Michael J. Fox, the actor afflicted with Parkinson’s Disease, recently did a commercial in support of Missouri Democratic Congressional candidate Claire McCaskill. Missouri voters will be voting on Amendment 2, a proposed change to the state constitution that would provide constitutional protections for embryonic stem-cell research. The commercial shows Fox, who is obviously in an advanced stage of the disease, shaking and swaying uncontrollably while speaking on behalf of the amendment. On Wednesday, Conservative commentator, Rush Limbaugh, hit a new low when on his radio show, he claimed that Fox was “exaggerating the effects of the disease.” Rush Limbaugh is an animal. Here is the commercial and as a major Alex P. Keaton and Marty McFly fan, I find this terribly sad.

•Guardian: Radio Host Apologizes

Monday, the Archbishop of Canterbury concluded a two-week tour throughout China aimed at tightening relations between the Anglican Church and the state-sanctioned Chinese Protestant Church. Yes I know that sounds funny– the “Chinese Protestant Church”. The common misconception (that I held until recently) is that the practice of religion in China is illegal. The one time I tried to do something religious here, I was told to bring my passport. Just in case I needed to prove my foreignness. But in actuality, there are 5 government-approved religions in China: Buddhism (unless you’re a Falun Gong), Catholicism (as long as you disavow the Pope), Islam (unless you’re from Xinjiang province and are believed to be a terrorist), Protestantism (if you’re a foreigner or have money) and Taoism (all good). The Archbishop Dr. Rowan Williams, the first Anglican leader to visit China in 12 years, comes at a time when Christianity is enjoying a massive rebirth in the Middle Kingdom. The Maoist idea that religion represents feudalism and colonialism led to to the abolishment of organized religion in China from the late 40s until the late 70s; places of worship were destroyed and religious leaders “taken care of”. It was commonly believed that membership to both a religious group and the Communist party was impossible . Since then however, the Chinese government has been slowly relaxing its policy barring the practice of religion. And now, as Beijing appears to be distancing itself from its Maoist past, the ground is fertile for the growth of Christianity in China.

However, the promise of religious freedom in China is far from a reality. To be a practicing Christian in China, by law you must register your religion with the government and attend an approved house of worship. And once you get to the church or temple, there are strict guidelines as to how the services are conducted. As I said earlier, in Catholic services, there is no affiliation with or mention of the Vatican. The government feels that it is subversive to have an allegiance to a body or person stronger than one’s allegiance to China. While it is believed that 5% of China’s population, 6.5 million people, practices Christianity, the actual number of Christians in China is widely debated. This is because many Christians practice privately or in small “house churches” for fear of oppression, arrest or even physical harm. The house church or underground church movement throughout the 20th century forced Chinese Christians to be secretive about their faith and even today, when restrictions have been loosened, these Christians still fear the worst. A regular church-going friend of mine knows of underground churches that regularly hold mass in Shanghai today.

But while it seems like China is moving in the direction of religious tolerance, there are still cases of extreme antireligious oppression. Anyone who likes the Beastie Boys knows about the issue of religious freedom in Tibet. Anyone who has ever passed Falun Gong refugees on the streets of New York or San Francisco has seen first-hand present-day religious persecution. I was misleading if I made it seem as though antireligious acts of violence were a thing of the past. On July 29th of this year in Hangzhou, a small city outside of Shanghai, witnesses reported to TIME Magazine a brutal episode at the construction site of a community church:

Witnesses told TIME that at about 2:30 p.m., thousands of uniformed police and plainclothes security officers appeared at the construction site. The police cleared a way through the crowds for a few drill-equipped backhoes, and the authorities then demolished the church. Witnesses say police bludgeoned people indiscriminately with nightsticks. ‘They were picking up women–some of them old ladies–by their hair and swinging them around like dolls, then letting them crash to the ground,’ says a man who watched the clash from across the street. A statement faxed to TIME by the information office of the Xiaoshan district government describes the scene differently, claiming that about 100 Christians ‘attacked and injured government officials’ and that although the police detained a few protesters, none were injured.
-TIME Magazine (08/20/06)

I can see why some Chinese Christians choose to worship in private.

