讀通鑑，到永嘉三十年(西元四五三年)，宋太子劭弒太祖，諸王伐之；蕭斌勸曰：「人情未離，尚可決力一戰」，一股涼風吹過心頭：解嚴以來，臺灣政治人物，盡力分離人情，至今民眾不談建設，只管賣力罵人，不努力解決問題，只努力想惡毒的詞來攻訐異己。

We should take Donald Trump to one of those beaches where sharks have been appearing and settle once and for all who has the most odious mouth in the Northern Hemisphere.

But no, sharks are an essential part of the ecosystem, and I wouldn’t want to wish Trump on them. 

李登輝在日本說，「臺灣的麻煩都來自中國」，這是一句可以刻石鏤金的銘言，千真萬確。「教改」斷送臺灣下一代的主人翁的前途與競爭力，這分明是中國陰謀。李登輝執政時，臺灣正準備更上一層樓，全世界看準臺灣即將成為二十一世紀全球金融重鎮，甚至很多專家預估臺灣將會超過瑞士；但是因為街頭運動、無止的抗爭，民眾的力量分散了、眼界封鎖了，不再談建樹，只管罵國內的人，于是臺灣美好、富裕的前途成為泡影；這也是中國削弱臺灣的陰謀。

進入二十一世紀，世界各國向前奔跑，陳總統水扁先生的建樹在于分化，這一定是遵從中國的命令，因為如果臺灣團結，比較容易與北京談條件。但事到如今，時移境遷，臺灣越來越弱、中國越來越強，陳總統為中國渡過那段危險期。

不能說陳總統讓臺灣空轉八年，他確實有建樹：當年他計畫禁止布農族在傳統獵場打獵，讓他們當有錢人的嚮導，開放獵場給有錢人玩鎗、打獵；雖然沒有成功，但可見他多麼用心。他還把中正紀念堂的牌樓改寫成「自由廣場」，雖然聽起來有點像跳蚤市場，也是很有作為的一項建樹。而且他還有一個很了不起的貢獻，他為了保留「反核」這個非常重要的爭權資本，所以八年完全沒有處理能源問題，以至于現在另類能源方面，臺灣還跟不上很多非洲落後國家；這一定也是中國的陰謀。還有呢，他開放重機車進口，讓山村的人被吵的生活不安寧，這當然也是中國人搞出來的。比起陳總統的政績，十大建設算甚麼？

馬英九上臺，來勢洶洶，如果讓臺灣站起來，對北京很不利，所以不管他說甚麼、不管他做甚麼，很多民眾不問青紅皂白只管放開喉嚨罵：因為他是馬英九，所以他是錯的。罵馬的風氣又很成功地削弱臺灣，想也知道這也是中國人搞出來的。

所以感謝李登輝的偉大指導，我們了解，一切事情都是別人的錯；只要手伸直直指著別人，大吼大罵，不需要為自己的行為負責，都是別人的錯。這個意義很深，應該頒發諾貝爾和平獎給李登輝；我想，只要有人提名，北京方面一定會全力支持將諾貝爾和平獎給李登輝，因為這種思維對中國大陸太有利。只要臺灣民眾習慣這種思路，大陸收復臺灣，不必費吹灰之力，垂手可得。

Great moments in English teaching

In SAT vocabulary class, we came across ideology. I explained that ideology means doctrines that form or define a group, and that Lenin used the term to refer to indoctrinating people to put a political plan into effect.

Then I remembered that ideologue came up on a recent SAT, so to prompt the students, I asked, “What do you call someone who is trying hard to push their ideology on you? They’ve got this whole set of ideas, they’re really doctrinaire, you just can’t talk reason with them, and they’re going to force you to accept this ideology whether you want to or not?”

And a boy piped up from the back of the room, “My Dad.”

