Democracy With Chinese Characteristics

In a statement highlighting his fundamental misunderstanding of the concept of democracy, President Hu addresses the party congress:

Hu Jintao, China’s Communist party chief, on Monday vowed to introduce greater democracy to the world’s largest political organisation but reminded members they must “always agree” with their leaders.

In a speech to the five-yearly congress of China’s 73m-member ruling party, Mr Hu stressed the importance of expanding “intra-party democracy”, increasing party transparency and strengthening limits on the authority of individual Communist cadres.

This thinking is pervasive on any number of topics. It's why I keep a cinderblock to beat my head against just to the right of my telephone. Comes in handy all too often.

Crosby & Nash: Still on Fringe of Looney Left

Got this little ditty from Allahpundit - one of my favorites:

Video: Job of U.S. soldiers is killing “mothers and sisters,” says David Crosby

So self-parodic is this all the way around the horn that I can’t muster the requisite outrage. Of course David Crosby thinks American soldiers are out to kill women. Of course Graham Nash thinks “dialogue” is the answer to suicidal jihadism. Of course Chris Matthews doesn’t think he’s a Marxist even as he’s mouthing rhetoric straight from the Daily Worker. Of course, of course.

A lot of golden moments packed into 130+ seconds but if I have only one to take with me to the grave, it’s the knowing look Nash shoots Matthews after he very smartly suggests opposing the war as a good way for the Church to distract people from that nasty business with the altar boys. You’re nobody’s fool, Nashy!

Take a look at the video on Hot Air. It is wonderful.

LGF's comments are well noted:

In the golden age of Woodstock, David Crosby and Graham Nash sang, “do do do do do, doot doot do-do-do-do.” Crosby nearly died from his prodigious cocaine abuse, but spent part of his fortune to jump ahead of the plebeians and get a transplant to stay alive. Who knows how many people were murdered in stinking Colombian hotel rooms, and buried in unmarked graves so he could stay high, 24 hours a day until his liver gave out?

Pathetic and disgusting.

Animals

We wouldn't be saying this if they were our neighbors.

Saying the time is now for a Palestinian state, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday prodded Israel and the Palestinians to agree at a U.S.-sponsored conference this fall on how and when to start formal peace talks.

In one of her strongest statements yet on the issue, Rice declared that creation of a Palestinian state is a key U.S. interest and urged the two sides to drop contentious demands and reach consensus on a substantive joint statement ahead of the international conference.

For some reason in the last two years of their terms, presidents seem to think that a Palestinian/Israeli resolution is the key to their legacy. Even if it is the most wishful of wishful thinking and completely unwarranted.

Until the Palestinians stop behaving like animals, I would cut off all aid (much more difficult to buy mortar rounds without American cash) and tell them they can count the US out of any "peace negotiations". Waste of time.

Who Really Cares?

After being absent for the first three weeks of "Dancing With the Stars 5," co-host Samantha Harris is returning from maternity leave Monday night. Her absence has been both a welcome respite and an unbearable void because she is at once the most unpredictably entertaining part of the ABC reality competition series — and the worst.

Who watches this nonsense? Dancing with the Stars? Joe Millionaire, the Greatest Loser, Survivor, the Bachelor and all the other junk on TV. I heard about some Bachelor take off airing in England where the bachelor is bi-sexual and gets to choose between men and women.

I can't think of anything I'd rather do less then sit in front of the TV and watch any one of these shows. I watched about 30 minutes of a Bachelor show one time when I was drunk. My mind wasn't even numb enough then to dull the pain. I hope it is some 10 year fad where in the year 2020 we can all look back and gasp at the thought of reality TV. Like we did bell bottoms in the 80's.

Harmonious Society To Be Defined

Finally!! I've been waiting for a measure of "harmonious society". No one in the government in China gives a speech without reference to this obnoxious term. What does it mean? Thankfully, these little catch phrases are cyclical in the West. They are invented by some speech writer for a presidential hopeful, repeated ad nauseum and the discarded well before then next election cycle. When you only have one party in power, there is no such saving grace.

