Sunday, May 28, 2006
How to Know the Value of Almost Any House in America
www.Zillow.com
Commander Taco
http://cmdrtaco.net/
http://slashdot.org/
http://slashdot.org/
Strange But Maybe True
The Associated Press
May 26, 2006 Friday 9:55 PM GMT
In midst of Vietnam war, Nixon envoy Kissinger acknowledged
U.S. could live with communists
BYLINE: By CALVIN WOODWARD, Associated Press Writer
Henry Kissinger quietly acknowledged to China in 1972 that Washington
could accept a communist takeover of South Vietnam if that evolved after
a
withdrawal of U.S. troops even as the war to drive back the communists
dragged on with mounting deaths.
President Nixon's envoy told Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, "If we can live
with a communist government in China, we ought to be able to accept it
in
Indochina."
Kissinger's blunt remarks surfaced in a collection of papers from his
years of diplomacy released Friday by George Washington University's
National Security Archive. The collection was gathered from documents
available at the government's National Archives and obtained through the
research group's declassification requests.
Kissinger's comments appear to lend credence to the "decent interval"
theory posed by some historians who say the United States was prepared
to
see communists take over Saigon as long as that happened long enough
after
a U.S. troop departure to save face.
But Kissinger cautioned in an interview Friday against reaching easy
conclusions from his words of more than three decades ago. "One of my
objectives had to be to get Chinese acquiescence in our policy," he told
The Associated Press.
"We succeeded in it, and then when we had achieved our goal, our
domestic situation made it impossible to sustain it," he said, explaining that he
meant Watergate and its consequences.
The papers consist of some 2,100 memoranda of Kissinger's secret
conversations with senior officials abroad and at home from 1969 to 1977
while he served under presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford as
national security adviser, secretary or state and both. The collection contains
more than 28,000 pages.
The meeting with Zhou took place in Beijing on June 22, 1972, during
stepped-up U.S. bombing and the mining of harbors meant to stall a North
Vietnam offensive that began in the spring. China, Vietnam's ally,
objected to the U.S. course but was engaged in a historic thaw of
relations with Washington.
Kissinger told Zhou the United States respected its Hanoi enemy as a
"permanent factor" and probably the "strongest entity" in the region.
"And we have had no interest in destroying it or even defeating it," he
insisted.
He complained that Hanoi had made one demand in negotiations that he
could never accept that the U.S. force out the Saigon government.
"This isn't because of any particular personal liking for any of the
individuals concerned," he said. "It is because a country cannot be
asked to engage in major acts of betrayal as a basis of its foreign policy."
However, Kissinger sketched out scenarios under which communists might
come to power.
While American cannot make that happen, he said, "if, as a result of
historical evolution it should happen over a period of time, if we can
live with a communist government in China, we ought to be able to accept
it in Indochina."
Pressed by Zhou, Kissinger further acknowledged that a communist
takeover by force might be tolerated if it happened long enough after a U.S.
withdrawal.
He said that if civil war broke out a month after a peace deal led to
U.S. withdrawal and an exchange of prisoners, Washington would probably
consider that a trick and have to step back in.
"If the North Vietnamese, on the other hand, engage in serious
negotiation with the South Vietnamese, and if after a longer period it starts again
after we were all disengaged, my personal judgment is that it is much
less likely that we will go back again, much less likely."
The envoy foresaw saw the possibility of friendly relations with
adversaries after a war that, by June 1972, had killed more than 45,000
Americans. "What has Hanoi done to us that would make it impossible to,
say in 10 years, establish a new relationship?"
Almost 2,000 more Americans would be killed in action before the last
U.S. combat death in January 1973, the month the Paris Peace Accords
officially halted U.S. action, left North Vietnamese in the South and preserved the
Saigon government until it fell in April 1975.
Whether by design or circumstance, the United States achieved an
interval between its pullout and the loss of South Vietnam but not enough of one
to avoid history's judgment that America had suffered defeat.
Kissinger said in the interview he was consistent in trying to separate
the military and political outcomes in Vietnam indeed, a point he made
at the time. "If they agreed to a democratic outcome, we would let it
evolve according to its own processes," he said Friday, adding that to tolerate
a communist rise to power was not to wish for it.
William Burr, senior analyst at the National Security Archive, said the
papers are the most extensive published record of Kissinger's work, in
many cases offering insight into matters that the diplomat only touched
on in his prolific memoirs.
