Podcast appearances and mentions of christina larson

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (5:12).Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments ImagesSourcesRelated Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 3-17-23. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the weeks of March 20 and March 27, 2023. MUSIC – ~24 sec – Lyrics: “We are on a ship, a great big ship.  It takes all of us to take care of it.  And we can use the stars to navigate our trip.  We are riding on a ship.” “That's part of “On a Ship,” by Blacksburg, Va., musician Kat Mills.  It opens an episode about two recent international meetings on our planetary ship's ocean waters.  Have a listen for about 15 seconds to sounds of two ocean-going creatures—a Humpback Whale, and a Leach's Storm-Petrel—and see if you know what aspect of ocean biology was a key focus of the meetings.  And here's a hint: you've got this, if you've got a lot of different living things in the sea. SOUNDS  - ~17 sec If you guessed marine biodiversity, you're right!  According to the American Museum of Natural History in New York, biodiversity means, quote, “the variety of life on Earth at all its levels, from genes to ecosystems, and can encompass the evolutionary, ecological, and cultural processes that sustain life,” unquote.  In early March 2023, two international gatherings focused on biodiversity in marine waters, including in what's called the “high seas,” the waters and ocean floor areas that are more than 200 nautical miles from any nation's shores and are not under any single nation's jurisdiction.  According to the Marine Conservation Institute, the high seas cover about half of the Earth's surface, contain great biodiversity, and are among the least-protected areas on Earth. On March 2 and 3, the eighth Our Ocean Conference was held in Panama, with participants from government, business, and non-profits making voluntary commitments for $20 billion towards protecting marine areas, addressing marine pollution, helping indigenous coastal communities, and other objectives.  Since 2014, Our Ocean Conference participants have made over 1800 commitments worth over $100 billion.  Meanwhile, at a United Nations conference on March 4 in New York, a majority of the world's nations agreed on language for a so-called “High Seas Treaty,” in the works since 2004.  If ultimately ratified by individual countries, it would facilitate protected areas, fund marine conservation, provide guidelines for marine genetic resources, and provide capacity building and technology transfer to developing states. Both meetings are part of a worldwide effort called 30 by 30, that is, by 2030 to conserve and restore 30 percent of the world's land and oceans important for biodiversity, a target set at a U.N. biodiversity conference in Montreal in December 2022. Thanks to Kat Mills for permission to use “On a Ship”; to the National Park Service for the Humpback Whale sound; and to Lang Elliott for the Leach's Storm-Petrel sound, from the Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs.  We close with another musical selection whose title and tune may conjure up images of the oceans.  Here's about 15 seconds of “Driftage,” by Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand. MUSIC - ~17 sec – instrumental [start at about [5:14 and go to abrupt end at 5:30]. SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “On a Ship,” from the 2015 album “Silver,” is copyright by Kat Mills, used with permission.  More information about Kat Mills is available online at http://www.katmills.com/.  This music was used previously by Virginia Water Radio most recently in Episode 609, 12-27-21. The Humpback Whale sound was from the National Park Service ‘Sound Gallery,” online at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/sound/sounds-humpback-whale.htm, as of 3-16-23. The Leach's Storm-Petrel sound was from the Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs-Eastern Region CD set, by Lang Elliott with Donald and Lillian Stokes (Time Warner Audio Books, copyright 1997), used with permission of Lang Elliott.  Lang Elliot's work is available online at the “Music of Nature” Web site, http://www.musicofnature.org/. “Driftage,” from the 2004 album of same name, is copyright by Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand and Great Bear Records, used with permission.  More information about Andrew and Noah and their bands is available online at https://andrewandnoah.bandcamp.com/music. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com. IMAGES Humpback Whale.  Image from the NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] Photo Library, “NOAA's Ark/Whales,” online at https://photolib.noaa.gov/Collections/NOAAs-Ark; the URL for the specific photo was https://photolib.noaa.gov/Collections/NOAAs-Ark/Whales/emodule/722/eitem/30376, as of 3-21-23.Wilson's Storm-Petrels.  Photo by Lieutenant Elizabeth Crapo, accessed in the NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] Photo Library, “NOAA's Ark/Birds,” online at https://photolib.noaa.gov/Collections/NOAAs-Ark; the URL for the specific photo was https://photolib.noaa.gov/Collections/NOAAs-Ark/Birds/emodule/727/eitem/28716, as of 3-21-23.SOURCES Used for Audio Elizabeth Claire Alberts, “Panama ocean conference draws $20 billion, marine biodiversity commitments,” March 6, 2023, online at https://news.mongabay.com/2023/03/panama-ocean-conference-draws-20-billion-marine-biodiversity-commitments/. American Museum of Natural History, “What is Biodiversity?”  