Wang Jinhua, deputy director of the Rural Areas Division of the Grassroots Political Power Building Department under the Ministry of Civil Affairs in China, has told local media that China is studying ways to create an index system for quantifying a harmonious society.

Wang says that China will have a measurement standard for the harmonious society and within that resident satisfaction will be an important part of assessing community harmony.

China Whines More

This is so disappointing. China should look at this as an opportunity to learn how to quit making total crap. If they would handle the criticism in a more adult fashion, it probably wouldn't made the headlines EVERY SINGLE DAY and they could probably get a lot of much needed free advise on how to make some improvements. Instead, they pound the table and point their fingers in the opposite direction.

The Chinese government, scrambling to counter a storm of criticism over the safety of the nation's exports, is now taking aim at products sent to China from some of America's largest companies.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Li Changjiang -- China's most senior quality-control official and head of the government's 30,000-person inspection service -- presented a list of defects and dangers he said have turned up in products shipped by U.S. companies. These include turbines from General Electric Co., ultrasound machines from a U.S. unit of Philips Electronics NV, of the Netherlands, and farm machinery from Deere & Co. Mr. Li pointed to problems ranging from mislabeled pacemakers to engine problems to pesticide-laden apples grown in Washington state to defective homing pigeons, infected with disease. In some cases, the companies involved had previously acknowledged and responded to complaints from China about the items.

China Policy

Hu addresses the party congress in Beijing:

"Our growth is realized at an excessively high cost of resources and the environment," Mr. Hu told more than 2,000 delegates to the party congress in Beijing's Great Hall of the People.

In order to maintain expansion without using as many resources, China's growth in the future will need to be driven more by improvements in technology and productivity, Mr. Hu said.

He outlined a vision for a restructuring of the world's fourth-largest economy, one that would emphasize technology rather than heavy industry, services rather than manufacturing, and local consumer spending rather than exports.

This all sounds great, but it is difficult to attract technology when there is no IP protection. Their service sector isn't much to write home about either. The Chinese have no concept of service.

To ensure that more people benefit from economic growth, Mr. Hu said the government will raise minimum wages, expand health care and the social safety net and stimulate the creation of jobs in the private sector.

And he quotes the three things that are guaranteed to stifle job creation.

The emphasis on the environment could mean heavier financial penalties on polluters, as well as tax incentives for energy-saving technology, Mr. Zhao said, while the stated desire to boost household incomes could lead to lower personal tax rates.

Good ideas here. The Chinese who cannot avoid paying taxes and social insurance (the ones who work for foreign companies) are taxed at an exorbitantly high rate. Actually, the companies who pay their salaries have to pay most of the taxes and social insurance. If I hire someone for $6,400 annually, I have to pay $6,000 in taxes and social insurance on that person. It is a regressive tax, so as the person earns more, I pay a smaller percentage in taxes and insurance. But even at higher wages, I still pay close to 1/3.

Yet Mr. Hu offered no clear account of how he would resolve any conflicts between economic growth and preserving the environment and social harmony.

Always the trick isn't it. I don't envy him in that.

The local officials charged with carrying out Mr. Hu's policy can be caught between the two sets of priorities.

"The central government does require us to strengthen environmental protection," Chen Baogen, mayor of the city of Xi'an, said in a recent interview. But the local government also needs to continue fast economic growth, Mr. Chen said.

"Speeding up development creates jobs for more people and raises their income," which in turn brings the local government more tax revenue, he said. Local governments need that money to provide the higher standard of social services that have been promised. "Without money we can't pay for schools or improve health care," Mr. Chen said.

Welcome to the problems of every government on the planet. I suggest they start by discontinuing the current policy of every Communist official of stealing the revenues that do come in. In the aggregate, that would leave a lot more money in the public coffers.

Tibet/Nepal Revisited. Again.

