And I will be first to comment! MWAH-HAH-HAH

So, will the conservative congressmen who don’t really like what bush is doing to the nation have the balls to refuse his future maniacal judicial nominee?

July 1, 2005 @ 5:00 pm | Comment

The consensus is that Bush’ll first choose an off-the-wall far-right winger, a real nut job. There will be a huge fight, Bush will back down and “compromise,” nominating a guy who’s just a wee bit saner. Congress will then take the bait and approve the wingnut who’s not quite as much a lunatic as the original nominee.

The one thing for sure is this is goinna be the ugliest summer Washington has ever seen.

July 1, 2005 @ 5:03 pm | Comment

On another note, have I been targeted by wheelers? Check out the last several comments to this relatively old post. They are calling me a shill for the “evil communists”??? Unbelievable.

July 1, 2005 @ 5:05 pm | Comment

They definitely sound like fanatics. I’ll bet the link to your post was sent out in a FLG email. They are very savvy when it comes to communications.

July 1, 2005 @ 5:20 pm | Comment

I liked when they spiked the TV signal in Sichuan about 2 years ago and started broadcasting their propaganda to bewildered farmers outside of Chengdu. That was hilarious.

July 1, 2005 @ 5:22 pm | Comment

Bush will appoint a woman to SCOTUS. I mean, he’s a hip and happening President, right?

Priscilla Owen? Another nutcase?

July 1, 2005 @ 5:38 pm | Comment

Laowai, you can’t fault them for lack of creativity!

Devi, the word on the street is it’s gotta be a man, to satisfy Bush’s masculine base.

July 1, 2005 @ 5:52 pm | Comment

Ugh. I got up this AM, checked Yahoo, and there it was…O’Connor retiring. Renquist has got to be going any moment now. It’s going to be double-ugly.

July 1, 2005 @ 6:10 pm | Comment

It doesn’t matter who Bush selects, he could appoint Ted Kennedy and they would find some way to call it an abuse of Presidential power (though certainly that would be).

July 1, 2005 @ 7:44 pm | Comment

Here’s Pennywits’ precognition to the New SCOTUS nominee:

“When Sandra Day O’Connor stepped down from the Supreme Court, President Bush had an opportunity to prove that he really is a uniter, rather than a divider. He could have consulted with senators from both parties and nominated a judge who values those freedoms that Americans hold dear.

But President Bush failed to do so. Instead, he has chosen one of the most divisive nominees available, one who has received the lowest ranking ever from [Group to be determined later]. President Bush’s nominee favors Republican special interests, rather than individual freedom. The nominee is also an incredibly divisive figure, as can be seen in any number of the opinions he has written over his checkered judicial history.

Democratic senators are incredibly disappointed that President Bush has politicized the judicial process and chosen such a divisive nominee to replace Sandra Day O’Connor. These sorts of extremist judges should not be allowed in the judiciary at all … and certainly not on the highest court in the land.”

July 1, 2005 @ 7:59 pm | Comment

And, Richard, Rehnquist’s retirement is yet to come. Prepare yourself your two GWB nominations in the coming year or so.

The good news is that it will probably cut down on the number of times I get asked by friends and family, “Hey, why don’t you move back to the USA?”

Now, before I get flamed, and to answer that question for this audience, the main reason is that Asia is just too fascinating and the US (to me) too mundane for me to want to go back. Whenever I visit the US it takes about a week before I feel like I never left, and that’s not a good feeling. But lots of other little factors, including the prevailing political and judicial philosophy, are background factors.

July 1, 2005 @ 8:00 pm | Comment

With regard to those “wheeler” comments you referred to, jeez, which is it man? China basher or CCP sympathizer? Show some editorial consistency, for criminy’s sake. 🙂 This is what happens when ex-journalists are left to their own devices.

Actually the fact that you get accused of both sins is probably a good indicator of why this site is fun – the diversity of opinions.

July 1, 2005 @ 8:03 pm | Comment

C’mon Gordon, Bush got his way on nearly all of his judicial nominees, including Janice Brown. Believe me, if he nominates another O’Connor type, he won’t have any problem getting him/her approved.

July 1, 2005 @ 8:26 pm | Comment

Remember, the “nuclear option” wasn’t delayed, it was only disarmed. I guarantee you the more reactionary arm of the right will see this as another opportunity to test that situation.

July 1, 2005 @ 8:51 pm | Comment

Sorry – typing and eating. Wasn’t disarmed, only delayed. Saturday morning sluggishness.

July 1, 2005 @ 8:52 pm | Comment

Obviously I don’t know who he is going to appoint, but I’m willing to bet that whoever it is, it will fall under those “extreme” circumstances the Democrats were referring to with regards to using a filibuster.

I don’t really like the term “nuclear” option. Constitutional option is more appropriate, but either way I think Will is right..it may get used.

July 1, 2005 @ 9:05 pm | Comment

Sorry, Gordon – It’s Trent Lott’s own term –

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/index.ssf?050307fa_fact

And I’m going to do him the credit of using it!

July 1, 2005 @ 9:20 pm | Comment

lol..yeah, but you know the proper way to pronounce it is nuuukular 😛

July 1, 2005 @ 9:29 pm | Comment

🙂 That’s right. You know, that’s how they test expatriate Americans at the border when we come back to the US to visit. If you say Nuclear you’re assumed to be Canadian and deported.

Uh oh – am I “America bashing”?

July 1, 2005 @ 9:37 pm | Comment

Hey, I’m a California native, and my mama taught me how to say “nuclear”!

July 1, 2005 @ 9:39 pm | Comment

OL, all have you have proven is that you know how to spell it, not pronounce it.

neiner neiner neiner 😛

July 1, 2005 @ 9:54 pm | Comment

Well, we all know California isn’t really Murika anyway…

😉

July 1, 2005 @ 10:02 pm | Comment

Hahaha..that’s true.

It’s the other P.R.C. 😉

July 1, 2005 @ 10:27 pm | Comment

Our economy is bigger! Hah!

July 1, 2005 @ 10:30 pm | Comment

Gordon, everybody in California speaks Cantonese. It’s more like the other HK. (Well, maybe Vancouver…)

July 1, 2005 @ 10:39 pm | Comment

We’re getting a lot more Mandarin speakers these days…if you haven’t seen San Gabriel Valley lately, you will be amazed…

July 1, 2005 @ 10:50 pm | Comment

Breaking News from the UK Guardian. It’s a very short report, so I’ll paste the entire article:
————————————————–
Thousands of Chinese Students Riot

Saturday July 2, 2005 6:01 AM

BEIJING (AP) – Thousands of students rioted on a campus in southern China to protest high university fees, overcrowded dorms and unappealing cafeteria food, a Hong Kong newspaper reported Saturday.

More than 4,000 students overturned cars, threw bottles from windows and torched banners on June 25 at the Jiujiang Institute, a university jointly run by the military, the Chinese-language Oriental Daily News reported.

The students also destroyed phone booths on the campus. Total damage approached $120,000, the paper said.

The mayor of Jiujiang, Cai Xiaoming, visited the campus to mediate. The school agreed to several of the students’ demands, ordering a reduction in the number of students per dormitory room from eight to six, the Oriental Daily News reported.

The institute also promised to pay back some fees, and to allow students to join a committee monitoring the food quality at the campus restaurants, the paper said.

