We’ve handed them a knotty problem, and we may not like the way they solve it if they link into the South-East Asian model of detached caution. So what is the price of taking sides? This piece from the Dealbook column in the New York Times reveals just how difficult business can get when two huge powers decide to take on each other and gather allies along the way, not in Australia’s case (we’re in Uncle Sam’s hip pocket) but through dollar persuasion or, if that doesn’t work, through threats.

TRAFFIC REPORT: JUST ANOTHER ATTITUDE HOUR

This slice of life from PNG Attitude shows a count of the blog’s visitors between 7 and 8 pm last night, Wednesday, and the articles they were chasing. This automatically recorded hour reveals the constant pulse of the blog as people from around the world tune in throughout the day. In this particular hour, 53 separate searches landed, most of them – 46 – archaeological - the oldest search in this hour unearthing an article from May 2009 [‘Illegal Chinese workers enter PNG as riots continue’].

These lists have appeared every hour of every day over the last 17 years, and I guess they explain why I find it almost impossible to leave PNG Attitude behind. For many people (87% in this particular hour), the blog is a constant treasure trove of information. And I do feel a compulsion to maintain that. By the way, over the last seven days readership ranged as high as 1,700 a day, which I don’t consider too bad for a blog speaking from the crypt.

7:59 PM/2010/03/on-the-boss-the-social-structure-of-colonial-moresby

7:58 PM/2018/11/do-you-know-the-names-any-papua-new-guinean-national-kiaps

7:58 PM/2015/06/kiaps-australias-spurned-but-not-forgotten-nation-builders

7:57 PM/2015/06/reviving-traditional-tattooing-practice-in-pngs-central-province

7:55 PM/2009/05/illegal-chinese-workers-enter-png-as-riots-continue

7:55 PM/2020/04/the-airship-saga-that-never-happened

7:52 PM/2016/01/datagaliwabe-the-great-god-progenitor-of-the-hela-nation

7:51 PM/2023/08/recent-notes-8-9th-august-2023

7:50 PM/2015/08/the-legend-of-the-origin-of-the-bulolo-people

7:50 PM/2010/07/environment-act-amendment-denies-our-freedom

7:49 PM/2020/09/persistence-how-paul-kurai-became-a-tycoon

7:48 PM/2015/01/betel-nut-is-here-to-stay-so-heres-how-to-solve-the-problems

7:48 PM/2017/03/a-lot-of-expat-behaviour-in-png-leaves-a-lot-to-be-desired

7:46 PM/2018/12/mountain-myths-from-papua-new-guinea

7:45 PM/2023/08/recent-notes-5-7th-august-2023

7:44 PM/2023/08/recent-notes-8-9th-august-2023

7:44 PM/2023/08/index

7:41 PM/2023/08/recent-notes-8-9th-august-2023

7:38 PM/2014/08/national-book-week-in-simbu-write-your-way-into-the-world

7:37 PM/2023/08/recent-notes-8-9th-august-2023

7:36 PM/2015/10/development-colonialism-in-modern-papua-new-guinea

7:36 PM/2018/12/the-most-venomous-snakes-in-papua-new-guinea

7:35 PM/2015/10/development-colonialism-in-modern-papua-new-guinea

7:35 PM/2023/08/recent-notes-8-9th-august-2023

7:33 PM/2016/11/with-an-all-encompassing-agenda-this-is-a-voice-we-should-listen-to

7:33 PM/a-kiaps-chronicle

7:33 PM/2014/09/from-the-kundiawa-news-50-years-ago-in-the-territory

7:32 PM/2015/11/has-png-become-the-zimbabwe-of-the-south-pacific

7:32 PM/2014/03/paliau-maloat-how-one-man-changed-manus-forever

7:30 PM/2022/12/friends-to-all-enemies-to-everybody

7:28 PM/2021/05/bride-price-exploitation-abuse-harm

7:27 PM/2011/02/nbc-challenges-as-kapera-moves-into-top-gear

7:27 PM/a-kiaps-chronicle

7:27 PM/2018/12/mountain-myths-from-papua-new-guinea

7:26 PM/2018/12/mountain-myths-from-papua-new-guinea

7:23 PM/2014/07/the-1991-bougainville-unilateral-declaration-of-independence

7:22 PM/2022/04/remembering-the-remarkable-john-guise

7:20 PM/2011/07/anthropologists-anthropologists

7:18 PM/2012/12/christians-say-a-law-against-polygamy-is-urgent

7:18 PM/2016/12/16-powerful-inspirational-papua-new-guinea-women

7:17 PM/2019/01/pig-kill-the-early-religion-of-the-chimbu-people-1

7:15 PM/2019/11/is-gordons-a-turning-point-for-png-markets

7:14 PM/2018/10/distribute-the-tax-burden-fairly-among-formal-informal-sectors

7:14 PM/2021/07/a-brief-history-of-png-literature-part-1

7:12 PM/2018/10/45-years-of-exploring-the-caves-of-the-nakanai-mountains

7:11 PM/2022/07/a-true-bikman-memories-of-sir-jacob-luke

7:10 PM/2017/12/10-years-in-the-morgue-jk-kanaka-jack-murray-nation-builder

7:09 PM/2017/05/ating-yu-pilim-swit

7:08 PM/2017/12/10-years-in-the-morgue-jk-kanaka-jack-murray-nation-builder

7:07 PM/2018/10/45-years-of-exploring-the-caves-of-the-nakanai-mountains

7:06 PM/2012/07/the-fascinating-history-of-tok-pisin-hiri-motu

7:06 PM/2015/07/i-will-fear-no-evil-for-thou-art-with-me-part-one-1943

7:01 PM/2023/08/recent-notes-8-9th-august-2023

INTRODUCING YOUR UNINVITED GUEST, 'ERIN'

In the northern hemisphere, summer has brought increased Covid hospitalisations and a new variant has hit the leader board in the Melbourne Cup field of viruses competing for your indulgence. The strain is officially designated EG.5, or ‘Eris’ if you’re an amateur Covid watcher, and so far accounts for 17% of US cases (up 5% in a week) and 10% in the UK.

EG.5 is a descendant of the XBB strains of the Omicron family that have dominated recent months and carries an extra spike mutation allowing it to infiltrate human cells. But there's no indication it’s more contagious or severe. The US Centres for disease Control says current vaccines protect against the variant. Ingrid and I are having our sixth vaccine shot and fourth booster next week.

Brisbane-based infectious disease physician and clinical microbiologist, Associate Professor Paul Griffin says Erin has likely made its way to Australia but hasn’t yet been officially identified due to the limited testing being done. Yeah, sounds right. Check here with Medscape for more information and sources.