Because no one is grading me on this blog, I can be random and disorganized. Here are some pictures that a friend took in Tibet that I haven't posted. I wrote earlier about the unveiling of the Thanka in Lhasa but I didn't have the pictures at that time. We awoke at 5:00 and started climbing the mountain at 6:00 a.m. because they unveil the Thanka just as the sun rises on the mountain. These are some pictures that my fellow traveler took of that event.









These are some pics from around one of the monasteries in Lhasa. I thought this young girl was so pretty - obviously she was excited to have her picture taken.



More prayer flags in Lhasa. They hang prayer flags from every stationary object in the country.



The random monkeys in Nepal. If you look closely, you can see that they are everywhere along the outside of the picture in addition to the little fella in the middle.

Pirated DVDs

One of the great things about pirated DVDs is the surprises you get when you put one in. Will it work? Will there be static in the middle? Will it play in English? Will the Oscar announcement "This movie is intented for Academy use only. Any unauthorized use of this movie is prohibited." roll periodically throughout the movie.

Then there are some of the quirkier issues. Will the subtitles be for the same movie? Will the video match the cover of the DVD (same movie)? Will the back of the DVD case have a summary of my movie or of something altogether different. Will it have a negative review of the movie instead of a summary?

Islamophobia Committee

How about this load of garbage posted on LGF:

Islamophobia gathered pace in the West with the end of the Cold War, long before the September 11, 2001 attacks against the US, participants at a two-day OSCE conference that began in Spain Tuesday said.

Well people weren't real happy when Iran took Americans hostage in the '70s, but it wasn't Islamophobia. I think the prevailing thought was that the Arabs were running around on a bunch of camels without electricity. Unfortunately, Islamic fundamentalism hasn't done a great deal to change that view.

“After the end of the Cold War, certain people took Muslims and Islam to be the new scapegoat and enemy,” Mustapha Cherif, an expert on Islam at the University of Algiers, told AFP on the sidelines of the gathering. “But after the senseless act of September 11, this has been amplified,” added Cherif, who is known for his commitment to battling religious hatred.

Islam didn't clearly define itself as the enemy until 9/11. And I'd say there are some pretty good reasons for that.

Delegations from the 56 nations that make up the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) are taking part in the conference in the southern Spanish city of Cordoba on the topic of intolerance toward Muslims.

Only a room full of liberals could possibly be worried about intolerance of Muslims in Western countries, while Muslims slice the heads off of Christians in Muslim countries, or stone them to death.

Spain currently holds the rotating presidency of the OSCE, which promotes human rights, democracy and conflict prevention in Europe, North America and Central Asia.

Arab League Secretary-General Amr Mussa told the gathering that after the end of the Cold War, “conservative extremists in certain Western circles” needed to find a new enemy. “We can’t live in stability and security if some are perceived as first class citizens and others second class citizens. This has to disappear,” he added.

As one of the folks he would definitely label a conservative extremist (I would label myself a conservative and leave it at that), I can assure you there is nothing more most Americans would like that a few years of peace. Unfortunately, France et al don't maintain armies, or at least effective ones, and they prefer to be conquered rather than fight, so we have to step up to the plate and take care of things. We don't like to get involved in skirmishes, in fact we held out so long in WWII that the French were learning how to make bratwurst and the Brits were on their last leg.

Studies by the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia have found anti-Muslim behaviour and attitudes have risen since 2001, said Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos.

To the surprise no doubt of everyone in the room.

We are a simple lot: don't go after us and don't go after our friends (France, you are on your own having been removed from the friend list some time ago. Have fun with those Algerians in the Paris burbs).

Jimmy C on the Infinitely Superior Vice President

Here we have easily the worst, the most incompetent and the most impotent ex-president in modern history complaining about the current administration which is infinitely better in every measurable way. The guy should stick to building houses.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Wednesday denounced Vice President Dick Cheney as a "disaster" for the country and a "militant" who has had an excessive influence in setting foreign policy.

Cheney has been on the wrong side of the debate on many issues, including an internal White House discussion over Syria in which the vice president is thought to be pushing a tough approach, Carter said.

