thom space

it’s true there is a new windows live writer that has been released. I am always the last to know, but check it out it really does make writing entries a snap. So easy I can almost do it.

G-8 Interview with Vladimir Putin:

“So we believe there are no reasons and no grounds for establishing the anti-missile system in Eastern Europe … and of course we will have to respond to that.”

I think that the prospect of a missile defense system in eastern Europe is a perfectly reasonable thing for the west to consider building in light of possible attacks from rouge states, and despite the objections and threats coming from Russia.

The fact that Russia is going to respond to the creation of such a system with an increased emphasis on their own weapons systems is not a serious enough threat to world security to warrant not proceeding. If the cold war taught us anything it is that mutual assured destruction is a very powerful deterrent from launching nuclear weapons at an enemy. The west knows that Russia will be very considerate of the consequences if they do attack, what we don’t know is if rouge states will be.

When the the west proceeds in building the missile defense system in eastern Europe Russia will be provoked, but Russia is no longer the enemy, lesser countries with less to lose are.

Gun Control, I am a fan. I have been reading the European press in reflection on the Virginia tech shootings and the reporting has been largely focused on the failings of the System at the heart of the tragedy. For example the day after the event the first story that I read talked mostly about the fact that the school administration could have locked down the whole campus as a result of an unsolved murder in the morning and a killer that was still at large, the Euro-press concluded that as a result of the school administrations gross negligence in the matter they were largely to blame.

 As the days progressed the reporting shifted more to the topic of gun control, and the lack there of, across America. Of course the argument goes that the second amendment protects individuals rights by allowing every individual equal access to guns and that by being armed people are able to provide for their self-defense and preserve their individual rights, controlling guns because they are dangerous is largely dismissed because everyone knows that guns don’t kill people, people kill people. the European response on the issue is that Americans are largely disconnected from reality. The reality is that people with guns kill people. Placing so much faith in the individual to act responsibly is seen by the Europeans as extremely naive.  As history has shown all individuals are not created equally, some people are insane, such as the person at Virginia tech, by allowing access to guns by those insane people the whole population of sane people is tremendously endangered. The pro-gun response to that argument is to arm everyone one all of the time, so that when an insane person decided to go on a rampage they can be easily killed by law abiding citizens, however the scenario of everyone carrying guns all of the time to avoid days like what happened at Virginia tech is so unlikely that talking about it as a plausible solution is pointless.

I see the solution of gun control being in a comprehensive restructuring of the way that firearms are sold and regulated in the US. I think that at very least there should be a staged licensing system whereby higher caliber guns require a higher degree of licence, I also think that the such a system should be costly both in terms of time and money, gone should be the days of walmart gun sales.

Americans should always have the right to own a gun, but the process should be hard enough and have enough accountability that individuals who do go though the process are extremely invested in the endeavor. The penalty for non-compliance should be severe. In the current day and age anyone who posses a gun in America without having gone though the above mentioned licensing process, should be viewed as a terrorist and treated as such. We are spending billions of dollars and thousands of American lives fighting terrorism abroad, it is high time we deal with the terrorists at home and start making our streets and schools safer with reasonable new gun control measures, we owe it to ourselves.

My Father has been visiting me here in Garmisch for the past week, and for the past 3 days we have been on a grand road trip though the alps. It took us from Garmisch to Liechtenstein where we saw Vaduz and Malbun, we then visited our friends the Bietenhader-Mathews in Chur Switzerland, they are one of the nicest families I know and their daughter Nadja has been living with my parents in Evergreen Colorado for the past year, so it was very nice for my father to see where she was from. The next day we drove to see Flims/Laax which is a ski area that I am interested perhaps working at next year, then we drove over San Bernadino Pass and down to Lake Lugano and Como, it was the most hair raiseing drive of my life, there was literally just enough room for two cars to pass, well a little more I guess, 2 inches on one side and 5 on the other, and there was a lot of trafic and a lot of speed! so much fun and could barley stand it. We at lunch sitting on the beach looking over at Belagio, it was nice. From there we drove on and up to St. Moritz back in Switzerland, the drive up the pass was so steep and so winding with so many switch backs I barley knew what to do with myself, it is a good thing that I was passed at the start by a local and then shown how to properly race up, there was plenty of screeching and smoking of tires, two thing I think I need to have a bit more experience with, SO MUCH FUN. We did however make it back safe, coincidently with huge smiles plastered accross our faces. Now it is time to go and eat out in Garmisch one last time before my dad heads home.

For the first time in 2007 there has been a significant snowfall in Garmisch, Germany! The lower mountain and valley have gotten nearly 30cm in the the past day, and the upper mountain has upwards of 80-90cm, which easily comes up to my waste when I am trying to ski though it. I like powder, however my father is coming to visit for a week, and I was really hoping that we could have nice weather to speed along the autobahn with, I guess I am going to have to teach him how to ski instead.

The past week in Chamonix was an excellent time,

the weather was perfect and the skiing was fantastic, here are the rest of the pictures.

I am going to be skiing in Chamonix for the next week, we plan on trying to ski le Couloir Rectiligne off of the top of the Grand Montets among many other things. Should be a good time.

It has been one year since the death of my friend Kai Puckett, he was killed as the result of an avalanche while skiing from the Schilthorn in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland.  The following day he had been planning on joining me in Chamonix to ski the Valle Blanche, when we received the call from his partner informing us of the news we had expected the call to be about where we would meet for dinner that night to discuss our plans and the great skiing of the day, obviously that was was not the case.

 When we think of KAi we are reminded what it means to love life, you can’t just say that you do, you have to go out and get it. Kai went out and got it everyday, and to me he is still an inspiration.

Today my friend Brad and I road our bicycles from Garmisch to the Eng Vally and we dedicated it to Kai. 2 1/2 hours of fighting a head wind and riding in the dark just to see the sun set from a little bit different angle, it was magnificent.

When it comes to domestic politics I wonder what in the world we as Americans think when it comes time to elect an official to our highest office. Is it strength of character? Political experience? ideological zeal? what is it that we want or need in a leader that represents our interest at the highest level. When it comes to the debate between Clinton and Giuliani what will be the tipping point, or will it ever come to a debate between them, will Mcain and Obama be the ones in the finals?

I have yet to determine my vote, but I think that who ever does take control of the office remember that all actions have reactions and that nothing can ever be undone. I for one admire Clinton for not bowing to pressure from within her party calling for an apology for her vote in support of the Iraq war. I think that her response that she acted in good faith on the word of the President is enough to justify her position, the fact that the information in hindsight was patently false should not condemn her to recant her good actions, it should only serve to exemplify her moral conviction and strength of character.

I think that 2008 will be a good year.

I hope that you are all not incredibly sad to see my old web lay out go the way of the dodo but I felt that it was time for a bit of a mix up, so here it is the new Thom Space, behold.

I hope you enjoy.