Back to the Archbishop. Human rights groups have blasted Dr. Williams this week for not speaking out about religious oppression or at the very least, going through China pretending it doesn’t exist. Brad Adams, the Asia director of Human Rights Watch said, “I think he should have spoken publicly about the problems of worshiping. I think the standard they should employ is what would they accept in their country.” A spokesperson for the Archbishop responded by saying that criticizing the religious policies would only further endanger Christians in China. And granted, the way to increase religious tolerance in China certainly is not for a high-profile visitor to start slinging accusations. According to a BBC article on the international criticism of the Archbishop’s visit, Dr. Williams stated the purpose of his trip was not to ruffle feathers but rather to learn more about the true nature of Christianity in China. Though he knows as well as anyone, that until someone ruffles some feathers and Christianity can be practiced openly, no one will ever know its true nature.

•Washington Post: Anglicans Expanding Ties With China

•TIME Magazine: The War For China’s Soul

One of my favorite lists came out on Tuesday and for the first time, Elvis Presley was not on top. The 6th annual Forbes Top-Earning Dead Celebrities List ranked Kurt Cobain as its #1 earner. In order to be eligible for the list the dead person had to have earned over $7 million between Oct. 2005 and Oct. 2006. Collectively, the 13 deceased stars earned a whopping $247 million in the last year. What pushed Cobain ahead of Presley was his widow Courtney Love’s sale of 25% of the Nirvana song catalog for $50 million. Presley, who seems to be slacking in recent post-death years earned $42 million. Here’s the list:

1. Kurt Cobain ($50 million)
2. Elvis Presley ($42 million)
3. Charles Shulz ($35 million)
4. John Lennon ($24 million)
5. Albert Einstein ($20 million)
6. Andy Warhol ($19 million)
7. Dr. Seuss ($10 million)
8. Ray Charles ($10 million)
9. Marilyn Monroe ($8 million)
10. Johnny Cash ($8 million)
11. J.R.R. Tolkien ($7 million)
12. George Harrison ($7 million)
13. Bob Marley ($7 million)

•Forbes: Top-Earning Dead Celebrities

NFL star Pat Tillman did the unthinkable. While with the Arizona Cardinals in 2002, Tillman turned down a $3.6 million contract and retired from the game in order to enlist in the U.S. Army Rangers with his brother Kevin. The brothers did a stint in Iraq and then were sent to Afghanistan where on April 22, 2004, Pat was killed. Following his death, the Army reported that Tillman was shot when his unit was ambushed by an Afghan militia group. Tillman instantly became the emblem of the war on terror, a high-profile victim of the savagery and ruthlessness ascribed to the terrorists. However, Pat Tillman was never killed by any terrorists. On May 4th, twelve days after Tillman’s death, the Army disclosed that there was no such ambush. Tillman was shot 3 times in the head by members of his own unit while searching for enemy combatants. A military investigation found that his unit members burned his body armor and uniform in an attempt to cover up his death. While army higher-ups learned within 48 hours what had actually happened, they chose not to issue a report for 12 days, nor did they even inform Tillman’s family of the true cause of his death. Why, you ask? The Bush government saw the Tillman death as an opportunity to show anti-war America that this war was necessary. The legacy of Pat Tillman was used. Pat’s brother, Kevin, has broken his silence and published an anti-war essay on Truthdig.com. The timing is no coincidence: Pat would have turned 30 on Nov. 6th and Americans go to the polls the next day. The Pat Tillman death and the facts surrounding it, though seldom discussed, could be the most shameful chapter of America’s war on terror.

