Web 3.0

Here's a NY Times article that's pretty interesting. Not only connecting pages on the web, but studying them and drawing relationships and conclusions about human knowledge.

"From the billions of documents that form the World Wide Web and the links that weave them together, computer scientists and a growing collection of start-up companies are finding new ways to mine human intelligence.

Their goal is to add a layer of meaning on top of the existing Web that would make it less of a catalog and more of a guide — and even provide the foundation for systems that can reason in a human fashion. "

Those Big Emitters!

Uh oh...the Chinese are coming!

"China will surpass the United States in 2009, nearly a decade ahead of previous predictions, as the biggest emitter of the main gas linked to global warming, the International Energy Agency has concluded in a report to be released Tuesday.

China’s rise, fueled heavily by coal, is particularly troubling to climate scientists because as a developing country, China is exempt from the Kyoto Protocol’s requirements for reductions in emissions of global warming gases. Unregulated emissions from China, India and other developing countries are likely to account for most of the global increase in carbon dioxide emissions over the next quarter-century."

The Average American: 1967 and Today

Here are stats showing the material prosperity of Americans over the past 40 years. Yet they don't feel as well off as their parents. Why? One reason is we tend to compare ourselves with those who have more, not with those who have less, and those who have more nowadays have a lot more.

"Mr. and Mrs. Median's $46,326 in annual income is 32% more than their mid-'60s counterparts, even when adjusted for inflation, and 13% more than those at the median in the economic boom year of 1985. And thanks to ballooning real estate values, average household net worth has increased even faster. The typical American household has a net worth of $465,970, up 83% from 1965, 60% from 1985 and 35% from 1995.

Throw in the low inflation of the past 20 years, a deregulated airline industry that's made travel much cheaper, plus technological progress that's provided the middle class with not only better cars and televisions, but every gadget from DVD players to iPods, all at lower and lower prices, and it's obvious that Mr. and Mrs. Median are living the life of Riley compared to their parents and grandparents. "

300 mil and counting

The USA has just passed 300,000,000 people.

Check out the US population clock:

http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html

Pardon the Dust: Beijing Puts Its Games Face On

"For China, the world's most populous nation, it should be a giant coming-out party, as the 1964 Summer Olympics was for Japan and the 1988 Summer Games were for South Korea. For Beijing, the countdown to Aug. 8, 2008, has increased the already frenetic pace of transformation in this city of 15.3 million people and seemingly as many construction sites."

In China, Churches Challenge the Rules

I think we will see more and more individuals and groups like these churches who will challenge the Chinese government on legal grounds, following regulations while agitating for more rights.

"a growing number of congregations that began life as house churches -- unauthorized places of worship set up in private, often dilapidated homes -- have recently registered with the government, while continuing to spurn the rules of the official Protestant church in China. Like so many institutions in China, these churches now hover in a sort of legal netherworld."

China's New Legal Eagles

China's New Legal Eagles - Christianity Today Magazine: "'We pray that a Chinese Martin Luther King will arise from the church in China,' say Christian leaders of the new Human Rights Protection Movement (HRPM)."

What's the Matter with Liberals?

This article points out the bias of liberals.

They don't like the marketplace decisions people make when they have economic freedom, so liberals want to force everyone to make the right decisions with their money. On the other hand, which he doesn't mention, they hate constraints on moral issues. They don't want anyone saying what is right and wrong for others regarding morality.

Conservatives, on the other hand, don't like people making immoral decisions. But they hate anyone telling them what to do with their money.

In either case, it comes down to control, doesn't it? We want to control others' behavior to come in line with our values, but we resist others making us do what they want.

Christians shouldn't fall into either of these camps. Our leader taught us the values we follow:

"You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over people beneath them. But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first should be the slave of all. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many."

From Will:

"Their campaign [against Wal-Mart] is liberalism as condescension. It is a philosophic repugnance toward markets.... Liberals, aghast, see the choices Americans make with their dollars and their ballots, and announce -- yes, announce -- that Americans are sorely in need of more supervision by ... liberals.

Before they went on their bender of indignation about Wal-Mart (customers per week: 127 million), liberals had drummed McDonald's (customers per week: 175 million) out of civilized society because it is making us fat, or something. So, what next? Which preferences of ordinary Americans will liberals, in their role as national scolds, next disapprove? Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet?

No. The current issue of The American Prospect, an impeccably progressive magazine, carries a full-page advertisement denouncing something responsible for ``lies, deception, immorality, corruption, and widespread labor, human rights and environmental abuses'' and of having brought ``great hardship and despair to people and communities throughout the world.''

What is this focus of evil in the modern world? North Korea? The Bush administration? Fox News Channel? No, it is Coca-Cola (number of servings to Americans of the company's products each week: 2.5 billion).

When liberals' presidential nominees consistently fail to carry Kansas, liberals do not rush to read a book titled ``What's the Matter With Liberals' Nominees?'' No, the book they turned into a best-seller is titled ``What's the Matter With Kansas?'' Notice a pattern here?"

