American Madness

China’s Xinhua is reporting the last of China’s “Gang of Four,” Yao Wenyuan, died on Dec. 23, of complications from diabetes. He was 74.

The other three who instrumented the persecution, beatings and death of hundreds of thousands of intellectuals, Zhang Chunqiao, Wang Hongwen and Madame Mao (Jiang Qing) died between 1991 and May 2005.

Xinhua said Yao’s death brings to a close the tragic, 10-year period of Cultural Revolution that tore China apart between 1966 and 1976.

But the state-run news agency said it also opens the opportunity for the government to start profiting from their demise. Already in the works are a 2-DVD boxed set called “The Gang of Four’s Greatest Hits,” featuring film clips of Red Guards tossing rich people out of windows and interviews from beaten intellectuals, all set to the tunes of revolutionary Peking Opera. (more…)

Dear Dr. Fixit:

My daughter and her boyfriend are living together. After five years, they are not married - or even engaged.

We recently had family pictures taken and wanted a photo of us alongside our daughter and our son and his wife.

My daughter was very upset that we excluded her live-in boytoy. We tried to explain that our moral judgment and values don?t allow us to look at him as a member of the family because they aren’t married.

After much hand-wringing, I suggested we take a picture both ways, once without him and once with him. His response was: If they don?t want me in the picture, I won’t be in any picture at all.

This has caused a distance gap in our relationship with our daughter. Were my wife and I right or wrong? Did we screw up badly? And how do we work past this issue with our daughter? What should we do?

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Stop Wining

I sort of drew the line at screw-off caps on wine bottles. Then UPC codes, instead of vintages. Lastly, wine in a box. I thought that was it.

Now, instead of stodgy French names like ?Chateau Pipi du Cheval,? you?re getting stuff like a red that probably goes best with tin cans, called, ?Goats do Roam? from South Africa and others that will never make you butcher the French language again.

The thing about wine, though, is it?s supposed to be pretentious. If you really wanted to be the everyman, you?d pound a Bud or take a pull from that malt liquor in the brown paper bag.

Even with a great label, wine like Red Truck probably belongs better in a radiator than a wine glass

My personal favorite is ?Fat Bastard? wine, which reminds me of Dennis Koslowski every time I hear it. And how fitting that it?s a French vintage. A close second is ?Tait Ball Buster? from Australia, which goes well with my wife.

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Adam Najberg is an international journalist who lost his mind many years ago. Here are some of his recent posts from the front:

Ukraine:

Poor Victor Yuschenko.

First, Russia spiked his Mountain Dew with dioxin, almost killing him, but ensuring his frontrunner status in the next Manuel Noriega lookalike contest. Now, Moscow, still pissed off that he’d rather hug George W. Bush than Vladimir Putin - a choice between Frankenstein and Uncle Fester - has turned off the heat and electricity. Not just to his house, but the natural gas supply to his entire country. If I’m Yuschenko, I’m wondering if up next isn’t a shiv in the shower.

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Look out large people, here comes Yotel.

It’s not a Pokemon character nor hostel for yodelers. The new Yotel is a chain of budget rooms which cram business travelers into 10-square-meter cabins. The first ones open this year at London Airports.

Simon Woodroffe, the sadistic bastard who created the concept, told the London Observer “it would be great to make small capsule rooms for hotels.” Why? Did he see Sade too many times?

After sitting through too many flights next to people who need an aisle couch more than an aisle seat, the last thing I want on a business trip is to lie down in a coffin. Ten square meters doesn?t sound like a lot, and it isn?t.

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