July 2, 2005 @ 12:04 am | Comment

Overturning cars and torching banners to protest against, among others things, “unappealing cafeteria food” is a good one.

I’ve been told by several factory owners/managers in Guangdong that migrant workers also tend include the quality of canteen food in their decision to stay in a certain job or not and spending several extra Yuan per person per day on food will help retain workers!

July 2, 2005 @ 12:17 am | Comment

just wonder how and when you guys could understand the level of complexity in terms of managing such a huge country

looking back my student years, full of “unrests” and “movements”, i am not surprised that government sent delegations to france to learn how to deal with such troubles, and when “änti-japanese-right-wing” sentiment was fermented, the first thing the government did is quickly let the students vent their angers then did something else

all these are not accidental and are approaches the government managed to cool down the heat. it’s funny to see how outsiders misread everything government did

July 2, 2005 @ 1:51 am | Comment

I have just finished catching up with all of the discussion that has been taking places earlier this week on the pages of this website, and so I am perhaps a little late in commenting on developments in the Conrad verses Mark Anthony Jones debate, but I hope you will all forgive me if I seem so interested in what many might consider to be passe.

Despite being a woman of my age (I turn 64 next week in fact) I would like to nevertheless refocus attention back onto the subject of Conrad’s penis. I was both delighted and intrigued by Mr Jones’ analysis on the sexual metaphors of George Bush’s speech of earlier this week. Equally as interesting though, was the revelation, by Mr Conrad himself, that he considers his own penis to be not only a possession, but also a friend.

Taking Conrad’s remark as a cue, I would like to offer readers of this thriving site a few insights into the nature of the politics of the penis.

Conrad, a few days back on the “China more popular among our allies than the U.S.” thread, declared himself to be “fond” of “his” penis, which he described as a “him”. He had in fact, as Mr Jones had so accutely observed, personified his own penis, as if it had a mind all of its own, as if, in effect, it was some kind of separate entity.

What this suggests is that Conrad, rather than fearing castration, has actually come to terms with castration. It’s as if he has accepted it as a reality. I do not mean castration in a literal sense, of course, but rather, in a metaphorical sense. His language is indeed, as Mr Jones notes, very revealing.

Now, what is also interesting for me is that Conrad not only personifies his own penis, regarding it as a kind of separate (d) entitiy, but he also declares possession over it. “My” penis he says, is a “him” to be “fond” of.

So despite the metaphorical castration, Conrad remains in possession of it. This implies a power struggle. What we have here, I think, is a man who struggles to maintain control over his own penis, hence his personification of it, hence his attitude towards his own penis as a separate (d) object, or entity.

Now, the fact that Conrad remains “fond” of his personified penis suggests that he remains satisfied by it, so I do not think that we should all rush into thinking that his lack of control signifies penile dysfunction. He can still manage to get it up, it would seem.

Conrad was clearly offended by Mr Jones’ initial comment about insecurity, perhaps because Mr Jones had indeed touched on a raw nerve, but perhaps Mr Conrad’s insecurity isn’t the result of a dysfunctionally weak or “soft” penis, but rather, of an untamed, or renegade penis.

You see, Mr Conrad’s fondness implies that he is satisfied by his penis, that it serves him sufficiently well. So one then must wonder why he regards it as a seperate enitiy, as the “him” whom he claims to possess as “his”. I surmise that the problem with Conrad’s penis is that it does indeed have a mind all of its own, not literally, by metaphorically – hence Conrad’s personification of it.

The question is then, has Conrad succeeded in taming his penis personified? Is his possession over it strong enough, that he is able to tame it? If the answer is “no”, then watch out girls!!!! (or boys, or both? Conrad has shed little light on his preferences in this regard).

I shall not hide the fact that Mr Mark Anthony Jones and Conrad are my two favourite commentators on this site. It’s not because I sit up late at night pondering their penises either. It’s because of their narcissism that I spend so much time reading and studying their comments. The both of them are like two bulls on heat, locked in horns, as it were. They both bring to the pages of Peking Duck political views that are from the very far ends of the opposite poles. They are both good debators, and both are very articulate. They are also, as I said earlier, both very much in love with their own penises. They are both super egoes!

The both of them also, quite clearly, specialise in very different disciplines. Mr Conrad is noticably more knowledgeable when it comes to issues pertaining to law, but I think it is Mr Jones who possesses the greater general knowledge. He is clealry more widely read on issues of politics, philosophy, history, sociology, and anthroplogogy – what Conrad dismisses as the “soft” liberal arts.

But I noticed, in their exchange, that while Mr Conrad didn’t take too kindly to having his sexual funtionalism called into question, neither did Mr Jones appreciate attempts to emasculate him by trivialising his knowledge of the liberal arts. The tension between them, the rivalry that exists, is most definitely sexual in nature. Which is the dominant bull?

The answer to that question will depend on what they are arguing over, I should think, since as I just mentioned above, they both specialise in different areas of science. But as a specatator, I hope they will continue to cross paths from time to time!

I ought to further qualify my description of them as bulls by saying that I regard the two of them as being very brave. They each win my respect and admiration for having the courage to express views openly and publicly on the pages of this website which many I know will find extreme. Mr Jones in particular has proven to be brave in this respect.

Personally, I relate more to Mr Jones’ politcs than I do to Mr Conrad’s (whose views I find horrifying!) Take Mr Jones’ argument regarding the nature of the Iraqi insurgency for example: his views on this matter are very complex and intelligent, and are actually shared by many, though that doesn’t seem to be appreciated by most readers here. His qualified support for the insurgency would for example attract a majority support among the readers of some other websites, like z mag for example. But here on Peking Duck he is very isolated in his views on this issue. Most readers on Peking Duck clearly do not even understand his position, let alone support it. But as I said, he is brave for expressing his views here on this site, and for that I award him the Purple Cross.

But like Mr Conrad, Mr Jones is also narcissitic. I have corresponded with him twice in the past, earlier this week in fact, and much to my surprise, he attached to his second email to me somewhere close to twenty photographs of himself, as well as a few travelogues that had written. I found his travelogues to be extremely well written and entertaining, especially the one about his four days in Jilin (I laughed and agonised with him all the way through it) but I must confess myself puzzled by all of the photos. Each one was so posed – often he looks like a beatnik, sporting a black beret whilst sipping on glasses of red wine in dimly lit rooms clouded by spiralling twists of cigar smoke. In others, he goes for the more sexy look, sporting instead his hairy chest. He is indeed a very handsome man, and if I were half my age I would no doubt be tempted! But the fact that he has such photos taken of himself tells me that he is every bit as fond of his own image as Conrad is of his personified penis. The fact that he distributes these photos to people like me, whom he has never met and hardly even knows, suggests an even greater level of narcissim.

There are some other contributors to Peking Duck who are worth noting too. Mr Filthy Stinker sometimes makes a few valuable comments, though he also possesses a rather nasty, condescending, arrongant streak at times, especially towards some of this site’s Chinese contributors.

I have been paying some attention to both Ivan and American Man as well recently. The both of them tend to post very short and successive comments, a staccato of dribble usually. Often their comments seem displaced and out of context, and for the most part, they are nonsensical. I detect dysfunctionalism!

