Economist, Sept 15, 2012

choi

(1) Homosexuality  | Coming Out; More gay teenagers are gaining acceptance by their parents
(PFLAG’s director, Hu Zhijun, "estimates that perhaps 10% of gay people in China now tell their parents. Most of the rest still feel they must get married to satisfy their families")

Note:
(a) Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (acronym: PFLAG China)  同性恋亲友会
http://www.pflag.org.cn/
(founded in 2008; based in Guangzhou)
(b) Romantic Mum  同性恋亲友会河北召集人“浪漫妈妈"
(c) HU Zhijun, Executive Director of PFLAG, China  执行主任 胡志军 (whose nickname or pseudonym is Ah Qiang 阿强).
   
(2) Kosovo gains more sovereignty | Independence Light; Some diplomats leave, but the country is still not fully independent
http://www.economist.com/node/21562982

My comment: The "light" in the title is similar to Miller Lite, signaling "half-baked."

(3) The British empire | Pondering the Past; Britain’s empire was far more complex than its critics appreciate
http://www.economist.com/node/21562885
(book review on John Darwin, Unfinished Empire; The global expansion of Britain. Allen Lane, 2012)

My comment: This is an overview of the British Empire that serves as food for thought.

(4) Manufacturing | The Latest Chapter; Technology is driving a revolution in manufacturing
http://www.economist.com/node/21562886
(book review on Peter Marsh, The New Industrial Revolution; Consumers, globalisation and the end of mass production. Yale University Press, 2012)

Quote: "his book is a useful corrective to those who associate the word 'manufacturing' with 'decline.' Global industrial output was 57 times greater in 2010 than it was in 1900. In other words, manufacturing has grown far faster than the overall economy. The main reason for this is that factories keep getting smarter in ways that hair salons do not.

Note: The key words of the report is "mass customisation."