"He's a militant who avoided any service of his own in the military and he has been most forceful in the last 10 years or more in fulfilling some of his more ancient commitments that the United States has a right to inject its power through military means in other parts of the world," Carter told the BBC World News America in an interview to air later on Wednesday.

Of course the Vice President's group has the manners to steer clear of this nonsense.

Asked to comment on Carter's remarks, Megan Mitchell, a spokeswoman for the Republican vice president, said, "We're not going to engage in this type of rhetoric."

In a newspaper interview in May, Carter called the Bush administration the "worst in history" in international relations.

Sorry Jimmy. You've already captured that trophy and every other "worst of" category.

Empire State Building Goes Green

My brother-in-law notes this will make it easier for the terrorists to spot their target.

New York's iconic Empire State Building is to be lit up green from Friday in honor of the Muslim holiday of Eid, the biggest festival in the Muslim calendar marking the end of Ramadan, officials said.
"This is the first time that the Empire State Building will be illuminated for Eid, and the lighting will become an annual event in the same tradition of the yearly lightings for Christmas and Hannukah," according to a statement.

Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month, is expected to be celebrated in New York from Friday, depending on when the new moon is sighted, and the city's tallest skyscraper will remain green until Sunday.

Built in the early 1930s, the 443-meter-tall (1,454-feet-tall) Empire State Building was first lit up with colored lighting in 1976, when red, white and blue lights were used to mark the American Bicentennial.

China Airspace

I just learned from a very solid source that the Chinese military controls 80% of the airspace around Shanghai and the US government is still negotiating hard to get some of that released. In an earlier post, I think I said 7 of 13 levels of airspace are military. Turns out that number is a lot higher in certain areas.

I'm sure this is why you can't fly any place direct from Shanghai. You always have to go through Bangkok, Hong Kong or Japan.

Business Visitors

You know how you can just sense you're in for an interesting evening... I'm in for an interesting evening. A client of one of our companies called me randomly yesterday to say he is in town with a couple of Italian business friends and would like to get together. Normally I have a heads up that someone is coming into town; clients don't call me at random.

I gave my normal response: great, do y'all have time for lunch, dinner or a beverage while you are here? As a matter of fact they do. "Well what are you doing here," he asked.

Not sure how to answer, I launched into the speel about our office capabilities. "No," he interrupted. "I mean, what in the hell are you doing here?" Oh, you're looking for a funny answer. Well, I was drunk in a bar one night, and a guy approached me and asked me if I'd be willing to move to China, and I said yes. Haven't had a drink since. Right answer. He laughed. Then he said, "Well if you don't drink, we're going to have to find someone else to take us out."

Now it's a week night, and I can spot a group who wants to party hard until the wee hours when I see one. So I marched across the hall and announced to my "Party Till You Drop" colleague that I'd just enlisted him for dinner.

A few minutes ago, I received a call: "We are running late, and I have to warn you about something." Really; what's that? "One of the Italians that I'm bringing is incredibly good looking." Great. I'll tell my gay colleague. He'll be thrilled.

As luck would have it, one of my colleagues from the company that this particular client is affiliated with is still in town because of the weather yesterday. So I'm requiring that he attend as well. He's concerned that the client is going to think he's the one who's gay. Possibly.

This sounds like it needs to be a 3 on 3 evening. Thankfully I booked the reservations at a top restaurant in town. I make my company pay dearly for surprise visits and nights when I'm not in the mood to go out. As a result, I'm at some top restaurant two or three nights a week.

Jimmy C Gives Us a Lecture in Legal Terminology

Thank G_d this guy only served one term.

"There is a legal definition of genocide and Darfur does not meet that legal standard. The atrocities were horrible but I don't think it qualifies to be called genocide," he said. Washington is almost alone in branding the 4 1/2 years of violence in Darfur genocide. Khartoum rejects the term, European governments are reluctant to use it and a U.N.-appointed commission of inquiry found no genocide, but that some individuals may have acted with genocidal intent. Carter, whose charitable foundation, the Carter Center, worked to establish the International Criminal Court (ICC), said: "If you read the law textbooks ... you'll see very clearly that it's not genocide and to call it genocide falsely just to exaggerate a horrible situation I don't think it helps."