Having stated that though, I should, to be fair, draw attention to the fact that Ivan did engage in a rather more interesting conversation with Mr Jones earlier in the week, and showed himslef to be quite knowledgeable, and capable of sustaining an intelligent dialogue. His undersatnding of Shelley’s Frankenstein for example, was spot on. My advice to Ivan then, if he is reading, is to cease trying to be funny (which he most certainly is not) and to concentrate on producing only the more intelligent and thought-provoking contributions, which we all now know that he is capable of doing.

Finally, I shall comment on this site’s operator, Mr Richard. Like Mr Jones, Conrad, and the Filthy Stinker, Mr Richard is both articulate and intelligent, but he can also be way too emotional at times, which I suspect accounts largely for his often confused and rather inconsistent responses to comments by the likes of Mr Jones for example, and for his tendency towards occasional censorship.

I suspect that Mr Jones is an epicurean of fine food and wine, and that he prefers his duck roasted, and at times crisply fried even. All ducks, thanks to an inherent instinct for survival, prefer to remain uncooked I know. But perhaps Richard could learn to accept the plucking of a few feathers from time to time?

I shall end my analysis here, for I have a flight to catch very soon, as I have a conference to attend in Beijing. I do hope, however, to study you all some more by reading future posts.

Dr. Anne Myers

July 2, 2005 @ 1:53 am | Comment

????

July 2, 2005 @ 2:05 am | Comment

Whoah…brain…hurts…

July 2, 2005 @ 2:09 am | Comment

Haha!!

Filthy Stinker!!! hahahaha. Oh dear. Didn’t notice you had a condesending streak mate.

I see I escaped Ms Myers cross-hairs, a few days in HK, perfect timing.

July 2, 2005 @ 2:09 am | Comment

If you think that was bad—just wait for “Mr Jones” reply!

Filthy Stinker, still laughing.

July 2, 2005 @ 2:10 am | Comment

Ivan and American Man:

“A staccato of dribble.”

Ivan, that just shows you mate, don’t drink and post. That’s a bad road.

July 2, 2005 @ 2:12 am | Comment

Ivan:

“My advice to Ivan then, if he is reading, is to cease trying to be funny (which he most certainly is not) and to concentrate on producing only the more intelligent and thought-provoking contributions, which we all now know that he is capable of doing.”

Sounds like a school report.

July 2, 2005 @ 2:14 am | Comment

That’s DR to you Martyn. She obviously wants the recognition.

Dr. FSN9 from now on too!

Anyway – why is it that if I disagree with Mark that I’m suddenly not appreciating him? And why is it that she makes this sound like I’m somehow not smart? I’m tempted to take this as intellectual snobbery.

July 2, 2005 @ 2:14 am | Comment

let me explain my points in another way, say if we have to find a few people from here to manage a mid-sized inland chinese city, who will i choose?

first, richard is excluded, because richard is very idealistic, i will put richard as the editor-in-chef of the city newspaper or the commentator of news show on city TV station

other lisa is my first choice for the position of mayor, she might not be the person most intelligent and knowledgable, but she is no doubt one of the few who could develop good relationships with different people and understand the importance of compromise

we need a guy who has big ideas to change the city but not too radical, to work in the position of first deputy mayor, a few names come to my mind, laowai, martyn and MAJ, laowai doesn’t like business, but business should be the top priority for such a chinese city, so maybe mayor is the best choice

laowai should be the vice mayor for education, science and public health

we need another guy who could “lead your eyes from heaven to earth” to take the factor of reality into account in decision making, his/her role is to amend any plans too “theoritical”, jeremy from danwei is the best person to do this. his position is the general secretary of the city government

now, what else, gordon seems very action-oriented but need more constructive spirit, maybe gordon could work as the officer in “anti-porn, anti-IPI, anti-corruption office”

ESWN is the best candidate to manage the media business of the city

anyone else?

July 2, 2005 @ 2:14 am | Comment

I’m flattered…I think…

July 2, 2005 @ 2:16 am | Comment

So what city are we running?

July 2, 2005 @ 2:16 am | Comment

Bingfeng, what are you going to do in our city government?

July 2, 2005 @ 2:18 am | Comment

it’s kind of a kidding, hope you guys dont mind 🙂

should be an inland city, a mid-sized city similar to shanghai should have a totally different group to manage

July 2, 2005 @ 2:20 am | Comment

not sure, maybe together with richard to run the city tv station? i am afraid a tv station in richards’ hands wont become profitable in many years

July 2, 2005 @ 2:22 am | Comment

Re Anne Myers.

In all seriousness, you can’t launch into a tirade and accuse commentors, as well as our congenial host, of this, that and the other without others accusing you of some of those very same things.

We’re all people here with sometimes vastly different backgrounds, experience and opinions, and should be accorded with the same respect, whoever we are.

No need to argue or explain.

July 2, 2005 @ 2:25 am | Comment

Bingfeng, that’s the funniest thing I’ve read in quite a while, Great work man. Nice imagination.

I see that I only made the nominations for deputy major. Did I lose the election or something? Or was I involved in some kind of corruption scandal?! Ahhh, the mob are a fickle lot sometimes…….

July 2, 2005 @ 2:28 am | Comment

Here we go: more dribble, in the form of short staccato.

And binfeng, you are, no doubt, male! I can tell, because as Mr Jones quite rightly explained in his analysis of Bush’s speech, men tend to harbour a deep-seated womb envy, which they try to compensate for by trying “bigger and better” things of their own: missiles, big phallic automobiles and skyscrapers, nations, empires, and yes, entire cities!

Only a man with serious womb envy would contemplate creating and managing a city.

I notice that you fantasise over not not the biggest of cities, but content yourself with orchestrating the management of merely a mid-sized one. Now what this suggests to me, is a possible inferiority complex, and in order to protect the health of your own ego, the internalising of the “size doesn’t really matter” idea. At least you are humble in this respect!

Dr. Anne Myers

July 2, 2005 @ 2:30 am | Comment

Okay, so Bingfeng, you’re the station manager and Richard is the executive producer of all media. Together the two of you will create an independent TV station and regional newspaper that will both bring to light underreported stories in China and help ordinary people achieve justice AND make a good profit.

Works for me.

Regarding Dr. Ann Meyers, I’m still more or less speechless.

July 2, 2005 @ 2:31 am | Comment

Honoured to have made it in your list! Even better that it was for Public Health, Education and Science, three things I care about a lot! Bingfeng – minister of commerce for you?

July 2, 2005 @ 2:32 am | Comment

Martyn, as my deputy, we will achieve great things in our medium-sized city.

I think if Bingfeng had serious womb envy, he would not have nominated me, a person with an actual womb, to run his city. Or, I should say, our city. Our city with a healthy industrial base, an agricultural belt and “green” growth policies…

I am feeling a burst of civic pride as I type this.

July 2, 2005 @ 2:35 am | Comment

“Here we go: more dribble, in the form of short staccato.”

Anne, if this is an attempt at tongue-in-cheek humour then well done, it’s very funny.

If, however, you’re seriously getting off on all that stuff above then I’m going to have to apply that above quote og yours to you pet.

July 2, 2005 @ 2:36 am | Comment

Other Lisa:

I really need to board my flight soon, but very briefly – Bingfeng conceived the idea of creating a management team, which to me implies womb envy. The fact that he has chosen a woman to run his city simply tells us that he is not a mysogynist – which is a credit to Bingfeng, I must admit.

