Empress

Another review up at Identity Theory.

I'm now a Contributing Editor over at Identity Theory, and just started writing for ALARM as well.

In today's paper:

"Couples must try on clothes in the same dressing room to prove their relationship, if they want to enjoy a 12 percent discount from a shop in Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, CCTV reported today.

The shop said on its sales promotion board that any couple can enjoy a 12 percent discount in the store. But when one couple were prepared to pay for some clothes, the shop assistant asked them to try the clothes on in a dressing room together to prove they're a real couple.

'Our store seldom provides discounts, so people who aren't a real couple can't get the discount," a shop assistant told the TV reporter.'"

In other news,

"Farmers in a small Jiangsu town (Donghai/东海) host strippers at their funerals to attract larger crowds, China Central Television reported the unique custom on Monday.

The local people believe that the more people gathered at a funeral, the more luck it will bring to the family and offspring. So some families hire striptease troupes to attract more people, the report said.

Some strippers even take off the trousers of male viewers and persuade them to join in the dancing, while others bathe in public or perform nude with snakes."

Apparently, officials have put a stop to the latter practice.

I just posted some photos from my wonderful trip to Vietnam. If you don't have the time or inclination to sort through all 250+ shots, I particularly recommend the ones tagged "mekong."

I intended to write up a travel story to go with the photos, but sadly I've left the expansive leisure of travel for the endless toil of Shanghai, and therefore I don't have time right now.

More soon?

A New Review and a Love Letter

I just published a somewhat unusual review of Charles Blackstone's compelling The Week You Weren't Here.

I also published one of my many rapturous odes to Los Angeles, this one in a British travel magazine.

Modern Times

I wrote a little mini-review of Dylan's new "Modern Times" at work today - it's so worshipful, it's treading the line of "blasphemous." But writing it nearly made me cry - I miss America, I can hardly hear a Hank Williams song without feeling misty.

As part of ongoing site clean-up, I've removed many links from the publications page. Remaining links are either recent reviews or particular favorites.

And now, off to Vietnam!