- Despite appeals to halt the centuries-old custom of animal sacrifice, Gadhimai festival on Tuesday started in southern Nepal with millions of devotees flocking from various parts of the country and India. Thousands of buffaloes are waiting to be sacrificed at the Gadhimai Mela, the largest "animal slaughter" in the world.

It is estimated that some 35,000 to 40,000 buffaloes, which are brought mostly from India, for the world's largest ritual sacrifice at the temple. French actress and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot has sent a letter to President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, asking him to stop animal sacrifice at the festival. "I personally find it hard to imagine that your heart can withstand such cruelty, knowing that you, being the head of the country, are ultimately responsible," she wrote. Tibetan Buddhist master Lama Zopa Rinpoche had requested all Buddhist centres and students to read the Golden Sutra and pray for halting the killing.

James: Nepal!! You're breaking my heart!! This story makes my stomach churn with sickness to think of 35,000 to 40,000 innocent animals being slaughtered in the name of spirituality??? I try to be very open minded about religious customs but this is one that I can't be silent over. To be sure this is mass genocide. I see these animals as no different than human beings so this ritual killing horrifies me to the point of nausea. It surprises me that Hindus would engage in such carnage especially given how sacred cows are to them--both cows and water buffaloes are of the bovine family. This "festival" seems in total contradiction to that as well as the teaching of Ahimsa (do no harm, practice non-violence). It is said that to kill a cow in Hinduism is like killing a Brahman so how do they reconcile this festival with that teaching?

It's not my place to tell Hindus what to do in their religion but I beg of them to contemplate how this festival could be in keeping with ahimsa and the sacred veneration of cows. I'm trying not to let anger slip into my heart over this so I will follow the advice of Lama Zopa to read and contemplate the Golden Sutra today (also known as the Golden Light Sutra). It is a sutra that is often coupled with a vow to domestic animals killed that they might be reborn in the human realm. It is usually done by those who have killed animals and wish to atone. I will also be reading and contemplating the Lankavatara Sutra and especially Chapter 8, which speaks of animals and eating meat. I dedicate any merit or good will cultivated from this to all the animals slaughtered during the festival and to the participants that they might realize the suffering they are causing and end it. This is interesting timing with the coming of Thanksgiving here in America. Another holiday where people slaughter animals and come together as friends and family. I don't understand why animals have to be killed in order to celebrate family togetherness. Below I have put together some of the main points of Chapter 8:

Thereby I and other Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas of the present and future may teach the Dharma to make those beings abandon their greed for meat, who, under the influence of the habit-energy belonging to the carnivorous existence, strongly crave meat-food. These meat-eaters thus abandoning their desire for [its] taste will seek the Dharma for their food and enjoyment, and, regarding all beings with love as if they were an only child, will cherish great compassion towards them. Cherishing [great compassion], they will discipline themselves at the stages of Bodhisattvahood and will quickly be awakened in supreme enlightenment; or staying a while at the stage of Śrāvakahood and Pratyekabuddhahood, they will finally reach the highest stage of Tathagatahood. Indeed, let the Blessed One who at heart is filled with pity for the entire world, who regards all beings as his only child, and who possesses great compassion in compliance with his sympathetic feelings, teach us as to the merit and vice of meat-eating, so that I and other Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas may teach the Dharma.

Mahāmati, in this long course of transmigration here, there is not one living being that, having assumed the form of a living being, has not been your mother, or father, or brother, or sister, or son, or daughter, or the one or the other, in various degrees of kinship; and when acquiring another form of life may live as a beast, as a domestic animal, as a bird, or as a womb-born, or as something standing in some relationship to you; [this being so] how can the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva who desires to approach all living beings as if they were himself and to practise the Buddha-truths, eat the flesh of any living being that is of the same nature as himself? There is no logic in exempting the meat of some animals on customary grounds while not exempting all meat.

James: In other words, you wouldn't eat your dog or cat so why eat any other animals? I have read the sutras that speak of Buddha saying eating meat is o.k. for monks because they can't be picking and choose what food to accept and not accept. I also know that in some countries the climate does not permit much vegetable growing and some people need meat for the diet though that is being questioned by modern science. So I do not believe Buddhism requires vegetarianism but I do think it is a helpful practice to help cultivate compassion and non-violent attitudes. I try not to be judgmental and forceful when it comes to vegetarianism because that doesn't help convince people of vegetarianism but instead drives them away and causes more suffering. I just let the sutras speak, give my own opinion (it is my blog after all) and as is just in my view -- let people decide for themselves. I do think, however, that we can all agree (or at least most of us) that is "festival" in Nepal is barbaric and excessive. I hope that one day soon it will be abolished.