Online at https://www.amnh.org/research/center-for-biodiversity-conservation/what-is-biodiversity. Audubon, “Leach's Storm-Petrel,” online at https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/leachs-storm-petrel. Michael Casey, “Historic biodiversity agreement reached at UN conference,” Associated Press, December 19, 2022. Catrin Einhorn, “Nations Agree on Language for Historic Treaty to Protect Ocean Life; The United Nations agreement is a significant step toward protecting biodiversity under growing threat from climate change, overfishing and seabed mining,” New York Times, March 4, 2023. Catrin Einhorn, “Nearly Every Country Signs On to a Sweeping Deal to Protect Nature,” New York Times, December 20, 2022. Christina Larson and Patrick Whittle, “Nations reach accord to protect marine life on high seas,” AP [Associated Press] News, March 5, 2023. Marine Conservation Institute, “Protecting the High Seas,” online at https://marine-conservation.org/high-seas/. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, “Indonesian Delegation Successfully States Commitment to Protecting the Marine Environment at the Our Ocean Conference 2023,” March 3, 2023. NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] Fisheries, “Humpback Whale,” online at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/humpback-whale. Our Ocean Panama March 2-3. 2023, online at https://ouroceanpanama2023.gob.pa/, as of 3/16/23. St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editorial Board, “Editorial: Developing accord could vastly improve oceans' survival chances,” March 12, 2023. United Nations, “UN delegates reach historic agreement on protecting marine biodiversity in international waters,” UN News, March 5, 2023. United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, online at https://www.cbd.int/article/cop15-final-text-kunming-montreal-gbf-221222, “COP15: Final text of Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,” December 22, 2022, News Release. United Nations Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, online at https://www.un.org/bbnj/. U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), “USAID Announces New Programs to Protect Our Ocean at the 2023 Our Ocean Conference,” March 3, 2023. Worldwide Fund for Nature, “Whales Without Boundaries – Why the High Seas Matter,” online at https://wwfwhales.org/news-stories/whales-without-boundaries-why-the-high-seas-matter. John Yang and Lorna Baldwin, “Historic deal to protect ocean biodiversity reached at UN conference,” PBS NewsHour, March 5, 2023.  [6 min./45 sec. video with transcript.] For More Information about Biodiversity in Oceans and Elsewhere National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), online at https://www.noaa.gov/. Some of the agency's many specific topic pages are the following:“Biological Diversity and Related Issues,” online at https://www.noaa.gov/biological-diversity-and-related-issues;“Ocean Exploration Facts,” online at https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/facts/facts.html;“Marine Life,” online at https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/marine-life;“U.S. Marine Biodiversity Observing Network,” online at https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/apr16/mbon.html. RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).  See particularly the “Birds” and “Mammals” subject categories. Following is a link to a previous episode on biodiversity (generally in Virginia, not specifically marine biodiversity). Episode 260, 4-6-15 – Biodiversity in Virginia and the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Following are links to some previous episodes on organisms inhabiting oceans. Episode 399, 12-18-17 – Whales in Song, Sound, and Migration Past Virginia.Episode 542, 9-14-20 – Dolphins in Sound and Music.Episode 551, 11-16-20 – Sea Creatures Sound Off. FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION Following are some Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) that may be supported by this episode's audio/transcript, sources, or other information included in the episode's post. 2020 Music SOLs SOLs at various grade levels that call for “examining the relationship of music to the other fine arts and other fields of knowledge.” 2018 Science SOLs Grades K-4: Living Systems and Processes2.5 – Living things are part of a system.3.5 – Aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems support a diversity of organisms. Grades K-5: Earth and Space Systems3.7 – There is a water cycle and water is important to life on Earth.4.7 – The ocean environment. Grades K-5: Earth Resources3.8 – Natural events and humans influence ecosystems.4.8 – Virginia has important natural resources. Grade 66.6 – Water has unique physical properties and has a role in the natural and human-made environment.6.8 – Land and water have roles in watershed systems.6.9 – Humans impact the environment and individuals can influence public policy decisions related to energy and the environment. Life ScienceLS.6 – Populations in a biological community interact and are interdependent.LS.8 – Change occurs in ecosystems, communities, populations, and organisms over time.LS.9 – Relationships exist between ecosystem dynamics and human activity. Earth ScienceES.6 – Resource use is complex.ES.10 – Oceans are complex, dynamic systems subject to long- and short-term variations. BiologyBIO.8 – Dynamic equilibria exist within populations, communities, and ecosystems. 2015 Social Studies SOLs Grades K-3 Economics Theme2.8 – Natural, human, and capital resources.3.8 – Understanding of cultures and of how natural, human, and capital resources are used for goods and services. United States History: 1865-to-Present CourseUSII.9 – Domestic and international issues during the second half of the 20th Century and the early 21st Century. Civics and Economics CourseCE.6 – Government at the national level.CE.10 – Public policy at local, state, and national levels. World Geography CourseWG.2 – How selected physical and ecological processes shape the Earth's surface, including climate, weather, and how humans influence their environment and are influenced by it.WG.4 – Types and significance of natural, human, and capital resources.WG.18 – Cooperation among political jurisdictions to solve

