I've been getting these threatening e-mails from somebody named ROnald lately...My route if you want to call it that goes from Washington through Idaho, MOntana, NOrth Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. I think. I haven't worked on the return yet. Burger Kings and other fast food places don't count, because I think that once the demographic of a particular area reaches a certain point on some scale, Whaaaam! There is Mickey D. first built, open and operating. IN this Chinese city of six million people where I live, no Mickey yet. BUt there are plenty of other fast food places and more going up all the time. YOung Chinese love these places and there seems to be no limit as to how many will be built, pushing the noodle and hot sweet potato vendors further to the margin. SO far, I haven't received any flak about the Hainan incident, but my friends at the Foreign Language Institute, which is run by the PLA, have called to ask about our welfare, and to tell us not to worry, this has nothing to do with what we or they do. So if we are being tortured, it's with kindness. But how am I going to get out of Washington State?

Seth