• Truthdig.com: After Pat’s Birthday

In honor of the Chinese government’s announcement Monday that a “real name” policy would be implemented in the country’s blogosphere, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Henry Gale. I was a wealthy miner in Minnesota before my hot air balloon crashed in Shanghai. Now I write Flumesday. I realize the real name system, encouraged by the Internet Society of China, has not officially begun, but I just couldn’t wait. It’s such a good idea. According to the state-run Xinhua news service, “some bloggers anonymously disseminate irresponsible and untrue information via the Internet, bringing about very bad influences not only to individuals but to society as a whole.” Not this blogger. Under the proposed system, bloggers would have to register their real names and personal information with the government in order open a blog, though they would still be permitted to write the blog using a pseudonym. This way, if a blogger writes something untrue, he or she can be tracked down by the authorities and severely punished accordingly. In a country with 17.5 million bloggers and the most blogs in the world, the ISC sees the real name policy as a necessary measure to “standardize” and “develop” China’s thriving blog industry. And by standardize and develop, they mean “water down” and “ruin”. China’s blogosphere is the only, and I mean only, outlet for free and uncensored opinion here. It’s certainly not a coincidence that the Chinese have taken to blogs the way they have. When the system gets put in place, surely the content of China’s blogs will suffer. So thanks a lot, all of those bloggers out there who publish irresponsible and untrue information, for ruining it for the rest of us.

•Reuters: China Moves Toward ‘Real Name’ System

The Worm is back. And this time it’s for charity. At least I think. The former NBA star has put himself up for auction on eBay. Dennis is offering a night on the town in Las Vegas that includes a dinner, a trip to Scores Las Vegas’s halloween party and of course, the customary autographed photo. According to the eBay ad, all proceeds will go to the Asthmatic League. I’m not familiar with this charity nor could I find its website, but I assume it has something to do with asthma. Bidding starts at $7,500. The last I heard anything about Rodman was in April when he was in my neck of the woods. Rodman went to the Philippines with some other ex-NBA players to play an exhibition game against the Filipino national team. The NBA team lost the game and afterwards, Rodman failed to show to an event where a group of young Filipino schoolchildren had prepared a song for him. Overall, he was exceptionally rude to the locals and completely embarrassed the NBA. Hopefully, he will show up to this lovely stripper-fest of an evening on October 29th.

• eBay: A Night Out With Dennis

In many places, it is the highest honor for a leader to be portrayed artistically in public. Whether through a portrait or statue or monument, nations find it necessary to immortalize their heroes. In Tiananmen Square, Chairman Mao can be seen looking down on his people, watching them carefully, beaming with pride. In Washington D.C., Americans can go visit Honest Abe, who sits forever watching his nation’s capital. In London’s Trafalgar Square, British military hero Lord Nelson stands atop a column as though he is eternally protecting his native England. We are all familiar with art celebrating the contributions of the world’s most popular leaders. But what interests me is the art that does the opposite. In every place you find a statue honoring a president, premier or general, you will also find art that belittles, defaces and shames national figures. As the leader of the free world and one of the more unpopular international figures, U.S. President George W. Bush has become a target for such artistic expression. All over the world, wherever I go, I find myself face-to-face with walls covered in anti-Bush graffiti, bathrooms scribbled with “Fuck Bush” and stop signs urging me to stop Bush. Over the last few years, for reasons not difficult to comprehend, Bush has become an object of hate for people all over the world. Needless to say, this hatred lends itself to some fairly captivating and diverse art.