But the entire conversation that he has initiated is really quite silly, and a waste of people’s time.

Dr. Anne Myers

July 2, 2005 @ 2:40 am | Comment

Dr. Meyers…may I call you Dr. Anne?

The conversation is funny. This is an open thread. Humor is appropriate, and clever humor is appreciated.

Besides, I’m the Mayor, and I’m liking the power.

July 2, 2005 @ 2:43 am | Comment

haha, sounds great for me:)

how many of you ever talked with a chinese official and explored her/his minds? i find many officials are not dumb people at all, they are actually very smart, but are crippled by the circumstances surrounding them

July 2, 2005 @ 2:46 am | Comment

Bingfeng, read my buddy China Fool’s blog, at beijingorbust.blogspot.com. He has a great account of a meeting with a Chinese official, who as you said, isn’t dumb at all, just constrained by circumstances. You’ll appreciate it.

July 2, 2005 @ 2:49 am | Comment

I think Shanghai Slim would make a rock-solid Deputy Major as he comes across as affable and full of common sense. Yeah, the city needs a pair of steady hands. The deputy major could also be given a free hand to take care of the city’s PR and that would suit Slim as well I think.

Mark Anthony Jones could be given a special post as Minister of Bohemian and Cultural Affairs. He could help set up and encourage a Bohemian Quarter of art galleries, cafes and meeting places for the city’s intellectual elite–absolutely vital for a city’s well-being and artistic side.

Conrad could also head our Legal Affairs Dept for obvious reasons.

July 2, 2005 @ 2:50 am | Comment

Other Lisa:

My last comment for now, I’m afraid.

If you are thrilled to have been nominated to run an entire city, then that’s truly wonderful, even if we are only talking about an entirely imaginary city here.

My advice then, is go for it girl. What the world needs now more than ever is for more women to be able to rise into positions of power and decision-making.

Dr. Anne Myers

July 2, 2005 @ 2:50 am | Comment

A waste of time? Dr. Myers, I consider a 4 page post psychoanalysing people to be a waste of time. What bee flew up your bonnet? Why is your opinion about how I should or should not spend my time important enough to mention?

July 2, 2005 @ 2:51 am | Comment

i was wondering what bellevue can do in our city government?

July 2, 2005 @ 2:53 am | Comment

“But the entire conversation that he has initiated is really quite silly, and a waste of people’s time.”

Anne Myers: From now on please start every single sentence you utter on this site with the words:

“In my personal opinion, which isn’t necessarily an opinion that others share…..”

Thanks. Much better.

Bingfeng:

Pay no attention, keep up the good work, I’m enjoying this.

July 2, 2005 @ 2:53 am | Comment

Hahha, well, Dr. Anne, let us know how you would like to contribute to the running of our medium-sized urban enterprise.

Martyn, I concur with your nominations. We (collectively) will rock China and establish a smart growth, hi-tech, green model city. Just as soon as I change the cat litter.

July 2, 2005 @ 2:54 am | Comment

Re bellvue.

Didn’t you once say that he’s intelligent but prone to anti-China hysteria?

So any kind of Foreign Affairs or cultural ambassador is definitely out then.

July 2, 2005 @ 2:55 am | Comment

No! One last comment is now called for, but brief it must be. Martyn – your suggestion to place Mr Jones into the position of Minister of Bohemian and Cultural Affairs is just brilliant, and totally apt. I think he would suit the part brilliantly. You should the photos of himself that he sent me, sporting his black beret, puffing on a thick cigar, with glas of red wine and book in hand.

And yes, Conrad would no doubt make a great Head of the Legal Affairs Department.

And I couldnt agree with you more when you say that Bohemian Quaters are for every socieity “vital” places for a city’s well-being.

Dr. Anne Myers

July 2, 2005 @ 2:55 am | Comment

And Laowai,

You are the person I intend to analyse next, in light of your hysteria, as revealed in your comments above.

Just as soon as I return to Guangzhou from Beijing.

Dr. Anne Myers

July 2, 2005 @ 3:00 am | Comment

More Chaguanrs! Teahouses for the Masses! And coffee bars for those of us so inclined…

Maybe Bellevue could be…damn, it’s 2 AM where I am, and I’m having a brain cramp. A citizen’s advocate, liason to the city government. There’s a term for this and I’m not coming up with it.

July 2, 2005 @ 3:00 am | Comment

Hey, maybe Dr. Anne is MAL’s anima projection?

July 2, 2005 @ 3:01 am | Comment

I mean, “MAJ.” I should not drink and type…

July 2, 2005 @ 3:02 am | Comment

BTW, Laowai, I think you are one of the least “hysterical” commenters here, for what it’s worth…

July 2, 2005 @ 3:03 am | Comment

Shocking racist attack against Uighur students at a Shandong (east China) college. Source: The SUN tabloid.

Uighurs attacked, stabbed

Something you never heard from eswn.

July 2, 2005 @ 3:04 am | Comment

Hmmm

“Sporting his black beret, puffing on a thick cigar, with glas of red wine and book in hand.”

You know Anne, that’s EXACTLY how I’d imagined Mark Anthony Jones would look like. Even the beret. God, that’s scary.

Mind you, what on earth is he playing at sending you photos of himself? Is it just me or is that just a “leeeetle-beet” well, you know, wierd.

July 2, 2005 @ 3:12 am | Comment

I think this may be our Dr. Meyers…

http://d05.cgpublisher.com/proposals/301/index_html

July 2, 2005 @ 3:13 am | Comment

Also, I trust that he was wearing more than just his black beret!!!

Hey, this is the Internet, you get all-sorts on here.

July 2, 2005 @ 3:13 am | Comment

Okay, it was fun being Mayor for 45 minutes. Good night, all! Together we can build our shining city on the hill, and all that…

July 2, 2005 @ 3:14 am | Comment

Ha! I think it is as well. American! haha. I had this fear that the good lady might be a Brit. don’t know why.

Sorry, I’m still thinking of those photgraphs.

Hey Lisa, should I have long since sent you photos of me lolling about and sitting wine-in-hand? I mean, is that the done thing these days? You never know it might be ME that’s wierd!!?

July 2, 2005 @ 3:18 am | Comment

bellevue:

Chinanewsnet has been long since banned in China and proxies are becoming really unreliable these days.

Could yuo or some other kind soul paste the article on this open thread please?

Much appreicated, I defintely want to have a read of that article.

July 2, 2005 @ 3:20 am | Comment

Yeah, Martyn, get with the program! Don your beret! after all you got to see the picture of me in the PLA hat, right?

Okay, really, night all!

July 2, 2005 @ 3:35 am | Comment

hey guys, want to see how some greedy consumers take salad in pizza hut in china?

here it is:

http://post.baidu.com/f?kz=1881135

enjoy!!!

July 2, 2005 @ 4:17 am | Comment

Dr. Myers,

I’m sure your analysis will be most interesting. Tell me though, if you plan to use this research in future publications, as I would request that you send me a waiver form – this is the standard practise, no? You can send it to my email account, Laowai19790204@gmail.com

Also, there are about 300 entries of mine scattered amonst various sites, so if you plan only on using my entries on the Peking Duck, please do disclaimer it accordingly.

