When I visited my beloved friend Shanghai Slim in his now-home city of Shanghai (duh), I was rather surprised when he told me he always tips taxi drivers. He told me they have a hard life and are toward the bottom of the totem pole. That should be obvious, but I had never given it any thought up until then; it was just common knowledge that you aren’t supposed to leave them tips. After that, I started telling the drivers to keep the change. Reading this, I think it’s the right thing to do.

No, not to me. There’s another birthday to celebrate today (it’s still July 1 in the US, so that’s technically accurate). I wish them all my love and affection, and can only marvel that my birthday is the same as theirs.

Great article, and funny, too.

Does anyone even use AOL anymore? I remember my own nightmare experience trying to dump them a few years ago, and I can never forgive them, especially when they kept billing me after I canceled. Back in the late-90s, they were king of the world, seen as the invincible, monopolistic gatekeeper of the Internet, truly another Microsoft. And now they are irrelevant and desperate. Why on earth would anyone pay to be abused like that poor caller? (And get a load of those comments. Thank God for the Internet.)

Essential reading for all those shouting “Treason!” at the NYT. Of course, those doing the shouting will never read it.

Can’t Win the War? Bomb the Press!
By FRANK RICH
Published: July 2, 2006

OLD GLORY lost today,” Bill Frist declaimed last week when his second attempt to rewrite the Constitution in a single month went the way of his happy prognosis for Terri Schiavo. Of course it isn’t Old Glory that lost when the flag-burning amendment flamed out. The flag always survives the politicians who wrap themselves in it. What really provoked Mr. Frist’s crocodile tears was the foiling of yet another ruse to distract Americans from the wreckage in Iraq. He and his party, eager to change the subject in an election year, just can’t let go of their scapegoat strategy. It’s illegal Hispanic immigrants, gay couples seeking marital rights, cut-and-run Democrats and rampaging flag burners who have betrayed America’s values, not those who bungled a war.

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Yeah, more Kristof.

Rumblings From China
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Published: July 2, 2006

In the 17 years since the bloody crackdown on the Tiananmen democracy movement, China has enjoyed an economic miracle and remarkable political stability. But my hunch is that that period of smooth sailing is now coming to an end.

Wildcat protests, some violent and involving thousands of people, have been exploding around the country. By the Chinese government’s own count, there are now more than 200 protests a day, prompted by everything from layoffs to government seizures of land.

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Today’s my birthday. I’m at the point where I can’t even remember how old I am.

What could be more romantic and more exciting than to be an American practicing public relations in China, where everything is happening? Hob-nobbing with cash-rich multinationals…hanging out with journalists from big-name magazines…making history happen in the new Land of Opportunity, the last great untapped market. You’d think it would be downright intoxicating, no? So let’s come back down to earth and see exactly what it’s like, moment by moment, in this sublime diary entry from Beijing’s most candid and well-spoken PR professional. A hard dose of reality every once in a while is good for you.

Being a world-famous blogger, I get PR pitches for products and books fairly often, most of which promptly go into the trash. Today’s pitch, however, came from one of my old cronies in SIlicon Valley with whom I worked in the glorious dot-com days, when money flowed like tapwater and we thought the good times would never end. (We were wrong.) Due to my appreciation of my fellow flack, I’m going to direct readers to their product – not only because I like the senders, but because it sounds quite amazing, if a bit too good to be true. I mean, being able to dial anyone in the world from my computer for free without having to download special software and without having to don a headset sure sounds appealing. Especially to those of us who live a half-world away from home. Here’s the link; is it God’s gift to mankind, a rip-off or a dud? Since they have the courage to pitch bloggers, my friends had better have the fortitude to deal with commenters. Please let me know what you think.