LittleBuddhaTW

I hardly think Assface could hold a candle to Nelson ... and Nels hasn't come across any nekkid paintings of Assface ... thank God ... that might turn him off to gay-ness forever ...

Vance Lister mentioned in the Live Chat a couple weeks ago that he is currently working on a new story. I, for one, can't wait to read it!

I find it interesting to see that Nick believes that the adjective 'gay' can have positive connotations when not used directly to refer to someone's sexual orientation. I have never seen it used that way. Not to pick on Nick, but I have seen him use 'gay' in a negative context numerous times in his blog and on the message boards, and I haven't found one where it is used in a positive connotation. If the usage of the term has indeed evolved, to where you can point to something (abstract or concrete) as 'gay' (when it's not directly used in reference to someone's sexuality, as in "Elton John is gay," i.e. a homosexual) in a positive way, then I would certainly be interested to see a few examples. Everyone has their own linguistic quirks, and Nick is certainly entitled to his, and it doesn't really offend me, although I don't find his explanation to be accurate or logical. But whatever floats your boat ... it's not something to get too riled up about ... although Nick has never been one to shy away from controversy ... hehe

Ch. 8 is now up ... http://www.geocities.com/littlebuddha_tw/stories/SOOTB8.html and will be up shortly on my GA Shared Member Hosting page. This was my first attempt ever at writing a 'sex scene,' so hopefully it turned out okay ... Kitty seemed to like it, though ... hehe

The problem with trying to analyze China's motives and policies is very difficult because the government is extremely non-transparent. I've been following China-Taiwan relations and politics for years, and the PRC is a very hard nut to crack. Hu Jintao is supposedly in charge, but no one can say for sure if he really is, or if the PLA (military) is pulling the strings. If Hu Jintao isn't in full command over the military, that makes a conflict with Taiwan more possible. There are also cultural factors that come into play that most westerners can't understand, and that is the concept of "face." For the government in the PRC, it is a great loss of face that they haven't been able to re-take Taiwan, and that they haven't (yet) completely won the civil war (they are offically still in a state of hostilities). They have contiuously said that they will foresake everything, including their economic progress, to unify the country. As for Chinese expansionism, while it does seem at some points in history, such as the relatively weak Song Dynasty, and even the Ming Dynasty, China was relatively isolationist. During the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty, however, they went onto a policy of expansionism. China has historically seen all of East and Southeast Asia as being within its sphere of influence (basically vassal states), and ever since the PRC came into existence in 1949, we have seen wars with India, Vietnam, continuing conflict with Taiwan, etc. China wants to become a superpower. This is no secret. Personally, I don't think they are interested in Japan, but the fact that the two countries have terrible relations, if China begins to show *any* expansionist tendencies, such as using force to occupy the Spratly islands or invade Taiwan, it is going to make Japan nervous. There has already been serious talk in Japan of a military buildup, and even the potential of developing their own nuclear weapons to counter China and N. Korea. IF that were to happen (and that's still a big "IF"), that is going to create a major arms race in East Asia, a lot of people are going to become nervous, and it will seriously threaten regional peace & security as well as America's own security interests. Taiwan is just the spark that could ignite a major regional conflict. 2008 is the big year to watch, with the Beijing Olympics and Taiwan's next presidential election, where the current chairman of the KMT (Nationalist Party), Ma Ying-jeou (a Harvard Ph.D. and professor of law) is widely expected to win. No one is quite sure exactly what his position towards mainland China is. Unification with China before China democratizes is just as dangerous to US interests as Taiwanese de jure independence.

Good God no, I could never stand working as a translator ... I'm thinking something more along the lines of analysis ... like political or foreign media analysis. That would still involve research, and I've always been interested in Taiwanese politics ... it's certainly never dull, with Taiwanese legislators throwing things at each other during legislative sessions, coming dressed in Tae-kwon-do uniforms or police riot gear, and politicians who contradict themselves every day (even worse than they do in the US!) The whole dynamic in the Taiwan-China-US relationship is changing, and could change big-time in 2008 when Taiwan holds its next presidential election, so it's a very exciting time. As for the story(ies), that's about the only fun thing I have in my life, so I don't think I'll stop writing anytime soon, otherwise I might be lynched.