July 2, 2005 @ 4:36 am | Comment

I love those Freud fans. Allways searching for the deeper meaning behind peoples words but in the end its allways the womb envy (still waiting for enlightenment about the penis envy) . Well, best reading if you want to have a good laugh.

One problem with Dr. Myers. I don’t think it is very nice from her to reveal things (like the photos) from a private e-mail conversation she had with MAJ. That is, I think, a sign of bad style.
I wouldn’t like it. Would like to know what MAJ thinks about it.

July 2, 2005 @ 5:41 am | Comment

bingfeng, i am honored to be named in charge of media business for the city.

clarify this for me though — just which attribute are you looking for?

that you believe that i’ll be fair and honest? or that you believe that i know all the tricks in the book to lie, slur and intimidate?

July 2, 2005 @ 6:45 am | Comment

Dr. Anne Myers,

Didn’t you say that you had a flight to catch? That a post you made several post ago would be your last and yet you continued to post, post,post?

haha..

This type of behavior smacks of someone who suffers from an obsessive-compulsive complex and the fact that you feel the irresistible urge to revisit this site to see how others are reacting to what you’ve said about them only serves to reinforces such presumptions on my part. It also suggests that you think very highly of yourself.

🙂

July 2, 2005 @ 6:48 am | Comment

Bingfeng,

I’m not really anti-porn. It doesn’t bother me.
However, if you wanted to put me in charge of chasing down those sick child predators…maybe that would be more workable. 😛

July 2, 2005 @ 6:50 am | Comment

Bingfeng,

I don’t know if I’ve seen the photo that you’ve linked to at Pizza Hut yet because I haven’t looked. But I saw one awhile back that showed someone using the vegetables to build a “wall” around the plate and then filling it with more food from the salad bar.

I can’t say that I blame them. In America (where pizza hut comes from), the salad bar is all you can eat.

Personally, I think the restaurant is the one being greedy.

July 2, 2005 @ 6:56 am | Comment

Yeah, I’ve seen those pizza hut photos before but I still laughed second time round. Thanks for posting the link bingfeng.

I remeber mentioning those same photos to a colleague of mine in Guangzhou but insead of laughing as I expected them to do, they started giving me advice (complete with drawings) on how to build strong foundations as described by Gordon above, build in layers and ‘glue’ the layers together with salad dressing while ‘sticking’ the small items like corn kernels into the salad dressing for extra value.

When I used to go for take-out at the first Pizza Hut in Beijing a few years ago, I used to look forward to waiting for the pizza as the waiting area was straight opposite the Salad Bar. You could see which tables had ordered salad bar bowls because they all had trails of vegetables from the salad bar to the table.

July 2, 2005 @ 8:20 am | Comment

Anyway, where’s our “Filthy Stinker”?

I haven’t heard that kind of name-calling since I was in Nursery School (Kindergarden).

When it comes to AM and MAJ, if you agree with them they love you and if you don’t….well….they call you names it seems.

July 2, 2005 @ 8:23 am | Comment

Martyn,

AM is all tongue-n-cheek.

July 2, 2005 @ 8:46 am | Comment

Geez, Richard, you really started something with these open threads!

And the lengthy commentary on commentary styles is quite an innovation….would you call that “meta-commentary”?

But the shocking thing is the number of would-be rulers that came out of the woodwork. Minister of This! Manager of That! Could I be just a resident for a while, to see how all you managers do? I’ll be the old guy in his undershirt with a hairy back, sitting on his porch saying “You little bastards, get off my lawn!”

July 2, 2005 @ 8:55 am | Comment

Isn’t is something, Sam? I’m just waking up and have a lot to plow through. It’s too bad I can’t participate as the comments come in; I’d never get to sleep.

As to the salad bar, bingfeng, I’m way ahead of you. 🙂

July 2, 2005 @ 9:37 am | Comment

Laowai

I remember you said once that you take requests for Fear of a White Planet recipes?

Ok, if possible/convenient, I’d be extremely interested in your recipe for Chilli, you know, Chlli Con Carne.

Would you consider featuring that for your next culinary post?

Please bear in mind that we can’t get Jalapenos in China but the standard small red chillis are fine I think.

Many thanks.

July 2, 2005 @ 10:53 am | Comment

Martyn,

I could burn your ass off with chilli.

Let me just put it this way, I use Dave’s Insanity Sauce.

Google that.

July 2, 2005 @ 11:47 am | Comment

Martyn: Trying to find an English version for that story in vain. Not yet there.

July 2, 2005 @ 12:01 pm | Comment

Richard:

Found a cheap headline for you to capture the zeitgeist of China:
Let a thousand (insert spies, riots, etc.) boom

July 2, 2005 @ 12:06 pm | Comment

Gordon, I will, but I think there are hundreds of those sauces. What’s that Mexican restaurant called next to the China Hand on Lockhard Road, Taco Loco? That has hundreds of bottles of these mega-hot sauces with names like ‘Acid Rain’ etc.

As for eating chillis…I’ll take the Pepsi Challenge with any other non-Thai person in a hot food eating competition! (Jesus, I hope Anne Myers doesn’t read that).

July 2, 2005 @ 12:09 pm | Comment

bellevue, that’s much appreciated but please don’t put yourself out too much on my account.

Alternatively, how about a few sentences about the article from yourself that you remember reading?

July 2, 2005 @ 12:12 pm | Comment

Martyn:

we can’t get Jalapenos in China but the standard small red chillis are fine I think.

Ahem. Jalapenos are NOT the equivalent of “standard small red chillis”. Good for their own uses, but not equivalent. Sorry, but Mexican food is not likely to be found in China.

July 2, 2005 @ 12:23 pm | Comment

oops, next time I’ll preview. missed an html close, somewhere.

July 2, 2005 @ 12:25 pm | Comment

fixed

July 2, 2005 @ 12:26 pm | Comment

Sam, I know mate but, as you know, we have to make the best of what we have here. As you said, no Jalapenos but what with the cumin, beans and what have you, you can still do a decent enough Chilli here.

July 2, 2005 @ 12:29 pm | Comment

By the way, while I find Anne — pardon me, Dr. Anne — to be a bit full of herself, I think some of her observations are quite insightful and I appreciated them.

Also, bingfeng’s SIM City game was quite intriguing. But I’m either Emperor or the game’s over.

July 2, 2005 @ 12:31 pm | Comment

Gordon

You’ve got mail.

July 2, 2005 @ 12:38 pm | Comment

I have to admit having a good laugh over m(r)s Myers post, absolutely riveting, particularly the assessment of Conrad’s relationship with his penis. I must confess though that I am dissappointed I was not noteable enough to warrant a suitable descriptor, perhaps this is a sign that I should be more prolific in my commenting at the duck from here on out.

July 2, 2005 @ 1:24 pm | Comment

How can I switch from Dr. Anne to telling about Qingdao. It will throw things off kilter, so I will post my observations on next open thread. Besides it is 3:23AM.

I read Dr. Anne as an intelligent, humorous writer with a great gift for sticking to someone. You know, not the great heated bashing or the vulgar, mainly ineffective, childish kind. Not soft for sure, but penetrating.

July 2, 2005 @ 1:31 pm | Comment

Martyn,

Check back in 15 hours. I’m in for an early night tonight, but will be up early tomorrow with stats on pollution in China, Chilli Con Carne and some more of my translation of the DDJ from Old Boy. Although to be honest, my Chile con carne isn’t as good as my green chile stew… I’ll put that up too.

