(Updated with links to later news reports backing up my uncanny "fortune-telling" ability, where indicated)

After the last post, I did my best to avoid local TV news, but the last time I crossed one of the news channels (a few hours ago) there were still protesters at both the Central Election Commission building and in front of the Presidential Office.

This past week's violence is giving China an excuse to rattle its sabers more loudly than usual, too. In an usually smart move, the U.S. Press Secretary has also spoken up and "congratulate[d] Mr. Chen on his victory" after the election results were officially announced yesterday afternoon. This was smart because doing so before the announcement would have been seen as favoring one candidate over the other. Originally, the opposition took advantage of the U.S.' ambiguity to claim American support for their side. Once again, they've been proven wrong by simple, verifiable facts.

Chen Shui-bian and DPP legislators have been doing their best to appease the opposition while holding firm to the letter of the law, and even going so far as offering to create a retroactive law to allow for a legal recount of the votes. However, the opposition are as stubborn as lobotomized mules. Faced with a crisis of their own creation, then offered a face-saving way out, what do they do? They balk, balk, balk (sounding an awful lot like chickens)!

I anticipate even more [UPDATE LINK 1] violence Saturday as the KMT-PFP "leaders" are supposedly organizing 500,000 protesters to "surround" the Presidential Office. There have been rumors that they will "plant" people wearing clothes, hats, face paint, etc. [UPDATE LINK 2] indicating support of Chen Shui-bian's DPP (the Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan's "green" party) among and around the demonstrators in order to give them an excuse for their pre-planned [UPDATE LINK 3] violent [UPDATE LINK 4] behavior [UPDATE LINK 5]. DPP lawmakers, on the other hand, were holding a candlelit vigil earlier wearing yellow ribbons and carrying signs reading "peace" in Chinese and English, while pleading with their own supporters not to be drawn into the violence of the "pan-blues." [UPDATE LINK 6]

I know it takes two to tango, but what the fuck are you supposed to do when faced with half a million people hellbent on creating havoc after having their flames lit by people who cannot calm them down? Seeing their actions over the past week, I don't need no stinkin' fortune teller to know what's coming, and it doesn't look good.

Maybe the current rain shower will turn into an all-out electrical storm and wash most of the dirt off the streets by tomorrow. They really need to go home, turn off their TVs, and calm the fuck down.

Everybody around the world -- I have a simple request. Please wear a yellow ribbon with us until this is over. Get everybody you know to do it, too, and tell them why. Do it for peace!