China is offering no significant new goals for reducing climate-changing emissions ahead of the UN climate summit set to start next week in Glasgow.China, the world's top emitter of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses that cause global warming, formally submitted its goals Thursday. The highly-anticipated announcement includes targets previously established in speeches by President Xi Jinping and domestic policy documents.China says it aims to reach peak emissions of carbon dioxide — which is produced mainly through burning coal, oil and natural gas for transportation, electric power and manufacturing — “before 2030.” The country is aiming for “carbon neutrality” — no net emissions of CO2 — before 2060.“It's not surprising, but it is disappointing that there wasn't anything new” in terms of goals, said Joanna Lewis, an expert in China, climate and energy at Georgetown University.Lewis said the document released today “gave more detail about China will meet those goals," however, by measures including increasing its wind and solar power capacity, as well as carbon-absorbing forest cover.Climate experts say key questions about China's future carbon emissions remain unanswered.“The document gives no answers on the major open questions about the country's emissions," said Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air in Helsinki. “At what level will emissions peak and how fast should they fall after the peak?”Nations participating in the UN climate conference, known as the 26th Conference of Parties, or COP26, submit what are called “nationally determined contributions” that lay out emissions reduction plans.It's still possible that China may have additional announcements at the climate summit related to financing for renewable energy overseas, said Lewis.Sam Geall, CEO of nonprofit China Dialogue and associate fellow at Chatham House in London said China's pledge is “consistent with everything that we've seen from Xi Jinping's previous statements.”He and other experts are concerned that pledges on emissions targets and also on financial support to help reduce emissions and adapt to a changing climate, especially for developing countries, “are coming in far too late, far too small.”- by Christina Larson, Associated Press