Building a Religion That Spreads

From Seth Godin's blog on Sept 6:

"We can learn an important lesson about ideaviruses from religions, because they are in many ways the original (and longest-lasting) examples of the genre.

If you want to build a religion that spreads, here are some things to build into it:

* Bias for evangelism
* Sharp distinction between insiders and outsiders
* Presumption that insiders are 'right' or 'blessed' or 'advantaged'
* Proscription against intermarriage without conversion
* Forbid one gender to work outside the home
* Central hierarchy that maintains the faith and settles disputes
* Offer significant (very) long-term benefits to believers

Very few organizations have the ability to deliver on all of these opportunities, but in the secular world, many brands do most of them. This works for Harley-Davidson (and certainly the Hells Angels). It works for the latest teenage trends. It works for some politicians. It even works for some computer operating systems and languages."

How Much Are Your Beliefs Worth?

Is there anything you believe in that you are willing to die for?

Most Westerners see the forced conversion of the Fox journalists in the Middle East as despicable because it violates human rights we believe in - individual freedom, including freedom of choice.

However, Mark Steyn comments below that most Easterners are not looking at the violation of the individual. They see the conversion as a sign of the moral bankruptcy of the West, that individuals don't have anything they believe in strongly enough they are willing to die for. Are they correct?

"...for the Fox journalists and the Western media who reported their release, what's the big deal? Wear robes, change your name to Khaled, go on camera and drop Allah's name hither and yon: If that's your ticket out, seize it. Everyone'll know it's just a sham.

But that's not how the al-Jazeera audience sees it. If you're a Muslim, the video is anything but meaningless. Not even the dumbest jihadist believes these infidels are suddenly true believers. Rather, it confirms the central truth Osama and the mullahs have been peddling -- that the West is weak, that there's nothing -- no core, no bedrock -- nothing it's not willing to trade."

Banned Chinese director to defy orders

Listen to the defiance in this statement. He is appealing to his personal rights, which will become a stronger and stronger motivator in modern China.

Is it artists that will lead the way in pushing for more individual freedom? They will probably give voice to it, but I think it is swelling up in the hearts and minds and stomachs of all this generation of China's pampered only children.

By the way, this also seems like a good way to guarantee his movie is a hit in the DVD shops around China! It seems like a little controversy helps in every culture, and maybe especially in one that is strongly controlled.

"'I won't stop making films. I will definitely continue to make films,' he told The Associated Press by phone.

'The ban is unreasonable. This is my personal right. As the film regulator for a region, you can ban my film from being shown in that area, but you don't have the right to stop a certain director from working. That is ridiculous,' Lou said."

Americans on Religion and Politics

Americans are strongly religious, and deeply engaged in political discussion. Most of the time, they don't know how to reconcile these two.

"Large majorities of Republicans (87%), independents (65%) and Democrats (60%) denounced efforts by liberals to minimize religious influence in the public square, including 70% of conservative and moderate Democrats. Just 38% of liberal Democrats expressed this view.

The survey also found that two in three respondents (67%) characterize the United States as a Christian country. A decade ago, 60% so described the nation.

Most of those surveyed (78%) also view the Bible as the word of God. But only 35% believe it should be taken literally."

Map Your Life

This looks like a lotta fun....I love maps, and I love nostalgia, so making a personalized map of my favorite places and memories sounds like something I could spend hours on!

"Built on conventional mapping data from services such as Google Maps, these sites let you add digital pushpins that link to personal descriptions of the locations....any visitor can peruse the contributions of others on these sites....

"Want to follow the virtual footsteps of Jack Bauer, protagonist of the TV show 24? Users can also post comments on other users' maps."

Reuters Photo Fraud

Interesting to pull back the curtain and find out how the news media stages its coverage.

This article has fascinating details on several fraudulent news reports from Lebanon.

"It's important to understand that there is not just a single fraudulent Reuters photograph, nor even only one kind of fraudulent photograph. There are in fact dozens of photographs whose authenticity has been questioned, and they fall into four distinct categories. "

More People With More Money

"According to Capgemini consulting there were 2.9 million millionaires in America and 8.7 million millionaires worldwide in 2005"

This data refers to financial assets, not counting real estate. If real estate were included, that would add another 5 million to the ranks of American millionaires.

That's a lot of people with a lot of money!

My family and I live very comfortable lives, and consider ourselves very fortunate. We are relatively wealthy compared to the majority of people in the world.

But I am constantly amazed as I travel and shop at how many people have a lot of money to spend.

For example, hotels. We took a vacation in California this June, and stayed at a few hotels. We chose 3 star hotels and paid up to US$190 per night for very modest rooms. To me, that's a lot of money! But we found many hotels fully booked and scores of hotels MUCH nicer than any of the places we stayed in.

Who's staying in these places? I guess those millionaires.

