Blogging Dangers

Once again, believers in China are facing fierce persecution from the Communist government. And at the center of the storm are blogs! Computer technician Zhang Shengqi was detained last month in a raid on the home of his fiancee in the northeastern city of Jilin. He was then transferred to a jail in the eastern city of Hangzhou where he was charged with "leaking state secrets." In fact, his real crime was posting a blog detailing a wave of oppression against the underground church. Bob Fu, president of the China Aid mission, said authorities have tried to keep the crackdown quiet, but the bloggers had blown their cover of secrecy. The case is yet another reminder of both the power of new communications technologies to upset the apple carts of tyrants and the hazards of using such tools in closed societies like Communist China.

News Flash!

Good news on the political front: the "Material Girl" has fianlly stepped onto the political stage and endorsed Democratic presidential hopeful Wesley Clark. "I think he has a good handle on foreign policy, I think he's good with people, and I think he has a heart and a consciousness," Madonna said. "He's interested in spirituality. I mean, those things mean a lot to me." What a relief! I was really beginning to fear that she might endorse a candidate that sane people might be inclined to vote for!