Chinese chafe under tightened rules about (it seems) everything

Readers of this blog will probably already be familiar with the litany of complaints about the Olympics-related tightening of rules on visa issuance, among other things. I am not a security expert, but I can't disagree with the general notion that those in charge have lost all sense of proportion. The other day when I went back to my apartment - an ordinary apartment in an ordinary apartment complex, just like hundreds or thousands of other complexes in Beijing - I had to walk through a double line of camouflage-suited young men (quite friendly, however) at the entrance. I don't know what threat they were guarding against, or who had the idea that wearing green leafy-colored clothing in Beijing would make you blend in with your surroundings. In any case, here's an interesting Chinese view: an essay [Chinese | English] on an MP3 player that could not be sent through the mail. (HT: China Digital Times.)