今晚阿超的老師來山上，所以我坐公車回到大橋。山上住了十三年才買車，那十三年每次下臺北都坐公車來回。很久沒坐，可是一從捷運站出來，以前的感覺都回來了：沒有人排隊，剛剛過了一班，要等下一班。那就等吧，不然怎麼辦？心裏念著，前面那班一定是軋輅開的，不然誰飛那麼快？

車子終于來了，林師傅開247。進山路，很熟習的感覺都回來了，發現公車晃的跟轎車不同。

到了屈尺，感覺真的回到幾年前，那位十六個孩子的媽上車，依舊稍微刷卡，依舊沒有刷到，司機例行公事跟她說沒刷到，他們依舊抬槓幾句，然後老媽默然站在門口，到了民壯亭，不用按鈴就靠邊給她下車。天啊，劇本十幾年沒變！

越入山越熟習。到了龜山，司機靠邊停，往後面走去搖醒一位乘客，「你又要坐過站了！」年輕人睡眼惺忪揹著書包踉蹌下車。隧道口會車，前面那班果然是軋輅開的。好吧，開車辛苦，早點回家。

過了忠治，司機叫一個帶孩子的媽媽先把孩子叫醒，比較好下車。過了成功，車上只剩我一個乘客；林師傅記不記得我，不知道，依舊不講話。準備下車，看他方向盤的左手已經藏好一支菸，等最後一個乘客下車就點。

大橋下車，又是一個十分熟習的感覺，回山上真好！跟以前唯一不同的是，溪上多了一座很醜的吊橋放著光害。往回家走吧。

It’s not often I agree with Governor Perry, but this time he got it right. “I was highly offended by what Donald Trump said about John McCain and his years of sacrifice in a dirty, dingy, terrible prison in North Viet Nam. Donald Trump owes every American veteran, and in particular John McCain, an apology.”

Perry further said that Trump’s comments disqualify him from running for President and Commander in Chief. “If he cannot find it in himself to apologize to every veteran of this country, to every individual that has sacrificed and for the families of those young men and women who have died fighting for the freedom of this country, he does not have the character, the discipline, or the resolve to be the President of the United States,” Perry told Radio Iowa.

I strongly disagree with McCain’s politics, but I respect the man. What the odious Trump forgets is that McCain got captured because he was fighting on the front line, while Trump was evading service with draft deferments. The closest Trump got to military service was in his teens when he got kicked out of school for bad behavior and his wealthy father bought him a place in a military academy. He never served in the military and never came close to a war zone. “I don’t like people who get captured.” Trump ran so far and so fast that he never came near our own troops, much less even saw the enemy.

Aside from his other loathsome attributes, this attitude alone disqualifies him from running from President. How could he be Commander in Chief with this attitude? “I don’t like people who get captured.” Maybe if he became President, he would issue every soldier a pistol with orders to shoot yourself rather than get captured. 

如果你最近很忙，不建議看這齣「出境事務所」，因為看了第一集一定會想看第二集~~~~全戲二十集，很精彩：生動、好笑、有內涵。我也聽不懂客語，看字幕就好了。Now’s your chance to watch a really funny but thoughtful serial about a funeral home. You can also practice your Chinese, too, because the main dialect is Hakka, along with Mandarin and Minnan. I don’t know Hakka either, so read the subtitles.

一切都是國民黨的錯；馬英九做甚麼，都是錯的，連他今天穿哪一雙襪子，一定有人罵得很慘。所以我今天要嚴重批判：馬總統已經執政七年，為甚麼沒有把「棒倒」引進臺灣？限總統二十四小時之內給我一個讓我滿意的答覆，不然後果由他負責：如果沒有給我答案，我明天晚上拒絕吃冰棒，已表示我的憤怒！I would like to know why President Obama has been in office for nearly eight years now, and he has yet to make Bo-Taoshi the national sport of the United States. What does he think he is doing!? This PROVES that he wants illegal aliens to flood the country and open the doors for terrorists, and that he was born in Gibraltar. How could anybody possibly want to watch football when you can watch this?
(我本來就不太吃冰棒，可是做人，講話不要太絕，要給自己留個後路。)

I was a little boy in Ottawa, Illinois when the Civil War Centennial began. Stores started selling Civil War hats, but by the time we got there, the blue hats were all sold out. Nobody wanted a gray hat, so by default, Peter and I became rebels. Tommy Dodd bought his hat the next day, so he was a rebel, too. It was always Peter, Tommy Dodd, and me against everybody else when we had battles, and we put up a good fight. I went around chalking on the sidewalks, THE SOUTH SHALL RISE AGAIN!, somewhat to the consternation of our neighbors. For a second grader, I even had some pretty good ideas about State’s Rights.