Tragedy Strikes Hollywood

Networks and studios have started thinking about the unthinkable this week.

The harsh rhetoric surrounding the WGA negotiations plus the guild's recent move to seek strike authorization have convinced execs that the threat of a Nov. 1 strike may be very real. A possible lockout is also being discussed.

The possibility that a writers strike could start in just a few weeks, with the current contract expiring Oct. 31, had not been prominent on the town's radar until recently. The prevailing sentiment had been that the WGA would wait for several months -- perhaps until summer, when both the SAG and DGA contracts expire -- before staging a work stoppage.

Eco-Babble From the Aussie Left

Tim Blair notes:

Well, I suppose he might have, in between invading Poland with electric-biofuel Prius Panzers and stuffing resource-consuming Jews into solar ovens. The man was an ecological powerhouse.

Note to Prisoner: Stay Out of Jail

I just caught this one.

A Muslim inmate is suing a southwest Missouri jail, claiming the facility's administrators violated his religious rights by feeding him sandwiches with a pork product concealed in them.

Odell M. Edwards, who as a Muslim is not allowed to eat pork, filed his lawsuit against the Greene County Justice Center this past week in U.S. District Court in Springfield. Jail officials maintain that the jelly is made with fruit pectin extracted from plants. Pectin is a natural substance that thickens jams and jellies.

The sandwiches in question were served to Edwards and other Muslim inmates during the holy month of Ramadan. Jail Director C.E. Wells said officials consulted with a Muslim spiritual adviser when planning the Ramadan menu, and the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were preapproved.

But Edwards said the jelly in the sandwiches contained gelatin, which is often extracted from pig tissue. He appears to be seeking $250,000 per day for the period in which he was served the jelly.

Edwards, a federal prisoner, is awaiting trial in Springfield on drug charges. He's been an inmate since April 2006.

Apparently drugs aren't a problem though. I'm glad this is in federal court; at times Missouri courts leave a bit to be desired. I believe I'd tell Mr. Edwards that if he is so worried about his diet, he needs to stay out of jail so he can watch it himself. I don't think the contents of jelly should really be an issue for jails. They have enough problems.

More BS From Muslims in the UK

Some Muslim medical students are refusing to attend lectures or answer exam questions on alcohol-related or sexually transmitted diseases because they claim it offends their religious beliefs.

Some trainee doctors say learning to treat the diseases conflicts with their faith, which states that Muslims should not drink alcohol and rejects sexual promiscuity.

A small number of Muslim medical students have even refused to treat patients of the opposite sex. One male student was prepared to fail his final exams rather than carry out a basic examination of a female patient.

I thought the Brits would support this crap. Thankfully, I was wrong.

And the GMC, which regulates doctors and maintains the medical register, recently brought out a paper for medical schools explaining what to do if students ask whether they could still graduate if they omitted parts of the medical curriculum.

The document makes it clear that doctors will not be able to opt out of any part of their training despite any religious objections.

Professor Peter Rubin, chairman of the GMC's education committee, said: 'Examples have included a refusal to see patients who are affected by diseases caused by alcohol or sexual activity, or a refusal to examine patients of a particular gender.'

But he said trainees who refused to carry out these parts of their courses would not be allowed to graduate because 'prejudicing treatment on the grounds of patients' gender or their responsibility for their condition would run counter to the most basic principles of ethical medical practice.'

I'd tell ole' Abdul Mohamed that we'll be happy to put him on the first plane back to whatever @^%)*hole his family is from, and he can practice there.

Imagine the uproar if it had been Jews refusing to treat Muslims or Christians.

Ignoring Positives From Iraq

This is why I think most journalists are just one step on the food chain from artists. Sometimes I can't decide whether that step is up or down.