The Top 10 Ways To Tell The World You Hate George W. Bush

In China, we have video stores similar to the ones everywhere in the world. You get the itch to watch a movie, you walk to one of these stores, you go in, browse the titles, choose the one you like, go home, make some popcorn and watch. However, in China it’s different. Instead of paying four dollars, as you do at Blockbuster, you pay one. And for your buck, you don’t rent the film, you buy it. And instead of getting an authentic film, you get a pirated version. While I am aware this is illegal, this is the norm in China. When most people think of fake DVDs, they think of a man with a suitcase on the street ready to run at the sight of a cop. However, in Shanghai and elsewhere in China, the government leases retail space, sometimes valuable real estate, to the peddlers of these pirated movies. In July of last year, responding to international pressure to tighten the reins on piracy, the Chinese government initiated a new stricter policy. Beijing authorized mandatory minimum sentencing and fines for movie pirates and began dedicating resources to fighting this black-market industry. The China Daily reported that Thursday, nine Chinese have been jailed for selling illegal DVDs, CDs and software. Four of whom, who mass-produced the material, were sentenced to 13 years. Last month, in the biggest-ever seizure of pirated material, the Chinese government confiscated 13 million discs. It seems odd that while Chinese DVD sellers are being imprisoned for piracy, the stores on pretty much every Shanghai block are left alone. While some Chinese guy is doing hard time, I am waiting for my Woody Allen box set to come in. The guy says it’ll be any day now. It appears these grand displays of justice by the Chinese government are merely to appease the U.S., Australia, Microsoft and other groups that have demanded China put an end to the mass piracy of copyrighted material. If authorities actually cared about ending piracy, why not start by closing down these fake movie stores? I think I know why. Maybe, like me, they enjoy going home after work (today) and popping in the complete first season of “Reno 911″ ($4). Or maybe while nursing a nasty hangover (last Saturday), they want nothing more than to stay in bed and watch the entire “Back to the Future” trilogy ($2.50). Or possibly, the Chinese officials, when they heard of the cancellation of the Shanghai Jay-Z concert, they too lamented by watching the “Fade to Black” concert from Madison Square Garden (65¢).

•China Daily: Nine Jailed

Of all the important November elections approaching, Flumesday will only be interested in one. After much careful contemplation as to whom will best serve San Francisco’s District 4 as Supervisor, Flumesday wholeheartedly supports Ed Jew. Frankly, he’s the best Jew for the job. Jew is a third-generation Chinese-American who has been vital in the rebirth of San Fran’s Chinese neighborhoods. Jew was born in Chinatown where his grandfather, James Jew, settled after leaving China in 1913. Since immigrating, the Jew family has been active in local politics and has owned and operated the Jew family flower shop continuously for almost 80 years. Jew’s commitment to the Chinese community of San Francisco is as enduring as the Chinese commitment to the Jew community of New York City. District 4 of San Francisco, when voting day is upon you, make the decision that is right for San Francisco. Vote for Jew. Anything else wouldn’t be kosher.

•Ed Jew For Supervisor

As much as it pained me, I genuinely thought this was the year for the Mets–a potent lineup, a weak N.L., and pitching good enough to get the job done. But Thursday night, with one swing of the bat, Yadier Molina woke the Mets up from their dream of a season. In the ninth inning of what was one of the more dramatic Game 7’s (granted, I listened), the St. Louis Cardinals catcher broke a 1-1 tie with a clutch 2-run homer to left. The Cardinals held their lead in the bottom of the ninth, won their 17th pennant and will face the Tigers on Saturday in Game 1 of the World Series. While the Mets’ Pedro-less, Duque-less rotation was thought to be their weakness entering the series, it was the bats that failed in the NLCS. Jeff Suppan, who won games 3 and 7, looked like Nolan Ryan against the Mets offense, which hit a disappointing .248 in the series. When I watched my Yankees get embarrassed by Detroit 2 weeks ago, I couldn’t conceive that another team could get eliminated in a more devastating fashion. When the Mets lost game 7 in the ninth, at Shea Stadium, they did just that. And the worst part, the Mets put runners on first and second with no outs in the bottom of the ninth and then got shut down. What a tease. Two things about this game: First, Endy Chavez’s catch in the sixth was the best catch I’ve ever seen in a big game (watched the clip). And second, now A-Rod isn’t the only third-baseman in New York with a shitty postseason reputation. While I feel terribly sorry for my Mets-loving friends, as a Yankee fan, I would be lying if I said there wasn’t a part of me that wants to find the nearest Mets fan and get right in his face and scream “SUCKER!”

•NY Post: Cardinals Beat Mets
•ESPN: Mets Bats M.I.A.