Seoul's city gate burned down.

This is sad.  The only piece of magnificent old-school Korean architecture I saw in the thoroughly modern city of Seoul during my visit is gone.  I remember being surprised at how little old architecture had survived relative to what I had seen of Japanese cities.

See the slideshow for some amazing and sad pictures.

Presidential science debates

There's a group pushing for a presidential debate focused entirely on science.  Given that science policy is currently the subservient plaything of religious groups, industry lobbyists, and partisan political interests, this debate could not have come at a better time.   It is time that science is restored to the primary purpose of advancing our nation's health, economy, technological edge, and security. 

http://www.sciencedebate2008.com/www/index.php