Fake stuff for Christmas Day. Whatever did those editors at the Wanbao (Beijing Evening News) have for Christmas dinner? Fake food? (Plastic food? Eww... I'm not going into this...) All the fake stuff aside, the start of the Wanbao 227 days before the Games of the XXIX Olympiad is still -- fake. That's right: there's real news concerning potential fake or loophole-filled insurance plans by airline companies not based in Beijing. Legal restraints are why there are so many fakes. More on page 12 -- that's the headliner, by the way.

If you thought the Kunming Leak was too fake, get this: the big pic of the day shows a refilled Kunming Lake. Did they do that last day just to sell more Wanbao? You tell me! Meanwhile, below the big pic is another headliner (more on page 3). Long story cut short: this has been quite a good year for the Chinese stock markets.

The headliner on the top right-hand corner is a warning to companies beginning Jan 1, 2008 -- ask your employees to put in more than 36 hours of after-work time labor, and you're in deep doo-doo. If you do more than 3 hours of extra work a day, you could easily drag your boss to court; that'll be a new rule on Jan 1, 2008, too.

Some other bits and pieces:

• Page 5 has good news for those addicted to the Badaling Freeway. With the opening of the Jingbao Freeway and the new National Highway 110, the Badaling Freeway will be given back to passenger cars; trucks will have to contend with the new freeway. (Not fair for your Beijingologist!)

• Brutal and truly disturbing pictures on page 8: One totally psychotic man was so upset that he was arrested by the city management police, that he started throwing animals about, killing 16 animals. The Beijingologist supports life imprisonment for that evil person, since the Beijingologist believes that to take life away from others is a sin.

• Printing money on page 3: The Guijiafen Toll Gate on the Jingjin Freeway is about to be reality. 28 lanes. And yes -- you'll need to pay for the freeway.

The weather -- foggy tonight, cloudy tomorrow. -2°C to 4°C. Happy Christmas Day!