Same goes for restaurants. It costs a lot of money to eat out in nice places, and there are a lot of them. Then there are cars and boats. And wristwatches and all kinds of luxury things for sale.

Apparently, money is really making the world go 'round. Amazing how rich our world is.

These stats mean that 1 of every 100 Americans are millionaires. 1 in 40 if you count real estate.

One-third of the world's millionaires live in the US. Worldwide, the ration is 1 millionaire for every 700 people.

China Church Demolitiion Leads to Clash

There will be more and more clashes like the one reported in this article, as normal Chinese citizens raise their expectations of how they should be treated by their government.

And there will be more reporting of incidents like this, as the power of technology makes information more available to people.

The Chinese government will have to change as a result of pressure from both their own citizens and the international community.

China church demolition leads to clash - Yahoo! News: "Police clashed with 3,000 Christians protesting the forced demolition of a partially built church in eastern China, leaving four people with serious injuries, a human rights group said Monday."

How Long Will America Lead the World?

Fareed Zakaria of Newsweek regularly writes insightful commentary. This brilliant article reviews tons of relevant statistics and opinions of leaders and comes to the conclusion that what America is best at is adapting, and if it remains scared about competition and flexible in its response, it will remain the most prosperous society on earth.

"History has arrived in the form of 'Three Billion New Capitalists,' as Clyde Prestowitz's recent book puts it, people from countries like China, India and the former Soviet Union, which all once scorned the global market economy but are now enthusiastic and increasingly sophisticated participants in it. They are poorer, hungrier and in some cases well trained, and will inevitably compete with Americans and America for a slice of the pie. A Goldman Sachs study concludes that by 2045, China will be the largest economy in the world, replacing the United States.

It is not just writers like Prestowitz who are sounding alarms. Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of GE, reflects on the growing competence and cost advantage of countries like China and even Mexico and says, 'It's unclear how many manufacturers will choose to keep their businesses in the United States.' Intel's Andy Grove is more blunt. 'America ... [is going] down the tubes,' he says, 'and the worst part is nobody knows it. They're all in denial, patting themselves on the back, as the Titanic heads for the iceberg full speed ahead.'

....

The national academies' report points out that China and India combined graduate 950,000 engineers every year, compared with 70,000 in America; that for the cost of one chemist or engineer in the U.S. a company could hire five chemists in China or 11 engineers in India; that of the 120 $1 billion-plus chemical plants being built around the world one is in the United States and 50 are in China.

There are some who see the decline of science and technology as part of a larger cultural decay. A country that once adhered to a Puritan ethic of delayed gratification has become one that revels in instant pleasures. We're losing interest in the basics—math, manufacturing, hard work, savings—and becoming a postindustrial society that specializes in consumption and leisure. "More people will graduate in the United States in 2006 with sports-exercise degrees than electrical-engineering degrees," says Immelt. "So, if we want to be the massage capital of the world, we're well on our way."

There is a puzzle in all this, however, which is that these trends and features have been around for a while, and they do not seem to have had an impact—so far at least—on the bottom line, which is GDP growth. Over the past 20 years, America's growth rate has averaged just over 3 percent, a full percentage point higher than that of Germany and France. (Japan averaged 2.3 percent over the same period.) Productivity growth, the elixir of modern economics, has been over 2.5 percent for a decade now, again a full percentage point higher than the European average. In 1980, the United States made up 22 percent of world output; today that has risen to 29 percent. The U.S. is currently ranked the second most competitive economy in the world (by the World Economic Forum), and is first in technology and innovation, first in technological readiness, first in company spending for research and technology and first in the quality of its research institutions. China does not come within 30 countries of the U.S. on any of these points, and India breaks the top 10 on only one count: the availability of scientists and engineers. In virtually every sector that advanced industrial countries participate in, U.S. firms lead the world in productivity and profits."

The situation with regard to higher education is even more dramatic. A new report, "The Future of European Universities," from the London-based Center for European Reform, points out that of the world's 20 top universities, 18 are American. The U.S. invests 2.6 percent of its GDP on higher education, compared with 1.2 percent in Europe and 1.1 percent in Japan. The situation in the sciences is particularly striking. A list of where the world's 1,000 best computer scientists were educated shows that the top 10 schools were all American. Our spending on R&D remains higher than Europe's, and our collaborations between business and educational institutions are unmatched anywhere in the world. America remains by far the most attractive destination for students, taking 30 percent of the total number of foreign students globally. These advantages will not be erased easily because the structure of European and Japanese universities—mostly state-run bureaucracies—is unlikely to change. And while China and India are creating new institutions, it is not that easy to create a world-class university out of whole cloth in a few decades.

The American economy is also particularly good at taking technology and turning it into a product that people will buy. An unusual combination of an entrepreneurial culture, a permissive legal system and flexible capital markets all contribute to a business culture that rewards risk. This means that technology is quickly converted into some profitable application.

....