For example, he said Kissinger devoted scant space in one book to his
expansive meetings with Zhou on that visit to Beijing, during which the
Chinese official said he wished Kissinger could run for president
himself.
At the time, Chinese-Soviet tensions were sharp and the United States
was playing one communist state against the other while seeking detente with
its main rival, Moscow. Kissinger hinted to Zhou that the United States
would consider a nuclear response if the Soviets were to overrun Asia
with conventional forces.
But when the Japanese separately recognized communist China with what
Kissinger called "indecent haste," he branded them "treacherous."
On the Net:
National Security Archive, offering access to 20 of the documents:
http://www.nsarchive.org
Kissinger-Zhou transcript: http://www.gwu.edu/
7/8nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB193/HAK%206-20-72.pdf
May 26, 2006 Friday 9:55 PM GMT
In midst of Vietnam war, Nixon envoy Kissinger acknowledged
U.S. could live with communists
BYLINE: By CALVIN WOODWARD, Associated Press Writer
Henry Kissinger quietly acknowledged to China in 1972 that Washington
could accept a communist takeover of South Vietnam if that evolved after
a
withdrawal of U.S. troops even as the war to drive back the communists
dragged on with mounting deaths.
President Nixon's envoy told Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, "If we can live
with a communist government in China, we ought to be able to accept it
in
Indochina."
Kissinger's blunt remarks surfaced in a collection of papers from his
years of diplomacy released Friday by George Washington University's
National Security Archive. The collection was gathered from documents
available at the government's National Archives and obtained through the
research group's declassification requests.
Kissinger's comments appear to lend credence to the "decent interval"
theory posed by some historians who say the United States was prepared
to
see communists take over Saigon as long as that happened long enough
after
a U.S. troop departure to save face.
But Kissinger cautioned in an interview Friday against reaching easy
conclusions from his words of more than three decades ago. "One of my
objectives had to be to get Chinese acquiescence in our policy," he told
The Associated Press.
"We succeeded in it, and then when we had achieved our goal, our
domestic situation made it impossible to sustain it," he said, explaining that he
meant Watergate and its consequences.
The papers consist of some 2,100 memoranda of Kissinger's secret
conversations with senior officials abroad and at home from 1969 to 1977
while he served under presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford as
national security adviser, secretary or state and both. The collection contains
more than 28,000 pages.
The meeting with Zhou took place in Beijing on June 22, 1972, during
stepped-up U.S. bombing and the mining of harbors meant to stall a North
Vietnam offensive that began in the spring. China, Vietnam's ally,
objected to the U.S. course but was engaged in a historic thaw of
relations with Washington.
Kissinger told Zhou the United States respected its Hanoi enemy as a
"permanent factor" and probably the "strongest entity" in the region.
"And we have had no interest in destroying it or even defeating it," he
insisted.
He complained that Hanoi had made one demand in negotiations that he
could never accept that the U.S. force out the Saigon government.
"This isn't because of any particular personal liking for any of the
individuals concerned," he said. "It is because a country cannot be
asked to engage in major acts of betrayal as a basis of its foreign policy."
However, Kissinger sketched out scenarios under which communists might
come to power.
While American cannot make that happen, he said, "if, as a result of
historical evolution it should happen over a period of time, if we can
live with a communist government in China, we ought to be able to accept
it in Indochina."
Pressed by Zhou, Kissinger further acknowledged that a communist
takeover by force might be tolerated if it happened long enough after a U.S.
withdrawal.
He said that if civil war broke out a month after a peace deal led to
U.S. withdrawal and an exchange of prisoners, Washington would probably
consider that a trick and have to step back in.
"If the North Vietnamese, on the other hand, engage in serious
negotiation with the South Vietnamese, and if after a longer period it starts again
after we were all disengaged, my personal judgment is that it is much
less likely that we will go back again, much less likely."
The envoy foresaw saw the possibility of friendly relations with
adversaries after a war that, by June 1972, had killed more than 45,000
Americans. "What has Hanoi done to us that would make it impossible to,
say in 10 years, establish a new relationship?"
Almost 2,000 more Americans would be killed in action before the last
U.S. combat death in January 1973, the month the Paris Peace Accords
officially halted U.S. action, left North Vietnamese in the South and preserved the
Saigon government until it fell in April 1975.
Whether by design or circumstance, the United States achieved an
interval between its pullout and the loss of South Vietnam but not enough of one
to avoid history's judgment that America had suffered defeat.
