About me
I am a graduate of Grinnell College with a degree in Biological Chemistry. The name of this blog is derived from the name I use in Chinese, 孟柏民 (Mèng Bómín).
I can be reached by email at:
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Monthly Archives: May 2010
Santos in the lead
Yesterday, Colombians went to the polls and Juan Manuel Santos, the Minister of Defense under the current President, Álvaro Uribe, came out with a distinct lead, winning 46.6% of the . However, it was not a majority and he will … Continue reading
The coalition’s first casualty
Today, David Laws stepped down as the Chief Secretary to the Treasury of the United Kingdom. He was the highest ranking Liberal Democrat in the Treasury and served in many ways acted as the deputy to the Chancellor of the … Continue reading
Posted in Current events, Politics
Tagged David Laws, Liberal Democrats, resignation, UK election, UK elections
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Mount St. Helens, 30 years on
Thirty years ago yesterday, Mount St. Helens blew its top with remarkable force, showering the United States with ash. You can see some great imagery of the eruption and its aftermath from the Big Picture as well as a timelapse … Continue reading
The 55% rule
Of all the proposals put forth by the United Kingdom’s new governing coalition, perhaps one of the most controversial was the new requirement for 55% support in the House of Commons for a dissolution of Parliament to occur. Traditionally, this … Continue reading
Posted in Current events, Opinions, Politics
Tagged 55%, Liberal Democrats, UK election, UK elections
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The mechanics of Britain’s new coalition government
The Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrat Party have each released the text of their agreement to form a coalition government (in HTML on the Lib Dem website and as a PDF on the Tory website). The BBC gives a … Continue reading
Posted in Current events, Politics
Tagged Cabinet, David Cameron, Government, Nick Clegg, Prime Minister, UK election, UK elections
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A Tory-Lib Dem coalition
It looks like David Cameron’s Conservative Party and Nick Clegg’s Liberal Democrats have settled on a coalition deal to form the next government for the United Kingdom. Gordon Brown has tendered his resignation as Prime Minister to the Queen, clearing … Continue reading
Posted in Current events, Politics
Tagged Coalition, Liberal Democrats, Tories, UK election, UK elections
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A Protestant-free Supreme Court
When John Paul Stevens steps down from his post on the Supreme Court, he will be leaving the institution as its last Protestant on the bench, so long as President Obama’s nominee, Elena Kagan, is confirmed by the Senate as … Continue reading
Brown steps down
The wrangling between the parties in Britain seeking to form a stable government has taken an interesting turn today, as Prime Minister Gordon Brown decided to step down as the Labour Party leader and allow for a new leader to … Continue reading
Posted in Current events, Politics
Tagged Gordon Brown, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Tories, UK election, UK elections
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Nature’s forms, great and small
The Big Picture has yet another excellent photoset, this time focused on animals. It it a source of amazement and awe for me that despite our relation to every one of the animals pictured, our ancestors diverged so greatly into … Continue reading
A philosopher President in Colombia?
On May 30, Colombia is holding a Presidential election to determine who succeeds President Álvaro Uribe, who was unable to secure a referendum to amend the country’s constitution to allow him to run for a third term. Despite Uribe’s popularity, … Continue reading
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