What would you do for an iPad 2?

My editor won’t be too pleased that I posted this. He’ll say “What’s that got to do with food?" (Food is my bag, see). I’ll say “Kidney equals food, right?” Not human kidneys, admittedly. Well, at least not lately. OK, this probably merits some explanation...

So, as if the window smashing, iron-bar wielding laowai madness at the iPad 2 launch in Sanlitun Village wasn’t proof enough that folks here are crazy about Apple gizmos (Apple stores in China are the world’s most profitable, apparently), a reckless 17-year-old lad called Zheng has become the subject of fervent internet message board debate recently after admitting on Shenzhen TV that he sold one of his kidneys illegally to purchase an iPad 2. A gosh darn iPad. That’s half a laptop. It doesn’t even have a keyboard. (Read more here, courtesy of Britain’s Daily Telegraph).

Dunno about you, but I get the sense that iPad mania is reaching silly levels in Beijing. I was in East Shore Live Jazz Café the other weekend (great hangout, btw) and at least three tables of people were basking in the fuzzy glow of their iPads (probably pinging birds at pigs) paying zero attention to the live music and therefore contributing in no way to the vibe of the place. Come on – a jazz bar is about human interaction, right?

A recent South Park episode plays on all this hype with Apple boss Steve Jobs announcing the release of his latest project, the Human CentiPad. I'll leave that for you to figure out if you haven't had the pleasure of seeing the (admittedly quite disturbing) episode.