So today reporters will be hoping to catch a glimpse of him . . . on a Web cast.

It looks like CyberWorks may have had just about enough of reporters and their where-did-you-go-to-school kind of questions.

Reporters will not be permitted to watch the company's executives make their annual announcement face-to-face.

Not so the analysts. Their meeting is to go ahead as usual.

But the hack pack is to be herded to the 14th floor, where it will watch on a screen while the real action goes on under their noses 10 floors below. They're allowed to ask questions afterwards - but only to the camera.

No doubt PCCW will blame limited space. But disgruntled hacks muttered that it was all a plot to limit their power to grill CyberWorks executives. Not fair, they scowled.

Lai See agrees with them. Richard should treat reporters with a degree of respect.

After all, until recently, respectful reporters treated him to a degree.

Scooped in Chinese: Did you read about the big acquisition by China Merchants Holdings (International) yesterday?

Not in English, you didn't.

That particular red-chip appears to have developed a chip on the shoulder about the English-language media.

When statements announcing the deal were sent out, non-Chinese publications didn't get any.

Which is surprising, given that Mandarin-speaking reporters from the English-language media have been diligently attending press conferences and meetings hosted by the locally listed ports and infrastructure firm.

Needless to say, these reporters were somewhat taken aback when they read about the deal in the Chinese-language press yesterday. Why didn't you send me a copy of the press release, one of them asked.

'Because it was in Chinese,' the spokesman said, before announcing that she was far too busy to speak and putting down the phone. The puzzled journalist was left no wiser about why he had been snubbed.

The only Chinese characters he doesn't understand are the ones working at CMHI.

Profound: Alcohol kills brain cells.

On a related topic, Lai See brings you George W. Bush's 'Thought for the Day'. Hmmm. Perhaps that's overly optimistic. Make that George W Bush's 'Thought For the Month': 'I believe the economy has slowed down and we better do something about it.'

Virgin bowls: We've been reading about the racism of the Japanese, the glory of the communist movement and some really nice bowls. Say what you will about them, the correspondents of the North Korean Central News Agency always manage to finish off their reports with that little dash of the unexpected.

'The Sinuiju Enamelware Factory is mass producing a variety of enamelware,' one of yesterday's articles informed us.

'It manufactures more than 130 varieties of enamelware including bowls, dishes, cups and basins.'

Gripped, Lai See read on. We learned that all of the crockery sold so far has kept its pretty look because 'the products are not eroded by food'. Guess that's one way of looking on the bright side of food shortages.

Graphic: whee28gbz