julianw

^pixies - We did. People say all kind of things when they are drunk. Also, I agree with Eldar that we are entitled to our own opinion that whether a person is better off living or dying, but neither we nor the parents have the right to force that opinion on the individuals in question.

I watched the movie Cube and I think I could have had a better time playing minesweepers.

I am tempted to borrow a camera and take a picture of my summer belly which has retired a whole bunch of my leather belts. (I blame the hot weather and all the ice cream and cold drinks.)

I think I will once again compare China's situation to that of Taiwan. Take a closer look at the resumes of the recent leaders of Taiwan's three largest political parties and you will find out that they all graduated from foreign universities in the likes of Cambridge, Cornell, and UC Berkeley. Today, there are hundreds of thousands of Chinese students studying abroad and today's Chinese population is increasingly aware of the fact that many of their government's policies are completely unacceptable for any modern country. It's true that when the Communist Party of China begins to lose its grip on the country and China becomes unstable and unpredictable, change will ensue, but that is not the favorable outcome for China, her neighbors or US. It's also true that no ruling parties are willing to reform and give up their political power, but in the past, few visionary leaders have done precisely that and brought a country weakened by corruption back to its feet. My best hope is that with the passing the current leadership of China which is still from a generation that is educated under heavy Communism brainwashing and unprogressive and the right amount of international pressure, China can reform within one or two decades.

Ha! That was way back in high school. Right now I weigh 220lb and can't even fit into those pants any more.

I am thinking about taking a trip to Alabama.

Maybe you can tattoo that over the scar. Here's an old pic I dug up. (I am the guy, btw.)

I think you have seen pretty much all the best scenes already. The story and acting are not bad. And I am listening to Last Samurai's soundtrack.

I am listening to Fearless's theme song and digging the video:

Glad to see that you are trying some new styles. Nice work.

I noticed that too. My uneducated guess is that since it was filmed in Thailand, the hits were real.

I'm thinking Deraldin need to learn to cope with annoyance and I need to brush right now.

DoooOOOOooo it! @DL - Are you like 6 feet tall with huge feets and super-intimidating?

True but it's no reason not to reform just because it's too difficult. This is also no excuse for the communist regime to deny people democratic reforms. The majority of the population (even most of the peasants) has improved their economic well-beings many folds since the early 80s, but the political system has remained about the same. Furthermore, a country's economics will always be linked to its politics. An unprogressive political system in China will eventually hinder its economic progress. The current stability sustained by the economic boom of China will end, and to reform without bloodshed might not be possible anymore. India has a similar economic structure and its democracy has worked. Maybe an electoral system will work in China to offset the dominace of the peasants? I am not saying Falun Gong is pushing for any sort of political change but this phenomenon does reflect a void within the Chinese society that cannot be filled by material wealth or any sweet lies about communism.

The last movie I watched is Pirates 2.

I understand how hard it is to bring any form of reforms to a system reeks of corruption on its every level, but that is precisely why democratic reforms are so necessary. Remember Taiwan? It achieved considerable success in democracy within one decade. How could democracy be hopeless in China where the culture of the people is almost identical? It's true that people in mainland are less educated and have less of an understanding of their civil rights and duties, but that's all the more reason for the people to excercise their civil rights and practice their civil duties. As for how will any democratic reform in the central government even affect the local authorities as it happened in Taiwan, I think you might have underestimated the influence the central government wield over the local provinces or cities. The central government can discharge any city or province officials on a whim and appoint almost whoever they like as replacement. The locals might get away with disobeying central policies, but if the central government wishes to put its hammer down, its absolute control over the army speaks louder than any executive order. We cannot change the corrupt political culture overnight, but any progress beats stagnation and to hope for the best outcome while doing nothing is no solution to any problem. I think that you might also have underestimated the Chinese society's hunger for change (socially and politically). Why do you think that Falun Gong gained so much influence over China so fast that the central government felt the threat to its stability and power to rule? The Chinese people have tasted material wealth and their pursuit of luxury has not brought them the full satisfaction expected.

I am thinking how come some people like Michael Jordan have so much hops and I have so little? (I am 6'3'' and can barely touch the rim. It's getting embarrassing to keep telling people that I can't dunk and I call myself a baller...)

Kafty - Nice whiskers. How about a shirtless one next?

As we had already seen from 9/11 or this current crisis in the Middle East, things could easily change overnight. When the draft comes, I'd rather be ready than not.

The book has a different ending but does contain some detailed descriptions of the state of the mind that is under the influence.

I can smell your hairy behind from a mile away, Mothie, but who's this strum dude popping up out of nowhere? Also, who's Jussi? It's amazing how Mus? is beginning to confuse me with posts no longer than 6 words.

Most likely yes. All legal residents in the US are subject to the draft. The day you receive your permanent residence status, they also mail you your brand new selective service card, so if you want the privilege of living in this country, you'd better be ready to fight for her. Of course, you can always move to another country and kiss your green card goodbye; certain religious groups are also exempted from the draft.

I think people need to stop changing their user names. Frequent avatar changes are annoying enough.

You might need some fat and protein input. Try KFC's extra crispy chicken or some of those new quadruple cheeseburgers. Also make sure you get plenty of sleep and restrain from all forms of exercises.

What crap. How could Japan rank 90th (even below China) on health when they have the longest life expectancy in the world?