This week, I'm talking with Christina Larson and Rob Hook, Owners of Basic Batch Donuts, a specialty donut shop located in Milford, MA. After graduating from Johnson & Wales University in Denver, CO, with a baking and pastry degree and working in the restaurant industry for over fifteen years, Christina knew she wanted to open her own bakery. After being laid off due to Covid, opening up a donut shop came to fruition. What started as a setback quickly turned into an opportunity as Christina and her fiance, Rob, worked tirelessly together to open up Basic Batch Donuts, despite the pandemic. Now, one year later, Rob and Christina share what it was like starting their company, plans for the future, and why their team feels more like family than employees. When the two of them aren't making donuts in the early morning hours, you can often find them spending time with their dog Myla. Topics Discussed: Early Successes and Challenges faced within the first year of business #1 Misconception around the Donut & Pastry Industry How growing too big, too quickly can cheapen the quality of your product Why you miss opportunities when you're focused on other people's opinions Connect with Basic Batch Donuts: Website: https://basicbatchdonuts.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Basic-Batch-Donuts-105361991238415/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/basicbatchdonuts/ Relevant Articles: MassLive - ‘Love and Patience' Two Key Ingredients for Basic Batch Donuts in Milford: https://www.masslive.com/news/2021/05/love-and-patience-two-key-ingredients-for-basic-batch-donuts-in-milford.html Contact Basic Batch Donuts: Address: 206 E Main St, Milford, MA 01757 Email: info@basicbatchdonuts.com Connect with Mark Condon: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BostonsBestPodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bostonsbest_podcast/ About Boston's Best: “Highlighting successful businesses in and around Boston, MA.” Go behind the scenes with financial planner Mark Condon as he asks industry-leading experts to talk about their businesses throughout the state of Massachusetts. Through each episode, Mark finds what sets these different businesses apart from their competition and how they rose above the inevitable challenges they faced along the way to their ultimate success.

Contact tracing that relies on phone apps has proven to be an effective way to help slow the spread of the coronavirus in some parts of the world. Meanwhile, Big Tech in the U.S. has announced plans to develop a contact-tracing app but how much data are Americans willing to share? And what is considered a breach of privacy and freedom? AP global science and environment reporter Christina Larson explains.

Technology was once viewed as a liberating tool for individuals living under authoritarian regimes, yet today, illiberal governments around the world are developing, acquiring, and utilizing technologies to strengthen political control over their population. Perhaps more than any other authoritarian country, China is experimenting with new methods of integrating technology into its system of governance, with its near-total surveillance state in the western region of Xinjiang being the most extreme example.  Please join the CSIS Freeman Chair in China Studies and the CSIS Human Rights Initiative for a discussion of how technology is changing the way the CCP governs China. The event will feature panelists Josh Chin and Kate O’Keeffe of The Wall Street Journal, and Christina Larson of the Associated Press.This event is made possible through CSIS general support funds.

Technology was once viewed as a liberating tool for individuals living under authoritarian regimes, yet today, illiberal governments around the world are developing, acquiring, and utilizing technologies to strengthen political control over their population. Perhaps more than any other authoritarian country, China is experimenting with new methods of integrating technology into its system of governance, with its near-total surveillance state in the western region of Xinjiang being the most extreme example.  Please join the CSIS Freeman Chair in China Studies and the CSIS Human Rights Initiative for a discussion of how technology is changing the way the CCP governs China. The event will feature panelists Josh Chin and Kate O’Keeffe of The Wall Street Journal, and Christina Larson of the Associated Press.This event is made possible through CSIS general support funds.

In episode 13 of the NüVoices podcast, co-hosts Alice Xin Liu and Sophie Lu interview Cate Cadell, a tech writer for Reuters who is based in Beijing. Cate covers Chinese tech companies with a focus on cybersecurity, AI, surveillance, censorship, and ethics issues. This episode focuses on the troubled relationship between the Chinese government, technology, and ethics. In particular, spurred by recent, disturbing news of a leaked Chinese government database that gathered data on women’s “breeding” status, the discussion focuses on how the state’s tech practices have impacted women in China. Next, co-hosts lead Cate in a round of Sophie's favorite game, "Pick your Dystopian Future,” in which players must choose their preferred dystopian scenarios. In this edition, the discussants consider which worlds are worse: One where CRISPR humans eat non-CRISPRs? Or one without memory, where people — like women — can be erased from history? The game ends with a reflection on what would happen to humans without gender and death. This episode also features Sophie’s “exit interview” as she prepares to depart Beijing for Australia. In the final segment, on recommendations and self-care, Alice recommends Leon Legothetis and The Kindness Diaries. Sophie suggests rewatching Mad Men to see men go through their own “Lean In” moment in the 1960s–1970s, with disastrous results. In closing, Cate recommends a new documentary called People’s Republic of Desire, which looks at the fascinating world of live streaming in China. For a deeper dive, check out these articles:   - Discrimination against women in tech (by Cate Cadell) - Sex dolls in China (by Joanna Chiu) - Social credit system (by Mara Hvistendahl) - How automation will replace female labor (by Sarah Holder) - CRISPR babies (by Christina Larson)