And then there are the demographics. The United States is the only industrialized country that will not experience a work-force or population loss in the coming decades, thanks to immigration. Germany and Japan are expected to see their populations drop by 5 and 12 percent, respectively, between now and 2050. China will also face a demographic crunch. By 2040, it will have a larger percentage of elderly people than the United States. The one-child policy has led to something that China's demographers call the "4-2-1 problem"— four grandparents and two parents will have to be supported by one worker.

How China Is Rivaling Silicon Valley

A new kind of Chinese company - blending western management experience with local skill.

Great opportunities for entrpreneurs in China!

"Liu, 65, founded Augmentum three years ago after an illustrious career as an IBM executive and later a honcho at Acer and an Asian semiconductor company. China's development as a power in software led him to believe that it would be possible for homegrown talent to pull off the tough stuff—at those enticing China costs. Starting monthly salaries at Augmentum for the top college graduates he recruits are about 3,000 yuan (less than $400). It's maybe a tenth of what a U.S. engineer gets, but for many in China it's a dream wage. 'When I went to high school, I would imagine that my job would pay 2,000 yuan [annually],' Augmentum software manager Alden Xu says. 'Now I make many times more.' Augmentum had 10,000 applicants for the 550 jobs it wanted to fill this year.

After a lifetime of jumping through hoops in the rigid Chinese educational system, Augmentum's engineers appreciate that Lui trains them to think creatively and collaboratively. With discipline, of course. Everyone at Augmentum is expected to arrive at 8:30 a.m., and it's common to stay until 11 p.m. The principles of protecting intellectual property are stressed, as Liu wants to be able to assure his customers that their trade secrets are safe."

Blowing Hot and Cold

It certainly seems from reading any news accounts that Global Warming is an accepted fact. But is it actually fact, or politically correct reporting? I was amazed recently to read that the Ozone Hole over Antarctica will actually close in the next few years!

"The New York Times in 1895 predicted widespread global cooling. In 1924, the paper reported 'Signs of New Ice Age.' But in 1933, 1952, 1959, and 1969, the Times declared global warming. Then in 1974 and 1975, the Times decided that the new ice age was coming, with catastrophic consequences: 'the facts of the present climate change are such that the most optimistic experts would assign near certainty to major crop failure in a decade' leading to 'mass deaths by starvation and probably in anarchy and violence.'

The Washington Post announced a 'New Ice Age' in 1970, and, in 1974, Fortune agreed, touting a scientist who predicted that a billion people would die from starvation caused by global cooling. Time magazine declared global warming in 1939, global cooling in 1974, and currently believes in global warming."

Goooooal-obalization!

Interesting observation on international appeal of soccer/football. Of American sports, only basketball has international appeal. And Americans don't follow or understand the interest in the World Cup. 1 in 5 people worldwide watched the World Cup Final match in 2002, but only 1 in 75 Americans did.

One other aspect of World Cup - it is not just about soccer, it is also about nationalism. In that way, it is similar to the Olympics. There are the individual stars, and there are the national identities.

"Soccer, by contrast, is the one form of mass global culture that is not made in America. Bring together a Swede, a Nigerian and a Korean teenager and almost all they are likely to have in common is American culture. They will talk about the latest Hollywood blockbuster, what Ben and Angelina are up to and the latest American music. And, of course, if they can communicate at all, it will be in English.

Soccer will be the other thing they have in common. And they will talk about the recent Barcelona-Arsenal match and the World Cup. Most American teenagers would be left out of the conversation when talk turned to sports."

Is Qatar the Next Dubai?

I've been noticing recently all the newspaper ads for Dubai as a resort destination, and for the first time it hit me - the middle east is a viable holiday destination from Asia.

It's only 4 hours time difference from Beijing/Hong Kong/Singapore. The flights and prices are not that expensive.

With a rapidly developing middle class in China, developers are scrambling for the Chinese leisure dollars. Huge casino developments in Macau and Singapore, airport and hotel expansion in Bangkok, Disneyland in Hong Kong.

The Chinese tourists are coming! And the Middle East wants them!

"According to the Qatar Tourism Authority, more than 100 buildings and towers are going up in Doha, whose modest skyline is currently punctuated by about two dozen high-rises. Cranes fill the hot sky. Skeletal hotels, resorts and financial centers ring Doha Bay. And from every corner, a symphony of earth-moving equipment and power tools hums the theme of one of the world's richest countries (as measured by gross domestic product per capita) striving to become a world-class business and leisure center."

Pakistan Bans "DaVinci Code"

Why is it that "non-Christian" countries like Pakistan are more concerned about offending Christians than "Christian" countries like the US?

It is obviously not about religious ideology or about the political clout of the audience. I believe it is a cultural value that esteems the good of the communnity over the freedom of the individual.

"Pakistan on Saturday banned cinemas from showing 'The Da Vinci Code' because it contained what officials called blasphemous material about Jesus.