Om shanti shanti shanti (Hindu mantra of peace).

~Peace to all beings (especially today, water buffaloes in Nepal!!)~

The White Rim

From the Island in the Sky you can look down and see both the Colorado River and the Green River in their respective canyons far, far below, in a prehistoric setting. The cliffs of Island in the Sky are 1,000ft high. Below them is an intermediate plateau that stretches out a good distance before shattering into a million fractals at another set of 1,000 foot cliffs. The cliffs have the peculiar feature of being crowned in white rock.


The white rim rock lies on top of softer shales. They erode out from underneath, forming large overhangs that eventually collapse. What's left are columns of the red rock with a protective cap of harder white rock on their tops.

I love the white rock. I knew it would be there because I’ve looked at it extensively in Google Earth and it looked just the same from a few miles away on the Island in the Sky, as it looks from space. Also visible running across that plateau is a long road that appears to encircle the entire Island district. The name of that road is the White Rim Trail, and it’s 105 miles of dirt and bedrock. The rangers say you can’t take a stock car on it. I didn’t quite believe them, but I knew the disappointing, low clearance Jeep Patriot I had rented would not be up to the task, and I really wanted to go….. so I rented a custom modified Jeep Wrangler, lifted 4 inches, for two days. It wasn't cheap either, so I had to make good use of it. That's the only time i've ever rented TWO cars at the same time. That's crazy.


The Jeep i rented to take down the road and...


The road down which i took the Jeep.

Getting down into the white rim trial I took the old Shepard's Trail. It descends spectacularly down 1,500 feet in 1.25 miles. The road had just opened after being closed for 3 days due to the snow. Some snow was still hanging on in the shaded areas and the runoff made the road very slippery in those areas. Since the whole road is on the side of a huge cliff that was a bit scary at one particular hairpin u-turn. Down below, in mid canyon I found the road to be very rough, consisting largely of exposed bedrock. Often the road was literally on the edges of huge rock cliffs, sometimes on overhangs. Those portions were definitely thrilling, but for the most part the white rock turned out to be far less fun to drive on than to walk on. It took me 4.5 hours to go 37 miles (which, compared to that stupid PAVED road to Hana is actually not so bad).


Because passing can be difficult, they generally recommend you go only one way.


The road was made even a bit narrower by a ditch along the cliffs. Hairpin turn up ahead.


One of many huge overhangs you drive on.

I decided my goal was a campground called “The White Crack”. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I had a vague, very old memory of hearing someone talk about it when i worked at the Grand Canyon. All along the road you drive by these towers of rock that are breaking off the side of the canyon. The White Crack turned out to be an area where you could walk out onto some of these free standing pillars. They were in the process of separating from the canyon rim, and to get out on them you had to hop across some narrow, deep cracks. Some of them you could see right through to the ground about 70 feet below. At some points there was open air on both sides of you only a few feet away. The view was spectacular.


In many places you can walk out on to the columns by walking over the "cracks" in between them.

It became apparent after looking around at the White Crack campground that I was on the dividing line separating the two watersheds of the Colorado River and the Green River. Just a few miles to the south the two rivers joined up, doubling the size of the Colorado. That area was hidden from view by a high mesa in front of me.


This was at the end of the White Crack, and the continuing ridge line is the divide between the watersheds of the Colorado and Green rivers. Below is a closer view of the mesa in the distance.



I made one stop on the way back at an area i had spied from up high on the Island in the Sky. There was this insanely narrow and tall spire of rock that i had seen, and i really wanted to see it up close. I caught a glimpse of it on the way over the the white crack campground, but then it was on the opposite side of a canyon from me. On the way back i made a guess about where to go when the road came close to the edge. I got out and walked out along these towers and i could see that narrow spire. I picked a nice spot, although i was still too far away. To get closer i'd have had to leave the road at another point and walk at least two miles to the edge, without knowing for sure if that area would offer an unobstructed view or not.


After climbing out onto the monuments, i could see that lone pinnacle. It's in the distant center of this picture, taken a few minutes before it's base went into the shadows. Grrr... i wanted to get closer but ran out of light.


Here you can see part of the great anticline that makes Canyonlands possible. The Grand Canyon is the result of the same type of feature, and it's what makes the horizon look tilted in this image.

