College Being

The recent turmoil caused by Tibet-independence activists trying to disrupt the smooth procession of Olympic torch relay has aroused world-wide attention to China. As a protest to the above action, hundreds of thousands of students abroad initiated demonstrations to protect the torch and to go against their independence activities, from which, Chinese students’ patriotism has been revealed to the utter most form.

The history of patriotism among Chinese students could date back to as early as one thousand years ago, during which, the occurrence of the May 4^th Movement might be cited as a good instance for students to show their affection for China. In the wake of the movement, ignited by the demonstration led by Chinese students in Beijing, they won mass workers support, boycotted Japanese goods, stimulated an intellectual revolution, and enhanced the subsequent creation of the Chinese Communist Party. In different ages, the causes and manifestations of patriotism may vary greatly from each other. Nevertheless, patriotism can never be wrongly associated with anything extreme like narrow minded nationalism, or violent movements. Click to continue reading…

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I believe alternative energy is a must for our future, and if we don’t get on this wagon we are going to be left behind. We should be proactive and not leave it up to politicians or the corporate empire to decide when is the right time to switch energy sources. By the time their interests coincide with the general human population, it will be too late.

The informative video below is an episode from “Big Ideas for a Small World.” It covers some of what is happening on the front of alternative energy development. The benefits of solar, wind, and methane are discussed as well as the problems with coal.

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Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in the case of Heller v. District of Columbia, in which a security guard named Dick Anthony Heller is suing DC’s government over its ban on handguns, which has stood since 1976, on the grounds that the law violates his Second Amendment rights. A full text of the oral arguments is available here for those of you who enjoy reading such things. This is the first time the Supreme Court has heard a meaningful case on the Second Amendment since 1939. The main issue is whether the Second Amendment (“A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”) applies only to government-run militias like the National Guard, or whether it is meant to bestow upon individuals the right and responsibility to defend the nation in case of invasion or tyranny. Right now, it’s looking as though at least five members of the Court (Roberts, Thomas, Scalia, Alito, and Kennedy) agree with the latter interpretation. My thoughts after the jump. Click to continue reading…

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