The Worst Case Against McCain Yet

Upon trolling through far right websites today, I found one of the more interesting arguments made against McCain’s candidacy from the right: he apparently isn’t a natural born citizen. From the American Voice, a right wing radio network associated with Bo Gritz (the right wing survivalist associated with the Christian Identity movement, and worked fervently to stop Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube from being removed in 2005):

“John McCain was born August 29, 1936 in the Panama Canal Zone, to two U.S. citizens. It's a common misunderstanding that the zone was a U.S. territory - in fact, the U.S. had lease rights, but not territorial rights."

What this fails to recognize is that Naturalization Law 1790 states “the children of citizens of the United States that may be born beyond sea, or outside the limits of the United States, shall be considered as natural born citizens.” But golly, you have to give it to these right wing cranks for using this far fetched and easily disprovable argument.

Oddly enough, Romney’s pop also possessed this same citizenship classification: George Romney, the late Michigan governor and a leading aspirant for the 1968 Republican presidential nomination, was born in Chihuahua, Mexico.

And should I find it the least bit surprising that the American Voice is advocating Ron Paul?

Uljin Market

Like in most Korean towns, there is an open air market at the center of the city, and Uljin is no different. They are similar to American farmer markets, but more practical and with less hacky-sacking hippies. Here are a few pictures of my trek through the market this afternoon.



The covered portion.



And the open portion.



We have lots of un-kosher seas creatures offered. Like this octopus.



...and some strong rays...





...and the famous Uljin crab.



Just some of the many live fish for sale...



...and just some of the many dried fish for sale.



I plan to decorate my room in this fashion.

Berkeley Tree Sit Breaking Down

It really isn’t fair to make fun of a Berkeley tree sitter simply because his name is Ayr. Yes, just one word and it isn’t even being spelled properly. I will clown him for being 39 years old however, and still engaging in childish protests like the Berkeley Tree-sit.

Now that the protest in Berkeley is winding down, the University is starting to clean up and take down the junk our tree sitters have left behind. From the SFGate:

The arborist climbed into the grove about 6 a.m. and cut most of the ropes connecting the half-dozen platforms the tree-sitters have built in the foliage. The arborist also took down one of the platforms, which was uninhabited. In the process, a bucket of human waste fell about 60 feet to the ground.

There were no arrests, and a university spokesman said police moved in because the protest appears to be winding down.

But the action enraged the protesters.

"They cut a s- bucket and it fell to the ground and exploded," said Erik Eisenberg, 39, a leader of the tree-sitters' ground crew who goes by the name Ayr. "They've made things less safe and less sanitary. All they're trying to do is harass and intimidate us."

What a moron of the highest order. First of all, crapping and pissing into a bucket in the park while you play monkey is not sanitary no matter how you try and spin it.

Second, they are trying to get you out of the tress, which should not surprise you “Ayr”. You are making a mess of a rather simple University expansion, and your activist friends have lied about the facts behind the tree sit since day one.

Third, the only entity that deserves the name Ayr is the south Scottish city. That or someone playing an Elf in Dungeons and Dragons, which I think would actually be a step towards adulthood for you my friend.

In the Blogosphere

Another great cartoon by Mark Ramirez.

So wait, the Iranians are still perusing nuclear weapons? Who’d a thunk it? – The Contentious Centrist

It may be better for Obama not to give details if they are they reflect those of Samantha Power, his adviser. – Reason Magazine

Well, McCain must truly be the nominee. As Jennifer Rubin points out, this “scandalous” news piece will likely be over quickly, unless you read the Huffington Post and the Daily Kos. – Commentary

Blurbs on Kosova

While I have not commented on real news in the last few days (most importantly, the newly independent Kosova that is quickly gaining recognition), so here are a few blogs that have.

-Greater Surbiton has two pieces about Kosova’s independence amongst his many posts concerning the Balkans.

-Your Friend in the North looks at Kosova independence and discusses the concept of separatism in Britain.

Uljin from the Hills

My school’s graduation was this previous Friday, so I have had the last few days off and decided to take a few pictures around Uljin. Here is a brief photo essay of my travels in the town I work within.





Anyone who travels through Korea is likely to notice the incredible number of mountains that divides the nation. You can imagine how much of an ordeal it would have been to travel between towns before the advent of the highway system (and even with it it's a bit tough), and Korea’s separatism from other parts of Asia makes a lot of sense when you travel throughout the country. The Hermit Kingdom was created both by Korean skepticism and distrust of the outside, but also by its natural fortress that it has been gifted with. Here are a few pictures of the mountains just above my home.





With great mountains comes great hiking, and there are more than enough trails to satisfy those tired of city life. Along the many paths, you will find traditional family tombs that dot the Korean countryside. Korean tombs are generally buried and covered in large mounds. The larger the mound, the more important the individual beneath it, as you can see by the tombs of the Kings in Gyeongju (this picture is taken from Wikipedia).



The family tombs on the trails near my home are not nearly as magnificent, but are still an interesting part of the surrounding local.







The view from the mountains is impressive. Here is the city of Uljin that resides south of the river. This is the part I live in, and is generally less well-to-do than the northern end of the town.





Photos from the city itself tomorrow.