Kissinger said in the interview he was consistent in trying to separate
the military and political outcomes in Vietnam indeed, a point he made
at the time. "If they agreed to a democratic outcome, we would let it
evolve according to its own processes," he said Friday, adding that to tolerate
a communist rise to power was not to wish for it.
William Burr, senior analyst at the National Security Archive, said the
papers are the most extensive published record of Kissinger's work, in
many cases offering insight into matters that the diplomat only touched
on in his prolific memoirs.
For example, he said Kissinger devoted scant space in one book to his
expansive meetings with Zhou on that visit to Beijing, during which the
Chinese official said he wished Kissinger could run for president
himself.
At the time, Chinese-Soviet tensions were sharp and the United States
was playing one communist state against the other while seeking detente with
its main rival, Moscow. Kissinger hinted to Zhou that the United States
would consider a nuclear response if the Soviets were to overrun Asia
with conventional forces.
But when the Japanese separately recognized communist China with what
Kissinger called "indecent haste," he branded them "treacherous."
On the Net:
National Security Archive, offering access to 20 of the documents:
http://www.nsarchive.org
Kissinger-Zhou transcript: http://www.gwu.edu/
7/8nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB193/HAK%206-20-72.pdf
The Waring Blendor (sic)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114867414519364503.html?mod=hps_us_editors_picks
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Arts and Letters Daily
Thanks to Marshall Crenshaw for this link:
http://www.aldaily.com/
http://www.aldaily.com/
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Parade of Nations
Went to the fabulous Parade of Nations last night at the Hyatt Hotel. The Ambassador, who is an accomplished drummer, jammed with the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs house band; prior to the second song he jokingly said, "Vice President Dick Cheney requested that we play this song..." then they launched into 'Back in the USSR.'
From Korea Times
Ambassadors Sing for Charity
By Philip Dorsey IglauerStaff Reporter
Spanish Ambassador Delfin Colome, center, leads a chorus of foreign diplomats and their spouses in a rendition of a Korean folk song “Arirang,” the event’s finale performance, in the “Parade of Nations” at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul, Tuesday night. / Korea Times Photo by Shim Hyun-chul A parade of local celebrities and foreign diplomats dazzled spectators and participants in the annual ``Parade of Nations 2006’’ at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul Tuesday night.
This year’s Parade of Nations showcased 52 embassies, in which ambassadors and their spouses were the main performers at the diplomatic gala and charity event, and raised $30,000 from ticket sales alone.
Donated items were auctioned and prizes were raffled.
One ambassador’s spouse involved in organizing the event speculated that about $100,000 could have been raised from the event.
In Soo-ni made a guest appearance and sang three songs, including her recent hit single ``Higher.’’ She donated her time for the performance.
In is known for her involvement in many charities. She helped opened Children's Center in Tongduchon, northern Kyonggi Province, which helps biracial children of financially disadvantaged families, and has engaged in other non-profit organizations, including the Pearl S. Buck Foundation.
U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow, nicknamed ``the drumming ambassador’’ for his skill behind the snare drum, backed up Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s seven member band. They played ``Back in the U.S.S.R’’ by the Beatles and other well-known rock tunes.
``Seoul has perhaps the best diplomatic community in the world and this event reflects their friendship, generosity and hospitality,’’ said N. Parthasarathi, Indian Ambassador to Seoul, at the reception before the dinner and performances.
05-23-2006 23:13
From Korea Times
Ambassadors Sing for Charity
By Philip Dorsey IglauerStaff Reporter
Spanish Ambassador Delfin Colome, center, leads a chorus of foreign diplomats and their spouses in a rendition of a Korean folk song “Arirang,” the event’s finale performance, in the “Parade of Nations” at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul, Tuesday night. / Korea Times Photo by Shim Hyun-chul A parade of local celebrities and foreign diplomats dazzled spectators and participants in the annual ``Parade of Nations 2006’’ at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul Tuesday night.
This year’s Parade of Nations showcased 52 embassies, in which ambassadors and their spouses were the main performers at the diplomatic gala and charity event, and raised $30,000 from ticket sales alone.
Donated items were auctioned and prizes were raffled.
One ambassador’s spouse involved in organizing the event speculated that about $100,000 could have been raised from the event.
In Soo-ni made a guest appearance and sang three songs, including her recent hit single ``Higher.’’ She donated her time for the performance.