Although the film has not been screened in any theater in mostly-Muslim Pakistan, authorities decided to ban it out of respect for the feelings of the country's minority Christians."

Online Throngs Impose a Stern Morality in China

I find this fascintating.

First, because Chinese people have a lot of anger bottled up inside without many acceptable ways to let it out. It is common to see arguments and fights on the streets in China. It is a scary situation, and now the internet is providing an avenue for them to vent their anger.

Two, because they care about justice but are also hindered by cultural norms which say "It is not my business," and legal norms which say the government decides what is right and wrong.

Third, because it shows the power of peer pressure or corporate culture, which can be used in either a constructive or destructive way.

"It began with an impassioned, 5,000-word letter on one of the country's most popular Internet bulletin boards from a husband denouncing a college student he suspected of having an affair with his wife. Immediately, hundreds joined in the attack.

'Let's use our keyboard and mouse in our hands as weapons,' one person wrote, 'to chop off the heads of these adulterers, to pay for the sacrifice of the husband.'

Within days, the hundreds had grown to thousands, and then tens of thousands, with total strangers forming teams that hunted down the student, hounded him out of his university and caused his family to barricade themselves inside their home.

It was just the latest example of a growing phenomenon the Chinese call Internet hunting, in which morality lessons are administered by online throngs and where anonymous Web users come together to investigate others and mete out punishment for offenses real and imagined."

Why the Pentagon keeps overestimating the Chinese army

Inside the so-called Chinese military buildup. Doesn't look so threatening when you get a closer look.

"the looming Chinese threat is the explicit justification for all the big-ticket weapons systems that have nothing to do with fighting terrorists or insurgents."

World's Largest Economies

What do you notice about this list? How about the huge gap between #1 and the rest? And the large gap between #2 and the rest?

"Past imperfect

When China revised its 2004 GDP numbers last year, it bumped Italy as the sixth-largest economy. China has since risen to No. 4.

(2004 GDP, in trillions)

U.S. $11.7
Japan 4.6
Germany 2.8
Britain 2.1
France 2.0
China 1.9
Italy 1.7
Spain 1.0
Canada 0.99
Mexico 0.68


Source: International Monetary Fund"

Give or Take a Quarter Trillion

It's going to be awhile before there is a standardized measure of economics in China - as it will be awhile before many other things are standardized in the huge country.

"Late last year, China proclaimed itself the world's sixth-largest economy, edging out Italy. That proud moment wasn't triggered by surging exports of textiles, toys and cellphones. The government simply made a 'statistical revision,' boosting its 2004 gross domestic product by $278 billion, a sum larger than the entire economy of Austria.

That startling announcement, boosting the previous year's GDP in one stroke by 16% to nearly $2 trillion, was a reminder of just how unreliable China's economic numbers can be."

Illegal Immigrants in US

Now called "undocumented workers."

Wow, there are 3 times as many of them in the US as the entire population of the country I live in!

"the estimated 11.5 million undocumented workers in the United States."

The New Louvre

Local products become global products which have local impact around the globe.

Dan Brown's book has been a marketing success for the Louvre museum in Paris, where attendance is up 25% in the past three years. This has got to make the French wince - pop culture bringing in hordes of tourists (a French word!).

Yet some, like the Louvre's director, are aggresively taking advantage of the opportunities for global entrepreneurship (how could the French have even invented that word?)

"Unlike past directors, Loyrette has aggressively sought funding from private sources to augment the museum's resources. In April, he announced the formation of a partnership between the Louvre and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Between 2006 and 2009, the Louvre will lend the High enough art for three special exhibitions, including masterpieces by Raphael and Nicolas Poussin.

Meanwhile, U.S. sponsors of the exhibitions — including Delta, UPS and Coca-Cola — have pledged $6.4 million for refurbishments to the Louvre's collection of 18th century French furniture.

In 2002, Loyrette welcomed the founding of the American Friends of the Louvre, a New York-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the museum financially, strengthen French-American cultural ties and improve how the museum addresses the needs of visitors from the U.S. Its current initiatives include English translations of the museum's Web database and installation of panels describing key artworks in English and Spanish.

The society is a new concept at the Louvre, although a similar group has long been active at Versailles. 'It never occurred to the Louvre before, but Loyrette is shaking things up,' said Christopher Forbes, head of the board of directors of the American Friends of the Louvre. 'He represents a new generation of directors, plugged into what's happening at museums worldwide.'"

Global Economic Boom

This article cites an amazing statistic:

"Of 60 nations tracked by investment firm Bridgewater Associates, not one is in recession — the first time that has been true since 1969.

They go on to analyze:

"'This is the first recovery where developing economies are playing a dominant role,' said James Paulsen, chief strategist at Wells Capital Management in Minneapolis, which manages money for big investors such as pension funds.

"The trend is being driven by free trade, which has created millions of jobs in emerging nations in recent years, fueling stunning new wealth in those countries."

