WTF?

Beijing has strongly urged US President George W Bush to cancel a planned meeting with the Dalai Lama, saying it would "seriously damage" relations.

Mr Bush is due to host Tibet's spiritual leader at the White House.

On Wednesday, Mr Bush is due to attend a ceremony at the US Capitol where the Dalai Lama will receive a Congressional Gold Medal, a top US civilian award.

It will be the first time a sitting president will have appeared in public with the 72-year-old Buddhist leader.

I'm horrified by that last piece of information, but pleased that--if he does nothing else of value in his term as president--George Bush will have repaired that mistake.

I completely fail to understand how this country can continue to have normal relations with China, given that they invaded and seized another country and are attempting to ethnically cleanse it (and parts of China with non-Chinese populations) by suppressing their language and culture and religion and importing settlers. These are things that the US did in the 18th and 19th centuries to Native Americans and is deeply ashamed of now; how can we stand by and tolerate it in China?

Well, apparently we're OK with it in Israel, so I guess China is just a matter of scale... :-(

Peter, you need to see this....

http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2007/10/16/dungeons-dragons-40.html

(no subject)

I'm glad that we had a chance to go down to my mother's last weekend, but I am also glad we have this weekend at home. NJS will be busy with schoolwork on Saturday, so I can catch up on some of my list of things to do before we go do soccer stuff (Sunday morning) and hang out with friends (Sunday afternoon/evening). ( more rumination follows )