Cross-posted at Random Fate. GRENOBLE, France - Over a week ago, I wrote here at The Moderate Voice on the television appearance by French President Jacques Chirac to promote a “oui” vote on the EU Constitution. I concluded with the following: So, in the end, even though the polls look like Chirac had no effect on public opinion after his televised discussion of the EU constitution, don’t be surprised if another razor-thin victory is pulled out by the government in favor of the...

Are the origins of the likely rejection due to effects of the industrial revolution?

…but it proves yet again the validity of Einstein’s theories: Near Perfect “Einstein Ring” Discovered Summary – (Apr 29, 2005) Gravitational lensing happens when the gravity of a relatively close galaxy acts as a telescope lens to focus the light from a more distant galaxy. It allows astronomers to see distant objects they could never have a hope of observing with current instruments, essentially looking back to moments after the Big Bang (cosmically speaking). The galaxies...

Have the innocent, fun bikini-suicide-frisbee days of blogging passed?

How did we go from the certainties of World War II to the so-called age of irony we now endure with men proclaiming they are both moral and “did nothing illegal”? Some thoughts on the fifty year wound of the Cold War are expressed at Random Fate.

From The Christian Science Monitor: As the Senate moves toward a showdown over the so-called nuclear option, risks and rewards confront both Republicans and Democrats, whatever the outcome. Both sides concede that the move to lower the threshold required to end a filibuster from 60 votes to a simple majority could shut down the Senate. But it’s not clear for how long, with what consequences, and who would be blamed if the Senate’s work grinds to a halt. When almost half of federal employees...

As an expatriate in France during a time of expansion and transformation of the European Union and being a first-hand witness to the questioning of what it means to be “European”, I have had a unique opportunity to learn about this gallimaufry of cultures that gave rise to the “melting pot” in the United States. To help me understand what I see and hear, I write “letters from Europe.” The most recent letter, “Some opinions on the EU Constitution and EU membership...

…everybody has to go sometime.

Cross-posted to Random Fate. GRENOBLE, France - Although I am a part of a three-company alliance in the semiconductor industry, the primary aim of that alliance is more on the development and manufacturing side rather than on the research side where I work. Hence, primarily people from the French component of the alliance surround me. Today, I was able to spend some time discussing the referendum on the EU constitution that will be held here in France next month with a young man (he is 24) in the...

GRENOBLE, France – Last Friday marked my one year anniversary living in France as an expatriate. I’ve had the opportunity to learn the language and experience the culture from the inside. I have even added a special category to my weblog, Random Fate, called “Observations on France” to note what I see and compare it with attitudes and views that are in the US. In a little over a month, the citizens of France will be voting on the new EU constitution. When I first moved...

Prices for many raw materials have increased significantly, including those of strategic metals, some of which the supply is effectively controlled by single countries. The reasons for the price increases may be a leading indicator of history repeating.

Recently, Joe Gandelman, the proprieter of this weblog, wrote about the comment of former US President Jimmy Carter on how the rich nations of the world “don’t give a damn” about the poor. The author of the weblog TeaFizz has some opinions regarding what former President Carter said regarding the reactions to this statement, and how the reactions fail to differentiate between the speaker with what is being said. Both posts are recommended reading.

In the wake of the death of Pope John Paul II, not all is in harmony. The wounds from the sexual abuse scandals involving Roman Catholic priests in the United States, particularly in the Boston area, have still not healed.

…after this rather terse story on CNN.com: Ailing WWII veteran finally gets medals Saturday, April 9, 2005 Posted: 2041 GMT (0441 HKT) ROSEMEAD, California (AP) — A gravely ill World War II veteran who was wounded in the Normandy invasion has been honored with a Bronze Star and other medals more than six decades after he stormed the coast of France. “I’m bewildered, I’m excited. I’m confused. I’m not used to talking this much,” former Army Pvt. Manuel...

Just a small affair today in Windsor: Charles and Camilla have had their wedding blessed in a ceremony at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. About 800 of the couple’s family and friends attended including the Queen and Prince Philip. Earlier, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, as she is now known, were married in a private civil ceremony at the Guildhall in Windsor. — During the service, the couple made their pledges, including a promise to be faithful to each other. Earlier,...

There are aspects of the recent “Schiavo talking points” imbroglio that make a strange mirror to the Dan Rather/forged National Guard memo affair.

…it might be wise to take some time and consider the effects of rhetoric, appearances, and unintended outcomes.

…we can turn to CNet News, where in an article on weblogs the following is offered: The growth rate of blogs is impressive. Technorati, a search engine that monitors blogs, tracked more than 8 million online diaries as of March 21, up from 100,000 just two years ago. A new blog is created every 7.4 seconds. That adds up to 12,000 new blogs a day, 275,000 posts a day and 10,800 updates an hour. “At its most basic level, it’s a technology that is lowering the cost of publishing”...

…then here is a rather long post pointing out patterns in recent events in the US and how they link together.

…that in humor there is truth: Assuming either the Left Wing or the Right Wing gained control of the country, it would probably fly around in circles.     -Pat Paulsen

…you can find a suggested text here.

ZDNet.com News has an article that is a good starting point for self-education on the possible renewal of the provisions of the USA Patriot Act subject to sunset in 2005.

…and then there is cutting money off from a good investment. Can we really trust that this particular cut is wise, given both the previous success and the (relatively) low cost of seeing it through to conclusion? In a cost-cutting move prompted by President Bush’s moon-Mars initiative, NASA could summarily put an end to Voyager, the legendary 28-year mission that has sent a spacecraft farther from Earth than any object ever made by humans. The probable October shutdown of a program that...

…some advice for current liberals: In disunity there is strength. An interesting take on the value of public debate within a party.

Are we willing to give truth to a voice of evil? A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.    -Joseph Stalin Is it true that sometimes all you can do is despair?