This week on Sinica, Kaiser and Jeremy chat with Christina Larson, a science and technology reporter for the Associated Press, about a major story that her team broke: the Chinese scientist Hè Jiànkuí 贺建奎 announcement that he had edited the genes of embryos conceived in vitro, and that twin girls had been born, making them — if his claims are true — the world’s first gene-edited babies. We look at the overwhelmingly critical response to this announcement in the Chinese scientific community, among ordinary people, and among officials, as well as what this may mean for the ethical landscape in Chinese science. Please note that this show was taped in December 2018, and since then, He Jiankui has resurfaced, claiming that he’s doing just fine — so far. 15:20: The process by which He Jiankui conducted his research raised concerns throughout scientific circles worldwide. Christina was among a team of Associated Press reporters that spoke with the supposed founder of the hospital HarMoniCare, who allowed He to circumvent submitting his research to an ethical review board. “He told us, quite proudly, that he wasn’t a doctor or scientist, but a hospital property developer.” 24:34: The dodgy science behind a misguided experiment. Christina lists the litany of failures in He’s methodology, principal among them: the genes that were intended to be edited. “But there’s also evidence from the information Hè presented…that only half of the intended genes were edited in one of the two twins.” 31:10: When it comes to medicine, particularly ethically questionable experiments like the one He conducted last year, the stakes are higher. "So, ideally, scientists have peer review and ethical review boards, and technology companies have trade secrets and product launches in beta, because presumably the stakes are lower if it's a social media app. But things get messier in medicine when it's a life-or-death technology. You can't release something like that in beta." Recommendations: Jeremy: The Selfish Gene, by Richard Dawkins, a gene-centered story of evolution. Christina: She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity, by Carl Zimmer, a book on genetic inheritance; also, a story by Christina’s colleagues at the Associated Press on tracing products made in Uyghur internment camps: US sportswear traced to factory in China’s internment camps. Kaiser: The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple, by Jeff Guinn, a dispassionate story of the horrifically tragic story of Jim Jones and the Jonestown Massacre.

In this fourth episode of the NüVoices Podcast, Alice and Sophie are joined by fellow NüVoices board member Christina Larson, a longtime science and technology reporter on China. The three discuss technology and bias, ranging from the State Council's social credit system from 2014 to how artificial intelligence mirrors the gender biases in China and the world, and why reproductive issues for a strong economy seem to fall on the shoulders of women. At the end, for self-care, they recommend The Calligrapher's Garden, by Hassan Massoudy, The Genius of Birds, by Jennifer Ackerman, Mark Manson's “Fuck Yes or No,” and sleep.