Sunset came and went a little too quickly. I got a few pictures (but not enough) and began to make the long, long drive back along the very edges of all those cliffs, in the dark. It was a very tiresome, sometimes tedious task. It would have been preferable to camp and complete the road the next day. Some areas where the road crossed wide expanses of the white rock it was hard figure out if I was indeed on the road or not. I couldn’t get lost though, because in just a few seconds of heading the wrong direction my lights would disappear over the precipice, sometimes illuminating the canyon wall on the other side in narrow areas. The most scary portions of the road during the day were actually less fearsome at night due to the darkness hiding all of the scary facts. I didn’t make it off the trail until nearly 10:30 pm and then still had 40 miles of paved driving to do.


Early in the day this area reminded of 2001.


The landscape across the Green River looked interesting.


A group of bikers eating lunch on an escarpment overlooking the Colorado River.

Sarah Palin: Last Brain Cell Lonely and Dying

Good Old Sarah Palin. Vaugely resembling a pinup girl 10 years past her prime, Sarah has just put out a new book -- Going Rouge. Unfortunately, all of wish that she would end up going somewhere, anywhere -- just not where we can hear you.

By the good gracious of goodness almighty, we at Future Twits have peeked into the future and captured several of Sarah's future Twitters. Enjoy.

Future Twitter for December 25, 2009

10:11 @TundraPrincess: Well, gee-golly-darn, isn't it good to be back on twitter like a mossy frog on a tree stump, don't-ya-know. I sure have a lot of time on my hands, now that I'm not the governor of the GREATEST STATE IN THE WORLD. Alaska was the cradle of civilization, and all of the important acheivements of the last 40 years all have their roots there. I read that in a magazine one time . . . or heard it or something. It's like the antenna ears on a television, don't-ya-know, with a piece of concise therapy running over the straight hills. (pssst: It's a very deep philisophical thought, the one I just gave).

10:18 @TundraPrincess: Oh darn! Bristol is at it again. She just drug home some new guy she's dating. She claims that the met online, but I'm pretty sure that's the same guy who hangs out in front of the liquor store all day.

10:34 @TundraPrincess: I just got through making the first martini of the day. One down, eight to go. I would drink less, but it helps to numb the pain of my husband's stares and the moments where he asks me what in the hell I'm talking about. If I knew, then I would probably tell him.

11:37 @TundraPrincess: Martini number four is gone. I wished that I looked hotter in my flight attendant outfit. I wished that I was smarter and could make it through an interview without stumbling over my words the whole time. I wish that those guys at Fox News would call me. When I was doing their shows, they all pretended to be my friends and that we could hang out and go bowling. The only one who ever remembered was Glenn Beck, and he was just making a booty call. The nerve, gee-golly-darn-it-all. Worse yet, when I accepted, he then wanted me to fly to New York to see him! Even after I accepted that, he claimed that he was gay and hung up the phone. It's the best date I've been on in 12 years.

@TundraPrincess: 2:37 My husband is home from work. He is back to his familiar spot in the corner doing his favorite activity: throwing a tennis ball off the wall and catching it, again and again, for six hours every night. He looks so happy, sitting there, staring, not moving anything except his right hand to throw the ball. Such concentration! The only time that he looks up is to show his affection. Every so often, he will look up, look at me, look at the gun hanging on the wall, look at me, make the pow sound, shake his head, and go back to throwing the tennis ball. What a hottie!


@Moderator: We're sorry to cut this interview short, but the last Sarah Palin brain cell has died, leaving her eqaul in intelligence to Dennis Miller. In other news, Bristol is dating a player for the New York Mets -- actually, it has been updated to the entire team.

Thank-You Tibet!

James: When you think of the awesome power of the Chinese Communist Party and the relative weakness of Tibet one would think that Tibetan culture would have been extinguished like a butter lamp being blown out by a cold, Himalayan wind. Countless Tibetans have fled Chinese occupied Tibet for decades upon decades but the most important aspect to the exodus was the knowledge carried out with these hearty folks -- especially the monks and elders. They have carried with them the sacred and historic traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and the greater Tibetan culture. So while Tibet itself is still under siege the Tibetan heart is alive and beating strong. Tibetans have been adopted and taken in by the world and all have benefited. Tibetans are given sanctuary to ride out the storm of religious intolerance and militant occupation of their homeland and the world has been given access to the precious jewel of Tibet -- Tibetan Buddhism.