After introducing the subject, Kurtz asked, "Robin Wright, should that decline in Iraq casualties have gotten more media attention?"

This was Wright's amazing answer:

Not necessarily. The fact is we're at the beginning of a trend -- and it's not even sure that it is a trend yet. There is also an enormous dispute over how to count the numbers. There are different kinds of deaths in Iraq.

There are combat deaths. There are sectarian deaths. And there are the deaths of criminal -- from criminal acts. There are also a lot of numbers that the U.S. frankly is not counting. For example, in southern Iraq, there is Shiite upon Shiite violence, which is not sectarian in the Shiite versus Sunni. And the U.S. also doesn't have much of a capability in the south.

So the numbers themselves are tricky.

Anybody want to bet whether they would have reported the numbers if they had increased. Pretty disgusting.

Mad Albright to Iran: Think About Watching Out!

This is a bit frightening: I agree with Mad Albright, the gal who hasn't met a third world dictator she doesn't love. I suspect her definition of last resort and mine are markedly different though. Israel would be gone, the US would be missing a few key cities and the UN would have passed a resolution condemning Iran before she stepped up to the plate.

Former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright does not rule out a war against Iran in the nuclear dispute between Tehran and the international community.

'This last resort can never be given up completely,' the Czech-born Albright who also served as US ambassador to the United Nations, told Prague-based CT1 television.

'First negotiation has to take place, although Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says terrible things,' she insisted.

Yes, he does say some terrible things sometimes doesn't he?

Back From the Holiday

Today we received some of the typhoon we were bracing for in September. We woke up to heavy wind and rain. Every window and corner of my apartment whistles - a sign of the quality of workmanship. I don't mind the weather; in fact, I enjoy a good storm. This didn't rate as much of a storm.

Altogether, a crap day though. I'm working on 2008 budgets beginning with salary increases. This year we are putting everyone on a calendar year for salary review purposes which is infinitely easier to plan since I only negotiate with everyone once. But nothing puts me in a worse mood.

It doesn't matter how many times I tell everyone in the office I DO NOT CARE WHAT YOUR TAKE HOME IS. I asked my secretary three times to get the gross salary figures for everyone in the office. Apparently, there is no Chinese equivalent for US gross. Gross salary to them means what they net and what taxes they pay. You have to double that number in some cases, in others add another 1/3, to equal what the company has to pay. I even explained why I need the gross: I'm preparing a budget and I need to plan the amount of money the company needs to send each month. What do I get: Chinese gross.

So I explained to her: if this number doesn't include everything, social insurance and the company taxes come out of each of your salaries. The company will not send more money.

As a general rule, they know better than to come near me when I'm dealing with salary issues. I'm nasty and I just can't help myself.

As long as it was going to be a crappy day, I decided to talk to the one secretary about her attire. Skirts must be within one inch of the knee; no bare arms; no armpit hair. Here are some clothes that I bought for you over break. I hope you like them.

Needless to say, I'm not very popular today.

Shanghai Fashion: The Anklet Craze

Anything goes in this town where fashion is concerned. Plaids and stripes of entirely different colors and stripes and florals are common. As are people cruising around in their PJs at all hours of the day, which I've remarked on before.

The anklet sock and the anklet stocking are popular with people of all ages. The secretary in our office frequently sports the things with her increasingly short skirts and frightening ensembles. It's on the list of things to deal with.

I came across a seminar offered to Chinese working in foreign offices and I was momentarily tempted. I believe it covered dress code and personal hygiene, spitting in the office, table manners and other inappropriate work behavior. I just find it so patronizing I can't bring myself to sign the office up. Most need it. I have two female colleagues who toe the line well. Our senior Chinese male is definitely a candidate. He has the long pinkie nail used for picking ears and nose and hacks and spits in the trash can in his office which being next to my office is incredibly offensive. He doesn't change his clothes often enough and showers even less. This would be a much bigger problem if he actually stood out from the rest of the male Chinese population.

