Dan is a writer, editor and entrepreneur living in Shanghai, China.
May 14 08
Clinton Wins West Virginia, With Race a Factor - New York Times
"Two in 10 white West Virginia voters said race was an important factor in their votes." And just think of all the other ones not dumb enough to admit they are racists. Sad.
May 13 08
Shanghaiist's earthquake coverage
128 updates in around 24 hours. It's turned into one of the better English-language resources about the devastating news out of Sichuan Province.
May 12 08
Burma: "Worse than even our previously pessimistic estimates"
As I have told you before, my in-laws were born and raised in Burma. So we've been getting regular email updates on the post-cyclone situation there. Here is one email, dated May 10, from someone on the ground in Burma:
Today is Referendum day in the rest of Myanmar. The cyclone-affected areas have had their voting day changed to May 24th. Voting actually started around May 1st, when Yangon City Development Committee employees and their families were asked to vote. Yesterday, people at the ministries in Nay Pyi Daw were gathered together, lectured by their ministers as to how they would vote ("YES") and then given their ballots. The ballots have boxes for ticking "yes" or "no" on the one side. On the reverse side of the same piece of paper, the voter must provide their full name, address, father's name, national registration number AND signature!!! Are you surprised that the referendum is the starting point of my email and that I'm not focusing on the humanitarian crisis? I thought I'd try to share with you the experience of bewilderment many people here are feeling at the government's continued focus on the referendum process, rather than prioritizing other, more obvious needs here at the moment. If you wish to see the type of news coming out of the government's New Light of Myanmar newspaper here, you can take a look at their website for enlightenment.The post-cyclone situation here is worse than even our previously pessimistic estimates. The total worldwide deaths from the 2004 tsunami reached 220,000 and the total homeless population was 1.5 million. Unofficial but credible estimates here on the ground say that the total numbers of dead and of homeless from the cyclone now exceed those 2004 worldwide tsunami figures. Information trickling in from the villages in the Delta area indicates it is normal for a community to have lost 50-60% of its population by now. It appears that the smaller the village, the larger the percentage of deaths. One member of our team met with the single survivor from a village that used to be home to 100 people. The death rates appear to be higher among women and children than men. Much of this simply has to do with physical strength. Women and children in the Delta were less able to climb and cling to high places during the surges of waves, while men more often had the strength to hang on and survive.
May 9 08
Video: A largely unknown historic cemetery for foreigners in Shanghai
Via Shanghaiist:
Shanghai-based Daedalum Films takes you on a walk through the Song Qing Ling Memorial (宋庆龄陵园), a little known cemetery in western Shanghai home to the remains of Song Qing Ling, numerous other Chinese personalities — and scores of foreigners who came to Shanghai mostly during its early boom years in the mid-1800s and early 1900s, some identified by simple gravestones, and some anonymous.Song Qing Ling Memorial, 21 Song Yuan Lu (宋园路21号). Map.
"Yes We Can!": My new ringtone
Good thing I don't get too many calls. Later, I might get all ironic and go with "Shame on you, Barack Obama!"
Burma death toll could reach 100,000
"Actually, frustration doesn't even begin to describe what people around the world are feeling as the military junta seems willing to do everything in its power to let the suffering continue."
I suppose this means I am an "effete snob"
If you told me you planned on stabbing Rush Limbaugh in the gut, I just might look the other way.
May 7 08
Zhou Xunshu on 2008: “It’s not just about me”
"The birth of his son Yanhan means Zhou has another family member to look after. 'I’m playing better this year than before. My mental game is stronger, partly because I got married last year, so I have to be more responsible,' said the 35-year-old."
Photos: Yunnan Trip, 2007
Better late than never. Photos from our trip to Kunming and Dali last August.
May 5 08
Par for China is focus of CNN.com story
Read Steven Jiang's story entitled "Green dreams of China's golfers." It's part of Jiang's Beijing Journal series leading up to the Olympic Games in Beijing this August.
