It has been one of those weird months, what with Jiang touring the US, the stock market going psychotic and aphrodisiac muffins hitting the streets.
I think these world events are related, I just can't figure how.
Top of the list is Jiang's visit to the US. Tony Newbold's report about Japan's unease over Clinton and Jiang acting like ol' pals was good value, especially as it was free. So was his transcript of Jiang's Q&A session at Harvard University. Do you think Jiang would do a Q&A session at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology? Would Martin Lee be allowed to enrol as a student for the day? Jiang's retraction over the Tiananmen Square incident (it's now officially called an incident) was cross-posted to every hk-dot and dot-journalism newsgroup on the Net. Who says that China's Government is not Internet-savvy? While Jiang got an overall warm reception on the Net, local boys at HK Star have been flamed to a coal-black crisp. Apparently, the leading Internet service provider has not been delivering a suitable level of performance or service, resulting in a flood of creative complaints.
In defence, Allan Schnegger outlined why he liked HK Star: 'This ISP offers me great fun when I'm trying to log in. I have to redial and redial, just like playing video games. So it's worth it to pay each month for all that fun.' Another newsgroup poster praised HK Star's personnel: 'I hope all your staff steal your computers and burn your offices down.' On a more friendly note, cook up a batch of aphrodisiac muffins. According to WEB Enterprises, the muffins are scientifically proven to improve desire and performance.
'The miracle muffin contains five powerful aphrodisiacs that rev up romance. They work on both men and women and they are inexpensive, easy to make and contain ingredients available everywhere.
'The muffins contain ginseng, a root widely used in the Orient to increase romantic appetite and promote stamina. They also contain cinnamon and ginger, which have long been thought to have aphrodisiac properties.' The only problem is that WEB Enterprises won't actually sell you the muffins. For just US$5, the company will send you a recipe. You have to cook the muffins yourself. But it's okay, they are 'guaranteed or your money back'.