July 2, 2005 @ 1:32 pm | Comment

Definitely penetrating…

I have to say, I haven’t laughed so much over a comment thread since…well, I can’t think of another example.

Richard, you are definitely the Emperor, but remember, that means you are far away!

“The Mayor”

July 2, 2005 @ 1:44 pm | Comment

Martyn,

You’re right about there being a million of those types of sauces, but I’m telling you, there’s only one Dave’s Insanity. (though he has several different kinds of sauces)

I’ve won several bets with that stuff.

If I remember correctly, it says on the label that it can also be used to strip waxed floors and remove driveway grease stains.

At the place where I first discovered it, they wouldn’t even serve you more than a drop per item because of lawsuits.

July 2, 2005 @ 7:17 pm | Comment

In light of Dr. Myers comments I’d like to dedicate this song to Conrad: (originally sang by Rodney Carrington)
[snicker]

Dear Penis,
I don’t like u anymore.

Now he sings,

Dear Rodney (Conrad),
I don’t think I like u anymore,
‘Cause when u get to drinkin’
You put me places I’ve never been before.
Dear Rodney (Conrad),
I dont like u anymore.

Why can’t we just get a grip,
On our man to hand relationship.
Come to terms with truly how we feel.
If we put our heads together,
We’d just stay home forever,
Dear Penis,
I think I like you after all.

Oh and Rodney (Conrad),
While yer shavin’,
Shave my balls

July 2, 2005 @ 8:32 pm | Comment

Ok, we’ve heard alot about Conrad’s and M.A. Jones’ respective penises. Now, who wants to go after Dr. Anne’s clitoris?

July 2, 2005 @ 8:39 pm | Comment

Yikes. Mark, that might qualify for deletion. Still not sure.

Just for the record, my chili con carne is the best, hands down. People fly in from Europe to sample it. Well, not really, but they would if they knew how amazing it is. And you don’t need jalapenos (though they help); crushed red peppers, cumin, chili powder, fresh garlic and oregano are the essential spices.

July 2, 2005 @ 9:04 pm | Comment

Hey you allow comments about male commenters’ privates, why not females’?

July 2, 2005 @ 9:16 pm | Comment

Oregano sounds interesting.
A little caraway in the chili is not a bad idea either.

July 3, 2005 @ 3:54 am | Comment

For those who are enjoying the great service of Great FireWall, here are some links that should be accessible from within China, on the June 27 incident, in which Uighur students were violently attacked in Zibo, Shandong:

http://spaces.msn.com/members/theareastudy/Blog/cns!1pytDj0jaCUXdJsxas8vSwJA!201.entry

http://www.chinaeforum.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=24608

Some angry remarks by Chinese blogger:

Xinjiang folks do not pay tuition, and they think they are minorities so they hold together!

Xinjiang folks only pay 50 cents for pure water!

Xinjiang folks storm in campus!

Xinjiang folks fight everybody in stadium, no one left behind, so they fight themselves!

On 27th, Xinjiang folks stabbes and injured a number of students, even a student union chairman!

Shandong Polytech University is a young college, and June 27 will get down history book forever!

Since 2004 Shandong Polytech University has started to enroll Xinjiang Uighur, Khasak and Kyrgyrs ethnics. In campus you can often see they stage on low taste shows, such as storming on motorcycles. Our government offers them stipent, but what do they do?
The root of this incident is the bias of government policy!

Those who offended strong China, must be destroyed even from afar!

July 3, 2005 @ 5:16 am | Comment

The Zibo riot from Chinese perspective:

The incident was started from a scuffle on basketball field when Xinjiang (uighurs) played against PE department students. On Monday (27th) 30+ Xinjiang students with arms stormed into Dorm No.22 for retaliation, but they didn’t find the ones they saught, so they beat up everyone, a number of Chinese students were injured, one of them the Student Union chairman.

Soon after that, several hundred Chinese students of PE department retaliated. Dorm No 8 where Xinjiang students live was besieged. Chinese students chanting “Xinjiang Pig, go home!” and threw rocks, all windows broken. Then they attacked upstairs and beat 5 Uighur students remaining there, who were severely injured. Chinese students then smashed and threw out Uighurs’ tables, beds, PCs and TV sets.

The riot was only supressed after 5 hours, not until the authority brought in People’s Armed Police.

Sounds familiar, right? Yeah, in an ideal world, they should be able to treat the ‘dirty, little’ Japanese exactly the same way. Typical Chinese fancy.

July 3, 2005 @ 5:38 am | Comment

Good work Bellvue. I hadn’t heard anything about this.

Thanks, I’ll check out the links now.

July 3, 2005 @ 5:58 am | Comment

Why only bashing the Chinese, bellevue?
Seems that both sides had their share in the conflict.

July 3, 2005 @ 6:19 am | Comment

Aren’t the “Xinjiang pigs” Chinese? Actually, as bellevue’s posts pont out, Xinjiang folks are China but not Chinese.

Funny isn’t it. Annette Lu (Taiwan Vice-President) is famous for saying:

“We are Chinese but not China”.

Now we can add:

“Xinjiang is China but not Chinese”

Haha, complicated place China, complicated place.

July 3, 2005 @ 6:30 am | Comment

The face of racism bares its ugly behind again.

July 3, 2005 @ 6:42 am | Comment

yikes.

elsewhere…
any other mainlanders having trouble accessing blogsome blogs? didn’t see it on ‘the list’ but can’t seem to get any (sans proxy)

July 3, 2005 @ 7:11 am | Comment

Surely I could not have been the only one who took Dr. Anne Myers’ carefully penned musings as a thinly-veiled plea to Conrad for some personal photos?

… photos, perhaps, of his “property”?

Yeah, we got yer number, Doc! 😉

July 3, 2005 @ 7:37 am | Comment

Dear Dr Anne Myers,

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Brilliant! Quite fantastically brilliant. I have not seen a piece of writing this funny in a long long time. They way you parody that outmoded gender-based ideology is simply outstandingly funny. Irony, of the first class. Richard gave me a “heads-up” about your post, and I spent an hour chortling over it.

Let me say firstly, in response to your somewhat rude comments about myself: I strongly resemble that implication. Hahahahaha. Oh, while I would acknowledge quite openly a streak of vanity, arrogance and condescension in myself, I do take issue with one point you make. I am an equal-opportunity condescender. I do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, nationality, sexual orientation etc. I do feel a trifle miffed over your rather snide accusation of some form of intellectual racism on my part. Actually, maybe it’s just because it was aimed at me personally, but your level of humour seemed to take a serious dip at that point, and descended to the level of petty name calling. Maybe I just can’t see the joke, because I’m the target? Oh well.

Well, I spent the first hour giggling over this piece. However, I have to say, that reading over her subsequent comments, I’m starting to wonder if she actually means this stuff seriously. It’s a frightening thought really, that someone could write something this brilliantly funny, and not actually intend to be amusing. Well, in either case, I guess laughter is the appropriate response. I can’t honestly bring myself to take it seriously, either way.

I do have a few comments to make on it, based on the assumption that Dr Meyers MAY have intended it seriously (a presumption that I still seriously doubt).