After the Centennial, living in another state, the rebel hat long outgrown, I became aware of the Civil Rights movement. The meaning of the rebel flag was crystal clear to everybody in America at that time. It was the flag Governor Wallace flew in his fight for segregation and inequality based on skin color. It was the flag people warped by hate flew to keep negroes from getting educated. It was the flag the KKK flew in their marches, in their cross burnings, and in their lynchings. On both sides of the Civil Rights movement, there was no doubt in anybody’s mind that the rebel flag stood for segregation, persecution of negroes, inequality, and hate.

In recent years, there has been a lot of sophistry about southern heritage, that the flag stood for state’s rights and not slavery, and a general rewriting of an embarrassing history. I don’t care about any of that. In my experience, the rebel flag stands for Governor Wallace, the KKK, lynching, “keeping the negroes in their place,” “not letting the negroes get uppity,” and a hateful cast of mind.

The soldiers who flew the rebel flag in battle fought against the Declaration of Independence, against the Constitution, against the Bill of Rights, and against the government of the United States. Some people today like to burn the American flag; this is despicable and childlike, but it is nothing compared to taking up arms to fight against Old Glory. The Stars and Bars is a conquered flag. It is time to take that rag down. If you want to fly it in reenactments and historical drama, go ahead, it is the flag of defeat and hate, so everybody should be reminded of the nation’s dreadful past.

My heart is warmed by South Carolina’s decision to take down the flag. Never again may it wave.

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When I was in college, I found two records of really funny comedy. Yeah, records, black vinyl, Taiwan pirates for NT$12 each. The pirates were legal then, early 1970s. I bought them, one Bill Cosby and the other Cheech and Chong. After a day working on Chinese philosophy and etymology, I’d put on my headphones and laugh myself silly, even though I listened to each dozens of times. American humor is still a closed book to the Chinese mind now, how much more so then. I translated some of the really good parts into Chinese for friends, and would always get this blank stare. I’m pretty inured to it by now.

Bill Cosby was a crack-up, nice guy, a bit iconoclastic, nothing extreme. In later days, long after I had worn out the records and the stereo, I heard that he was a famous father figure, a moral figure, but good luck trying to find any of his stuff in Taiwan.

In recent years, nasty stories about him have been floating around. Is that possible? Could Bill Cosby have raped women? It’s the sort of thing you just hope isn’t true.

Now the story is out. Bill Cosby raped women for decades. The only thing worse than being raped would be having to know the rapist was lauded as a moral figure.

I am glad his victims are finally getting justice. But why couldn’t he have just been a nice guy? He made so many people happy, including a college boy alone in his room laughing at jokes very few other people in the country thought were funny. He was so good at making people laugh, why did he have to go and make other people miserable?

This is good to remember. Keep working.

“A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance. And a people who mean to be their own Governors must arm themselves with the Power that knowledge gives”
-James Madison, 1822

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Happy Fourth of July, everybody. I would like to remind you of the date of this celebration. Once my father got an announcement at work saying, The Fourth of July falls on July 4^th this year…. okay, can’t argue with that….

Years ago, around 1965, my brother got a part-time job shooting off fireworks at the Rose Bowl. He’d come home after work with bags of fireworks. Some of them were real heavy duty stuff. He said they told him to take the fireworks home to test for them. We never got around to wondering why they entrusted a high school student with the testing, and at home....

Sad news. In their constant struggle to make the world as ugly as their hearts, the IS has destroyed the two thousand year old Lion of Allat at Palmyra.

They may be able to display their self-hatred by breaking up a piece of art, but they will never, can never smother the human art instinct. One piece may be broken, but a thousand more are springing up in its place.

What an awful existence it must be to be to live blind to beauty, creativity, and joy!