To be sure Tibetans must long for home and be greatly pained to see their homeland changed so much. As well as obviously worrying for their friends, family and fellow Tibetans still living in that stunningly beautiful country. However, if any peoples are prepared to outlast and actually thrive due to such change and upheaval it would be the Tibetan people. That is because most of them are Buddhist and as we fellow Buddhists know the core of the Buddha's teachings are on how to deal with suffering and change. Surely some Tibetans wanted to stand and fight--and some did but the majority knew it was better to push that ego aside and move on toward India and the greater Tibetan diaspora so that their culture could survive. If they would have stayed to fight then they would have probably been nearly completely wiped out as a people and as a culture. Their traditions would have been lost under the dusty, dirty boot of oppression but as it is their culture is alive and well in dozens of countries keeping the flame burning.

Thich Nhat Hanh has often spoke of what it means to have a home and what is our true home. He like the Dalai Lama is an exile from his homeland. In Nhat Hanh's case, Vietnam:

Who amongst us has a true home? Who feels comfortable in their country? After posing this question to the retreatants for contemplation, I responded. I said: “I have a home, and I feel very comfortable in my home.” Some people were surprised at my response, because they know that for the last thirty-eight years I have not been allowed to return to Vietnam to visit, to teach, or to meet my old friends and disciples. But although I have not been able to go back to Vietnam , I am not in pain. I do not suffer, because I have found my true home.

My true home is not in France where Plum Village practice center is located. My true home is not in the United States . My true home cannot be described in terms of geographic location or in terms of culture. It is too simplistic to say I am Vietnamese. In terms of nationality and culture, I can see very clearly a number of national and cultural elements in me –– Indonesian, Malaysian, Mongolian, and others. There is no separate nationality called Vietnamese; the Vietnamese culture is made up of other cultural elements. I have a home that no one can take away, and I feel very comfortable in that home. In my true home there is no discrimination, no hatred, because I have the desire and the capacity to embrace everyone of every race, and I have the aspiration, the dream to love and help all peoples and all species. I do not feel anyone is my enemy. Even if they are pirates, terrorists, Communists, or anti-Communists, they are not my enemies. That is why I feel very comfortable.

Every time we listen to the sound of the bell in Deer Park or in Plum Village , we silently recite this poem: “I listen, I listen, this wonderful sound brings me back to my true home.” Where is our true home that we come back to? Our true home is life, our true home is the present moment, whatever is happening right here and right now. Our true home is the place without discrimination, the place without hatred. Our true home is the place where we no longer seek, no longer wish, no longer regret. Our true home is not the past; it is not the object of our regrets, our yearning, our longing, or remorse. Our true home is not the future; it is not the object of our worries or fear. Our true home lies right in the present moment. If we can practice according to the teaching of the Buddha and return to the here and now, then the energy of mindfulness will help us to establish our true home in the present moment.

James: The Dalai Lama and many, many Tibetans understand this concept and thus where ever they are, they are home. We should all do this regardless of what country we live in. We could be living in our home country yet still feel disconnected from it, which can make us feel isolated and maybe even ignored. If, however, we follow the advice of The Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh then we will never feel alone where ever we go because home is not a place but rather a state of being/mind. Our true home travels with us and can be accessed at any time. It can not be taken away regardless of how many foreign soldiers might occupy our country. So, In recognition of the survival of Tibetans and Tibetan culture, 2010 will be a year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Tibetan resilience. An organization called, Thank You Tibet! is setting up a community online to find creative ways to honor Tibetan culture and people. If you have some time and the inclination do check it out because who amongst us hasn't benefited in someway by Tibetan culture?

~Peace to all beings~

Taiwan Roundup

Several interesting items in the news today:

• Lou Qinjian, vice minister of China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology wants Taiwanese business people to bypass the Government and make their own decisions about forging closer industrial relations between Taiwan and China. A quote: "The government should leave to the individual businesses to determine whether to tap into the Chinese market," Lou said as Taiwan is mulling whether to relax restrictions on its hi-tech industry to invest in China. Speaking on the first day of the two-day Cross-Straits Forum on Industrial Standards in the Information Industry, Lou said China will seek Taiwan's cooperation on TD-SCDMA (time division synchronous code division multiple access) , flat panel displays, IPTV (Internet protocol television), and green power.Lou arrived here Monday as the head of a 100-strong Chinese delegation composed of industrial leaders and scholars for the forum. Terry Gou, founder of Foxconn Electronics, said at the forum that industrial cooperation, especially in the field of information technology, should cover not only the private sector, but also the public sector.
• Lots of vote buying before the local elections it seems. No change there then. Also, there's some tension in the air:

  Late on Tuesday, scuffles broke out in Hsinchu County as President Ma Ying-jeou and his rival in the 2008 presidential elections, Frank Hsieh, accompanied their respective candidates for county magistrate on a walkabout through the streets.

