This is what China Watchers do instead of Food Discourse.

I act like I care unreasonably about this stupid argument as part of an elaborate series of feints and smokescreens designed to conceal the fact that I actually do care unreasonably. Of course, if I did, which I do, I'd never come out and say this, and I just did, so clearly I don't (but I do).

And they're pretty much the same damned word, just in English vs Latin.

And just call him "leader," none of the titles has reliably been The One That Really Matters, what's *really* mattered is *who leads*.

You can't insist that 国家主席 is an ornamental title *and* must be "chairman" not "president," because normal people will think, "ah, like Chairman Mao" and think it *is* the big one, because you can't expect them to track the switch from Party Central Committee Chairman to Party General Secretary.

It feels like a moot point, because the US as a whole isn't remotely willing to accept any other country as an overall model, or often even a specific one.

I also don't know that it needs one. Is the problem a lack of good ideas, or the opposition to implementing them?

We encourage candidates who write fiction of any or many sorts, including literary fiction, speculative fiction, romance, fantasy, science fiction or other genre fiction. Novelists and short story writers whose writing practice also includes less traditional work in writing for comics, the screen, and digital and non-digital games are welcomed as well. We are especially interested in candidates whose work engages with topics including race/ethnicity, diaspora, global south, gender, feminism, sexuality, disability, and class, as well as the intersections among them.

Writers! "MIT Comparative Media Studies/Writing invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor in Creative Writing starting July 1, 2026, or as soon thereafter as possible."
cmsw.mit.edu/applications...

Sign o' the Times indeed. A USGS spokesperson said "If you ain't hip to the rare housequake, shut up already, damn."

Not unamusing.

It might be asking a lot because the Telegraph is the Telegraph, but can they not Do This.

Other wasps

OK, maybe that idea's too far ahead of its time.

That might be the wrong term. You could definitely do a lot of walking.

Sadly not the most walkable neighbourhood.

Two quote tweets. The first says "“The soulless resume builder bug Asians you knew in high school? Yeah we just gave them everything, fuck you, son.”" The other shows a photo of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and says "Revive it immediately."

Two quote tweets. The first is from Richard Spencer, which reads: "I genuinely prefer the Affirmative Action regime to dead-eyed “meritocracy.”" The other reads: "The yellow striver seethes in mathematics because Americans don’t want dog-eating fact memorizers taking over their institutions"

Two quote tweets. The first reads: "Mandarinization in the classroom results almost immediately in the Mandarinization of “high” society" The second reads: "If a world war broke out tomorrow, how many of these people would fight for America? Troubling extrapolation."

Two quote tweets. The first reads: "Idk who needs to hear this but realistically too many photos like this shred the reputation of harvard and stanford" The second reads: "America was a better country when there was Old Boys network of gentleman WASPs running the show. Look at this. This is not America."

Given the backlash to his photo, I encourage Asian people to gather in groups and make-up stories about them taking over some traditional WASP institution, just to make racists mad. "Went to a fancy dinner and everyone was part of the Daughters of the American Revolution."

Yeah, it wasn't the Chili Peppers' best album, but come on.

"No, Bolivia!"

"Israel at war: What you need to know – day 666"

10/10 if they blend it with Hendrix, though.

What are they called? Some good potential for bad names there.

I've always wanted to form a tribute band called Ded Terrapin, but sadly the stars have somehow never aligned.

"I was assigned to the control group."

Discovered today that not everyone considers this nine year old viral tweet a seminal text in the field of social media studies but I do

Hear me out: wasp yoga™

Watching The Recruit, in Beijing … there's a bit in the training montage where all the new CIA agents are doing tai chi, and the entire theatre exploded with laughter.

Worst superhero ever.

The Navy That Almost Was The Chinese Navy's modernized 19th-century fleet was destroyed during the first Sino-Japanese War, but Chinese historians and military strategists have learned some lessons for today from the incident...

Just stumbled on an early @pekingmikenyt.bsky.social drop:

Or not to talk about submarines, or something.

I think this is the second rule of submarines. First rule is not to open the window if it gets stuffy.

Coffin canapes?

jk jk jk 😘

Lord, I hope it wasn't.