In is known for her involvement in many charities. She helped opened Children's Center in Tongduchon, northern Kyonggi Province, which helps biracial children of financially disadvantaged families, and has engaged in other non-profit organizations, including the Pearl S. Buck Foundation.
U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow, nicknamed ``the drumming ambassador’’ for his skill behind the snare drum, backed up Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s seven member band. They played ``Back in the U.S.S.R’’ by the Beatles and other well-known rock tunes.
``Seoul has perhaps the best diplomatic community in the world and this event reflects their friendship, generosity and hospitality,’’ said N. Parthasarathi, Indian Ambassador to Seoul, at the reception before the dinner and performances.
05-23-2006 23:13
Friday, May 19, 2006
Quiznos Queasiness
Lunch at Quiznos today, three of us had immediate significant runs.
What Do Mohawk Valley NY and the Mekong Delta Have in Common?
www.mvcc.edu/~sengel
Blue House
Went for my first time ever to the Blue House this afternoon. It's a big, beautiful compound--you don't feel like you are in the middle of downtown Seoul.
http://english.president.go.kr/warp/app/home/en_home
http://english.president.go.kr/warp/app/home/en_home
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Last Hurdle Cleared for WTO Entry?
http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2006/05/14/afx2744332.html
HANOI (AFX) - The government here and the US have reached an agreement in principle that should enable Vietnam to join the WTO, staterun news media reported at the weekend.
The state-owned Vietnam News Agency (VNA) said Hanoi had 'technically concluded the 12th round of negotiation with the US' on WTO accession Saturday after a week of 'intense discussions'.
But the VNA report also said: 'Several issues remain unsolved'.
The Tuoi Tre daily newspaper quoted Minister of Trade Truong Dinh Tuyen as saying: 'The talks reached agreements in principle.'
He reportedly added: 'The official signing will take place in the near future.'
The newspaper also quoted a Vietnamese official in Washington as saying the signing could take place in early June, when Vietnam will host the meeting of APEC trade ministers in Ho Chi Minh City.
Newly appointed US Trade Representative Susan Schwab is expected to attend the meeting, the newspaper said.
The latest round of talks began Tuesday in Washington. Textiles appeared to be a major sticking point between the two sides, some reports said.
VietnamNet said Hanoi's ambassador in Washington, Nguyen Tam Chien, had confirmed that the talks had concluded, saying: 'There are no more clouds in Washington, the sun is coming out.'
Vietname wants to join the trade body before hosting the APEC summit in November, which US President George W Bush is expected to attend.
After Vietnam signed a deal with Mexico last month, the US was the last country with which it needed to conclude bilateral negotiations in order to join the global trade body.
Before gaining entry to the WTO, however, Vietnam must first be granted permanent normal trade relations by the US Congress, where Vietnam's human rights record could come under scrutiny.
Last month in Hanoi, US House of Representatives speaker Dennis Hastert called on Congress to pass the deal, despite concerns about human rights.
afp/jm
HANOI (AFX) - The government here and the US have reached an agreement in principle that should enable Vietnam to join the WTO, staterun news media reported at the weekend.
The state-owned Vietnam News Agency (VNA) said Hanoi had 'technically concluded the 12th round of negotiation with the US' on WTO accession Saturday after a week of 'intense discussions'.
But the VNA report also said: 'Several issues remain unsolved'.
The Tuoi Tre daily newspaper quoted Minister of Trade Truong Dinh Tuyen as saying: 'The talks reached agreements in principle.'
He reportedly added: 'The official signing will take place in the near future.'
The newspaper also quoted a Vietnamese official in Washington as saying the signing could take place in early June, when Vietnam will host the meeting of APEC trade ministers in Ho Chi Minh City.
Newly appointed US Trade Representative Susan Schwab is expected to attend the meeting, the newspaper said.
The latest round of talks began Tuesday in Washington. Textiles appeared to be a major sticking point between the two sides, some reports said.
VietnamNet said Hanoi's ambassador in Washington, Nguyen Tam Chien, had confirmed that the talks had concluded, saying: 'There are no more clouds in Washington, the sun is coming out.'
Vietname wants to join the trade body before hosting the APEC summit in November, which US President George W Bush is expected to attend.
After Vietnam signed a deal with Mexico last month, the US was the last country with which it needed to conclude bilateral negotiations in order to join the global trade body.
Before gaining entry to the WTO, however, Vietnam must first be granted permanent normal trade relations by the US Congress, where Vietnam's human rights record could come under scrutiny.