Later making another amazing observation:

"The breakaway growth of the developing world is why the global economy overall is on track to post its fourth straight year of 4%-plus expansion, the IMF estimates. The last such streak was in the early 1970s."

This after noting that the developed world is "lagging" in its growth at 3%, while the developing world is growing phenomenally at nearly 7%.

Even though it seems like most of the news in the world is bad, and most of the leaders in the world are poor, somebody must be doing something right for this kind of broad stability and extended growth.

Draft Hollywood

The writer of this article in the LA Times is calling on more pro-American propaganda, and I heartily agree with him.

One of the great aspects of America and its Christian roots, is the demand that we examine our own sins before we judge others. The American culture supports lots of diversity in opinion and lots of self-criticism.

But we also need reminding of what is good about American culture and what is bad in those who want to destroy America and what it stands for.

The US government is not good at that, and Hollywood is great at it. Why? The government uses words and actions. Hollywood uses stories, which are emotionally powerful.

Why can't we get the opinion-shapers involved in promoting a more inspiring vision of what America was conceived and birthed as, and what it still aspires to be? A defender of freedom, a help for the oppressed, a force for justice and equality and opportunity.

By the way, I like this writer's term for the alternative in today's world: islamo-fascism. They are intolerant, vicious, and need to be stopped.

"the distinctly American message that it's not bloodlines but national creeds that make a people, and that while even so great a creed as ours can't guarantee the decency of individuals, evil creeds surely sweep them up into destructive madness and therefore must be opposed."

Google China Leader Speaks

This article reveals a very passionate and idealistic Chinese entrepreneur who sees the power of the internet changing peoples' lives, and society, in China.

However, they are not necessarily the kind of changes Americans would imagine.

Which reminds us that what we want for others, and what we think is best for them, is not always the same as what they want for themselves, and may not be the best solution for their situation.

"But as Lee and I talked about how the Internet was transforming China, he offered one opinion that seemed telling: the Chinese students he meets and employs, Lee said, do not hunger for democracy. 'People are actually quite free to talk about the subject,' he added, meaning democracy and human rights in China. 'I don't think they care that much. I think people would say: 'Hey, U.S. democracy, that's a good form of government. Chinese government, good and stable, that's a good form of government. Whatever, as long as I get to go to my favorite Web site, see my friends, live happily.' ' Certainly, he said, the idea of personal expression, of speaking out publicly, had become vastly more popular among young Chinese as the Internet had grown and as blogging and online chat had become widespread. 'But I don't think of this as a political statement at all,' Lee said. 'I think it's more people finding that they can express themselves and be heard, and they love to keep doing that.'"

Income Tax Day

Just completed my annual income tax filing ritual.

Time this year to complete all the forms: 9 mins 19 secs

I did it by phone in Singapore. What a country!

See, all I have to do is key in the amount of income I have and claim the deductions for my wife and two children. Then they do the rest! It took me a few extra minutes cause I was exploring other options on the phone which they politely informed me "I'm sorry, that option is not available to you."

In a few months they will tell me how much money I owe, and they will automatically start deducting it from my bank account in monthly installments. In fact, based on previous years, they have already estimated how much I will owe, and have started to deduct it. Later, they'll make the specific adjustments and inform me.

To show it is a government that understands its residents, the deduction for my spouse is compassionately called "wife relief."

China's Clash of Cultures in Cyberspace

Is there a "carefree digital generation" coming of age in China? There are certainly fewer boundaries in peoples' minds about what they are entitled to talk about.

"But in today's China, the freedom to speak one's mind is increasing, especially in cyberspace. More than 110 million Chinese surf the Internet, and an estimated 20 million have become registered bloggers, said Fang Xingdong, founder and chief executive of Beijing-based Boke.com, which boasts 8 million bloggers since it went online in 2002."

Shanghai Vanishing

This article presents a snapshot of the changes taking place in China's most international city. For Westerners, it is hard to comprehend the pace and extent of change going on in Third World cities. In China, cities seem to transform every 3-5 years.

"The reason you must come to Shanghai now, if cities remotely interest you, is that the work here not only constitutes one of the world’s great urban transformations, it also involves one of history’s great disappearing acts. An old city of organic communities, with intimate, walk-up buildings and extraordinarily rich street life, is being replaced, almost in the blink of an eye, by a new city of expensive high-rises, underground parking garages, and lifestyles based on sheltered, closed-door individualism."

Cartoon Body Count

Here is a website that tries to track the deaths and injuries resulting from Muslim attacks over the Danish Muhammad cartoons

"Total Deaths: 139
Total Injured: 823"

When I find a website tracking Christians' murderous rampages following cartoons of Jesus, I'll let you know.

What Does Globalization Look Like?

Sent by my friend Tom -

Question: What is the truest definition of Globalization?

Answer: Princess Diana's death.

Question: How come?

