Via McSweeny

TRANSLATED
THOUGHTS AND QUESTIONS THAT ARE RUNNING THROUGH
A NORTH KOREAN REFUGEE’S MIND
WHEN HE IS AWARDED POLITICAL ASYLUM
IN THE UNITED STATES, SETTLES DOWN, TURNS ON THE TELEVISION,
AND THE FIRST
THING HE SEES IS A FANCY FEAST CAT-FOOD
COMMERCIAL…

I suppose it is better to have a reclusive cat than a reclusive dictator.

Via Glutter, TypePad owner Six Apart has confirmed the blocking of TypePad sites in China and advises:

We’ve become aware that all TypePad sites are currently being blocked in China, similar to the block put in place last year. We discovered the blocking in the same way that most of our TypePad members did, by hearing about it from readers in China.
Until access is restored, the only recommendations we can make for
workarounds is to use any web proxies which are available for routing
requests to TypePad through another site. In addition, third-party
services for processing syndication feeds aren’t currently being
blocked, so if you’re using another service to enhance your
TypePad-published XML feed, it’s likely the feed will still be
available to audiences in China.
To be clear, the availability of TypePad-powered sites in China
isn’t something we have control over, but we do hope that full access
is restored quickly, as it was last year.

This is gravely disturbing, as there are eight of these violence-inspiring devices on our refrigerator. (via Mutant Frog):

A scuffle broke out late Thursday night between a group of Japanese
tourists and locals at a restaurant in Wanhua (萬華), Taipei as result of
language barriers and miscommunication. The group of seven Japanese
were giggling and talking about the “Hello Kitty” magnets which have
recently a stirred frenzy among fans and collectors in Taiwan. Thinking
that the Japanese were laughing at them, a table of Taiwanese patrons
next to them—about 10 in all—approached the group and somehow a fight
started.

Kitty has been at the center of the Singapore riots of 2000 and the gruesome Hong Kong Hello Kitty murder of the same year, which was retold in schlock horror films: Human Pork Chop and There’s a Secret in My Soup.

As a responsible society it is time we consider banning all Kitty products and call upon Sanrio to provide full compensation for all Kitty-related incidents.

It was a busy week, here are some items of interest that Asiapundit missed from yesterday and last week:

Daniel Drezner asks whether the liberal paradigm - that markets bring democracy - is failing in China.

At Diacritic, a look at how Vietnamese language press - both domestic and overseas - covered Prime Minister Phan Van Khai’s US visit.

Brad Setser has a good analysis on CNOOC’s bid for UNOCAL (one key point: "China’s oil firms have cash and customers but not enough oil: their current interest in stretching their wings abroad makes a certain amount of commercial sense.")

The Ordinary Gweillo points to an Economist item that explains last week’s shoe incident.

Ian Lamont also weighs in on Microsoft’s banning of democracy and other words on sections of its China blog portal - also keep checking Ian’s other blog a site on his developing thesis based on content analysis of China’s state-run news agency Xinhua.

Via China Digital Times a the Guardian spins a tale of two massacres. Plus a long piece from the Online Journalism Review on blogging in China.

Spirited discussion on China’s ‘new left’ continues at Simon World.

A roundup of yesterday’s news at China-e-lobby.

ESWN ponders the reliability of reports on bird-flu deaths in China.

Disappointment. After only recently discovering one of the best essayist blogs in China, Richard Willmsen announces he’s leaving China.

Taipei is taking the ‘love hotel’ and moving it upmarket.

China’s Nurse Ratchet may sometimes be acting in the people’s interest. CSR Asia notes authorities are shutting how-to suicide sites. Also, a good number of questions raised on China’s suicide statistics.

The FEER’s Traveller’s Tales blog informs us that the June issue of the Far Eastern Economic Review has been banned in Beijing "because of the content on pages 44 and 55-59." My copy arrived Thursday, page 44 is an item on poaching with a similar thesis to this one. Pages 55-59 contain content similar to what got the Economist banned a earlier this month. Btw Hugo, when do I get my password for archive access?

China may be viewed in a better light than the US globally, but lets forget about ‘Old Europe’s’ opinions and be thankful that the US is held in high regard in Asia’s other rising economy. (via the Acorn)

The Swanker starts on Rebecca’s request with a post on the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. Malaysia’s LoneStar and Lucia Lai also oblige. As does Alan in Canada. And Roger L Simon.

Nicholas in Canada alerts us to addictive Malaysian curries.

Sepia Mutiny brings news that Australia’s Handi Ghandi has bowed to pressure and changed its logo: "their solution is to make Gandhi a Punjabi rapper. Apparently they felt that was the polar opposite of a nonviolent vegetarian."

Maobi points to a report saying that Malaysia is terror free (translation, not on-guard).

New Mongols alerts us to a new Central Asia blog. Also at New Mongols, a look at Taiwan’s changing view of Mongolia.

Lost Nomad helps us realize that South Korea’s riot police look a lot less threatening out of uniform.

Via NK Zone, in spite of a looming return of famine, Pyongyang’s range of restaurants is growing.

Kenny Sia’s new quiz: Which Malaysian blogger are you?

Cowboy Caleb alerts us to a Singapore Press Holdings reporter who is having an ethical dilemma about blogging and privacy. My view, anything that isn’t password protected is public.

Singapore’s mr brown brings us news that Mr Miyagi has joined him as a Today newspaper columnist.

The Singapore government may try to stop the use of Singlish in the city state’s media, but the People’s Action party has no power over DC Comics.

Over at XiaXue, Wendy has decided to post the private e-mail addresses from her critics. She knows, of course, that they will now be bombed by hate mail from her readers, making her appeal for sympathy seem more like a quest for revenge. Very bad form Wendy.

Tom Vamvanij has noted some creative translating by Thailand’s (usually respectable) Nation Media Group.

Reacting to China’s latest blocking of blogs, Instapundit says boycott Chinese goods. CSR Asia responds.

Naming a child something like this almost makes me want to call welfare services.

Finally, despite having too much on my plate already, I have accepted Dan’s invitation to become a contributor to the Shanghaiist. While he has literally offered to pay me in peanuts, even in ‘beta’ form the site is attractive enough to make me want to join. Still, Dan may want to consider James Goldsmith’s proverb.