Police Still Searching For Missing Productive, Obedient Woman

Why am I getting different numbers of search results on google.com in China?

No it's not a rhetorical question. Google has openly admitted to censoring the search results you get when you search on google.cn, but it never said and I think in fact would deny that it censors google.com searches. Yet recently I was doing a very innocuous search, looking to see if "of CEO" or "of the CEO" was more commonly used. I typed both in quotes in google, and was surprised to see that "of CEO" got more hits than "of the CEO", which sounds way more correct to me. Later, I did the search at work, where we have a VPN based on a US server. This time, I got more hits for "of the CEO" than "of CEO"!

Finally I searched again at home and got the same results as before, so I turned on Tor and tried again, this time getting even more results than I got when I did the search at work! Photo evidence follows, starting with a pic of the search done without Tor, and then the one done with Tor:

Topics that cannot be rationally discussed in the US

Legalization of marijuana

Economic stimulus

Racism

abortion

Not all earmarks are for bridges to nowhere

As ridiculous as it sounds, 1.7 million for researching pig odors in Iowa seems less so the more you read this article. Sounds like if people want to keep enjoying pork (filthy infidels), they're going to have to help Iowan pig farmers solve this problem or else be willing to make the state suffer so the rest of us can eat that godless meat.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090305/ap_on_re_us/pork_for_pigs

Whaaat is Warner Bros. thinking?

Supporting another video disc standard in China? Are you kidding? do you somehow this one won't be cracked and pirated? You better be ready to sell your discs at a loss, Warner, or find a way your costs way down.

But this pisses me off because it's just protracting an unnecessary war that was already won. There will be no advantage to having another standard to compete with except to isolate markets and stifle growth. And isn't streaming the future of movies anyway? Why aren't you working on getting streaming services like Netflix going in China? Bad bad choice, Warner. Sigh.

I hate metaphors in titles like a dog hate cheese

I don't actually know whether dogs hate cheese, and seeing how much our Shih-Tzu Lucy loved pizza when she was younger, I doubt that that statement is true. It's also not even a metaphor, so my attempt at dramatic irony is ruined.

However, that doesn't detract from the veracity of my opinion--consider the Time Magazine blog post I linked to:

http://china.blogs.time.com/2009/02/27/asia-braces-for-spike-in-suicides/

I think it's pretty obvious why I hate metaphors. Asia "braces" for a spike in suicides? Really? Do you see millions of Chinese and Koreans and Thai people holding on to door frames and table ends awaiting the onslaught of suicides by their family and friends? It's not a fucking earthquake, is it.

No, people won't be "bracing" for anything, nor will Asia, which is just a geological entity with borders determined arbitrarily by man. How about anticipate? Or just await? Or even "anxious in expectation of"? Please, leave the metaphors out of the news.

It's lose, losers

Sorry I just hate it when people spell "lose" as "loose". Even my Chinese coworkers for whom English is a second language never make this mistake. So if you do, you should be ashamed, humiliated and probably fired.

Shout out for the Glimpse

An online magazine I once wrote for, The Glimpse, now a National Geographic affiliate, is moving up in the world. I reprint their official release here, for whatever good it does (hopefully some!)

YOUNG AMERICANS SHARE STORIES OF LIFE ABROAD ON GLIMPSE.ORG
Window on life in other countries and cultures

WASHINGTON (Feb. 23, 2009) — Glimpse, a nonprofit organization devoted to sharing stories about real life abroad, has relaunched Glimpse.org — a website that features written stories, photography, insider tips, and blogs created by young Americans living overseas.

Glimpse's mission is to share stories from abroad that encourage readers to understand and care about other cultures, changing the way young Americans think about the overseas experience and challenging them to explore the world. Supported in part by National Geographic Society, Glimpse looks beneath the surface of everyday life abroad by providing a forum where internationally minded youth can share their experiences and connect.

Featuring an all-new look and engaging interactive content, Glimpse.org offers something for everyone. Users can share photos and stories, start a blog, enter a photo contest, mark their favorite stories and post comments, or leave an insider tip about living abroad.

Content on Glimpse.org is user-generated and professionally edited. Glimpse editors work with contributors through an online editorial process to hone feature stories, giving aspiring journalists and photographers the chance to improve their storytelling skills.

The new website was designed by Viget Labs, a full-service web consultancy based in Falls Church, Va., and developed by Siteworx, one of the largest independent web design and application development firms headquartered in Reston, Va.

The Correspondents Program
Glimpse also offers the Correspondents Program—an opportunity for young Americans living abroad who are interested in writing and photography. Each semester, Glimpse selects eight to 10 talented young storytellers who are living overseas to become featured Glimpse contributors. Glimpse Correspondents receive a $600 semesterly stipend, one-on-one editorial guidance, and guaranteed publication of their stories on Glimpse.org. To find out more about the Correspondents Program, visit glimpse.org/correspondents.

Get Involved
Visit Glimpse.org to find out how to share your stories and join a growing community of people who think, act, and live globally.

ABOUT GLIMPSE
Glimpse is a website about real life abroad. It features stories by young Americans living overseas — interesting stories, surprising stories, stories that make you think. Glimpse content is user-generated and professionally edited, giving contributors the chance to hone their journalism skills with Glimpse editors and readers the opportunity to learn about the world through the eyes of their peers. Glimpse is the place where young adults who think, act, and live globally share their stories. Visit us at Glimpse.org.

His Holiness Embraces Twitter? Gee Whiz!

Interesting, so will Twitter get blocked in China now? Humdeedum

UPDATE: it's not the real HH. Just some impersonator probably looking to net some followers... http://twitter.com/OHHDL/status/1193599351

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?

I'll probably be saying that a lot more lately, because I can't hear out of my fucking right ear. It's ringing with tinnitus like there's no tomorrow, to make matters even more annoying. Doctor looked and saw some fluid, might have to go back and more tests done in a couple weeks to find out what's going on. Hope this isn't permanent... I like hearing.