GZ Expat, Part II

Filter it

It ain't coffee...it's information.  This country has learned how to do it and they are upgrading to do it even more.

As posted here before...TypePad blogs have been blocked here for a couple weeks.  Although, it appears as though that block has been lightened slightly where I am.  But, it is very disturbing what goes on with information here on a daily basis.

Rebecca MacKinnon has a wonderful article about the culpability of western companies in the censorship here.

The key to the filtering system, however, is automated technology – equipment and software courtesy of US companies – enabling... service providers to enter hundreds of thousands of banned keywords and web addresses for automatic blocking.

I have told many of you that I indeed watch what I write on this website, in order to stay away from the filters (note that I have removed a word from the quote of RM's article above).  Not that a whole load of locals are reading this and learning anything...but rather, so I can continue to have access and bring you views and first hand knowledge of not only where I live...but my family as well.

I am lucky...I have access to proxy's and lease lines, which do not fall under these filters...for now.  But, still, I am careful.  I have a job to do here...I have to support a family.  The last thing I need is a late night knock on the door.

Put Rebecca's website on the top of your list for information about this.  She lived here for many years as one of the most intelligent reporters CNN ever had.  And you all know what I think of CNN (Commie News Network).  Rebecca is a level headed analyst in a sea of partisan hogwash (me included!).  She's earned a spot on my blogroll.

Dubya Wows 'em again

I always love it when pompous Euro media-types roll into the White House expecting this rootin'-tootin' cowboy with pearl handled Colt's hanging from his belt...instead, the find this:

In person Mr Bush is so far removed from the caricature of the dim, war-mongering Texas cowboy of global popular repute that it shakes one’s faith in the reliability of the modern media.

Yeah...read the whole thing.  Very good article and interview.

Free Bertuzzi...er...this isn't what I meant!

Speaking of Vancouver, Province hockey pundit David Pratt suggested the Canucks should trade troubled forward Todd Bertuzzi. The big forward hasn't asked to be dealt but he has sold his Vancouver home and moved his family back to Ontario in the wake of his legal troubles involving last year's attack on Colorado Avalanche forward Steve Moore.

Furthermore, there's been some speculation on the West Coast that Bertuzzi doesn't get along with head coach Marc Crawford, and might be further spurred to leave town if linemate Markus Naslund should sign elsewhere.

Pratt suggests pedaling Bertuzzi to the Boston Bruins for Joe Thornton, who was upset over his treatment by the Boston media following the Bruins upset defeat by the Montreal Canadiens in last year's playoffs.

Stranger things have happened, but that may be nothing more than wishful thinking on Pratt's part.

If the Canucks lose both of them...that'll be the end of an era...and the beginning of re-building.  Ughghg...more years of suffering.

VP 5 best concept albums

Vodkapundit has listed The Five Greatest Concept Albums Ever, Period.  Take a look at his list.  If there is ever a subject to get people leaving comments and talking about, it is giving people your opinion on albums.

So...here are my top 5!!

1. Tommy; The Who
2. Dark Side of The Moon; Pink Floyd
3. Paradise Theater; Styx
4. Joe's Garage; Frank Zappa
5. Who's Next; The Who

OK...explanations...

Tommy.  The first true rock opera.  How can this not be the top of the list?  The movie was terrible (except Ann Margaret in the baked beans!)...but the album is an incredible piece of work.

Dark Side of The Moon.  Most consecutive weeks for an album on the Billboard top 100 list.  This was THE album to play on night owl drives.

Paradise Theater.  Some people brought up Kilroy Was Here on VP's comments, but I feel Kilroy was too much of an attempt at a concept album.  Paradise Theater gave us the best anti-drug song of all time...Snow Blind.

Joe's Garage.  Why Does it Hurt When I Pee??  The all-time classic from Frank. God I miss him.  RIP Zap.  Oh...and don't forget to register to vote.

Who's Next.  This was originally slated as a concept album and it fell apart.  Arguably the best album The Who did.  The recent re-release of this in 5.0 with extra live material is a MUST for the CD collection.

New Photos!

Tai-tai has been on adventure after adventure this week. 

Wednesday was cooking lessons for the kids.

Thursday was a day at the 'farm' (sort of like a zoo with farm animals). 

Both trips were highly successful.  Click the links for photos.

Another riot...

As I said before...this is becoming more and more common as people's dissasisfaction with the gov grows.

Infuriated residents from the village of about 3,000 marched on the factory on Sunday, saying the pollution it produces when making car batteries is making their children ill.

"There are about 200 children in the village and they are all getting sick," said Han, who has a four-year-old daughter. "They are polluting the air and it has been going on for 15 years."

Economic growth has come at the price of environmental stability...and the peopel suffer as a result.  More companies need to become active in persuading factories and businesses they deal with to comply with basic standards of environmental and labor practices. 

Meet Iran's new president

Spotted this on LGF...meet the new president of Iran

So, now we know where he stands on foreign policy...

And the media continue to assert he was 'elected'.  Sure..

Riots you don't hear about

They'll want you to hear about xenophobic riots against 'foreign' powers...but they never want you to hear about riots against their own people. 

It started before 3 p.m. when a Toyota sedan grazed a middle school student crossing the street and the teen and the driver quarreled. A few men emerged from the car and set on the student, a local store manager surnamed Wu who saw the clash told Reuters by telephone.

The men were taken to a police station and a crowd that had been watching the fight swarmed around the building, Wu said, demanding that the men be handed over to them as their numbers swelled by the minute.

Some among the growing mob focused their anger on the men's Toyota, smashing it, flipping it over and torching it, Wu said.

"The fire fighters drove up, but when they saw what was going on, they fled," the store manager said.

These incidents are more and more frequent.  For a dispute over an auto accident to get blown out of proportion to this extent, there has got to be something much more at work her.  Call me the consipiracy theorist!  But, with recent clashes around the country regarding property seizures, corruption and other deep rooted problems...the anti-Japan riots seemed as though they were a diversion from these other issues at the time.

Michelin Miracle...

I never thought this would happen...

MICHELIN has offered to refund US Grand Prix fans for the price of their tickets, the French tyre company said last night.

Michelin gave no financial details but said in a statement they were also offering to buy 20,000 tickets for the 2006 US Grand Prix to be given to spectators who were at this year's event. Around 120,000 fans attended the ill-fated 19 June race at Indianapolis.

Although this announcement doesn't give much detail...it is something that Michelin should have contemplated and approved, if they were going to pull out of the race.  The press conference should have been a no-brainer...'sorry, we pulled out of the race, but we are refunding your money.' 

The free ticket gimmick is a good PR point as well.  If they can reinvigoriate the fan base with at least 20,000 people...well, now they just need to sell another 200,000 tickets.

F1 is very, very lucky that Americans tend to be a very forgiving lot.

What next?

Simon is talking about things we could never utter here...but we can link to it.

Read the whole thing...its something to ponder (although how he could realistically conclude that Iran 'elected' its current leader, is beyond me).