Day: April 9, 2003

Moblogging SARS In China

The BBC has an interesting story about SARS in China. Specifically, the Chinese government at first had a media blackout about SARS altogether. It has relented somewhat, but is clearly not telling its own people, much less the rest of the world, the true extent of SARS cases in China.

So people in China are using text messaging on their mobile phones to route around the lack of information in regular media channels.

This, in turn, pissed off the government which in some cases has gone so far as to block most text messages that originate in foreign countries as well as complaining that text messaging is a threat to national security.

Of course the main problem with that approach is that those acts in themselves are helpful bits of information that practically screams out that the government is lying about SARS.

Source:

Chinese txt for virus information. Holly Williams, BBC, April 9, 2003.

Somebody Get That Woman a Fur Coat

Here’s a short item that appeared in the February 14th edition of Scotland’s Daily Record. It bears repeating in its entirety,

Four models were left shivering yesterday after cheeky thieves stole their clothes as they stripped off for animal rights. Carefully-placed lovehearts helped spread the message “Fur Out, Love In” in Glasgow’s Buchanan Street. Model Katie Black, 20, from Erskine, Renfrewshire, said: “I thought I was going to have to go home in my birthday suite when I saw a young guy nick our dressing gowns. We were really cold.”

Where’s a fur coat when you need one?

Heartfelt protest. The Daily Record (Scotland), February 14, 2003.