This is a daily collection of links, some with commentary, to news stories and interesting blog posts. It will be updated throughout the day with a new timestamp for the updates.

Scroll down for today's other posts.

• Two potential nuclear powers, North Korea and Iran, almost came to blows last night. That's the power of soccer. Meanwhile the UN has sent a bird flu expert to North Korea.
• The Standard: "Beijing gave a warm welcome to a leader of Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang...Chiang Pin-kung, vice-chairman of the KMT, arrived in Beijing Wednesday on the third leg of an official visit, the KMT's first since 1949." What would Chiang Kai-Shek say? Hemlock:

  Muttering ‘my enemy’s enemy is my friend’, a senior Kuomintang delegation visits the Mainland for the first time since 1949. Given the Chinese Communist Party bandits’ origins within the KMT, the two sides have much in common to discuss. The ditching of Leninist principles. Dictatorship. Corruption. Massacres. The co-option of business and gangsters. Being on the losing side of history...

• Dean provides more goods on the favourite t-shirt symbol of Hong Kong's erstwhile maverick legislator.
• Some like to be close to their computers. Some, very close. And now they've got the USB device to go all the way.
• The Japanese way of death.
• A great site called Black Ships & Samurai details the arrival of Commodore Perry to Japan (via JP).
• (12:42) The Sydney Morning Herald (free sub req'd):

  More than 19 million people, mostly Chinese, are reported to have signed internet petitions opposing Japan's campaign to join the ranks of permanent members of the world's great power club, the United Nations Security Council. Launched only a week ago, the petitions are being carried on the three main Chinese internet portals - sina.com, 163.com and sohu.com - with the blessing of Chinese authorities.

  The internet campaign also risks charges of hypocrisy, given that China's 80 million web users are unlikely to be given a chance to express opinions on other questions, such as China's support for North Korea.

  But not a word about it in the South China Morning Post.
• (16:32) Thanks to Publius Pundit for marking me at number 10 in his top 20 bloggers list. And thank you to Bill for letting me know.
• Usually the p0rn industry leads the way in new technology. So the outsourcing trend was only a matter of time.
• (17:20) How readable is this blog? Results in the extended entry. (Via Mr Miyagi).

Results as at 17:20 on March 31st, 2005. Check out the link for an explanation of what the indicies mean.

Total sentences 834
Total words 8,284
Average words per Sentence 9.93
Words with 1 Syllable 5,403
Words with 2 Syllables 1,843
Words with 3 Syllables 731
Words with 4 or more Syllables 307
Percentage of word with three or more syllables 12.53%
Average Syllables per Word 1.51%
Gunning Fog Index 8.99
Flesch Reading Ease 69.00
Flesch-Kincaid Grade 6.10