In Silicon Valley now and go back to China on Sunday. Between meetings I made a pitstop at the Hillsdale Mall yesterday, where the Sharper Image was having a closing sale — I picked up some great doodads for very cheap prices. The manager at the store said all Sharper Image stores around the USA are closing this month because of the bad economy, but their website will still be available.

In almost all meetings in the US that I have gone too, people complain about poor business and shrinking budgets. On the flip side, clients in China seem flush with cash and budgets are growing for direct marketing and full-channel media services.

Also, one very important note on the news (now old) that China's Ministry of Information Industry has now been renamed the MIIT. More info here. MIIT, along with SARFT, are two of the important digital-related Chinese government bodies in China that help unveil Internet-related laws and have certain oversight powers.