fine whine

Every day here at the Kowloon Hotel I find a newspaper in a bag on my doorknob, and on my way out I usually chuck the paper onto a growing pile atop my desk. Today, however, I opted to bring it with me, leaving the empty bag to look forlorn and devoid of purpose on my doorknob. I must assume that the proper authorities will give it the care and attention that it needs, just as my room is always mystically tidied up when I return with my pajamas folded and my free water bottles replenished. It’s magic, I think.

So anyway I grabbed today’s Standard and flipped through it during the morning cab ride (5.42 kilometers this time over 10.55 minutes and found some interesting things.

On the second page I discovered that the (Frank Gehry-designed) Los Angeles Walt Disney Concert Hall (which is enough proper nouns to create several smaller buildings) is apparently reflecting heat at some nearby condominiums. I am assuming that Frank never considered what his parabolic sheets of steel would do to the people and buildings at their focal points. Read more about the building here. According to the little bit in the paper, a “A US$90,000 (HK$702,000) makeover of the structure’s stainless steel panels is being carried out in an effort to reduce the heat reflected at condominiums whose air-conditioning system is being overwhelmed.” So it’s not particularly local but it’s an interesting to know for no reason at all.

In that category also can be filed an update about the Michael Jackson trial. I’m staying in the dark as to what is going on, so to read about people being trapped in the Neverland fortress make no sense to me, nor stories of Jackson staffers physically threatening the guests, nor rumors of smear campaigns and maligned hypnotists (well, he’s only attached to the trial because he shares a publicist with Mike). About those I really do not care, nor will I seek more information. I did find one thing interesting: this former publicist has testified that she had a theory that Sony is actively seeking to let him destroy himself so that they will somehow get their music rights back–to the Beatles and his own and so on. It’s an intriguing idea and no doubt merely the first of the new conspiracy theories surrounding famous black men and their trials. Or not.

I discovered that one of the companies with which we work to make our jeans (and other clothes) is also the owner of the Circle K chain of convenience stores. To discover that is to realize that I really don’t know much at all about the companies with which we have dealings.

Then again I don’t know much in general, particularly about the international community. According to a recent survey (sampled dubiously, mind you) over half of the Chinese people surveyed thought that the “the US is trying to contain the mainland’s development” but even more than that “admired or accepted American culture”. Just over ten percent considered the US government to be “friendly”, citing concerns about US’s attitude about Taiwan (and the weapons we apparently sell them) but also noting the war in Iraq being waged under false pretenses. Furthermore four of every five thought that the US and China could come to blows in the future solely because of the whole Taiwan issue. I honestly know very little about Taiwan, and would probably give pretty skewed and scattershot answers to a similar questionnaire given to me about us and China and Taiwan. And in other nearly meaningless metrics, some estimates peg the number of smokers in China at 350 million, which other estimates would indicate to be some thirty six percent of the population. This is also apparently one third the number of smokers in the entire world, according to other estimates. That is a lot of smokers, in any estimation.

China is almost an entirely different world altogether. Up front I must admit that I only got two hours into the Canton province on Tuesday, but I suspect what I saw is representative of much of the country, and I will be generalizing about all of the large country based on a very, very small chunk of one corner of it. China is under construction. All of it. Everywhere we went there were buildings being torn down and thrown up and lots being leveled and streets being paved and overpasses being built. It is a state of utter chaos.

There’s a story on page A11 about the government attempting to clamp down on rampant illegal power plant construction. I don’t know much about the law, but I think there should be far more involved in building a power plant as compared to, say, having a stall at night selling knockoff Prada and Rolex merchandise, but apparently several plants are underway at this very moment, recklessly so. Moreover they are “often irrespective of environmental procedures and without proper planning procedures.” which is good to know, I suppose. Note that down, clandestine megawatters, that you should plan properly and be nice to the environment–not that the government seems to be doing anything of the sort.

And not that this is related to anything, but I need to remember that the “New Mail Notification” wav file that I prefer is ir_end.wav for that special ‘woosh’ that seems somehow nicer than the generic dings and bings and whatnot.