Answer: An English princess

with an Egyptian boyfriend

crashes in a French tunnel,

driving a German car

with a Dutch engine,

driven by a Belgian who was drunk

on Scottish whisky, (check the bottle before you change the spelling)

followed closely by Italian Paparazzi,

on Japanese motorcycles;

treated by an American doctor,

using Brazilian medicines.

This is sent to you by an American,

using Bill Gate's technology,

and you're probably reading this on your computer,

that use Taiwanese chips,

and a Korean monitor,

assembled by Bangladeshi workers

in a Singapore plant,

transported by Indian lorry-drivers,

hijacked by Indonesians,

unloaded by Sicilian longshoremen,

and trucked to you by Mexican illegals.....

That, my friends, is Globalization.

Watch the law

One of my measurements for how developed a society has become is in the clarity and uniformity of its laws, and how evenly they are applied.

In undeveloped countries, laws serve as tools for the government to control its people. Citizens are kept at the mercy of rulers, knowing that at any time they may have violated rules (since many of them are conflicting or unclear) and it is the prerogative of the government whether or not to prosecute them.

I think of the old Soviet Union, or any number of Banana Republics.

In civil societies, rulers are subject to the laws, and may not apply them as they wish. Rather, justice is blind. The laws are sufficiently clear and enforced evenly. Rex lex - the law is king.

Regarding Singapore's upcoming elections, and the laws covering campaigning:

"Those interviewed were in unison about one thing: The laws are broad enough to allow the authorities to prosecute offenders as and when necessary. Whether they do so, however, is another issue altogether.
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Which begs the question: Exactly what is allowed when it comes to writing about politics and the GE during the election period?
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Such OB markers are difficult to pinpoint, and it's unrealistic to expect the laws to be drafted to address every single situation, said Mr Charles Chong, a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Information, Communications and the Arts.

Watch your blog

You might have heard of the bloggers in Singapore that were jailed for "sedition" last year because of critical remarks about Muslims.

Now that elections are coming to our country, bloggers need to be especially alert. During the election period, they may not write about any politicians in a way that either praises or criticizes them, otherwise they will be breaking the law by campaigning on the internet.

Apparently, this also includes reporting on what was said at political rallies.

More guidelines can be found in a newspaper article today:

"So, quite simply, from the time the writ for the GE is issued and until the elections are over, they are legally not allowed to indulge in anything that can be construed as campaigning.
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Nor can blogs conduct 'political advertising' using any medium, including film or video, clarified the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (Mica).
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Welcome to the real world, bloggers.
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'Not only are the majority of bloggers unaware of the laws, I think that they would just continue to assume that what they do or write is within the boundaries,' said blogger Benjamin Lee, more commonly known by his online moniker, Mr Miyagi.
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The coming GE will be interesting because it will be the first since blogs exploded on to the scene and became such a popular mode of exchanging views and information.
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Those interviewed were in unison about one thing: The laws are broad enough to allow the authorities to prosecute offenders as and when necessary. Whether they do so, however, is another issue altogether.
.
Which begs the question: Exactly what is allowed when it comes to writing about politics and the GE during the election period?
.
Such OB markers are difficult to pinpoint, and it's unrealistic to expect the laws to be drafted to address every single situation, said Mr Charles Chong, a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Information, Communications and the Arts.
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Hiding in cyberspace?
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Could a blogger, say, write about his favourite Member of Parliament on his blog?
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'If you do write political content praising or criticising a politician outside an election period, it's not violating the PEA. But if it is during the election period, then you are subject to the laws,' said Mr Siew Kum Hong, the director of Keystone Law Corporation, a law firm
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Still, many bloggers felt it would be possible to hide in the vast anonymity of the Internet, especially if they used sites that were hosted out of Singapore.
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One such site that was set up last "

Carbon Dioxide Hit Record in 2005

This article says that the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere increased almost 1% during the year!

I am not a tree-hugger, but I think the US government (the country that consumes a high percentage of the world's energy) could be doing a LOT MORE to reduce harmful energy usage and stimulate alternative energy development.

Some issues are more important than low taxes, and national and global security is a lot broader than military strength.

"According to NASA, 2005 had the highest annual average surface temperature worldwide since instrument recordings began in the late 1800s."

Islam Fatally Flawed

Interesting that this former Muslim is getting media coverage about the shortfalls of her former religion. While most non-Muslims would probably agree with her, I doubt many Muslims would pay attention. And those that do, would probably attribute it to anti-Muslim sentiment and not listen seriously.

"In a blunt interview on Al Jazeera television last month, Sultan harshly criticized Islam as violent and unfavorably compared Muslims with Jews. In remarks Sunday at her Corona home, Sultan, who said she left the faith after witnessing an act of religious extremism, went even further, saying Islam was beyond repair with teachings that exhorted Muslims to kill non-Muslims, subjugate women and disregard human rights.

'I don't believe you can reform Islam,' Sultan said. Saying Islamic scriptures are riddled with violence, misogyny and other extremist ideas, she declared, 'Once you try to fix it, you're going to break it.'"

