The filing cabinet
The proverbial shoe box of the modern age.

I spent an incredible weekend in Japan where the old Associated Press TV Tokyo team reunited after eight years.  We haven't lost a beat... within minutes we were all cracking each other up, drinking way too much and eating our through some good times.  Now, it's off to China.  I'm planning a 10 day trek up to the three gorges dam for early December.

Even though we didn't get much sleep, Trailwalker 2003 was a lot fun.  Also, check out the new video postcard of Macau's Sao Paulo church (PC ONLY).  Finally, the highlight this week though comes from Abbe who sent out some wonderful new pics of Aidan and Connor.

The right wing is in a tizzy now over the recent court decision in Massachusetts that paves the way for legalized gay marriage.  According to the right wing lunatics, this single court decision will "destroy society as we know it."  Sigh.

More repudiation of Shrub's failed effort to demonize China for its currency.  Now, the International Monetary Fund is out with a new report that says the U.S. should essentially back and get a clue.   Interestingly though, the message seems to be getting through as the bozos in Washington are suspiciously quiet on the subject these days.

Well, after a tough week, the initial shock of Alex's death is fading.  Writing to his parents proved to be very helpful in achieving a level of peace and closure.  On a more positive note, a bunch of us spent the night in the hills of HK supporting team 'Goodbye Kitties' (yes, that's rebellion again 'Hello Kitty") who did an amazing job competing in the 100k race.

Even though we didn't get much sleep, Trailwalker 2003 was a lot fun.  Also, check out the new video postcard of Macau's Sao Paulo church (PC ONLY).  Finally, the highlight this week though comes from Abbe who sent out some wonderful new pics of Aidan and Connor.

So, Shrub has now found religion and is now saying that he wants to promote democracy in the Middle East.  Hmmm?  Interesting given how much of the democracy farm he was willing to give away to build the coalition of the coerced.  Predictably, no one is buying this latest pre-election ploy.

A bunch of arrogant American baby boomers thought Hong Kong could best repair its SARS tainted imaged was to get a bunch of ageing Anglo rock stars to come over here and perform.  Well, it turns out that Neil Young, Prince and the Rolling Stones aren't that popular in China after all.  Gee, ya' think!?!

The big news of the week is that I am going to Tokyo next month to see two of the greatest people in the world.  My old APTV crew is getting back together again for a two-day mini-reunion.  I can't tell you how excited I am to reunite with Donald and Komako.  In the meantime, I've been wandering around Southern China.  Be sure to check out the newest pics from Macau.

Come inside for a tour of Macau's A Ma Temple, one of the oldest structures in the former Portuguese colony.  I also shot a short movie in Macau.  It's a bit heavy to download but kinda neat if you're curious about what an old Chinese temple looks like.  Unfortunately, this clip is for PC users only.

Well, George & Co. packed up and left Asia last week not feeling too positive about what they saw over here.  There is this strange sense in the air right now that a profound shift is underway in Asia where the United States is losing its once pre-eminent role and China emerges as the major force.   There's growing consensus among a number of different folks here that while Washington's military power will remain un-matched, its soft-power is eroding quickly.  Interestingly, it appears that Shrub is all but clueless as to what is going on.

The propaganda road show is coming to Hong Kong at the end of the month when China's newest celebrity pays a visit.  When I raised the issue with one of my professors as to whether or not it was appropriate for China to spend 2 billion dollars on a space launch when the country still receives 1.8 billion dollars in foreign assistance for poverty programs and HIV prevention.  Well, he didn't think much of my suggestion (courtesy of the Economist magazine), saying "that's why so many Chinese think the West wants to 'contain' China." Hmmmmm?

Thank god for unemployment!  I have been wanting to build a website like this for years but never had the time.  Well, time was not a problem this summer while I sat in coffee shops in Oakland, San Francisco, Atlanta and Hong Kong to build the site.  I'll update the site a couple times a week with news, pics and even some political humor from both sides of the Pacific.

The Hong Kong skyline is marvel of architectural ingenuity.  It's really quite amazing how they manage to squeeze so many people in such a small space.  Also, check out the less than spacious University of Hong Kong campus and how it fits snugly into the hillside above Central Hong Kong.

A number of new documentaries have hit the airwaves in recent weeks that have shed some light on the "inadequacies" of the Bush administration and their folly of a war.  Frontline did an amazing analysis of how we got into this mess.  More disturbing though is the BBC's Panorama program on the incompetence of the U.S. provisional authority in Iraq.  You'll shake your head in disbelief.

Things are definitely looking up here in Hong Kong these days.  Mainland tourists are arriving by the busload to help revitalize the local retail economy and even the territory's ailing property market.  Local pride is also juiced from this week's successful launch of a Chinese astronaut into space.