Will at Imagethief delves into the red tape of having an “illegal child”:

There were some things that I anticipated. In my mind I had a pretty clear idea of the set of bureaucratic steps we’d need to go through for Imagethief Jr., a.k.a. “Z”. 1) Apply for passports (Z is a dual citizen so there are two passports). 2) Apply for visa. 3) Apply for certificate of temporary residency. Simple. Easy. Logical.

And missing one critical step. I didn’t know that I’d have to actually register Z’s birth separately with the Chaoyang District police. After all, it wasn’t like I’d bought a weapon or imported an exotic car. It’s a baby, fer chrissake. The only things he’s a threat to are diapers, teething rusks and the sleeping habits of his parents. …

‘As a foreigner are legally required to report the birth of your baby to the police within thirty days. Your baby is seventy-seven days old. That means he has been illegal for forty-seven days.’

A roundup of Chinese illustrations of the impending Coke-Huiyuan deal:
“It’s a reminder that western companies trying to acquire well-known Chinese brands are almost always behind the PR eight-ball…
Now, from around the Chinese Internet, some of the caricatures and cartoons making the rounds (inspired by one particularly fine example on the WSJ blog). You may detect a certain theme…”

Will at Imagethief looks into the official transcripts of Wednesday’s IOC/BOCOG press conference:

“‘Chinese culture always emphasizes the concept of harmony.’ In principle perhaps. In practice, I can safely say after four years here, less so. Still, track record to date: Zero protests approved. Very harmonious. You have to give Wang props for having the data points to support his thesis. You also have to admire the bureaucracy’s perfect ability “resolve” these cases. How they might be resolved Imagethief will leave to his readers to imagine. …
There is nothing inherently wrong with providing a transcript to journalists who have often anyway recorded the interview themselves. In fact, when dealing with foreign spokespeople and interpreters, a translated Chinese transcript can be a big help to journalists trying to find relevant material. The problem is that such transcripts are often “cleaned up” prior to distribution…”

Will at Imagethief reads about a new Guangzhou traffic law for foreigners, and makes some interesting points:

“‘Like local residents, any foreigner who crosses against a red light or jumps over a road divider will be fined between 20 yuan ($2.90) and 50 yuan.

Those not able to afford the fine or are reluctant to pay the fine will be forced to watch a video on traffic safety,’ Lu Zhengguang, a bureau official, said yesterday. …

…a few thoughts:
1. Foreigners may be choosing to watch the video because they think it will be a riot.
2. Foreigners’ employers by-and-large won’t care if they are jaywalking. …”

Imagethief realizes most readers just don’t get how bad Beijing air can be:

“I want to help you, the reader abroad, understand exactly what we’re talking about when we refer to Beijing’s poor air quality. After long experimentation at Imagethief Laboratories SA, I am pleased to report that we have developed a method of simulating Beijing’s typical August atmosphere with nothing more than a few easily obtainable ingredients and a common household appliance.”