I've got any even better idea ... if Dan can actually invent a time machine like in DO and DOR, I will put on a baseball uniform, get on a plane and fly from Taipei to California, and personally model it (and do a strip tease) for him ... and anything else he wants me to do (even vampire role play), with the proviso that I get to go back to about 1992 or so ...

The difference between Assface, Joe, and Caleb is that Joe and Caleb are HOT and Assface ... well, he has a face that looks like an ass ... Call me superficial, but ..... Maybe Officer Trujillo will get his chance to shoot someone, like maybe Assface? That would be cool ... {insert Bevis & Butthead patented laugh here}

YAY! Dan, you are so evil for keeping us in the dark over this ... at least I don't think you mentioned it ... Anyway, I'm glad we're gonna get to see more of Davey and Brian ... and Brandon and Trevor and Sean THANK YOU! BTW, just for doing this, I'll put on some baseball pants, take a picture, and send it to ya! You can see my pic in my GA profile and decide if I'm cute enough to model ... haha

I don't remember the last sunny day we had here in Taipei. It's been raining pretty much non-stop for a while now, and while it's good (we've had water shortages the past couple of summers), it's not helpful to my mood. I'm leaning more and more towards moving back to the States this summer. The benefits seem to far outweigh staying here in Taiwan, even if I were to get into the Ph.D. program. For example, foreign professors here don't qualify for pensions, foreigners can't get loans for cars or homes, and the price of housing is even more expensive than in the US (because land is at such a premium here ... Taiwan is the second most densely populated country on Earth). The drawback to moving back, though, is the logistics (and cost) of getting all of my stuff shipped back to the States, including my cats (who I would never think of giving away -- they go where I go), plus I'd most likely have to live with my parents for a month or two when I first get back, something I haven't done in ten years. I'm not looking forward to that, but I'll need to wait until I have a job before I can have a place of my own, not really because of the money, but so I can live in reasonaby close proximity to where I'll be working. I'm so used to living on my own, that I'm dreading the thought of having to live in my parents' house again ... even though I'm 28, they still tend to treat me like I'm a teenager ... one of the problems of being an only child, I suppose. They know I'm gay and all, so that's not a problem, but they just nag me about really annoying things. Plus, all my friends from high school have moved away, so I'll be lonely for a while, and it'll be kind of hard to start dating or anything while living with my parents and doing the whole job search thing. There are tons of jobs that require Chinese language ability, so I'm not worried about finding work ... I just don't like going on a bunch of interviews, and I'd like to find someone that I'll enjoy and that has a good salary, good benefits (although nothing can beat the nationalized health insurance they have here in Taiwan), and will be exciting. I have a good idea about what I'd really like to do, but that's not something I'm going to share ... hehe Anyway, I've received the final edit of Chapter 8 from Kitty, so it should be posted on my website on Wedneday evening, then a day or so later on GayAuthors and Nifty. I had forgotten a lot of what I had written in this chapter until I went through the revisions that Kitty sent me, and after re-reading it, I think it's a pretty good chapter. It's not as long as Chapter 7, but it's not short either. So far, the only "short" chapter (as in under 45 KB) is Chapter 11. I'll probably start working on Chapter 13 this week, too.

The US would have to build the subs, because no European country is willing to do it due to pressure from China. There's no other choice. As for Kinmen (Quemoy) and Matsu, there hasn't been any shelling since the 50's (and maybe the 60's, I'd have to check). The ROC military presence there has actually been decreased significantly, and they've even opened up what they call the "three small links," which offers direct travel between those two islands and Xiamen on the mainland -- supposedly a trial run for opening up the three links completely someday (which the KMT says they will do if they win back power in 2008, which looks very likely). What the ramifications of that will be for Taiwan, militarily and economically, is hard to say. It would be interesting to see how the Taiwanese (and the US) would react to a Chinese invasion of Kinmen and Matsu. It's really hard to say. Previously, threats from China have galvanized the Taiwanese population.