The passage absolutely drips of condenscension and intellectual arrogance. I would say that it is highly unlikely that Dr Meyers has ever met someone that she considers to be more intelligent than herself. A lot of this may be to do with the fact that she is an intelligent older intellectual, and I could see that it’s almost natural to look down on those younger than yourself. Perfectly understandable, and not really something to get annoyed about. I do, however, find the lack of introspection, and ability to perform self-analysis to be quite breath-taking. Really, I think that the ability to accurately assess yourself, in both good and bad ways, ought to be something we all strive for as we age, and it seems clear that this has never been a priority for Dr. Meyers.

I can just imagine Conrad’s response to her rather interesting, but frankly rather silly, attempt to marginalise him, by means of gender-based rhetoric. He would reply: of course my willy is a bloke, and of course I’m happy with him, and of course I’m often controlled by him. What do you think I am? A woman? Either that, or an equally tongue-in-cheek “no, I’m a reformed man, these days.” I doubt very much that Dr Meyers could response so lightly to a deconstruction of her own personality.

I feel that her attacks on MAJ were out of line. Perhaps he is all those things she says he is. I’ve never seen any pictures of him, and he certainly seems to be proud of his intellectual prowess. Well what the hell, so am I. Can’t hold that against the guy. No, the reason why I feel her attacks were out of line, is because she has taken personal communications from MAJ, and used it in an ill-intentioned attempt to humiliate and marginalise him. They have exchanged emails, and whatever Dr Meyer’s beliefs about his reasons for including photos, etc., this clearly shows friendly (not amorous) intentions on his behalf. To turn around and use this as a weapon with which to attack him is a shameful and ill-mannered thing to do. A 64 year old woman should know better. And no, Dr Meyers, I am not resorting to your technique of attempting to marginalise your views on the basis of your gender. You are the one who has used your age and gender as a basis for comment, and I respond in the terms you have laid out.

It’s been a fascinating exercise, decontructing the text, and Dr Meyer’s personality. I sure hope that she’s just an amateur psychologist, because it would be a frightening thing indeed to think that there might be individual’s out there entrusting their fragile psyches to the likes of Dr Meyers. I suspect that it is very much an amateur thing, because she clearly hasn’t moved on in the field since the 1960s. Or perhaps that is a symptom of a common professional disease: once you’re in a job, you’ve got no incentive to continually update your knowledge.

In some ways, I find it unsurprising to learn that Dr Meyers feels ideologically closer to MAJ than to Conrad. After all, she espouses an ideology whose time has passed, but is clearly convinced that it is the be-all and end-all of intelllectual debate. This kind of genderised half-baked freudian analysis is the kind of thing that survives in certain intellectual circles, but never stands up once exposed to the harsh light of the real world.

I sort of sympathise with the ideology. It was a fairly natural counter-reaction to the (more) male dominated world of the 1950s. Since men often tended to marginalise women’s ideas on the basis of their gender, it was a natural reaction to produce an ideology that fought fire with fire. Men’s ideas cannot be trusted, because they’re controlled by their penises, etc. It doesn’t make it any more valid than the dismissal of females, simply on the basis of their gender, but it is understandable. Given Dr Meyer’s gender and age, it is highly likely that she had to fight many additional battles in her professional life, just to be recognised, simply because she did not possess a penis. This must have been incredibly galling to a person of obvious intelligence, and it’s no wonder it’s left a strong anti-male streak in her. Just look at the difference in her responses to a female commentator, compared to the males. I feel rather sad, for all the trevails that she has had to go through in her life. I also feel outraged on her behalf, against the various male colleagues, superiors, etc., who made life more difficult for her. But it’s also necessary to spare a thought for every male she has stepped on or aggravated, simply because of her grudge against their gender.

Ivan … I thought her comments about you were rather petty. AM … I doubt any of us know enough about you to characterise you. I’m still trying to get a handle on you myself. There’s clearly a streak in you that loves to be outrageous, but I don’t buy your “I’m so uneducated” routine. Laowai … don’t worry. I like you. 😉

Oh, and for the record, if you understand the origin in Chinese history of my nickname, you should appreciate that the emphasis is not on “filthy” or “stinking” but rather on “no.9”. FSN9 isn’t a bad abbreviation, but I would prefer people to call me “no.9” for short, rather than Filthy. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll be able to find some reason for this, based on some deep-seated psychological flaw in my personality. 😉

Hehe … can’t wait to see Dr Meyer’s attempt to do another cheap job of 2-bit psycho-analysis on THIS post. She certainly makes a welcome addition to the list of commentors … funny and outrageous, and absolutely convinced in the sanctity of her own beliefs. Wonderful. 🙂

July 3, 2005 @ 7:55 am | Comment

Oh, in an effort to work out if Dr Anne Meyers is a real person, and if her posts can be taken seriously, I did a little bit of investigation. There were a few Anne Meyers around, but none that I would be confident to identify as her. Possibly one who worked at Boston University Law Library, but not sure. I would presume that a PhD would at least have the title of her thesis listed somewhere accessible through google, but none came up. I would also presume that a licensed MD would be listed somewhere. Perhaps this is just an example of my inability to use google effectively, but Dr Anne Meyers remains a mystery. She’s using an IP address that belongs to a company in Shenzhen … that’s about the only certain fact I can tell about her.

July 3, 2005 @ 8:00 am | Comment

No.9 aka FSN9:
Curb your womb envy!

Besides, yes it is a sign of very bad style to reveal information from a privat conversation. Finaly someone else who took offence at that.

July 3, 2005 @ 8:13 am | Comment

Yes, yes … I do not have a womb. 🙁
Don’t know if I envy it. On the other hand, I would definately like a pair of breasts. 🙂

July 3, 2005 @ 8:16 am | Comment

Actually Other Lisa thaught that this could be notorious Dr. Myers:
http://d05.cgpublisher.com/proposals/301/index_html

July 3, 2005 @ 8:21 am | Comment

oh come on, the doc’s gotta be maj. only person on the planet who can fit a 4 page diatribe in before leaving for perpetual appointments

July 3, 2005 @ 8:26 am | Comment

Ah yes … that’ll be the one. I see, with great relief, that she worked in “administrative capacities” … just as well too. Otherwise, there’d be some seriously scarred patients out there! Haha.

July 3, 2005 @ 8:28 am | Comment

Yes, reading over her bio again, it all becomes very clear … She would clearly have expected a much more distinguished career than this. She may very well have deserved one. She very likely ascribes her failure to achieve such to gender related issues. Yes … not such a difficult character to get a handle on.

July 3, 2005 @ 8:32 am | Comment

No.9 wrote:
“Oh, in an effort to work out if Dr Anne Meyers is a real person (…) I did a little bit of investigation.”

Now, I’ve never been in law enforcement or anything, but if you were to ask me how to go about tracking down someone’s identity, I think maybe the first step would be to get the correct spelling of their name …

😉

July 3, 2005 @ 8:40 am | Comment

echo wrote:
“oh come on, the doc’s gotta be maj. only person on the planet who can fit a 4 page diatribe in before leaving for perpetual appointments”

Hah! That occurred to me as well. Besides the length of the note, and the fact that they both write from Shenzhen, there are other similarities in style (e.g. both always close with a double signature).

Hmmm ….

July 3, 2005 @ 8:48 am | Comment

Slim … doh!!!!!!!!!!

