What's in the News

That crowds went to watch massive tides on the Qiantang River comes as no surprise. After all any news of a tsunami will have crowds, in disregard for their safety, flocking to a beach.

The photos of what happened when waves came over the bank in one area are really dramatic:
   http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/photo/2011-09/01/content_13593987.htm

What interests me is that in the photos you can see Chinese people, including some policemen, putting themselves at risk while trying to help those in danger of being overwhelmed by the waves.

There are a lot of good people out there!

Li Yang of Crazy English accused of domestic violence by laowai wife

http://is.gd/8dZ4e8

Study at Nanjing U finds eating rice can affect your genes:

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/09/21/what-you-eat-affects-your-genes-rna-from-rice-can-survive-digestion-and-alter-gene-expression/

Farewell Michael Hart (1947-2011), e-book pioneer

"Earlier this month (September 6th, 2011), at the comparatively young age of 64, Michael S. Hart passed away. Michael was the founder, genius and muse of Project Gutenberg, the original site for free e-books on the Web. More than that, Michael was the first person to post e-books to the early Internet itself, long before the World Wide Web came into existence. In fact, he was the inventor of the electronic book as we understand the concept today. Hart later devoted his life to Project Gutenberg, eschewing the prospect of a lucrative career."

more at ....
http://www.e-book.com.au/news.htm

That is a sad loss indeed...I use Project Gutenberg all the time...

Simple fines will never be enough to stop the misdeeds of any corporate giant, especially one as large as WalMart.  How about a big fat fine AND closing down 10 stores for a few days? That's not going to look good on the quarterly balance sheet.

10 Chinese WalMarts closed over mislabeled pork

I wonder how long the authorities will keep those stores closed?

Here's a conversation I never want to have with my wife:

You put WHAT into the dumplings?

Chinese Government tries to ban rubbish TV

They might have a point if they didn't also censor interesting TV so heavily....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/25/china-crackdown-on-vulgar-tv

Looks like those WalMarts in CQ are back in business - after 15 days of being shut down.  I'll wager they won't mislabel pork again anytime soon.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-10/26/content_13976159.htm

I'm personally thrilled that there's been a Papa John's Pizza here in Dongguan for almost 5 years now (it opened a little after I arrived).  Looks like some pizza rivalries can get out of hand.  Yet another weird news item from Florida.

A couple of managers from a Dominoes Pizza torched a nearby Papa John's.

http://news.yahoo.com/police-fla-pizza-workers-burned-down-rival-store-235723310.html

http://www.ocala.com/article/20111029/articles/111029658?p=1&tc=pg

Looks like those WalMarts in CQ are back in business - after 15 days of being shut down.  I'll wager they won't mislabel pork again anytime soon.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-10/26/content_13976159.htm

I really doubt that Walmart HQ in Bentonville, Arkansas (for you foreigners it's Are-can-saw, not Are-can-zas)even knew about this.  It was probably done by local managers and/or who got a deal on cheap pork and decided sell it as organic and pocket the profits.

Chinese man arrested for hiring wedding strippers

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese police have arrested a man who hired two strippers to perform at his son's wedding after the performance was mobbed by villagers, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Zhang Cheng, from Xuzhou in eastern Jiangsu province, had originally wanted a band to play at the nuptials, but was then advised he could get performers whose show would have "special features," the Global Times said.

"After watching the show, Zhang decided it would be appropriate for his son's wedding and requested two strippers for the event," it added. "...Barely five minutes had passed before hundreds of villagers in the conservative community were swarming to the venue, trying to catch a glimpse."

Zhang was arrested the next day, the newspaper reported, though it did not say on what charge.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Ken Wills)

hahaha, there is so much askew with that it's difficult to know where to start. Brilliant.

arrested and fined for not inviting the proper civic and police officials perhaps?