Last month in Hanoi, US House of Representatives speaker Dennis Hastert called on Congress to pass the deal, despite concerns about human rights.
afp/jm
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
And another one for DC friends...
"You are cordially invited to a Wagner Book Chat and Party Sunday, May 21, 2006 2:00 to 6:00 pm.
"First we will discuss Philip Kitcher and RichardSchacht "Finding an Ending: Reflections on Wagner'sRing" (Oxford U Press, 2004).
"If you haven't read the book, you are still welcome toattend and hear what others have to say about thisbook.Following the discussion, we will socialize andcelebrate Wagner's birthday with some good (includingsome rare) recordings....RSVP by May 18 by calling (202) 460-0023."
http://www.washingtonnationalwagnersociety.org
"First we will discuss Philip Kitcher and RichardSchacht "Finding an Ending: Reflections on Wagner'sRing" (Oxford U Press, 2004).
"If you haven't read the book, you are still welcome toattend and hear what others have to say about thisbook.Following the discussion, we will socialize andcelebrate Wagner's birthday with some good (includingsome rare) recordings....RSVP by May 18 by calling (202) 460-0023."
http://www.washingtonnationalwagnersociety.org
For friends in DC...
From the Pandora founder...
"As many of you know, I've spent this Spring traveling around the country meeting pandora listeners, and doing research on local music scenes to fuel the Music Genome Project. I've seen Portland's thriving indie scene, soaked up SXSW, metthe next generation of artists at Dallas' Booker T. Washington High School forthe Performing Arts (home of Norah Jones and Erykah Badu), enjoyed ear-splitting hard rock at San Antonio's White Rabbit, visited the epicenter of Houston's chopped'n'screwed school of rap, explored what some in Louisiana have called "The Most Musical 125 miles on Earth," and the birthplace of the blues in Mississippi.
"You can read up on my travels athttp://dbm.pandora.com/t?ctl=1217B48:4D7DB83Washington, D.C., I'm headed your way soon! While I'm in D.C., I hope to host a 'town hall' meeting of sorts for musiclovers and Pandora enthusiasts. The topic: The Future of Music.Details follow.THE FUTURE OF MUSICJoin Pandora founder Tim Westergren and other music insiders and enthusiasts fora discussion on the future of music.
"Join us on May 17th at 7pm for a 'town hall' meeting at Revolution Records. TimWestergren, founder of Pandora.com, along with Gary Greenstein of Soundexchangeand David D. Oxenford, a music copyright lawyer at Davis Wright Tremaine, will lead a lively and informative conversation about the impact of the digitalrevolution on the future of music. Among the questions we hope to tackle:- How is technology changing the nature of radio?- What are the implications for intellectual property and licensing rights?- What is the role of radio in helping music lovers find new songs and artiststo love?- Is online radio here to stay or just a fad for tech enthusiasts?- Is this the best of times -- or the worst of times -- for new, emergingartists hoping to find their audience?
"Space is limited, so please be sure to RSVP to timindc@pandora.comWHAT: The Future of Music with Tim Westergren of PandoraWHEN: 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 17, 2006WHERE: Revolution Records, 4215 Connecticut Avenue, NW (Van Ness/UDC) website:http://dbm.pandora.com/t?ctl=1217B49:4D7DB83"
"As many of you know, I've spent this Spring traveling around the country meeting pandora listeners, and doing research on local music scenes to fuel the Music Genome Project. I've seen Portland's thriving indie scene, soaked up SXSW, metthe next generation of artists at Dallas' Booker T. Washington High School forthe Performing Arts (home of Norah Jones and Erykah Badu), enjoyed ear-splitting hard rock at San Antonio's White Rabbit, visited the epicenter of Houston's chopped'n'screwed school of rap, explored what some in Louisiana have called "The Most Musical 125 miles on Earth," and the birthplace of the blues in Mississippi.
"You can read up on my travels athttp://dbm.pandora.com/t?ctl=1217B48:4D7DB83Washington, D.C., I'm headed your way soon! While I'm in D.C., I hope to host a 'town hall' meeting of sorts for musiclovers and Pandora enthusiasts. The topic: The Future of Music.Details follow.THE FUTURE OF MUSICJoin Pandora founder Tim Westergren and other music insiders and enthusiasts fora discussion on the future of music.
