Rossputin.com

Bhutan (the subject of one prior and several future travel postings) has fantastic festivals called "tsechus". The biggest is in April in the second-biggest city, Paro. The second-biggest tsechu is in October in the capital of Thimpu. I've actually been… more »

see "State-funded sex-toy art upsets governor" (Denver Post & Channel 9 News, 7/21/05) http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_2878027 This story has gotten a lot of play in the blogosphere in the past several days, but I can't keep from piling on. N… more »

see "Cafta Survives U.S. House Vote as Late Push Pays Off" (Bloomberg, 7/28/05) http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000086&sid=awBPizgq2Ca4& On Wednesday night, the House of Representative passed the Central American Free Trade Agreement… more »

see "One in four Muslims sympathises with motives of terrorists" (UK Daily Telegraph, 7/26/05) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/07/23/npoll23.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/07/23/ixnewstop.html and "British Opinion Surveys from an I… more »

I received the following note from the National Taxpayers Union (www.ntu.org) on Tuesday morning. I encourage you all to contact your Senators directly, or with the help of the number included below. ------------------------  … more »

re: "Democrats to delay Roberts hearings" (Washington Times, 7/26/05) http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20050726-123009-8867r.htm To the editors: The Democrats’ plan to prolong the confirmation of John Roberts to the Supreme Court should hav… more »

see "D.C. Area Housing Market Cools Off" (Washington Post, 7/25/05) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/24/AR2005072401133.html and "Existing Home Sales Set Record in June" (AP via Yahoo, 7/25/05) http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/05072… more »

see " Teamsters, SEIU to bolt AFL-CIO as part of four-union rift" (AP via IHT, 7/25/05) http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/07/25/business/web.0725teamster.php and "AFL-CIO President Blasts Heads of Unions" (AP via Yahoo, 7/25/05) http://news.yahoo.com/n… more »

As we go into the approval process for President Bush's nomination of Judge John Roberts to the Supreme Court, it is fascinating to see the Democrats trying to redefine the Senate's Constitutional role in the process. Watching Dick Durbin (D-IL), the… more »

The 14th century ruins at Hampi were once the seat of India's Vijayanagara empire, primarily in what is now the state of Karnataka, better known in the modern world for the high-tech city of Bangalore. Hampi is now a World Heritage site and still has str… more »