Rather than deal with the situation, I go shopping. I look for better clothes at a substantial discount in small sizes and show up at the office with gifts in hopes people will get the message. Problem avoidance. I'm working on the secretary now. In her case, it is bad enough that I will have to follow the gifts up with a discussion on the merits of a 11" white denim layered mini skirt, sleeveless tank with bushy armpit hair sticking out and heels and anklets.

I struggle with fashion appropriateness myself so I can sympathize. I have begun transferring my age inappropriate attire to a 20-something colleague in the office to reduce the chance that I'll pull it out again in a moment of weakness. It is difficult to dictate female fashion in all circumstances, but I have to give it a shot so I have a few less things in life to complain about.

Dinner With Friends

I had dinner with a few friends tonight. One friend who moved from Shanghai back to the US in June is over doing some seminar work and flew in yesterday. She goes by "Crazy Patti" behind her back, but something tells me she wouldn't mind the nickname. She was one of my earliest friends in Shanghai and traveled with a pack of gals in their 50's. In my wildest days, I couldn't begin to keep up with that crowd and slowly fell by the wayside.

One of my closest friends here, Kathy, arranged the get together. Kathy is my traveling and shopping companion and arrived in Shanghai about five months after me. We've been roommates in Vietnam, Tibet and Nepal and are well suited road warriors. The fourth gal at the table is more of an acquaintance, largely because we haven't had the opportunity to talk. She is a delightful person, and I appreciated the chance to spend some quality time discussing her life in China.

The picture below is from our recent trip to Tibet. Kathy is on the right. Her college friend and fellow road warrior (Kathy doesn't sit still) is also in the picture.





During this Golden Week, we were supposed to be in Jakarta, but for a small hiccup on my part. We have on two occasions tried to get to Cambodia and failed due to progressive disturbance known as "someone else will take care of the travel arrangements." When it is apparent that no one has, someone steps up to the plate only to learn that all tickets to Cambodia are sold out. Tonight Kathy announced that we should try our hand at Cambodia again, this time over Thanksgiving.

Crazy Patti, who does not suffer from the same lapse in initiative, traveled there last Chinese New Year and was extolling the virtues of Anchorwat. So Kathy and I made a pact yet again that we would circle the wagons on Monday and visit Helen at Great West Travel for some direction. I fully expect that Helen will faint given the lead time we are providing. Assuming we actually get there on Monday.

Massage Parlor Opens Close to Home

I recognize it isn't very sporting of me to continue joke about all the Chinglish in China when I have only bothered to learn 5 Chinese words. Having said that, there are plenty of opportunities for them to check their use of words and grammar.

I was just approached by a young girl passing out pamphlets for the Golden Resort Massage studio which is apparently located close to may apartment. It's selling points are "Professional Skill, Comfortable Circumstance and Pleasant and Sweet Service.

Under a section called Dream Travel, it reads:

I just believe two people's hand, doctor and cook, the first assure your health, the second meet your desire for food, They are crucial in life, when I lay on the massage bed, hearing therapist getting ready for my therapy. His hand is gentle and strong, the sing of bird and the sound of murmuring stream could be heard. In this massage surrounding and professional skill. I think this person deserve my double trust, he has doctor's hand, and also cook's grade, he understand make mysterious aromatic oil develop mysterious effect.

From the list of massages offered, it looks legitimate. They offer penicures (cut nail, scrape feet, knead feet) which is basically what a Chinese pedicure is. The cut off all your toenails. It eliminates the need for an emery board.

Those Wacky Thug Dictators

If only Hollywood had more deep, nuanced people like Sean Penn, what a great place it would be.

