“The best education money can’t buy.”

Who needs all the extra stuff like sports and entertainment venues in college? Berea College doesn’t believe in the extra stuff or tuition costs:

Actually, what buys that education is Berea’s $1.1 billion endowment, which puts the college among the nation’s wealthiest. But unlike most well-endowed colleges, Berea has no football team, coed dorms, hot tubs or climbing walls. Instead, it has a no-frills budget, with food from the college farm, handmade furniture from the college crafts workshops, and 10-hour-a-week campus jobs for every student. (link)

Goodbye Taipei

I leave Taipei today for America. It’s a bitter-sweet goodbye. The past few weeks have been absolutely wonderful, mainly because of two exceptional people, Emily and Cindi. During the past few weeks, the three of us have explored the city, laughing, eating, criticizing (each other), flying kites (and getting purses stolen), hanging out at Cindi’s (amazing apartment), and loving every minute. I will miss Cindi and Emily dearly. Luckily, both girls will spend the next four years in America attending college. Visits are definitely in store. 

The last six weeks of teaching, as difficult as it was, will also be missed. Even though I struggled with coaching the SAT, I think I found a perfect balance of practice and actual English education. I wanted to show the students the power of reading and writing, especially beyond the SAT. Those moments my class discussed short stories like “Indian Camp” or “The Yellow Wallpaper” and poems like “The Young Housewife” or “Phenomenal Women” trumped the moments I gave out SAT practice sheets. What is better than seeing a group of kids “get it” through discussion? The educational achievements of all my students not only brings me pride but also happiness that these smart kids will one day lead the world. These students make me want to teach for the rest of my life.

More importantly, the poems, short stories, and essays students read opened, I hope, their minds to the larger idea of citizenship and education. What does it mean to receive a top-notch education (they all attend a very expensive American school in Taipei) in a world dominated by poverty, and to what degree must my students “give back” (in whatever way they can) to the often talked about “global village”? These question do not have any one answer. Each student must formulate an answer as he or she gets older. I hope, though, that I cracked a door open in their minds for them to one day enter and explore more fully. Education is the most awesome gift youth can receive. I hope I delivered…

The family I lived with will also be missed. They have been the most welcoming family for the past three summers.  From taking me around the city as a tourist to taking me out to wonderful dinners–they have been nothing but exceptional. More importantly, they balanced “family time” with giving me freedom to experience my Taipei. I am not sure when I will return, but one thing is for sure: the Hsu family will always be my second family. On the employee side, I am grateful that Ming Ya gave me the freedom to teach the SAT in my counter-intuitive way: through short stories and writing–not rote learning. (I always considered my teaching as the backdoor approach.)

I can’t wait, however, to return home. So much work has to be accomplished in the next month before school starts. Here is what’s on my plate: (1) Kelly A. and I are trying to start a joint newspaper between a local middle school in Bethlehem and Lehigh University; (2) Lehigh Engineering Professor San Gupta wants me to work with him to start a Non-Profit; (3) My internship at the United Nations Department of Public Information begins in August; (4) I’m still trying to connect Culture of Conversation with iEarn.org; (5) and–most importantly–I can’t wait to spend time with my entire family! August will be very busy. I can’t wait to return–as much as I will miss Taipei.

Not the best verb

Al Gore uses an odd verb when he proposed his challenge to turn America into a 100% renewable energy nation in 10 years:

…come with me to meet the entrepreneurs who will drive this [energy] revolution…

Drive? But doesn’t it take fuel to drive? On the one hand, this hints at the price at which the energy revolution will cost (driving = fuel = money). On the other, Gore hints at the transportation sector’s need of the most innovation. In my opinion, I don’t think “drive” is the best choice of words here.

From Iraq to Afghanistan

The NYTs is reporting that the Bush Administration will increase the pullout of American troops. Sounds great, doesn’t it? Well, it is. But, the money quote in the article tells what looks like the real reason: 

One factor in the consideration is the pressing need for additional American troops in Afghanistan, where theTaliban and other fighters have intensified their insurgency and inflicted a growing number of casualties on Afghans and American-led forces there.