When Ernest Hemingway somewhat presciently referred to Paris as a "moveable feast" ("wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you"), he captured the feelings of many long-term China expats rather concisely. So why exactly does everyone like to compare life here to Paris in the 1920s? And if life is so romantic here, where are the writers in our midst and what are they producing? This week on Sinica, Kaiser Kuo and David Moser are delighted to host the editors of While We're Here: China Stories from a Writers' Colony, a compilation of short stories, poems and more, lovingly assembled by Alec Ash and Tom Pellman of The Anthill. Join us to listen to some selections as well as unapologetic gossip about the writers in question. If you want to pick up the book, you can find it for your Kindle here on Amazon or drop by The Bookworm in Beijing for a physical copy. Recommendations: The Anthill http://theanthill.org/ While We Were Here: China Stories from a Writers’ Colony, Edited by Alec Ash and Tom Pellman http://www.amazon.com/While-Were-Here-Stories-Writers-ebook/dp/B019136EXI/ Unsavory Elements http://www.amazon.com/Unsavory-Elements-Stories-Foreigners-Loose/dp/9881616409 How to Dress to Buy Dragonfruit http://www.amazon.com/How-Does-One-Dress-Dragonfruit-ebook/dp/B00K21ZXF4 Alec Ash on "Shanghai Cocktales" http://beijingcream.com/2015/05/shanghai-cocktales-and-the-curse-of-the-expat-memoir/ Incarnations http://www.amazon.com/The-Incarnations-Novel-Susan-Barker/dp/1501106783 Rock Paper Tiger http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Tiger-Ellie-McEnroe-Novel/dp/161695258X/ Up to The Mountains and Down to the Countryside, by Quincy Carol http://www.amazon.com/Mountains-Down-Countryside-Quincy-Carroll/dp/1941758452 Radio Lab Episode on CRISPER http://www.radiolab.org/story/antibodies-part-1-crispr/ Alec Ash The Search for a Vanishing Beijing, by M. A. Aldrich http://www.amazon.com/The-Search-Vanishing-Beijing-Capital/dp/9622099394 Voice Map – Walking Guided Tours – Check out the tours of Beijing, by David French and Alex Ash https://voicemap.me/ Tom Pellman Dispatches from Pluto, by Richard Grant http://www.amazon.com/Dispatches-Pluto-Found-Mississippi-Delta-ebook/dp/B00UDCNM82 David Moser 逻辑思维 Logical Thinking – Video Series on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/logictalkshow Kaiser Kuo China’s Bold Push into Genetically Customized Animals, by Christina Larson http://www.nature.com/news/china-s-bold-push-into-genetically-customized-animals-1.18826

Edmund Backhouse, the 20th-century Sinologist, long-time Beijing resident, and occasional con artist, is perhaps best known for his incendiary memoirs, which not only distorted Western understanding of Chinese history for more than 50 years, but also included what, in retrospect, can only be seen as patently fictitious stories of erotic encounters between the British baronet and Empress Dowager Cixi. This week on Sinica, we are delighted to be joined by Derek Sandhaus of Earnshaw Books, who has recently produced an abridged edition of Backhouse's memoirs for the Hong Kong publishing house. As an expert on the facts and fictions of Edmund Backhouse, Derek joins us for a discussion of what is real and less-than-real in Backhouse's deathbed reminiscences, and what we can and should learn about Qing-era China from his memoirs. Recommendations: David Helliwell's blog https://oldchinesebooks.wordpress.com Decadence Manchu, by Edmund Backhouse https://www.amazon.com/Decadence-Mandchoue-Memoirs-Trelawny-Backhouse/dp/9881944511  Derek Sandhaus's two works: Baijiu: The Essential Guide to Chinese Spirits http://www.amazon.com/Baijiu-Essential-Guide-Chinese-Spirits/dp/0143800132 Tales of Old Peking http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Old-Peking-Tumultuous-Capital/dp/9881815428 David Moser Asian Observer: This Day In Chinese History Derek Sandhaus The Hermit of Peiking, by Hugh Trevor-Roper http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/190601101X? Homoerotic Sensibilities in Late Imperial China, by Cuncun Wu http://www.amazon.com/Homoerotic-Sensibilities-Routledge-Association-Australia/dp/041564836X/ Kaiser Kuo Chublic Opinion - Down with Nihilism http://chublicopinion.com/2015/08/31/down-with-the-nihilists/ Can the Chinese Government get its people to like GMOs?, by Christina Larson http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/can-the-chinese-government-get-its-people-to-like-g-m-o-s

Christina Larson discusses the impact of climate change on China's tea and other globally sensitive crops, and Emily Conover discusses daily news stories with Sarah Crespi. Hosted by Susanne Bard. [Img: Yosomono/Creative Commons License BY 2.0, via flickr]

Christina Larson discusses the impact of climate change on China's tea and other globally sensitive crops, and Emily Conover discusses daily news stories with Sarah Crespi. Hosted by Susanne Bard. [Img: Yosomono/Creative Commons License BY 2.0, via flickr]