Next Tab :: Firefox Add-ons
"When you right click on a link, you will get an option to 'open the link next to current tab' in the context menu. Click on it and the tab will be opened right next to the current tab." Very nice.
Is Horse Racing Breeding Itself to Death? - washingtonpost.com
"But thoroughbred racing is in a moral crisis, and everyone now knows it. ... Horses are being over-bred and over-raced, until their bodies cannot support their own ambitions, or those of the humans who race them." An average of two deaths per day (!).
Democracy, Burma-Style: It's a brave soul who votes no. - washingtonpost.com
"Can anything be done? It's not easy, given the complicity of Burma's neighbors: China backs the generals, India is silent, Thailand worse than silent."
May 4 08
Video: Will Ferrell for Burma
Sent via my father-in-law, who was born and raised in Burma. More videos, including one entitled "Don't Watch the Olympics", from the US Campaign for Burma at YouTube. Also available at Burma: It Can't Wait.
Also, a state of emergency was declared in parts of Burma after a cyclone touched down on Saturday.
Related
Aung San Suu Kyi on Wikipedia
My fantasy basketball trophy
Photographed with Michael Hughes (who I defeated in the championship) in The Times newsroom in Gainesville, Ga. A note from my former sports editor, Keith Albertson:
Attached is a picture of your basketball Championship Trophy, the symbol of your triumph over The Evil One. Alas, we got him in the picture, too. Not sure if that makes it better or takes away from the aesthetic value, but you got it. Enjoy and congratulations. If you win baseball, I'll send you one with me and the trophy, though you can imagine what I might be doing to it in that photo.
May 2 08
Photos: Grant and Liz do China
In mid-April my college roommate Grant and his girlfriend Liz (who, like us, also happens to be a proud Fighting Blue Jay) spent 10 days in China. During their time in Shanghai, I got to play tourist a bit and I broke out the old camera, so plenty of photos of famous landmarks, old buildings and people singing bad karaoke songs. Some of these pics were taken by Grant, and you'll see that I have perfected the "just got out of bed" look. In my defense, I was sick for part of their trip (I blame four hours at the KTV).
May 1 08
Profiled in GOOD magazine's "China Issue"
Read their piece on expats in China, "Strangers in a strange land," here. Read more from GOOD's "China Issue" here. More information about GOOD here. This issue of GOOD will be on newsstands until early June — info on where you can purchase a copy here.
I hope to be able to show you a larger (and uncropped) version of the cool photo that accompanied my profile in GOOD. It was shot by award-winning Shanghai photographer Ariana Lindquist at Shanghai Silport Golf Club with the help of some of their brightly colored caddies, said to be among the best in China.
Downloads
GOOD, "Strangers in a strange land," Pages 76-77: PDF
GOOD, "Strangers in a strange land," Pages 78-79: PDF
They are starting to compare Micah Owings to Babe Ruth
So now I can say, "I covered the guy they are starting to compare to Babe Ruth when he was in high school."
April 29 08
The rule in sports: Smoke 'em if you got 'em - ESPN.com
Especially true for the golfers on the China Tour.
April 28 08
As Olympics near, jittery China clamps down on foreigners, concerts - Yahoo! News
"I was not in fact attacked by a mob," Galvin told the Shanghaiist.com Web site. He couldn't be reached directly.
Newsweek: Countdown Beijing : Beijing Rock Fest 'Harmonized'
"At one outlet in Changsha, a young American teacher mistaken for a Frenchman was snarled in the mob; he caught a few glancing blows, and nearly had his cab tipped over, before police whisked him to safety, reports the Shanghaiist blog."
Twitter Quotient for 'danwashburn'
"3.0 followers for every friend. Aren't you the popular one?"
April 25 08
Video: "We Are The World," sung by Japanese impersonators
Gotta love Japanese television. We haven't had Chinese TV since moving to our new apartment more than a year ago. Are we missing any gems like this?
