Latest Posts
-
Twenty Five Years
Today is my twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. In 1980, Maureen and I were married in a Catholic ceremony at her family’s parish church in Staten Island. I don’t remember much about the day itself – I was dazed by… Continue reading
-
Sunday “Modern Love” Blogging: Bad Habits
Today’s column, by Hyla Sabesin Finn, recounts her struggles to break her boy friend’s and, later, husband’s smoking habit. What struck me about the piece is how seemingly mundane habits may reflect more fundamental problems… Continue reading
-
Friday I Ching Blogging: The Iraqi Constitution
We’re back from the beach and, though a little late, ready to get back to our regularly scheduled blogging. For today’s I Ching question, I asked the oracle if work on the Iraqi constitution, which is… Continue reading
-
A Shadow of War Over Taiwan
A change of pace: a piece from the Philadelphia Inquirer, March 13, 2005. As you can see, this article built off of the previous LA Times op-ed, but integrates the Anti-Succession Law and the US-Japan announcement. Am I… Continue reading
-
China and Taiwan – Polls Apart
This article is from the LA Times, January 30, 2005, and is based upon my trip to Taiwan the previous December to observe the Parliamentary elections there. Continue reading
-
China’s Engines of Change
Here is an article, from the October 19, 2003 edition of the LA Times, about the significance of the rise of private car ownership in China. Continue reading
-
China: Pop Culture Leads – Freedom Follows
In our continuation of IR week, here is another piece, published in the LA Times on August 3, 2003, that considers the significance of cultural change, especially pop cultural change, in China. Continue reading
-
North Korea: A Regime Collapse Could Bring Chaos
This is the first installment of IR Week. I am posting a number of articles I have published over the years on various topics of East Asian international relations and Chinese politics. This first post is a piece… Continue reading
-
Housekeeping
If all goes well technologically, over the course of the next five days it will be IR/Chinese politics week here at Useless Tree. I will be posting some of my previously published commentaries, most from the LA Times. … Continue reading
-
Sunday “Moden Love:” On Vacation
I am at the beach and will not attempt to read and react to this week’s "Modern Love" column. Be back next week. But here is a passage from Confucius to think about: When Yen Hui… Continue reading
The Useless Tree 