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Monthly Archives: September 2007
If Al Gore Wins The Nobel Peace Prize
It is possible that in a few short weeks America wakes up to news from Europe that Al Gore has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace.
If this occurs, it will be a powerful transforming event in American politics that will bring a surge of patriotism and pride to a nation that has been torn by war, divided by partisanship, trapped in a quagmire and alienated from what Jefferson called the decent opinion of mankind.
Let’s set aside for now the question of whether Al Gore runs for President, which is unlikely though world events can change our politics in a heartbeat.
The more important matter is what happens to our national dialogue and our democracy if indeed the Nobel Prize is awarded to Gore.
From the moment his award is announced through his speech in December accepting the prize, Al Gore will be the most influential living American in defining the terms of our national debate. If Al Gore Wins The Nobel Peace Prize
10 Most Amazing Temples in the World
More than a quarter of all people in the world belong to Eastern religions, which include Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Taoism. These people worship in temples, which are architecturally as diverse as the religions are different from each other. From the ancient ruins of Ankor Wat to the distinctly modern Wat Rong Khun, there are hundreds if not thousands of amazing temples in the world. Here are one man’s choices of the ten most amazing in Asia. 10 Most Amazing Temples in the World
Bloody Crackdown on Protesting Buddhist Monks in Burma
The situation in Myanmar (formerly Burma) continues to worsen with reports of escalating efforts by the government to violently repress ongoing nonviolent demonstrations. The protests, sparked by steep increases in fuel costs, are being led by Buddhist monks who have called for a reduction in commodity prices, the release of political prisoners, and national reconciliation. (Now that the government has decimated Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party, the monks are the only organized force strong enough to challenge the junta.)
Accurate information is difficult to come by since there are few journalists currently operating inside the country. But there have been media reports of at least eight people killed, widespread use of tear gas against demonstrators, hundreds of arrests and beatings and the detention of at least 300 monks who have been active in the growing anti-government protests over the last month.
Watch this very rough video uploaded to YouTube this morning by an anonymous protester for a sense of what’s going on.
Three Gorges Dam an ‘environmental catastrophe’
One official explained that “the shore of the reservoir had collapsed in 91 places and a total of 36km had already caved in”. Such landslides have produced waves up to 50m tall which then slam into the shore wreaking further havoc. In July, the Times notes, “a mountain along a tributary collapsed, dragging 13 farmers to their deaths and drowning 11 fishermen in a two-storey-high wave”.
Geological instability isn’t the only unforeseen negative effect of the Three Gorges. Downstream of the dam, locals have been battling two billion rats forced into farmland by rising water levels after the dam authority released a large amount of Yangtze River water “to control flooding in the face of the annual rainy season”.
Three Gorges Dam an ‘environmental catastrophe’ | The Register
YOU OWE YOUR LIFE TO THIS MAN…
Lt. Col. Stanislav Petrov was duty officer at Serpukhov-15, the secret bunker outside Moscow that monitored the Soviet Union’s early-warning satellite system, when the alarm bells went off shortly after midnight [on September 26, 1983]. One of the satellites signaled Moscow that the United States had launched five ballistic missiles at Russia. . . .
Sept. 26, 1983: The Man Who Saved the World by Doing … Nothing
Senate Endorses Plan to Divide Iraq
Showing rare bipartisan consensus over war policy, the Senate overwhelmingly endorsed a political settlement for Iraq that would divide the country into three semi-autonomous regions.
Means nothing. The Iraqis will decide.
Time Running Out to Avoid a Devastating Climate Crisis, UN Warned
President Bush voiced appreciation for “the discussions on climate change led by the secretary-general” last night, when the two attended a dinner that capped a day of events devoted to galvanizing the international community on the issue.
But Bush did not attend the day-long high-level climate talks convened at UN Headquarters by the secretary-general. Instead, he held bi-lateral meetings at the The Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority and with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Time Running Out to Avoid a Devastating Climate Crisis, UN Warned
New CBS Reality Show Sends Kids to Guantanamo
Fresh on the heels of their reality show “Kid Nation,” in which children are sent to perform hard labor on a ranch with no adult supervision, CBS announced today that it was readying a new reality show in which children are sent to the federal detention camp at Guantanamo.
The new program, called “Kid Detention,” is expected to be ready for broadcast in time for November sweeps, with the following promotional slogan: “One detention camp. Forty kids. No lawyers.”
CBS said that filming would begin as soon as forty children are “randomly rounded up.” Read more…
John Edwards: working-class values and a closely held faith
“People are naturally skeptical of any politician who talks at length and openly about their faith, because they assume, just
like with a lot of things, that they do it for political gain.” John Edwards
How many monks are there in Burma?
Amid historic demonstrations against the Burmese government, 10,000 maroon-robed monks protested the military junta in Yangon on Sunday. The next day, 1,000 monks led a crowd of almost 100,000 in a 12-mile march. How many monks does Burma have?
How many monks are there in Burma? – By Michelle Tsai – Slate Magazine
Run, Al, Run
On Oct. 12, we shall hear again from Oslo, and I will be very surprised indeed if the peace prize is not awarded to Albert Gore Jr. (Don’t ask what a campaign against global warming has done for “peace”; that would be like asking what Mother Teresa or Henry Kissinger had ever done to reduce global conflict. The impression is the main thing.)
So, and if I am right, the former vice president will then complete a year in which An Inconvenient Truth has been awarded an Oscar and he has authored a best seller. Roll it round your tongue again: an Oscar, a best seller, and a Nobel Prize in the space of 12 months or so. Not bad. And meanwhile, the field of Democratic candidates looks—how shall one put it?—a trifle etiolated. … More…
Dharma Family Values
A Protestant minister I know recently lamented that his congregation seemed to be aging. It’s just too hard to keep teenagers in the church, he explained. They fall away, usually around fourteen or fifteen, after which you’re lucky if you see them on Easter and Christmas. “After that, you’ve basically got only three opportunities to get them back—when they get married, when their children get baptized, or when someone in the family dies.”
“But what if your church doesn’t have Easter and Christmas,” I asked, “or if it doesn’t have those marriage, birth, and funeral ceremonies to draw them back in?”
He looked at me a little incredulously, then remembered that I was coming from a Buddhist background. “Well,” he said after a moment. “In that case, I guess you’re screwed.”
Are You a Buddhist?
If I don’t have a definitive answer to the “Are you a Buddhist?” question, it’s because there’s no urgency or necessity for me to have one. It’s not one of those pressing questions that require an immediate answer, such as “Will you marry me?” or “Want fries with that?”