In this light, the pullout is more of re-ordering, new-placement of troops. I hope this maneuver isn’t used politically. But, I fear, it will be.

An unbelievable story

“Too Many Questions”

Can you guess what country sentenced a young journalism major to death for posting his own comments to a website about Islam’s treatment of women (think of a blogger like Andrew Sullivan who adds quotes from other sites then adds his own comments)? Well the student, Kambakhash, also is accused of: 

moral character flaws such as asking too many questions in class, seeking attention and popularity, being impolite, and swapping dirty jokes over his cellphone.

Answer: Afghanistan.

Biofuels: not such a great idea after-all

The Guardain reports information from a secret World Bank report on Biofuels: 

[The report] argues that production of biofuels has distorted food markets in three main ways. First, it has diverted grain away from food for fuel, with over a third of US corn now used to produce ethanol and about half of vegetable oils in the EU going towards the production of biodiesel. Second, farmers have been encouraged to set land aside for biofuel production. Third, it has sparked financial speculation in grains, driving prices up higher.

That distortion is an increase in prices by 140% since 2002. Biofuel demand accounts for 75% of that increase!

Sound Numbers

Hilzoy responds to the new McCain economic plan: 

So far, I have argued as though I thought McCain was actually serious about balancing the budget. I was taking him at his word, and giving him the benefit of the doubt. But I do not see how it’s possible to even begin to work through his various proposals and think that he is. I suspect that he doesn’t fully understand many of his proposals, and so might well be unaware of exactly how big a hole he’s planning to blow in the deficit, ad how unlikely it is that he will be able to plug it by the means he’s specified. But I don’t think that even he can actually believe that he can make up $695 billion by cutting earmarks and “reforming” Social Security.

Regardless of his un-sound numbers, McCain’s real problem is this:  

While the Old Guard are now calmly re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, the younger staffers involved in the RNC/John McCain campaign are just collecting a paycheck and going through the motions. The McCain campaign is merely a resume-builder for them. None of these young staffers really believes in John McCain and none really expects him to win, and the honest ones don’t mind saying so — privately.

Most importantly, none of the Beltway conservatives, young or old, can give you a conservative argument in favor of McCain’s election other than (a) “Obama would be worse” and (b) “What about judges?”

(H/T Andrew Sullivan)

“Don’t be upset, we’ll execute you legally.”

What does it mean to disturb the mental security in society? Well, the Iranian government is trying to increase punishments for such acts. The Khaleej Times reports: 

Iran’s parliament is set to debate a draft bill which could see the death penalty used for those deemed to promote corruption, prostitution and apostasy on the Internet, reports said on Wednesday.

Blogging is a major flash-point for this new legislation. One blogger/cartoonist created this cartoon (the title of this post is the translation): 

Obama and Iraq

Sullivan on Obama’s new, refined stategy for the Iraq War: 

And this shift is yet another instance of Obama’s remarkably shrewd post-primary strategy. He is slowly undermining every conceivable reason to vote for McCain. If you want to withdraw from Iraq - as prudently as possible - Obama is your man. He won’t risk chaos in a precipitous withdrawal regardless of the strategic and tactical situation. Unlike McCain, he is also unafraid of Baker-Hamilton diplomacy; and unlike McCain, he does not threaten a hundred years of occupation and the suspicion that he’d like the U.S. to stay there for ever. What can McCain say now? All he can say, I think, is that Obama is cynical. I don”t think that’s fair: there’s a distinction between cynical and pragmatic. 

I tend to agree with Sullivan here. As much as a complete withdrawal in Iraq would satisfy those who opposed the war from the start (me being one of them), a clear understanding of the current situation, removed from pre-war or Bush disapproval, will not only help the formation of the Iraqi state but also increase security for Iraqi citizens, a point far often neglected. I recommended last spring that security in Iraq should not solely be measured in terms of America troop causalities, but also in terms of Iraqi civilian casualties. The fewer civilian casualties, the more stable the state, and thus the more likely rule of law will take precedent.