A little time shift... ##Today I can't express how much I enjoy reading news from North Korea at the Korean Central News Agency. Where else in the world today can you read articles like this? The squad put on the stage chorus "Song of Comradeship", dialogue and poem "Road for Great Army-Based Policy", instrumental music and song "Soldiers, Let's Become Heroes" and other colorful numbers. Kim Jong Il noted with great satisfaction that the art squad members successfully gave the performance of rich ideological content and high militancy, fully reflecting the WPK policies, as befitting artistes of the revolutionary army, and highly praised their achievements made in art activities. ##Late Last Night Urge China to Let Information Flow: a letter to the editor of the New York Times urges president Bush to strongly suggest journalistic freedom to Jiang Zemin in their upcoming October meeting. Read on. In episode 8 of Salaryman Kintaro, which aired tonight on KSCI 18, Kintaro's company Yamato Construction holds a press conference to announce that they are cutting their ties with the underworld and ceasing to work under the table with corrupt bureaucrats and politicians. President Yamato and Kintaro are helpless as companies begin to withdraw their cooperation from joint projects with Yamato. They can only vow to stand firm under the attacks of Mr Osuga and his hoodlums. A simple plan occured to me, which would probably run so much against the grain of Japanese culture that it is no wonder it did not occur to Kintaro. Publicize a list of the companies that refuse to cooperate with the "clean" Yamato Construction, and leverage this new reputation to build the business. Transparency of information! It's the enemy of hidden deals and smoky backrooms! It's a two handed sword of Reveal Evil! "For the wrath of God is reavealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness." (Romans 1:18 NASB). In my humble opinion, George W Bush should ask Jiang Zemin to encourage future Chinese leaders to pursue "transparent politics", a painful and difficult strategy (as Yamato Constuction learned) but worth the effort in terms of political legitimacy and international reputation. When I saw the title of the link, I was overjoyed to think that somebody else had the same thought as me. But alas, it was not so. Maybe I should write a letter to the NYT. (Edit: aha, the Washington Post agrees with me. Say no to secrecy.) Miniflats catch on in crowded Beijing: "Before Solo was Solo, it was just another tower of spacious luxury apartments, each about 1 350 square feet. At the end of 2001, the building was still empty." Why didn't I think of this? China introduces family planning law: What had been a policy now becomes a law. Some features of the law, according to the article: --Ozma is playing at the Key Club this Friday. If we get Borders set up on time, I will be available. Will you? --Strong's Exhaustive Concordance is online! Search the Bible to your heart's content. PTL!