Extra! Extra! Growing Pains, Yao Ming and the Backdorm Boys

• TIME magazine's advice: Learn Mandarin. Their subhead: "China's economic rise means the world has a new second language—and it isn't English." Hmmm. Really? We're all for learning Chinese -- our lesson starts in 30 minutes -- but would you really suggest someone who speaks neither English nor Chinese, choose Chinese as their second language? Obviously, the answer depends on the person and whether they, say, plan on doing business in China or something. But we have to think English would be much more helpful in most parts of the world than Chinese. Ask us again in 75 years, and we may have a different answer.
• Interesting story ... but Growing Pains is anything but "obscure."
• Hong Kong is not polite. Wonder where Shanghai would have ranked if included in the survey ...
• The Shanghai police are in the market for an English translator -- or at least they should be.
• Just what Shanghai needs -- another foreign coffee shop chain.
• Finally, we'll be able to get to Baoshan from Minhang by metro. Our two favorite places.
• A pop concert in the Great Hall of the People? Featuring two Taiwanese performers?
• An amusing paragraph from a Reuters story about female boxing in Shanghai: "Coach Wang Lianfang is less athletic than his students. He arrives late and smells of alcohol but is apologetic and quick to extol the virtues of women's boxing."
• Pass yourself off as a Chinese army general, get life in prison.
• Congratulations to the Backdorm Boys, who just graduated from Guangzhou Arts Academy with degrees in sculpture. Their final projects? Sculptures of themselves.
• "A defense of China's DVD pirates."
• We're Number Three! Google's chant in China.
• Home again, home again ... biggety-big. Any Yao Ming sightings to report?
• Do you have what it takes to be a "World Cup nanny"?
• Newsflash: It's been really hot in Shanghai lately. And right now, it's raining ... hard.

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