Play It Safe Politics

This is a well-written Los Angeles Times opinion article "They can't even win a war of words."

I agree with the sentiment of this writer, but not as a disappointed Democrat. Rather, as a disappointed American. Does politics have to devolve to the level of attacking your opponent while trying to not make any mistakes yourself?

"Yet somehow the Democratic Party still can't do any better than 'America can do better.'

'You can do better' is what you say to a dim child whose grades were even worse than expected. Is this really the Democrats' message to the nation: that we don't need to be quite as pathetic as we now are, though excellence is certainly beyond our reach?

This slogan speaks not of hope but of hopelessness, of scaled-down ambitions, of dreams deferred and dreams denied.

It's the smallness of it that kills me. This nation began with a dream — a crazy, risky, breathtaking dream of freedom, justice and equality. Sure, we've never truly achieved that dream, but for much of the last century, it's been the Democratic Party that has helped keep that dream alive. So how can it be that, today, Democrats don't seem to stand for anything at all?
"

Google is Right on China

Having lived in Asia ten years, I am much less enamored of anti-censorship than the American Congress or the European Press, which are roasting Google and inciting scorn around the Muslim World.

I am much more in favor of regulated expression. I have seen benefits of it in Asian societies, just as I have seen pitfalls of free expression in the West.

This article presents a reasonable view of China's struggles in its regulation of media. Thanks to the recommendation by my friend Randy.

"My view is considerably more sympathetic both to Google and to China and its leaders than is the Internet consensus."

Freedom of speech

"But some analysts say that the behavior of high-tech multinationals ultimately may have less effect on freedom of expression than the changing appetites of 1.3 billion information-hungry consumers in China and the voices of people such as Li and deputy editor Lu Yuegang, who are challenging the system at substantial personal risk."

Absolutely! Censorship and freedom of expression issues in China are not the responsibility of Google and Yahoo - it is up to the Chinese people. What do they want? Is social harmony and stability more important to them than individual expression?

Which makes me wonder - is western freedom of expression necessarily related to moral relativism? Does the individualism of western freedoms create

DO NOT SPIT - fine Rmb 600 !

DO NOT SPIT - fine Rmb 600 !
Originally uploaded by Wang HL.

Working hard at improving manners!

Marching to 2008

2008
Originally uploaded by www.nataliebehring.com.

Now we have some visual evidence that China is marching forward toward their date with destiny : )

Anger Over Cartoons of Muhammad Escalates

Wow, I am hearing this interpreted as a clash of civilizations. What does it say about how these civilizations view the world?

The contrast is portrayed in the media I've read as freedom of speech v. religious zeal.

I see more contrast between individualism and collectivism.

Muslims cannot understand how western societies can allow denigrating portrayals of Islam. Westerners look at individual freedom of expression as integral to human rights, and do not believe governments should restrict individuals' freedom of speech, even when it offends. They cannot understand how individuals in collective societies can tolerate censorship.

Could it be that exporting individualism is what the west means by spreading democracy?

And could it be that people in collective cultures are not willing to trade away the security and other benefits they enjoy in their societies for the freedoms of expression that westerners cherish and want them to accept?

"'Neither the Danish government nor the Danish nation as such can be held responsible for drawings published in a Danish newspaper,' Rasmussen said following the meeting with envoys. 'A Danish government can never apologize on behalf of a free and independent newspaper This is basically a dispute between some Muslims and a newspaper.'

The prime minister added there could be 'unpredictable repercussions' if the protests escalate.

The Egyptian ambassador to Denmark, Mona Omar Attiah, indicated that Rasmussen should do more to diffuse passions. 'I want the prime minister to speak with Jyllands-Posten about getting them to give a real apology,' she said after the meeting."

China's Top Leaders Vow to Tackle Poverty - Yahoo! News

"China's communist leadership has made tackling poverty in the countryside a key priority, as it acknowledges that three decades of economic and social reforms have left great swaths of the population behind."

China's leaders are acting more and more like western politicians in a liberal democratic party, recognizing the importance of wooing people through the media since they are not able to control all of the news in the age of modern telecommunications.

While they continue to push for privatization and regulation in order to stimulate economic growth, they also recognize the importance of deifining the government role in providing public services in order to win citizens' allegiance.

Pollution Limits Sun in China - Yahoo! News

"China's skies have darkened over the past 50 years, possibly due to haze resulting from a nine-fold increase in fossil fuel emissions, according to researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy. "

And it will only get worse...

China's energy consumption is growing at such a rapid pace! Oil is going to continnnue to be a precious commodity controlling a lot of the world's politics.

Let the Fireworks Begin!

China is once again allowing fireworks in large cities, where they have been banned for many years.

The trends I see in this are a slowly developing culture of prosperity, where people are spending more money on luxuries (and it is privately spent by individuals, not the government providing public festivities), and a slow emergence of traditional culture, where historical practices are revived.