July 3, 2005 @ 8:51 am | Comment

it would be a frightening thing indeed to think that there might be individual’s out there entrusting their fragile psyches to the likes of Dr X

Stinky Filther, er…#9, they’re definitely out there in the world: I nearly married a therapist in 1998. Needless to say, actually BEING sexual under the weight of all that analysis was just too difficult.

July 3, 2005 @ 9:05 am | Comment

Slim, Anne’s in Guangzhou with me so she says.

No9, nice reponse, I’ve been waiting for your reaction for days it seems like. Pity you weren’t here “live”. It was fun.

Echo, welcome back from wherever you’ve been.

July 3, 2005 @ 9:07 am | Comment

By the way, no9

Lisa long since found out who Anne is, there’s a link in one of Lisa’s posts waaaay back in this thread.

BTW, BTW, a couple of my mates have heard of Anne here in Guangzhou and they reckon that I’ve “seen” her before but I have no recollection.

July 3, 2005 @ 9:09 am | Comment

She’s gotta be pretty interesting a person – Worked for a homeless centre in Arizona with a ministry, I think. Not much in terms of publications that I can find, but is working for an online university out of Arizona or something, while living in Shenzhen? What an interesting life.

But she’s not really on the net. My sister is up there a lot more, and she’s only been an assistant professor for a 6 years. So Ann might have been doing something else before the academic psychology bit.

July 3, 2005 @ 9:14 am | Comment

Welcome back, Martyn!

Other Lisa’s find was interesting, but the two have differently spelled names:

Dr. Anne Myers
vs.
Dr. Ann Meyers

Of course, maybe she moved the “e” to throw someone off the trail. Or she’s MAJ posting under a nom de plume.

Or … say, what’s YOUR IP address, Martyn???
😉

July 3, 2005 @ 9:20 am | Comment

No, I’m stil Martyn for a good half an hour yet. I don’t slip on the wig, Norman Bates-style and become “Anne” until midnight.

July 3, 2005 @ 9:29 am | Comment

Oh – actually maybe not so interesting. 23 years of administration in health care sound like torture. Maybe that’s why she’s graced us with her presence? We’re far more interesting, I guess.

July 3, 2005 @ 9:31 am | Comment

Ps – before you turn into Ann Meyers, Martyn, I put up the CCC recipe with some pointers of my own. Probably not as good as richards, but hey! we can’t all be perfection.

July 3, 2005 @ 9:33 am | Comment

Martyn: Hehe, wonder what your wife makes of that practice!

Hope you’re not telling her “all western men do this” …

:-0

July 3, 2005 @ 9:36 am | Comment

Laowai, you cook in China? Do you happen to know where a fella can score some vanilla or vanilla extract?

July 3, 2005 @ 9:38 am | Comment

Of course not, I tell her that all western men are, in fact, a lot worse, and that I’m fairly normal in comparison.

:-0

Thanks Laowai, I’ll post on Fear of a White Planet.

July 3, 2005 @ 9:41 am | Comment

Slim,

When I go to china I’m bringing all my stuff over. You know Penzeys Spices? Really good, really strong stuff. They’ve got everything in Gourmet quality.

Anyway, I’d check out the foreign shops in the embassy districts, if Penzeys doesn’t do mail order to China (I think they might though). Beijing had a few shops near the embassy district that looked like they might have it – they had french cheeses, so…? Being in Shanghai should be better, even, than beijing.

July 3, 2005 @ 9:48 am | Comment

The usual suspects carry things like expensive French cheeses and all manner of imported spices, but I keep striking out on vanilla for some reason.

Oh well, at least there’s now a domestic men’s deoderant (brand name “Fa”) for all us sweating white guys (today I think it was 38C in Shanghai, phew!). Unfortunately, the men’s “Fa” comes in only one fragrance, which seems to be “Black Flag”.

July 3, 2005 @ 9:57 am | Comment

Waking up…

No. 9, it is truly delightful to see a book-length comment that is actually interesting and enjoyable to read! (Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that anyone in particular writes ultra-long comments that are turgid and sleep-inducing. Why would I say that?) The sad thing is, after your incisive dissection of the Good Doctor, I doubt we’ll be seeing much of her around here anymore. I think she likes to do the analysing, and prefers to avoid the discomfort of being under the microscope.

Echo, blogsome is indeed being blocked in the land of reform.

Bellevue, thanks for the great links. Now, would you please learn how to use tinyurl.com so you don’t throw off the comment margins making it hard for everyone to read? 🙂

I hope some of you get to check out the comments in the Struggle Session post above. It further indicates to me that not all Chinese people are enamored with the beloved Partry and might even want to see some democracy.

July 3, 2005 @ 10:10 am | Comment

Oh I think she’ll be back. The thing about her is that she seems pretty untouchable by the critiques of morons such as I.

New post on the science of air quality in China.

July 3, 2005 @ 10:35 am | Comment

Slim

That “Fa” isn’t very good obviously but Watsons and Mannings (HK pharmacies which I assume you have in SH) is where I get my “Dove” anti-persp etc. Also Carrefour and Lotus have decent imported stuff. I’m surprised you have to make do with “Fa” mate.

I’ll see if we have any vanilla down here in Guangzhou. Otherwise, I can defo get you some in Hong Kong if you’re really desperate! If you are, then I don’t mind.

By the way, what are you thinking of making with your vanilla?

July 3, 2005 @ 10:46 am | Comment

Hey, I did also suggest that Dr. Anne might be MAJ’s anima projection.

Oops on the spelling though. I think i was doing that around 2 AM PST.

July 3, 2005 @ 11:09 am | Comment

They certainly both seem to be hiding out. Perhaps they met, fell in love and are lounging in one of those hotel rooms with mirrors on the ceiling, smoking cigarettes in bed and sipping champagne from one another’s slippers…. That’s my official explanation for their conspicuous silence until I learn otherwise.

July 3, 2005 @ 11:27 am | Comment

Dr. Ann Meyers is at a conference in Beijing until tomorrow, I believe. Dr. Anne Myers said she also had a conference in Beijing over the weekend. Both do psychology…

Dr. Ann Myers gave a virtual presentation in Beijing. Is this in contrast with an actual presentation? 😛

July 3, 2005 @ 11:45 am | Comment

The plot thickens, like a bubbling pot of chili con carne….

July 3, 2005 @ 11:56 am | Comment

sorry – i meant dr. ann meyers gave a virtual presentation.

July 3, 2005 @ 12:19 pm | Comment

Yeah, that’s why I thought I’d found her – I mean, what a concidence – two Dr. Anne Meyers/Myers, a Beijing conference at the same time…hmmmm…yep, Laowai, cook us up a pot of that chili!

I agree with your recipe except that I don’t think one should add beans.

July 3, 2005 @ 12:48 pm | Comment

For vanilla or vanilla extract go to Olivers in the Prince’s Building, Central, HK at top quality gormet grocery shop. Lots of good stuff. I cannot say enough about the place.

Fa, works well for me. Been using it for 5 years. There are 4 or 5 different oders. Watsons, Jusco and TrustMart carry one or more of the oders in GZ.

July 3, 2005 @ 5:33 pm | Comment

And on that note, I’m going to close this thread and start another,

July 3, 2005 @ 7:56 pm | Comment