I was thinking of writing that the other day. In today's Parade there is an article about the Iraqi army. The author is discussing if they are ready to defend Iraq when the US troops leave. The author might be too optimistic in asking that question. My question is: Is there anything or anyone that can hold Iraq, and the whole region, back so that they won't explode in the face of the United States?
This US initiated war in Iraq has destroyed so much of the country and so many lives with it, does anyone now expect that the country can ever be a functional state again without some strong man like Saddam? The hope of democracy has faded into a world of chaos. Now all the Bush administration can hope for is to get out of there somehow. I guess Bush's hope of throwing this hot potato to the next president is gone and he has to deal with it (Al Gore is smart not to run in 2008). There is only less than two years left. Hail to the cowboy and good luck!
Some US politicians have been talking about splitting Iraq up into three parts. I guess that might work in weakening that country and keep the Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds fighting each other so that they won't be able to bother the west. However with so much hatred generated in the people by this war, there is a grave danger even that may not hold the explosion down for very long. Having another Saddam might be a good thing, if not the only hope, for Mr. GWB.
2007-03-04
Reading the News
I don't read news papers everyday as there is just not enough time to do that. Besides, news is available online to the larger part.
It is interesting to read in the Ann Arbor News, right in the middle of the first page, about embryonic stem cell research. I guess it is about time, if Michigan wants another chance of getting out of the woods.
Another article of interest is the Other Voices written by Lynn Howard Ehrle titled Automakers, others need to support universal Medicare. It is interesting because my own thoughts are that health care, just like utilities such as electricity, needs to become universally available with the advances of a society. We could argue that having clean water is a personal responsibility, like many politicians say that health care is. However, if we make that a responsibility, what difference is there between today and the days of Jesus roaming the land of Israel? Today in this country hospitals must care for the sick when they arrive in the doors of an ER. Who is responsible for the cost of providing those care without universal health care? The answer to that question seems to be simple and clear. We might have saved a few bucks on those who never make it to an ER, just like the Bush administration may have saved some money by leaving the New Orleans to their own peril. But I just don't believe that is most Americans want this country to be like.
Just as the article writes, if the auto industry does not have to pay the $1250 per vehicle on health care, they would have saved $10 billion. That alone may not save the industry, but at least it gives them a competitive edge against companies from overseas. The big three of Detroit are hardly the only ones that need that edge.
It is interesting to read in the Ann Arbor News, right in the middle of the first page, about embryonic stem cell research. I guess it is about time, if Michigan wants another chance of getting out of the woods.
Another article of interest is the Other Voices written by Lynn Howard Ehrle titled Automakers, others need to support universal Medicare. It is interesting because my own thoughts are that health care, just like utilities such as electricity, needs to become universally available with the advances of a society. We could argue that having clean water is a personal responsibility, like many politicians say that health care is. However, if we make that a responsibility, what difference is there between today and the days of Jesus roaming the land of Israel? Today in this country hospitals must care for the sick when they arrive in the doors of an ER. Who is responsible for the cost of providing those care without universal health care? The answer to that question seems to be simple and clear. We might have saved a few bucks on those who never make it to an ER, just like the Bush administration may have saved some money by leaving the New Orleans to their own peril. But I just don't believe that is most Americans want this country to be like.
Just as the article writes, if the auto industry does not have to pay the $1250 per vehicle on health care, they would have saved $10 billion. That alone may not save the industry, but at least it gives them a competitive edge against companies from overseas. The big three of Detroit are hardly the only ones that need that edge.
2007-02-24
Nothing to blog about, really.
This is my first blog online. But I haven't really done much with it at all.
The past year has been pretty much event-less for me. But it has been a bad year all around. Michigan's economy has been going down the drain for a while, with the down fall of the Big-Three auto industry giants. Their bad luck may have been made inevitable pretty much by themselves, IMHO. But their incompetencies will leave the state and the people in the ditch for a long time to come.
The latest bad news in Ann Arbor is that of Pfizer closing its research facility in town, laying off some of its 2000+ employees and moving a large portion of them elsewhere. That is just one latest example of big business carelessly trumping over the lives of people. The real estate market in Ann Arbor is already down with a large inventory. Now the housing price will stay down and flat for even longer.
One good news is that Google is coming to Ann Arbor. The word "coming" is still accurate at this point although it has been announced by Governor Jennifer Granholm for a while with a little bit of local media fanfare. It is indeed very easy to put too much hope into this Google move. Michigan's economy rides heavily on automobiles. It will take no less than that industry's revival to lift up the state. There are a lot of science, technology and research can be done around that industry. High-tech doesn't have to be life science if the Republican controlled state legislature simply does not have the vision to invest money in that. It is amazing to see that California invest huge sums into stem cell research and renewable energy while Michigan can't seem to get out of survival mode.
