so china has increased their security and added more policeman to check up on the bloggers. as a result, the "screaming_squirrel" can't be accessed as easily. bummer!!! in fact i have to go around the great firewall just to post this (do you think you can see the great chinese firewall from space? well you can't see the real one either). unfortunately, i can't post pictures or change colors using this method either. so the squirrel may have to move sites, i'll keep you posted!

here's a little news blurb to explain a little bit of what's shaking:

China to Expand "Great Internet Firewall" (March 13, 2007, AFP)
China will tighten controls on Internet blogs and webcasts in a response to new technologies that have allowed cyber citizens to avoid government censorship efforts, state press reported Tuesday. Following a call from President Hu Jintao in January to "purify" the Internet, the ruling Communist Party will introduce new regulations targeting blogs and webcasts, one of the nation's chief censors was cited as saying. "Advanced network technologies such as blogging and webcasting have been mounting new challenges to the government's ability to supervise the Internet," Press and Publication Administration head Long Xinmin said, according to Xinhua News Agency. Long said the government was in the middle of drafting the new regulations. No specific details of the new rules were reported, but Long said they would lead to "a more healthy and active Internet environment," according to Xinhua. Aside from the new regulations, the central government also announced this month it would not allow any new Internet cafes to be registered this year. Experts say 30,000-40,000 Internet police are also employed to implement the country's extensive Internet censorship system, known as the "Great Firewall of China."


oh by the way, happy queuing day!!!! i missed it on the 11th, but i hope everyone stood in line to honor the day!

another campaign for the olympics, they have decided to make the 11th of every month the official "queuing day". so once a month beijing peeps are "encouraged" to stand in line. they chose the 11th of the month, because the number 11 looks like 2 people standing in line (how clever is that?). the best part of it is that there are mascots for the day. but really? a day to tell people to stand in line and mascots for the occasion. there must be a problem if you need to have a day to officially stand in line. i'm not saying i'm an expert in the field of line standing, but i do obey the rules, and after observing a lot of chinese lines, i'd say that the official queuing day should be every day not just encouraged once a month. my only remark is good luck olympic commitee!

these guys just say, stand in line!


on an unrelated note, i've decided to name the baby "lilo". i think it's a rockin sweet name, especially after the movie. don't think rach is on board, but at least it works while she's in the womb. better than calling her "it" all the time, because she's got feelings too.