I started and finished Mr China this afternoon. To sum it up, anything completely unfathomable in a business sense is possible, and probably happened last week in China. Incredible, oh so true, and funny as hell. People will take a lot of shite for 1.3 billion plus potential consumers.

Here’s another thought: if Candid Camera were to start filming again amidst this craze for ‘reality TV’, how many lawsuits would they face within their first week of filming? I don’t think programmes like Candid Camera could survive in the American climate today.

I wonder if they have to worry about being threatened with defamation lawsuits: Bloggers Fighting Government Regulations (I predict we haven’t seen the last of the Singapore government trying to control personal websites).

Via my sister, I hope everyone signs this very important Tom Cruise / War of the Worlds boycott petition. (Update: a second boycott is here. I’ve closed comments for now. This old post is getting attention I had not imagined.

我的面子比你的生命重要 (wo de mian zi bi ni de sheng ming zhong yao, or saving my face is more important than your life): “Their sons and daughters must go on dying in the quagmire so the neocons can find a way out that doesn’t involve losing too much face.” — Billmon

The lady doth protest too much, methinks: “Simple tricks alone would only rouse anger and revulsion for they lack real respect for and understanding of a culture.” — Improper commercials come one after another, why?

• had an early dinner at the Big Belly Sichuan restaurant
• watched a few episodes of Frasier
• went to an 18th birthday party at Georgie and Gary’s (and as we all agreed, our chances of going to more 18th birthdays in future were rather slim)
• dragged Neil home from Park Latin far too late
• had cheap soupy noodles for lunch
• had a cold Coke Light at Georgie and Gary’s (I detest diet drinks, they taste bad, but that’s all they had that was cold)
• had dinner at Havana (where the prices of their steaks have gone up quite significantly over the last 18 months)
• watched Sin City (that was fun, Clive Owen’s quite hot, eh, but watching Jessica Alba snog Bruce Willis was a bit creepy)
• watched a few episodes of Frasier