> Among the star guests are the local representatives of *both* the IMF *and*
> the World Bank! They've not yet got onto the judging panel, but apparently
> they're going to be walking round tasting the cakes along with the local
> dignitaries. I can only assume that there's not a lot going on in Vietnam
> for them at the moment.
Well, neoliberals in Vietnam have to watch their step (if not their waistline), thanks to this humongous export-platform lizard which showed up recently with busloads of yen-denominated export revenue. Apparently, it's on vacation from its day job in Chiba City -- something to do with urban redevelopment, I believe -- and was spotted snapping photos with a trusty Nikon while sporting an Airbus-sized T-shirt decorated with a Mitsubishi logo and kanji lettering which loosely translates as, "I Ate the WTO". The Pacific Rim information jungle gets weirder every day, I tell you.
-- Dennis