I am also contemplating moving to a different state. Leaving this town where the kids are born and grow up won't be easy. However, what have kept us here for years are the small college town life and the good public schools. Now the Republicans are cutting fundings to education because of the state's budget crisis, I fear that they will sink the state further.
Well, I'll see if I am really back to blog more.
The past year has been pretty much event-less for me. But it has been a bad year all around. Michigan's economy has been going down the drain for a while, with the down fall of the Big-Three auto industry giants. Their bad luck may have been made inevitable pretty much by themselves, IMHO. But their incompetencies will leave the state and the people in the ditch for a long time to come.
The latest bad news in Ann Arbor is that of Pfizer closing its research facility in town, laying off some of its 2000+ employees and moving a large portion of them elsewhere. That is just one latest example of big business carelessly trumping over the lives of people. The real estate market in Ann Arbor is already down with a large inventory. Now the housing price will stay down and flat for even longer.
One good news is that Google is coming to Ann Arbor. The word "coming" is still accurate at this point although it has been announced by Governor Jennifer Granholm for a while with a little bit of local media fanfare. It is indeed very easy to put too much hope into this Google move. Michigan's economy rides heavily on automobiles. It will take no less than that industry's revival to lift up the state. There are a lot of science, technology and research can be done around that industry. High-tech doesn't have to be life science if the Republican controlled state legislature simply does not have the vision to invest money in that. It is amazing to see that California invest huge sums into stem cell research and renewable energy while Michigan can't seem to get out of survival mode.
I am also contemplating moving to a different state. Leaving this town where the kids are born and grow up won't be easy. However, what have kept us here for years are the small college town life and the good public schools. Now the Republicans are cutting fundings to education because of the state's budget crisis, I fear that they will sink the state further.
Well, I'll see if I am really back to blog more.
2006-08-08
This page is ugly!
I haven't posted anything for a loooong time.
I think it partly has to do with the ugliness of it. I want to use the full width of the window. Why does Blogger.com has to stick a <div style="clear:both;"> tag in front of every paragraph? Use a class or something for humanity's sake!
I think it partly has to do with the ugliness of it. I want to use the full width of the window. Why does Blogger.com has to stick a <div style="clear:both;"> tag in front of every paragraph? Use a class or something for humanity's sake!
2005-04-06
The Pope and Hypocrisy
John Paul wanted world leaders to show compassion for suffering people like these girls, not for dead popes. Mr. Bush and other world leaders flocking to Rome could truly honor the pope by meeting there to establish a protection force in Darfur.
-- By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF of New York Times.
2005-03-18
长城：A set of pictures
Posted a set of picture taken at Badaling（八达岭）last June. Number 6 and 7 are oilified using GIMP -- an open source image processing software.
The sky was full of smog that day. And I was told that Beijing is often like that these days.
I should add, most of the walls in these pictures have been renovated. Photo number 5 shows a spot where the wall ruins are almost invisible. Badaling is likely the most visited section of the great wall by tourists because it is the most accessible. I believe there is still a regular tourist train running between the city and Badaling several times a day. There are other sections of the wall -- all north to Beijing -- open to tourists for many years but much less visited. My favorate was Jinshanling (金山岭). I also hope to make a stop at Juyongguan（居庸关）someday, which is on the way to Badaling.
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I should add, most of the walls in these pictures have been renovated. Photo number 5 shows a spot where the wall ruins are almost invisible. Badaling is likely the most visited section of the great wall by tourists because it is the most accessible. I believe there is still a regular tourist train running between the city and Badaling several times a day. There are other sections of the wall -- all north to Beijing -- open to tourists for many years but much less visited. My favorate was Jinshanling (金山岭). I also hope to make a stop at Juyongguan（居庸关）someday, which is on the way to Badaling.
2005-03-16
沉默：Silence
This picture is taken in a neighboring subdivision. The houses have been there less than 10 years and the tree is dead -- I don't know how long the tree has been there, or if its death has anything to do with the houses and streets around it. But it is something that has happened in the interaction of man and nature.
Quimby's Quill
I hit the NEXT BLOCG button and got to Quimby's Quill and an interesting post about Chris Hedges and his book War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning. It's interesting because I have read the same book and have had much thought about it -- but could not articulate those thoughts either.
Flickr
Flicker is an interesting photo sharing site. I have opened a free account there a while ago. Yesterday I have read about the it in a Business 2 article Why It's Pouring VC Cash. It has been in the rumor that Yahoo! has bought Flickr.
Since I only have a free account, I will start to blog my own photos here.
Since I only have a free account, I will start to blog my own photos here.
Google AdSense code installed
Just have Google's AdSense code installed in the sidebar of this blog -- I am not expecting anything. But if any click-through happens, it should be good for the Annhua Rainbow Project which I volunteer for.
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