Not all observers, however, think that China’s unstinting appetite for commodities is super. The most common complaint centres on foreign policy. In its drive to secure reliable supplies of raw materials, it is said, China is coddling dictators, despoiling poor countries and undermining Western efforts to spread democracy and prosperity. America and Europe, the shrillest voices say, are “losing” Africa and Latin America.

I read this paragraph and immediately thought “How is this different from what the US has been doing for the past 100+ years? ” I might include the Europeans as well, after they had to relinquish their empires – coddling dictators indeed, setting them up in the first place, that’s what they were doing.

Geek Stuff, Preparing for the worst

Laptops, Customs and Security

March 16, 2008 Jack

An interesting article on how to protect your PC from nosy customs agents.

The Post did an article on some problems people are having with customs wanting to see what’s on their laptops and other electronic devices. TSA wants it understood that they do not confiscate laptops.

DHS seems to have its own problems with laptops.

General

A Winter Morning

March 14, 2008 Jack

While I was sleeping, it gently snowed in Colorado. It was the big, puffy snowfall that falls steadily but lightly. The snow had limmed the leaveless branches of the cottonwoods and the shrub oak and had frosted the pine trees. Everywhere I looked, it was a winter wonderland.

As we drove out of the valley this morning the snow was still gently falling. I remarked to Elaine that if I had longjohns and a camera I would spend a couple hours just wandering around taking pictures. Thank goodness I don’t have any longjohns, it was cold and damp as well.

And the winter wonderland continued as we drove into town. The trees by the roadside, the B-52 on its pedestal, the fences, all with a thin coating of snow on one side. It was like the shadow they put under graphics to make them stand out, except these shadows were white.

As we got closer to town, it got uglier, the snow was heavier there and the limbs were bending under the weight. And the roads were slushing up with the brown/gray slush found on commuter roads.

It’s melting now and the snow is sloughing off the trees as the temperature gets above freezing.

According to my Accuweather forecast, there wasn’t supposed to be any snow last night. It is supposed to be arriving tomorrow night. I am disappointed with the overall accuracy in Accuweather this year. I am not sure they could forecast the short-term weather if they were sitting in the eye of a hurricane. So I have removed their addon from my FireFox and will need to pursue another weather info site. Elaine keeps saying Weather Underground is good one, but I can’t find a Firefox addon for them.

General