Today’s Talk

March 24th, 2008 by CD

Buddhist monasteries are among the few institutions in China which have the potential to organise resistance and opposition to the government - so the Chinese Communist Party constantly worries about them.

Are some monks secret supporters of the Dalai Lama? Could they be working towards Tibetan independence? Beijing’s fear is so great that being found with just a photograph of the Dalai Lama in your possession could land you in jail.

Government regulation of the monasteries started almost as soon as the People’s Liberation Army marched into Tibet in 1950.

The recent protests mark the 49th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising of 1959 when anti-Chinese and anti-communist demonstrations erupted on the streets of Lhasa, and were put down by force.

Lhasa’s three major monasteries - the Sera, Drepung and Ganden, were seriously damaged by shelling. The Dalai Lama was forced to flee into exile and the Tibetan government-in-exile estimates that 86,000 Tibetans died.

Source: BBC 

March 16th, 2008 by CD

Since a lot of people have been wanting to know this, here you go! Enjoy.

I didn’t know you liked me too
Maybe I like you
I really like you
Like a dream my confidence frequently pinches me
I really like it

Perhaps you won’t like me
I don’t know how long I’ll worry about you
Even still you love me too
Oh my gosh, tell me once again

Tell me, tell me, t-t-t-t-t-tell me you love me
You waited for me
Tell me, tell me, t-t-t-t-t-tell me you need me
Tell me, tell me
Tell me, tell me, t-t-t-t-t-tell me you need me
I miss frequently listening
Continue to tell me
Tell me, tell me, t-t-t-t-t-tell me you need me it’s not a dream
Tell me, tell me

Read the rest of this entry »

March 16th, 2008 by CD

Yi San, one of the top rating dramas in Korea right now. This drama is simply amazing and reflects some of the best and worst times in Korean history.

Synopsis
This drama is about the life of King Jeongjo, Joseon Dynasty’s 22nd Monarch, who is remembered in Korean history as one of Korea’s greatest Kings who loved the people and reigned for the commoner, not the high-class people.

The drama starts with the King’s early years in which he befriends two children working in the Palace who are later expelled. The king of Joseon, Jeongjo’s grandfather at the time puts Jeongjo’s father, the next crown prince, in a box with no food or water because he fears that the crown prince will rise up against him. Jeongjo wants to save his father and begs his grandfather to save him with the help of his two friends. The drama then skips forward to Jeongjo’s adult years when he and his friends re-establish contact with each other. Throughout, the Jeongjo’s position as then Crown Prince is threatened by palace intrigues.

While still the Crown Prince, Jeongjo begins to fall in love with one of his childhood friends, Seong Song Yeon, the daughter of a palace artist who died when she was very young.

Similar Post
• Yi San: The theme song

March 16th, 2008 by CD

State legislator of Oklahoma Representative Kern should be fired for such remarks as you are about to hear.  I mean she is nuts and a complete idiot!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFxk7glmMbo[/youtube]

March 13th, 2008 by CD

The 225-188 roll call Tuesday by which the House failed to override President Bush’s veto of a bill that would have prohibited the CIA from using waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques on terrorist suspects.

The roll call was 51 votes short of the two-thirds majority required to overturn a veto.

A “yes” vote is a vote to override the veto.

Voting yes were 220 Democrats and 5 Republicans.

Voting no were 3 Democrats and 185 Republicans.

X denotes those not voting.

ALABAMA

Democrats _ Cramer, Y; Davis, Y.

Republicans _ Aderholt, N; Bachus, N; Bonner, N; Everett, N; Rogers, N.

ALASKA

Republicans _ Young, N.

ARIZONA

Democrats _ Giffords, Y; Grijalva, Y; Mitchell, X; Pastor, Y.

Republicans _ Flake, N; Franks, N; Renzi, N; Shadegg, N.

ARKANSAS

Democrats _ Berry, Y; Ross, Y; Snyder, Y.

Republicans _ Boozman, N.

CALIFORNIA

Democrats _ Baca, Y; Becerra, Y; Berman, Y; Capps, Y; Cardoza, Y; Costa, Y; Davis, Y; Eshoo, Y; Farr, Y; Filner, Y; Harman, Y; Honda, Y; Lee, Y; Lofgren, Zoe, Y; Matsui, Y; McNerney, Y; Miller, George, Y; Napolitano, Y; Pelosi, Y; Richardson, Y; Roybal-Allard, Y; Sanchez, Linda T., Y; Sanchez, Loretta, Y; Schiff, Y; Sherman, Y; Solis, Y; Stark, Y; Tauscher, Y; Thompson, Y; Waters, N; Watson, Y; Waxman, Y; Woolsey, X.

Republicans _ Bilbray, N; Bono Mack, N; Calvert, N; Campbell, N; Doolittle, N; Dreier, N; Gallegly, N; Herger, N; Hunter, N; Issa, N; Lewis, N; Lungren, Daniel E., N; McCarthy, N; McKeon, N; Miller, Gary, N; Nunes, N; Radanovich, X; Rohrabacher, N; Royce, N.

COLORADO

Democrats _ DeGette, Y; Perlmutter, Y; Salazar, Y; Udall, Y.

Republicans _ Lamborn, N; Musgrave, N; Tancredo, X.

CONNECTICUT

Democrats _ Courtney, Y; DeLauro, Y; Larson, Y; Murphy, Y.

Republicans _ Shays, N.

DELAWARE

Republicans _ Castle, N.

FLORIDA

Democrats _ Boyd, Y; Brown, Corrine, Y; Castor, Y; Hastings, Y; Klein, Y; Mahoney, Y; Meek, Y; Wasserman Schultz, Y; Wexler, Y.

Republicans _ Bilirakis, N; Brown-Waite, Ginny, N; Buchanan, N; Crenshaw, N; Diaz-Balart, L., N; Diaz-Balart, M., N; Feeney, N; Keller, N; Mack, N; Mica, N; Miller, N; Putnam, N; Ros-Lehtinen, X; Stearns, N; Weldon, N; Young, N.

Read the rest of this entry »

March 11th, 2008 by CD

[video width="320" height="240"]http://www.todayshottopic.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/countdown_bushed.wmv[/video]

March 11th, 2008 by CD

The United Nations has delivered a grim assessment of the conflict in Afghanistan, reporting that violence increased sharply last year and resulted in the deaths of more than 8,000 people, at least 1,500 of them civilians.

In a report to the security council, the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, said the number of violent incidents rose from an average of 425 a month in 2006 to 566 each month last year.

The number of suicide attacks rose to 160 in 2007 from 123 in 2006 — with 68 attempts thwarted in 2007 compared with 17 in 2006, he said.

Ban claimed that while the insurgency drew strength from local people, much of the violence was led from abroad. “The support of foreign-based networks in providing leadership, planning, training, funding and equipment clearly remains crucial to its viability,” he said.

Current violence in Afghanistan is at its highest level since a US-led invasion in 2001 to oust Taliban rulers.

Read more