"Join us on May 17th at 7pm for a 'town hall' meeting at Revolution Records. TimWestergren, founder of Pandora.com, along with Gary Greenstein of Soundexchangeand David D. Oxenford, a music copyright lawyer at Davis Wright Tremaine, will lead a lively and informative conversation about the impact of the digitalrevolution on the future of music. Among the questions we hope to tackle:- How is technology changing the nature of radio?- What are the implications for intellectual property and licensing rights?- What is the role of radio in helping music lovers find new songs and artiststo love?- Is online radio here to stay or just a fad for tech enthusiasts?- Is this the best of times -- or the worst of times -- for new, emergingartists hoping to find their audience?
"Space is limited, so please be sure to RSVP to timindc@pandora.comWHAT: The Future of Music with Tim Westergren of PandoraWHEN: 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 17, 2006WHERE: Revolution Records, 4215 Connecticut Avenue, NW (Van Ness/UDC) website:http://dbm.pandora.com/t?ctl=1217B49:4D7DB83"
Monday, May 08, 2006
In case you are in that neighborhood and need to call home...
Agence France Presse -- English
May 8, 2006 Monday 8:02 AM GMT
Vietnam mobile phone service to reach disputed Spratlys in June
HANOI, May 8 2006
State-owned Vietnamese mobile phone company Vinaphone is expected to launch its service in the disputed Spratly Islands next month, an official said Monday.
"Installation (of the transmitters) will be completed in May," Nguyen Huu Thuong, director of a government telecom service center based in the central province of Danang, told AFP.
"Vinaphone wants to ensure information exchange between the furthest of Vietnam's district islands and other localities," Thuong said, adding the service should start next month.
The announcement could upset other claimants to the islands -- Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan.
Except for Brunei, all the claimants maintain a military presence on the disputed archipelago of more than 100 islets, reefs and atolls, with a total land mass of less than five square kilometres (two square miles).
In January Taiwan rejected Vietnam's demand that it stop building a runway on the islands, reaffirming its claim to the archipelago but calling for a peaceful solution to the dispute.
May 8, 2006 Monday 8:02 AM GMT
Vietnam mobile phone service to reach disputed Spratlys in June
HANOI, May 8 2006
State-owned Vietnamese mobile phone company Vinaphone is expected to launch its service in the disputed Spratly Islands next month, an official said Monday.
"Installation (of the transmitters) will be completed in May," Nguyen Huu Thuong, director of a government telecom service center based in the central province of Danang, told AFP.
"Vinaphone wants to ensure information exchange between the furthest of Vietnam's district islands and other localities," Thuong said, adding the service should start next month.
The announcement could upset other claimants to the islands -- Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan.
Except for Brunei, all the claimants maintain a military presence on the disputed archipelago of more than 100 islets, reefs and atolls, with a total land mass of less than five square kilometres (two square miles).
In January Taiwan rejected Vietnam's demand that it stop building a runway on the islands, reaffirming its claim to the archipelago but calling for a peaceful solution to the dispute.
Friday, May 05, 2006
OK even without Skid Roper
Any Mojo Nixon fans out there? I took my wife to one of his concerts a few years back. She loved it...as much as a fan of Julio Iglesias and Nan Mouskouri could...That was, coincidentally, after we had spent the earlier part of the evening at a Potomac, Maryland fundraiser for a colleague of Dan Quayle's and running through an alien abduction police checkpoint while trying to take a short-cut down to the 930 Club...At least Mojo di dnot leer insanely at Mojo the way Terry Adams did at the Ram's Head later that summer...
The Sentinel
Saw first half of 'The Sentinel' last night. The NYT and other reviewers had panned it, but I liked what I saw. I was led out of the theater about half-way through by my daughter, who insisted we go see 'Hoodwinked' in the theater next door. So don't tell me how 'The Sentinel' ends!
Harry Shearer
Try to listen to Harry Shearer's "Le Show" sometime. It's available via Podcast.
This Is a Very Long Link URL...
...but a surprising story...
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/06/washington/06intel.html?hp&ex=1146888000&en=1079f0f88eb5f170&ei=5094&partner=homepage
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/06/washington/06intel.html?hp&ex=1146888000&en=1079f0f88eb5f170&ei=5094&partner=homepage
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Children's Day
Amazing, it's a Friday morning and here I am sitting at home blogging. It's Children's Day here in Korea, so adults get to celebrate it too.
