There is a saying that some Chinese officials are fond of using when lecturing to foreigners about Tibet, which goes something like this: “Seeing once is better than hearing it a hundred times.” I was reminded of this when seeing two very different perspectives relating to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetans in exile. The reader can be the judge. The first is a report in the mainstream Chinese...

My mother always cautioned me against dating a man with a weak chin. The theory being that a weak chin is a physical indication of greater deficiencies in character, specifically an inability to stand firm should the going get tough. Mother never identified a physical trait that indicated “pragmatism,” because pragmatism is mostly self-serving in a relationship. A pragmatic spouse can be a louse. This bit...