An artist paints landscapes of faraway places that she cannot identify in order to find her place in the global economy. A migrant worker sorts recyclables and thinks deeply about the soul of his country, while a Taoist mystic struggles to keep his traditions alive. An entrepreneur capitalizes on a growing car culture by trying to convince people not to buy cars. And a 90-year-old woman remembers how the oldest neighborhoods of her city used to be. These are the exciting and saddening, humorous and confusing stories of utterly ordinary people who are living through China's extraordinary transformations. The immense variety in the lives of these Chinese characters hints at China's great diversity. Chinese Characters is a collection of portraits by some of the top people working on China today. Contributors include a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, a Macarthur Fellow, the China correspondent for a major Indian newspaper, and scholars. Their depth of understanding is matched only by the humanity with which they treat their subjects. Their stories together create a multi-faceted portrait of a country in motion. This volume contains some of the best writing on China today. Contributors include: Alec Ash, James Carter, Leslie T. Chang, Xujun Eberlein, Harriet Evans, Anna Greenspan, Peter Hessler, Ian Johnson, Ananth Krishnan, Christina Larson, Michelle Dammon Loyalka, James Millward, Evan Osnos, Jeffrey Prescott, Megan Shank, with cover photos by Howard French. -- Angilee Shah is a freelance journalist and editor in Los Angeles. She has reported from across Asia, including China, Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka, and was a South Asian Journalists Association Reporting Fellow in 2007-8. She is a former editor of the online magazine AsiaMedia and a consulting editor to the Journal of Asian Studies. Her writing has appeared in the Far Eastern Economic Review, Mother Jones Online, Pacific Standard, the LA Weekly, TimeOut Singapore, and Global Voices. She is the co-editor of Chinese Characters: Profiles of Fast-Changing Lives in a Fast-Changing Land (UC Press, 2012). Jeffrey Wasserstrom is the author of four books on China and the editor or co-editor of several more, including most recently Chinese Characters: Profiles of Fast-Changing Lives in a Fast-Changing Land, which contains chapters by both fellow academics and such acclaimed journalists as Peter Hessler, Leslie T. Chang, Evan Osnos, and Ian Johnson. Wasserstrom is a Professor of History at the University of California, Irvine and the Editor of the Journal of Asian Studies. He is also the Asia editor of the Los Angeles Review of Books, an Associate Fellow of the Asia Society, and a co-founder of the "China Beat" blog. James Carter is Professor of History at Saint Joseph's University. He has lived and traveled widely in China, is the author of a history of Harbin and of Heart of China, Heart of Buddha: The Life of Tanxu, a Twentieth Century Monk (Oxford 2010), and is the editor of the journal Twentieth-Century China. He is a past president of the Historical Society for 20th-Century China and a Public Intellectuals Program fellow of the National Committee on United States-China Relations.