Some pretty cool China (and Tokyo) photos from my friend Curtis Koshimizu
He was stuck in Guizhou during the massive winter storms there this winter.
Actor Wesley Snipes Gets 3 Years for Tax Charges
Let this be a lesson to all you expats (like me) who have neglected to file (or thought you didn't have to). I resumed filing after my teaching days came to an end in '04. Think I am safe — English teachers in China likely aren't the feds' top priority.
April 23 08
Less than 9,000 people from my county voted in the Pennsylvania Democratic Primary
That is one apartment building in Shanghai.
Bush disapproval ratings hit all time high
"Bush registers a 69 percent disapproval rating, the highest in that survey’s history – higher even than President Nixon during the Watergate scandal." What scares me is that people who voted for him (especially in 2004) are still allowed to vote.
Castle Oktober is dead
To be replaced by another German brewhouse (not named Paulaner). Hmmm.
April 17 08
Mr. Stay Tab, welcome to Shanghai!
I had heard rumors of "stay tabs" replacing "pull tabs" on locally produced soda cans, but not until this week did I actually see some in my local store. Welcome to the 1980s, Shanghai! More on soda can tab evolution here.
The Sooner This is All Over The Better
"Aren’t you sick of it yet? The Olympics we mean of course." Let me think about that for a second: Um, yes. Couldn't agree more with this line: "Oh how we long for the wonderful days of September to come around."
April 16 08
Chinese Internet Users Say “Enough” To International Bullying
TechCrunch got this story from (and links to) Shanghaiist.
My brother may have had a college French class with Carson Kressley
(This is where you say: Who the hell is Carson Kressley?) Was looking up his age on IMDb and saw that he went to Gettysburg College.
Gulliver | Economist.com
"[A] business-travel blog and newsletter delivering a combination of news, views and reviews to help readers get the most out of their business trips." This replaces their Cities Guide ... and thus I no longer receive checks from Economist.com.
April 12 08
Dog license renewal near Shanghai Stadium
A pretty pleasant experience, all things considered. (Tux may not agree, although he did surprisingly well with the two shots and the taking of blood.) Lots of collies and golden retrievers. Dog licenses in Shanghai are RMB 2,000 (US$285) each year, by the way.
April 11 08
New look for Par for China website
Check it out:
There are still a couple bugs, and fixing them is beyond my meager technical capabilities. So if there are any kind Wordpress geniuses out there who think they might be able to help me, please let me know. I can save a spot on the book's acknowledgments page for you.
Dan and Glen at Eager Beaver
I have known Glen since I moved to Shanghai in 2002. Based in Seattle now, Glen was in Shanghai for one night on a business trip. If you are in the market for a TV mirror, Glen is the guy you want to talk to.
It's a boy!
Zhou Xunshu’s wife, Liu Yan, gave birth to a baby boy at 7:32 pm on April 5 in Hengyang, Hunan Province. The baby weighs 3.25 kg (7.2 pounds) and is 50 cm (19.7 inches) long. He doesn’t have a name yet. Meanwhile, Zhou is tied for 8th in Kunming.
Shanghai to crack down on satellite dishes
"Seventeen government departments will launch a joint city-wide campaign to wipe out illegal television satellites that can receive foreign TV programs across Shanghai, the Oriental Morning Post reported today." From my cold dead hands!
April 9 08
Gridskipper posts about Shanghaiist's post about SH's article about Shanghai chefs and their "secret" dining spots
Get all that? (And we really should have purchased the "Shanghaist" domain way back when.)
Obama: The Chinese version
Salon.com links to the Shanghaiist post about Chinese search engine Baidu incorportating Barack Obama into its logo.
April 8 08
GOOD Magazine | Blog - The China Issue On Newsstands
Inlcudes a link to a list of newsstands where GOOD can be purchased. Once you get your copy, turn immediately to page 78, where you will see a familiar (albeit very, very tiny) face.
Is Chinese search engine Baidu endorsing Barack Obama?
My post on Shanghaiist. Quite odd.