What's in the News

Well, as George Carlin said..."If God had not intended us to masturbate, he would have given us shorter arms".

 
U.N. Report Advocates Teaching Masturbation to 5-Year-Olds
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,543203,00.html
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The United Nations is recommending that children as young as five receive mandatory sexual education that would teach even pre-kindergarteners about masturbation and topics like gender violence

 

I worked for the UN for years and can personally attest to it's complete lunacy. Seriously, it's like nothing else on Earth (in a bad way).

A third of HK teens would consider prostitution - The China Post http://bit.ly/3aj9j2

China's 'unluckiest generation' reflects on cost of revolution -  http://bit.ly/j1hg4

A third of HK teens would consider prostitution

For name brand clothing and other products    Kids in America get murdered for their sports shoes, so I guess what the kids in HK are doing is a step up from that, but (geezer warning) What is this world coming to?

China's 'unluckiest generation' reflects on cost of revolution -  http://bit.ly/j1hg4

That's fascinating.  Xin Ran's book 'China Witness' covers this era as well, and many of the interviewees she spoke to said that it was a time they don't talk about to their children and grandchildren, because today the children aren't interested in hearing.  The sense of loss in the book seemed not to be focused around lost opportunities, jobs or education, but instead around the lack of time able to be spent with their own families, their own children.

A number of marriages were arranged by the work groups the teenagers were sent to, with remarkably good results considering the situation.

There was a level of discontent regarding today's young people - too much focus on money and not enough on creating a balanced life.  There was also a fair bit of discussion about how corruption has not changed.

Interesting book if you are interested in this era.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/i-have-been-abducted-by-aliens-says-japans-first-lady-1780888.html

Yes, having the PM's wife say she was abducted by aliens is a bit weird.

However, Canada's longest-serving PM communed with the deceased regularly.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lyon_Mackenzie_King#Personal_life
and there have been quite a few mad kings through the centuries.

Guangdong Police Issue Important Warning to the Public
Reuters  Sept 7, 2009

Guangdong PSB spokesman DaWang issued a dire warning to the public today.  There have been repeated sitings of an Escaped Lunatic crossing the HK border several times in the last few days.  This deranged fugitive from a US asylum for the amusingly demented was last seen boarding a train in Shenzhen with what appeared to be a new laptop, maniacally laughing about finally getting back online.

If you encounter this Lunatic, the safest thing to is to panic and run away.

Officer DaWang suggests that all families in the Shenzhen/Dongguan/Guangzhou area hide their pretty daughters at his house where he will personally see that they are kept safe from harm.

He's baaaaack.

Run for the hills 

 

 

Not too much Australian news makes the China Daily but when it does it is good that it is quintissentially Australian ...  (I haven't seen this in Australian Media yet).  Our esteemed Prime Minister K Rudd asked for the date for the G20 to be moved so he would not miss the AFL Grand Final. 

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2009-09/08/content_8666683.htm

Well, obviously that's important!

This grand final will be the first one in 5 years I won't see live. My job there meant I was paid to watch footy, including the final. 

Lost world of fanged frogs and giant rats discovered in Papua New Guinea.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/sep/07/discovery-species-papua-new-guinea

Miners trapped/ killed in Pingdingshan - Henan

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-09/09/content_8669018.htm

This is very close to home, geographically and personally, for many of my students.