  The clashes reportedly began when security cordoned off an area where Ma and KMT candidate Chiu Ching-chun were walking, preventing Hsieh and DPP candidate Peng Shao-chin from continuing on their route ... The rest of Taiwan was apparently hit by unprecedented levels of vote buying

• Two nuclear power plants in Taiwan are very close to an expanding fault line. Talk about being a hostage to fortune. I'm sure not planning on buying any property in the north.
• Taiwan's former first family have pleaded guilty to perjury.
• Taiwan Tobacco and Liqueur (TTL) has been effectively censured by the legislature for trying to use NT$260 million to promote Taiwan Beer in China (it gave nothing to help promote the Kaohsiung world games)
  
• The Government is offering grants to help promote the Hakka dialect. This is a good move. Pity that they are at the same time doing effectively nothing to help promote the Hoklo or Aboriginal languages.
• "Taiwan plans to restrict Chinese stock investment in strategic sectors, as it seeks to keep control of its economy amid rapidly growing ties with the mainland." It might have thought about doing this in the early 1990's when businesses flooded to China. This seems more than a little like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.

  The report was published a week after Taiwan and China signed three landmark memorandums paving the way for growing cooperation in banking, insurance and securities.

  The agreements, which will go into effect in January, will enable Chinese institutional investors to buy shares in Taiwan's stock market for the first time.

  The announcement of the signing was met with criticism that Taiwan's government had acted too fast, without ensuring proper debate about the implications of the wide-ranging pacts. (So who exactly is running Taiwan's economy and national economic policy? The President and his government or Lien Chan, Terry Gou and a small cabal of pro-China industrial oligarchs?)
  

Business not infallible - from a businessman

From Guardian today:

Lord Turner, a former director general of the CBI, attacked the current head of the employers' body for refusing to concede that parts of the City were "socially useless".

Wow! Former director of the CBI (very pro-free market UK lobby organisation) criticising the current head, something I've not seen before.

Now chairman of the Financial Services Authority, Turner criticised CBI director general Richard Lambert for arguing that politicians or regulators should not decide what parts of society are useful.

Ah, now that's more like the CBI we love to hate - rabid pro-business, 'free-market' ideology.

Turner has argued that "socially useless" parts of the City could be restrained by a Tobin tax on transactions. He admitted at the CBI conference that as head of the CBI in the late 1990s he had argued for market liberalisation and labour market flexibility. But "markets are not always wise".

This is interesting because the business community and especially 'the city' has been long against the Tobin tax or any other kind of restriction, regulation or tax incentive. It is also a break with the orthodoxy of the last 20 years that has claimed markets are always inherently wise and seeking equilibrium (if only the Government would step out of the way so the argument goes)

As he declared that the UK economy was now stabilising after a "forceful and appropriate policy response", he said it was important to analyse what had gone wrong. Banks had been allowed to operate with too much leverage, and financial innovation hid some of that leverage. Now they needed to hold more capital.

Again, criticism of the banking community, previously almost unheard of, perhaps coming as a result of the fact that much of the UK banking sector has been effectively nationalised following the financial crisis.

"But a debate about the economic value of the financial system should not focus solely on challenging potentially negative aspects of the pre-crisis financial system." Instead it should look at the "positive functions" provided by banks – savings, credit, and allocating capital to efficient use.

What? We're having a debate about the economic value of the financial system? Wow, things must be bad. Seems like business is on the defensive which may mean there are now serious cracks in the hegemony of free-market business knows best ideology for the first time in a long time. We'll see how long that lasts though ....

Residing Again Where It Belongs...See Ya'll Friday!!!

Doutzen Kroes fotos sexys Revista Vogue

Doutzen Kroes es una de las modelos más famosas e importantes de todo el mundo, ella es holandesa pero ha brillado en las mejores pasarelas del mundo de la moda. Doutzen Kroes posó para una sesión de fotos para la Revista Vogue. En estas imágenes, la guapa Doutzen Kroes modeló las piezas más significativas de diversos diseñadores, todas con un estilo único y bien portado por esta súper modelo. Espero que les gusten estas fotos de la hermosísima Doutzen Kroes.