The latest I've heard on the sub deal (which is far from done, as the budget hasn't been approved yet, and it's looking as though it may never be) is that they will be built in the US, perhaps based on European designs with US "improvements" or modifications. Some Taiwanese lawmakers wanted the first couple of boats (the deal calls for a total of eight) built in the US, and the rest constructed in Taiwan, which the US has basically said 'no' to, with good reason. The Taiwanese do not have the ability to produce submarines, and it would be an absolute disaster if they tried. The only reason they want to do that is because if they build them in Taiwan on license, using Taiwanese contractors, that means major payoffs and bribes for the greedy politicians. I personally think the Taiwanese should scrub the sub deal, or the US should cancel it. I don't think they're necessary. I think the Taiwanese should focus their attention and resources on internal military reform, re-structuring, developing a non-conscript force, and integrating better with US and Japanese military forces. They should also spend more money buying more Patriot missile batteries (they've only ordered three). The P-3C Orions are also a necessity, as their ASW capabilities are practically nil. They then need to make sure that those are coordinated with the US and Japan. Also, dropping the subs would make the budget much easier to pass through the legislature, as that is the biggest sticking point. Their lack of a credible submarine force could be easily taken care of by the US and Japan. Taiwan also needs to look to replace its fleet of Knox-class frigates, and hopefully won't f*ck up like they did when they purchased the Lafayette-class frigates from France, which are next to useless.

The problem with the AEGIS procurement was not just political, although that was part of it. The Taiwanese would not have been able to afford AEGIS cruisers (just look at how much trouble they're having pushing through the budget for the subs, Patriots, and Orions -- it's been voted down in the procedure committee of their legislature something like 43 times!) ... the other problem with an AEGIS procurement as opposed to the Kidds is that the AEGIS cruisers would have to be built from scratch, and that would take a long time, whereas the Kidds were available almost immediately (after a complete re-outfitting, of course, which is now complete). I believe, that for the time being, the US made the right choice in "forcing" Taiwan to purchase the Kidds. Another potential serious threat that will come from the PLA navy is their Lanzhou class (Type 052C) DDG, which has a phased-array radar system similar to the AEGIS. How similar it is (and where they really got the technology) is anyone's guess. The Chinese have been very good about stealing US military technology, and I believe the US hasn't gotten serious enough in its counter-espionage regarding the Chinese. With EVERYTHING focused on the "war on terror" and Iraq, we're letting China get stronger and stronger, and we could find ourselves in a mess in another decade. Another problem with allowing China to take Taiwan is that it would make Japan VERY nervous. Japan has the capability (although it has not exercised it, for good reason) to build a nuclear weapon, according to many experts, in as little as a month. If China shows moves of extending its power further into the pacific, it could create an arms race with Japan, which in turn would make North Korea and South Korea antsy ... the whole East Asian theatre is a potential powder keg, and Taiwan would just be the fuse. The US needs to start taking the threat much more seriously, and get some better qualified people into their intelligence services.

I thought this was a very cute chapter ... Milo was much more forthcoming with what was going on in his mind than before (although still not a whole lot), which shows that he's very gradually starting to warm up to Nelson, even finally admitting/accepting that he "likes" him. I think the way Dom describes Milo's various facial expressions is absolutely incredible. I can totally picture all of the contortions Milo's face is going through as I'm reading, and it's both cute and very revealing. Being able to write that "visually" is a credit to what a talented writer Dom is. And for anyone who had been trying to stick up for Assface before ... I think he showed in this chapter that he really does deserve that name. I don't know why in the hell Milo hangs out with him. He really does seem like a prick ... and I'll say it again, he needs to be taken down. Anyway, that was an excellent chapter. It left me feeling very satisfied.