I'm listening to Nick Lowe's Greatest Hits and ordering a Tupac CD (7-day Theory) off of my favorite mail order CD service, only $5.99 including shipping. I feel stupid advertizing the service, so email me and I'll give you details; be sure to include your own email address in the body of the message. For some reason I can't reply to messages that come in trhough the blog itself.
I'm listening to Nick Lowe's Greatest Hits and ordering a Tupac CD (7-day Theory) off of my favorite mail order CD service, only $5.99 including shipping. I feel stupid advertizing the service, so email me and I'll give you details; be sure to include your own email address in the body of the message. For some reason I can't reply to messages that come in trhough the blog itself.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Hard to Believe the Market Is Saturated
Xinhua General News Service
April 19, 2006 Wednesday 3:00 AM EST
Vietnam reports decreased motorbike sales in Q1
DATELINE: HANOI
Motorbike makers in Vietnam sold 430,000 units in the first quarter of this year, a year-on-year decrease of 10 percent, the Vietnam Bicycle and Motorbike Association said on Wednesday.
Best-selling motorbike models in the country are Yamaha's Jupiter and Nouvo, and Honda's Future Neo and Wave RS, the association's chairman Le Anh Tuan said, noting that many motorbike producers are focusing on making sport models to target young customers.
The golden time for motorbike sales in Vietnam, particularly in urban areas, has passed after its peak period two years ago. The country's motorbike market is expected to be saturated in 2008, he said.
Now, every seven local people have a motorbike, and every five are expected to have a unit in the next two years, Tuan noted.
Seven foreign-invested and 35 locally-owned motorbike makers and assemblers in Vietnam sold 1.5 million units in 2005, according to the country's Industry Ministry.
Vietnam is expected to annually export 2 million motorbikes, mainly to Southeast Asia and Africa in the coming years, the ministry said.
April 19, 2006 Wednesday 3:00 AM EST
Vietnam reports decreased motorbike sales in Q1
DATELINE: HANOI
Motorbike makers in Vietnam sold 430,000 units in the first quarter of this year, a year-on-year decrease of 10 percent, the Vietnam Bicycle and Motorbike Association said on Wednesday.
Best-selling motorbike models in the country are Yamaha's Jupiter and Nouvo, and Honda's Future Neo and Wave RS, the association's chairman Le Anh Tuan said, noting that many motorbike producers are focusing on making sport models to target young customers.
The golden time for motorbike sales in Vietnam, particularly in urban areas, has passed after its peak period two years ago. The country's motorbike market is expected to be saturated in 2008, he said.
Now, every seven local people have a motorbike, and every five are expected to have a unit in the next two years, Tuan noted.
Seven foreign-invested and 35 locally-owned motorbike makers and assemblers in Vietnam sold 1.5 million units in 2005, according to the country's Industry Ministry.
Vietnam is expected to annually export 2 million motorbikes, mainly to Southeast Asia and Africa in the coming years, the ministry said.
A Roman Boat in Vietnam?
from the WSj a week or so ago...
* * *
Researchers draining a canal in northern Vietnam in 2004 were searching for of ancient textiles from graves but may have instead found some of the earliest evidence of globalization. Sticking out of the canal bank was a 2,000-year-old log boat that had been used as a coffin, and Science reports that the two Australian archaeologists were astounded to find that the method for fitting planks to hull matched that used by the Roman Emperor Caligula and his contemporaries in the 1st century A.D. That ship-building technique is thought to be unique to the Mediterranean, Science notes.
"They are absolutely correct in their links with comparable material in the Greco-Roman world," says Lucy Blue, a maritime archaeologist at the University of Southampton in Britain. But Science adds that it's impossible to say "whether the boat making method is a case of technology transfer across vast distances or whether it arose independently in East Asia.”
* * *
Researchers draining a canal in northern Vietnam in 2004 were searching for of ancient textiles from graves but may have instead found some of the earliest evidence of globalization. Sticking out of the canal bank was a 2,000-year-old log boat that had been used as a coffin, and Science reports that the two Australian archaeologists were astounded to find that the method for fitting planks to hull matched that used by the Roman Emperor Caligula and his contemporaries in the 1st century A.D. That ship-building technique is thought to be unique to the Mediterranean, Science notes.
"They are absolutely correct in their links with comparable material in the Greco-Roman world," says Lucy Blue, a maritime archaeologist at the University of Southampton in Britain. But Science adds that it's impossible to say "whether the boat making method is a case of technology transfer across vast distances or whether it arose independently in East Asia.”
