Item 1: Is Chinese business success based on lucky numbers?

That's what the Wall Street Journal seems to be asking up there. Actually that particular story is mostly about how individual investors make up the bulk of Chinese stock trading, rather than in America, where conglomerates and brokerages take up the biggest slice of the pie.

But it's got a nice chart of Chinese numbers in it, and a nice overview of why it's a good practice to give somebody you like eight of something, and why you won't find a fourth or 14th floor in a lot of tall buildings, or a fourth, 14th or 24th row in Chinese airlines.

(Because ba (8) is prosperity, but si (4) is death!)

The number thing is so ingrained in China, they've noticed certain keys on teller machines wear out faster:

The 6, 8 and 9 keys on ATMs made by Diebold Inc. wear out first because those "are considered lucky numbers in China," according to spokesman Joseph Richardson.

Something to bear in mind when giving gifts.

Item 2: As mentioned previously on here and in more official information outlets, if you're interested in adopting from China from now on, you need to have a BMI under 40.

Everybody knows what that means in general - your Body Mass Index is a measure of obesity, comparing how your fat compares to your height, or how well your weight is distributed on your frame.

But just how fat IS BMI 40?

Here's a BMI calculator. I'm 6-feet even, I weigh around 170, and it tells me I have a BMI of 23.3. In order to break 40, I'd have to weigh 295 pounds.

So I guess there's a whole subset of professional athletes out there who won't be adopting from China out there any time soon - at 6-foot-1, 305 pounds, Ex-Eagles, current New Orleans Saints center Bubba Miller has a BMI over 40, and he's far from the beefiest player on the field.

The problems with using BMI as a measure of obesity have been pointed out before, actually, but possibly bear repeating.