It is a critical problem, and the US has been putting a lot of pressure on Taiwan to beef up its military. The most visible part of this is the arms procurement package that George Bush approved, which includes Patriot III missile batteries, 12 P3-C Orion ASW aircraft, and eight diesel-electric submarines. All of these are vital to the defense of Taiwan, especially the latter, because Taiwan's submarine force and ASW capabilities are awful. Unfortunately, internal politics have stalled the deal for a couple of years now, and there is little hope of its passage. Fortunately, they now have the four Kidd-class destroyers, which will boost their naval air defenses significantly, which can counter the threat of the Chinese Sovremenny-class ships that they've procured from Russia. The US Pacific Command has also suggested to Taiwan that it take some more concrete steps now that may be more important than the arms procurement package, such as improving command, control, and logistics, better integration between the military branches, and shoring up their defensive positions. Unfortunately, the military is so corrupt and politicized, that none of these seemingly "basic" improvements are being made. They have been talking about switching to an all-professional force, but all it's been so far is talk. Another interesting thing is that the ROC airforce has lots of nice, high-tech fighters, namely F-16s and Mirage 2000s ... the problem is, they 1) don't have enough pilots, and 2) don't have enough missiles to arm them! As for the nuclear issue ... I don't think China would dare launch nuclear weapons against US cities if we were to fire Tomahawks at Chinese targets. Chinese missiles are nowhere near as accurate as ours, and if they were to launch a nuclear strike against the US, they would be decimated. The number one priority for China has been and always will be regime survival ... they would not win a nuclear pissing contest with the US. So I don't think it would come to that. Most people, unfortunately, don't realize how vital Taiwan is to US strategic interests. With South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, we basically have China "boxed in" ... if Taiwan were to fall, China would be able to project power into the Pacific, a direct threat to US strategic interests. The US is not being proactive enough in its approach with Taiwan, not putting enough pressure on them to get their house in order, and it could end up backfiring. The US got totally blindsided by the Taiwan authorities' abolishing the "National Unification Council" ... they were lied to by the Taiwanese president, and took the Taiwanese gov't for their "word" regarding the wording of the proclamation ... unless the State Department doesnt have a single competent Chinese-English translator, which I find hard to believe.

Nope. Sorry!

That's about the ending I was expecting ... Too bad we couldn't relive Davey's little wrestling match with Brian again, though ... hehe LBTW

One interesting little fact is that, technically, Taiwan should be governed by the U.S. military, as there was no treaty signed (communiques or declarations aren't legally binding in international law) ceding Formosa (Taiwan) to the then Republic of China (under the rule of the KMT and Chiang Kai-shek at the time). The KMT, as an ally of the US during the war, was given temporary military custody as an "agent" of the US authorities. So in terms of international law, the "Taiwan question" is a very sticky problem. Despite what many people believe, the Taiwanese military is incapable of fending off a Chinese invasion, which as was previously pointed out, would probably not be in the form of an amphibious assault, but rather an initial "decapitation strike" by a large number of conventional short-range ballistic missiles, followed by a massive air assault. The PLA could easily, and without detection, load up two civilian aircraft in Hong Kong with Chinese special forces, fly them right into CKS International Airport, and take the airport very quickly. The Taiwanese military does have some very high-tech equipment ... the problem is, only about 1/3 of it is servicable, because they don't know how to maintain it or use much of it properly. The Taiwanese military also has an extremely low morale, is based mainly on a conscription force of young people who don't want to fight, leaving only Taiwanese Marines and special forces to do the fighting ... hardly a large number. I worked with the Taiwanese military police back in 2001. They are supposed to be one of the most "elite" units in the Taiwanese military, and they are responsible for protecting the government. I was horrified at how poorly trained these soldiers were, not to mention when directly asked what they would do in the event of a Chinese invasion, most said they would surrender immediately. That's not a good sign. There are only two things keeping China from invading: 1) politics/economics, and 2) the US's policy of strategic ambiguity when it comes to whether or not it would enter into conflict over Taiwan. While the US would require quite a bit of time to have forces in place to seriously join the fight, its Tomahawk cruise missiles could wreak havoc in China by destroying Chinese oil refineries (the lifeblood of China's rapidly growing economy) and other strategic targets. The US and Japan also recently signed a mutual defense treaty which included the defense of Taiwan, so Japan's navy and airforce could very possibly join in the fight. In the end, though, with US forces stretched so thin as they are now, I think China would eventually win. The main reason being that China has the will to win, and the Taiwanese people do not. That's something that all of those high-paid "experts" in the think tanks in Washington don't realize because although they have their prestigious Ph.D.s from schools like Harvard or Yale, they can barely speak a lick of Chinese, and have probably never spent any real time living in China or Taiwan, unless it was a five-star hotel and they were meeting at some conference. Just my $0.02. LBTW

It's all in Kitty's hands now ... hehe But if she messages me and says she's been getting hate mail, I'll have to cut everyone off and start posting lesbian stories instead! P.S.- No offense to any lesbians out there!!!!!!

