quick update I leave town in a week. I wish I could say that this blog will be undergoing some dramatic facelift to commemorate the occassion, but it of course isn't. I love everybody who reads it, but it isn't really worth the time. I will, however, start updating it more - and hopefully doing a better job of putting together worthwhile entries.  ¶ 4:41 AM 0 comments

  CNN.com - Groups: Sane Chinese put in asylum - Mar 17, 2006 CNN.com - Groups: Sane Chinese put in asylum - Mar 17, 2006  ¶ 1:30 AM 0 comments

  Funding the "Final War": LTTE Intimidation and Extortion in the Tamil Diaspora Funding the "Final War": LTTE Intimidation and Extortion in the Tamil Diaspora

i've never seen this type of relation between a homeland and a diaspora population... i knew the tamils were well organized, but extortionists? yikes, it's like one giant organized crime syndicate.  ¶ 12:13 AM 0 comments

  BBC NEWS | South Asia | India rebels free train captives BBC NEWS | South Asia | India rebels free train captives

How is it that India and Nepal have enough Maoists to fuel "Maoist Revolutions" when China doesn't even have any Maoists anymore?  ¶ 12:34 AM 0 comments

  BBC NEWS | Business | EU to decide shoe dumping action BBC NEWS | Business | EU to decide shoe dumping action

go china go... hooray globalization... the next step, of course, is for china to complain of laotian and cambodian dumping or something like that... i wonder what comes at the end of this cycle (of course, i know, this cycle unfortunately probably doesn't reach its end)  ¶ 12:30 AM 0 comments

  BBC NEWS | Africa | Darfur unrest prompts UN aid cut BBC NEWS | Africa | Darfur unrest prompts UN aid cut

US OFDA is facing similar budget cuts... 1/3 the funding of last year. international community needs to get its act together  ¶ 12:27 AM 0 comments

  BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Bird flu kills Indonesian child BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Bird flu kills Indonesian child

:(  ¶ 12:24 AM 0 comments

  BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Water policy 'fails world's poor' BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Water policy 'fails world's poor'  ¶ 12:20 AM 0 comments

  CNN.com - Congress declares war on ports deal - Mar 9, 2006 CNN.com - Congress declares war on ports deal - Mar 9, 2006

irrational jingoism is the clear and unfortunate result of both dems and republicans maneuvering to avoid being cast as unpatriotic in the run up to midterm elections... another dumb result of our political system: everybody's so busy playing politics that nobody takes the time to even allow thorough analysis to determine whether this is at all bad.  ¶ 12:47 AM 0 comments

  BBC NEWS | Africa | Uganda's Besigye cleared of rape BBC NEWS | Africa | Uganda's Besigye cleared of rape

more authoritarian regimes  ¶ 2:01 AM 0 comments

  BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Uzbekistan jails opposition chief BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Uzbekistan jails opposition chief

I hate authoritarian regimes.  ¶ 10:41 PM 0 comments

  BBC NEWS | Americas | Call for Moussaoui death penalty BBC NEWS | Americas | Call for Moussaoui death penalty

I hate the death penalty.  ¶ 10:34 PM 0 comments