I am a US citizen (and one-time Kansan) currently living in Germany. I just donated $20 through PayPal no questions asked. There wasn't even a textbox to write a comment to that effect. How the heck is anyone going to know if a non-US citizen donates? It would suck if the burden of proof was on Sean Tevis's campaign. My guess is that no one checks these small donations - can someone in the know confirm this?

This is totally insane. It is yet another architects idea of something that looks cool and completely ignores economic realities. Basically, unless they're planning to growing pot, there is no way goods produced will ever cover the expense of building something like this. There are good reasons why agricultural land is in the "middle of nowhere".

I used to see the Star Trike all the time too, back when I lived in Ocean Beach (San Diego). I talked to the dude that rode it once, pretty laid back guy as I recall.

Seems like a natural combination with this recently featured window that folds out into a balcony:

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/02/27/bloomframe-picture-w.html

This is impossible to enjoy if you understand German. The cognitive dissonance of the conflicting audio and subtitles makes my brain hurt!

My father, who speaks fluent Chinese, and I once passed by a stand in a not-too-touristy street in Guilin (southern China) that was selling some sort of fried creature on a stick. I asked my dad to ask the merchant what it was. "Rat" translated my dad. From expression of disgust on my face, the merchant quickly amended his statement. "Those are not city rats," explained my father, "he says he caught them in the mountains."

To this day I regret not trying those "mountain" rats.

I spent some time in a village without running water or latrines in rural Africa. The people relieved themselves in nearby fields there as well, but considered the practice to be normal rather than demeaning. Is there something about the lowest-caste girls in this region of India that makes things different there?

@13, @15, @19 I vaguely remember this as a Chinese story from my childhood. The father-in-law has been unjustly imprisoned and sentenced to starve to death. Whenever the daughter-in-law visits, she and her son are thoroughly searched by the guards to make sure they are not smuggling in any food. She keeps her father-in-law alive, as depicted, and after some time he is released for 'miraculously' surviving for so long without food. At least that's how I remember it, does anyone have any more specific information about this as a Chinese story?