So ... as Trebs has pointed out ... Ch. 7 is now up ... http://members.gayauthors.org/littlebuddhatw/SOOTB7.html Kitty, again, did a fabulous job editing! And I'm working on a short story now, too ... as in not a serial.

I'll add three more to Vic's list: 1) Just who the heck (or what the heck) is Juanita? 2) What's the deal with the goat? 3) Is Milo a moaner or a screamer?

As Kitty mentioned to me in an e-mail (along with the final edit of Ch. 7), "the natives are getting restless." So I'll be posting Ch. 7 on Wednesday evening (which would be Thursday morning for me, Taiwan time ... hehe) It's the longest chapter so far, and I hope everyone enjoys it. It'll be up on my own web site first, and then probably a day or so later on my GA shared member hosting page. I'm also working on a (long) short story right now. I'm about halfway finished (I think). I'm already way ahead on chapters of SOOTB, so it won't interfere with that, so y'all don't need to get on the next flight to Taipei and lynch me or anything. I've actually been really surprised at all of the positive feedback I've gotten on the story. I never thought it would get much exposure, let alone receive so many e-mails, PMs, and even a certain someone mention it in his blog TWICE! hehe {hi nick!} My thesis editor sent back the final two chapters of my thesis today, so now I'm just waiting to get my research proposal back from her, as well as a couple of quotes that I needed her to help me translate into Chinese. It's not a good idea to translate from your first language into your second language, so I only do Chinese to English translation ... otherwise it won't look like a native speaker wrote it, and my thesis has to be totally professional and all. I'm hoping to get it published in book form at some point, maybe later this year ... unfortunately it will be in Chinese, so I doubt any of y'all will be reading it ... *sigh* I have a stomach ache right now because I ate too much. I should move back to the States for the simple reason that I've put on too much weight since I came to Taiwan ... mostly because of eating so much damn white rice, which is chock full of carbohydrates. I'm not "fat" or anything ... I've always been really thin, but I've definitely put on a few pounds and it shows, mostly in my tummy because I'm lazy when it comes to exercising. But once all of this crap with the Ph.D. entrance exam and stuff is over, I've vowed to lose about 10 lbs., start exercising more (I should really get back into martial arts training ... I don't want all the time I spent into getting a second-degree black belt go to waste), and I *really* need to quit smoking. Ugh! Another thing I need to get back into is my Zen Buddhist training. Mentally and spiritually, I really need it. I need to get myself centered and balanced, especially since I'm going to have to be making some really important decisions within the next few months about where my future is going ... either working in academia here in Taiwan or going back to the States to work in the private sector. Two very different paths. As people can probably guess from my nickname, Buddhism has been a particularly influential philosophy in my life, and it's actually going to play a major part in the new short story I'm working on. I'm curious to see if I get the same kind of reaction I've been getting from SOOTB. Oh, and for anyone who isn't happy, but wants to learn how to be happy (I think very few people are truly "happy" ... I think we just content ourselves with "ordinary unhappiness"), I strongly suggest reading the Dalai Lama's book "The Art of Happiness" ... he knows what it takes to put you on the path to finding true happiness ... one day I'll get around to trying to put what he says into practice ... haha

Kitty said something about 18 chapters unless someone grabbed Dom's butt ... hmmm ... it's a tough job, but I'll go ahead and volunteer to be the one to do it ... **gives Dom's sexy butt a big 'ol squeeze**

I just hope someone tells someone they love them in this story ... then i'll be a happy camper