Posted 5:34 PM by Floyd

Something strange happened during my trip to China: I lost my fear of heights. First I noticed that the Great Wall, which is quite steep in places, did not induce the dizziness and panic that has always afflicted me at heights of five feet or more. Then when we were driving through Shanghai we sailed on a flyover that was higher than a seven-story building. I thought it was cool. Then when blogging from a six-story mall centered around an atrium, I had no fear when looking down a hundred feet through glass.

At this point I realized that my acrophobia was gone. Now I was concerned that I would be so taken with my ability to handle heights that I would lean over a railing and fall!

My neurons collapsed around new patterns and the world shook. Not just from my point of view either. For instance, I picked up a couple of issues of the International Herald-Tribune (as seen on mattwelch.com!) and saw two columns by Maureen Dowd that were not the ravings of a bag lady!

I'm not even going to discuss the bizarre reports of "Walter Mondale" losing a Senate race in Minnesota. It's an obvious brainwashing attempt perpetrated by Chinese Communists.

Speaking of Chicoms, here's an article from China Daily, page 2:

Fresh rules urged to protect private property

Legal experts and entrepreneurs hailed Party General Secretary Jiang Zemin's call to better safeguard private property ...

Maybe I should just stay home and hide under my bed.