An artist paints landscapes of faraway places that she cannot identify in order to find her place in the global economy. A migrant worker sorts recyclables and thinks deeply about the soul of his country, while a Taoist mystic struggles to keep his traditions alive. An entrepreneur capitalizes on a growing car culture by trying to convince people not to buy cars. And a 90-year-old woman remembers how the oldest neighborhoods of her city used to be. These are the exciting and saddening, humorous and confusing stories of utterly ordinary people who are living through China's extraordinary transformations. The immense variety in the lives of these Chinese characters hints at China's great diversity. Chinese Characters is a collection of portraits by some of the top people working on China today. Contributors include a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, a Macarthur Fellow, the China correspondent for a major Indian newspaper, and scholars. Their depth of understanding is matched only by the humanity with which they treat their subjects. Their stories together create a multi-faceted portrait of a country in motion. This volume contains some of the best writing on China today. Contributors include: Alec Ash, James Carter, Leslie T. Chang, Xujun Eberlein, Harriet Evans, Anna Greenspan, Peter Hessler, Ian Johnson, Ananth Krishnan, Christina Larson, Michelle Dammon Loyalka, James Millward, Evan Osnos, Jeffrey Prescott, Megan Shank, with cover photos by Howard French. -- Angilee Shah is a freelance journalist and editor in Los Angeles. She has reported from across Asia, including China, Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka, and was a South Asian Journalists Association Reporting Fellow in 2007-8. She is a former editor of the online magazine AsiaMedia and a consulting editor to the Journal of Asian Studies. Her writing has appeared in the Far Eastern Economic Review, Mother Jones Online, Pacific Standard, the LA Weekly, TimeOut Singapore, and Global Voices. She is the co-editor of Chinese Characters: Profiles of Fast-Changing Lives in a Fast-Changing Land (UC Press, 2012). Jeffrey Wasserstrom is the author of four books on China and the editor or co-editor of several more, including most recently Chinese Characters: Profiles of Fast-Changing Lives in a Fast-Changing Land, which contains chapters by both fellow academics and such acclaimed journalists as Peter Hessler, Leslie T. Chang, Evan Osnos, and Ian Johnson. Wasserstrom is a Professor of History at the University of California, Irvine and the Editor of the Journal of Asian Studies. He is also the Asia editor of the Los Angeles Review of Books, an Associate Fellow of the Asia Society, and a co-founder of the "China Beat" blog. James Carter is Professor of History at Saint Joseph's University. He has lived and traveled widely in China, is the author of a history of Harbin and of Heart of China, Heart of Buddha: The Life of Tanxu, a Twentieth Century Monk (Oxford 2010), and is the editor of the journal Twentieth-Century China. He is a past president of the Historical Society for 20th-Century China and a Public Intellectuals Program fellow of the National Committee on United States-China Relations.

It seems to be the consensus among long-time China watchers that the Chinese media has become more radicalized over the last five years, with both online and traditional channels now feeding the public conflicting stories of both reflexive scorn for the status quo or patriotic jingoism. But how radical are things getting? And what are the limits to how much further they can go, or will be allowed to go on either side? This week on Sinica we look at two of the extremes. First up is a discussion between Jeremy Goldkorn and Brook Larmer, whose recent essay on Chinese internet humor for The New York Times looked not only at what is being said online but who is saying it and why. Then we look the other way, talking with journalist Christina Larson and Sinica-stalwart David Moser about the Global Times, a commercial newspaper under the auspices of the People's Daily so untempered in its nationalism that many consider the paper a government mouthpiece, with Christina Larson even comparing the publication to Fox News. Recommendations: Brook's NYT article http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/30/magazine/the-dangerous-politics-of-internet-humor-in-china.html Stifled Laughter: How the Communist Party Killed Chinese Humor http://www.danwei.org/tv/stifled_laughter_how_the_commu.php Pi San's cartoons on NYT http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/10/30/magazine/26mag-chinese-animations.html?scp=2&sq=pi%20san%20china&st=cse ABC interview with Pi San and Jeremy http://www.danwei.org/featured_video/director_pi_san_on_his_his_yea.php Pi San's cartoons with English subtitles http://www.danwei.com/blowing-up-the-school/ http://www.danwei.com/kuang-kuang-and-the-38th-parallel/ Liu Xiaobo humor - The Lius I admire http://www.danwei.org/humor/the_lius_i_admire.php Lei Feng microblog http://www.danwei.org/humor/lei_feng_microblog.php Hoax dictionary entries (origin of the "Cao Ni Ma" slang) http://www.danwei.org/humor/baidu_baike_fake_entries.php Hu Ge spoof on group housing http://www.danwei.org/humor/ccav_on_group_housing.php China Digital Times Grass Mud Horse Lexicon https://chinadigitaltimes.net/2015/07/decoding-the-chinese-internet-ebook-2015-edition/ Christina's FP article http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/10/31/global_times_china_fox_news FP: Top 10 screeds in Global Times http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/10/31/the_top_10_screeds_in_chinas_global_times John Garnaut: Global Times - A cocktail of conspiracies delivered daily http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/a-cocktail-of-conspiracies-delivered-daily-20101217-190pb.html Hu Xijin's Weibo http://weibo.com/huxijin Peking Duck blogger on Global Times https://www.google.com/search?&q=site%3Apekingduck.org+%22global+times%22