links for 2009-02-01

"… one thing which is bugging me right off the bat is his habit of translating money into Pounds Sterling by converting the Tokugawa money to rice and then converting the rice to yen and the Yen to Pounds at the 1963 rate …"

Goldkorn: "Huaxia Bank has launched an advertising campaign for a "Pretty Girl Card" (丽人卡) that appears to be targeting ernai, the mistresses of rich men …"

Me: Couldn't this as easily be for a _girlfriend_ rather than a mistress? Or a _daughter_? No need to make things lurid when they're not.