Paul French is the author of Carl Crow: A Tough Old China Hand and Through the Looking Glass: China’s Foreign Journalists from Opium War to Mao. He is currently re-investigating the unsolved case of Pamela Werner, a young English girl horrifically murdered in Peking in 1937, to be published as Murder in Peking by Penguin Books. Today, he writes about some historic buildings we lost in 2009 thanks to thoughtless Shanghai development. more ›

• Looking for a good laugh this week? Check out ChopSchticks Comedy this Thursday and Friday. Headlined by Dennis Regan (appearances on The Tonight Show and David Letterman) and opening by Ryan Conner this show at Number 5 Bistro promises a hilarious night out. [City Weekend]
• Also appearing in Shanghai is New Zealand comedian Ray Bon Kan (yes, he's bffs with Flight of the Conchords). He'll be at Malones on Thursday at 8pm. Figures one of the few times Shanghai has a bunch of comedians play, they force you to choose between them. [Shanghai Talk]
• Pollution levels were (shockingly) higher than usual, according to recent reports. Apparently for the past 3 days we have experienced poorer air quality than any other time of the year and yet, oddly enough, it doesn't seem to be bothering people like pollution normally does. Perhaps we're all just used to it by now? [Shanghai Daily]