| 'Equestrian' draws cheers, jeers during dedication
Members of the Acoma tribe from New Mexico, including Ruby Blue Cruz, holding sign, protested Saturday's dedication of "The Equestrian," saying that Don Juan de Oñate was a murderer and that El Paso should be ashamed of itself for erecting a statue to honor him. .
We Should Make English The National Language
As any regular reader knows, I'm for nearly-unlimited immigration. Basically as long as you can certify that you're not a felon in your home country, or have ties to terrorist organizations, I welcome you to come on over and work. But in one area, I go the exact opposite direction of most pro-immigration advocates. I want to see English declared America's official language. Now, I say that as someone who doesn't have a bit of problem with the "Press 1 for English" messages on phone trees. Nor do I have a problem going into Mexican restaurants where the waiters barely understand me. As far as I'm concerned, if a restauranteur chooses to hire people who can't speak English, he'd better be selling some darn good food. And I've found in many Mexican restaurants, the ones where barely anyone English tend to sell the best food.
Lifestyle: Faux Japanese Food Spills Across Globe
With the growing popularity of Japanese food around the world, the number of "Japanese" restaurants opening overseas is rapidly increasing, but many of their operators have inadequate knowledge of, or cooking experience with, Japanese food. The Japanese government is considering launching a system to certify authentic Japanese food restaurants in foreign countries. As a former correspondent for The Yomiuri Shimbun, I myself have had some strange Japanese foods at restaurants in South America. In one country, I was very surprised when the tendon--rice topped with deep-fried prawns, normally served in a round-bottomed bowl--was served in a sushioke, a wide, high-sided platter that is properly used only to present sushi. The prawns were only half-done, and the flavour of the tare sauce was like overly sweet teriyaki sauce.
Unite, We Must
In the wake of any tragedy, a society can learn a lot about itself by the way it reacts. The terrible violence at Virginia Tech is no exception. While there were many admirable reactions, whether they were ways to honor the dead or immediate movements toward revising security and firearms management, one reaction stood out as distinctly negative and disturbing. The race and ethnicity of the killer were the first parts of his identity publicly confirmed by police and as such, major news outlets reported that many students of South Korean or other Asian descent were leaving campus immediately, or being urged to do so by their families, because of fear of backlash. Few urges reside so strongly in the human psyche as that for blame and revenge. When there is no specific person available to punish for a tragedy, people have proven that they will gladly go after anyone else available, whether that is a person or a group.
SOCIAL IN BRIEF 29/3
An association of US war veterans on Mar. 28 pledged over VND 140 million (nearly $8,750) to help build a rehabilitation centre for a hospital in northern Ha Nam province.
The donation will also be used to buy advanced equipments for the Rehabilitation Ward of the hospital.
Construction of the facility will commence on April 9 and it is expected to be put into operation in May.
Previously, the US War Veteran's Fund, in collaboration with the Ha Nam polyclinic, provided free health checks-up and treatment for hundreds of poor disabled people in the province, and presented 55 wheel chairs to them. Southern hub to build another waste treatment plant Ho Chi Minh City will build another solid waste treatment plant in Cu Chi district, said Bui Trong Hieu, Vice Director of the city's Urban Environment Company, on Mar.
Be a guitar hero online
Even if you dont know a flam tap from a paradiddle, these Web sites will let you play the drums and other musical instruments virtually. You might not learn anything, but theyre fun ways to pass time.
DRUMS
Drummer Ken Brashears Virtual Drum Kit (www.kenbrashear.com) can be played by clicking on its parts with your computer mouse or by toggling a display showing letters and using your computer keyboard (best for drum rolls). Click on the mixer to see a list of the instruments used and to hear a sample of Brashears playing. He explains in his bio at his bands website (www.bobbleheadband.com) how he adapted his set for a left-hand lead after injuring his right hand. Theres also a fun anecdote about the time his real drum kit fell out of the back of his truck. You can read it by clicking on the stool of the virtual drum kit.
City volunteers offer visitors free travel guides
University and college students in HCM City have founded a volunteer group named Sai Gon Hotpot to offer free travel guide services to foreign visitors to the city. "Our objective is to meet foreigners and introduce Vietnamese culture, history and culinary arts to them," Sai Gon Hotpot manager Nguyen Thi Phuong Linh said. "We also want to do our part to promote Vietnamese tourism and to learn other languages from foreign tourists," Linh said. The group, whose slogan is Your Smile Is Our Success, has gathered 11 students from different colleges and universities in the city. They can speak many languages, including English, French, Japanese and Chinese. "We met in a youth volunteer programme last year and then became close friends because we all like volunteer activities," Linh said.
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