Left-wing activist/actor Sean Penn rejected David Letterman's characterization that Hugo Chavez, the anti-U.S. President of Venezuela, is “nuts” and, asked about suppression of free expression, Penn used that as a hook to ridicule Fox News as run by “loons.” Penn appeared on Monday's Late Show to promote his new movie, Into the Wild. Letterman noted Penn's visit with Chavez and related how he understands Chavez “is nuts” and “wacky.” Penn retorted that “if people have oil under their ground they're called wacky”and asserted he's done “incredible things for the 80 percent of the people that are very poor there.” When Letterman raised how Chavez is “talking about nationalizing the media,” Penn defended Chavez for closing a television station before rejecting Letterman's premise: “The idea that, that there's no freedom of expression, I mean the loons on Fox News are broadcast there every day.”

Tim Blair notes: "Sean Penn is an idiot."

Democratic Nonsense

Senator Obama, let me introduce you to Katie Couric.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says he doesn't wear an American flag lapel pin because it has become a substitute for "true patriotism" since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"The truth is that right after 9/11 I had a pin," Obama said. "Shortly after 9/11, particularly because as we're talking about the Iraq war, that became a substitute for I think true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security.

"I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest," he said in the interview. "Instead, I'm going to try to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great, and hopefully that will be a testament to my patriotism."

Actually Senator, this country already is great. I don't expect there's much you can do to change that.

The Sky Is Not Falling

Obviously I'm not a global warming alarmist, but it is nice to see that at least one journalist/TV personality can think for himself.

CNN Meteorologist Rob Marciano clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Finally," in response to a report that a British judge might ban the movie "An Inconvenient Truth" from UK schools because, according to "American Morning," "it is politically biased and contains scientific inaccuracies."

"There are definitely some inaccuracies," Marciano added. "The biggest thing I have a problem with is this implication that Katrina was caused by global warming."

Marciano went on to explain that, "global warming does not conclusively cause stronger hurricanes like we've seen," pointing out that "by the end of this century we might get about a 5 percent increase."

Another Moving Art Exhibit

More brilliance on display. It's a wonder these idiots remember to breath.

A statue of a "dead" Prince Harry clutching a cameo locket of his late mother, Princess Diana, and a bloodied flag of Wales is to go on display next week.

The statue is intended to be seen as a memorial to honour those who are willing but unable to serve in Iraq, artist Daniel Edwards said.

The memorial, which features the Prince laid out before the Union Jack with pennies placed over his eyes and his head resting on a bible, will go on show at the Trafalgar Hotel in central London next Thursday as part of the Bridge Art Fair.

In May this year, the head of the British Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt, said the Prince would not be sent to Iraq because of "unacceptable risks" and a "number of specific threats" against him directly.

Mr Edwards, who is based in New York, said: "Prince Harry's spirit must have died the day they told him he couldn't serve. That's what this memorial is about."

The memorial features Prince Harry, with his unfired gun still holstered, laid out in front of the Union Jack while a desert vulture perches on his boot.

News From Afghanistan

My friend sent around another update of the goings-on in Afghanistan, and in his opinion and that of the US Army, things are going well.

The bad guys continue to leave an area as soon as they learn we are on the way or attempt to leave while we are there and we see these as continued indicators to the local Afghan population that the much vaunted Taliban are not as brave as their own publicity claims they are. What it does show is that the Afghan Army, and to an extent the Afghan Police, are increasingly thought of as being more effective than in the past. While it sounds less than ideal if the insurgents leave an area before we get there, and to an extent that is the case, in the end what it offers us is breathing room to engage with the population and show them the Afghan forces that the population may have not seen before. We went to a village back in August that is so isolated that the population was not aware that there was an Afghan government. They actually asked “where are the Soviets?” Its not like this was some isolated island out in the middle of the Pacific with no possibility for connection to the population, this is a village not far from a main road, but isolated due to terrain and lack of electricity. Secondly, it allows us to interact in a relatively calm environment and truly speak with the locals to see what it is that they need and or want assistance with, if anything. Lately, we have had more and more cases of the locals taking care of their own problems and finding their own solutions. Lastly, it affords us the opportunity to coach and mentor the Afghan Army and Police and help mold them into a truly professional fighting and security force.

This culture will let things stew for centuries without making any progress or even knowing what the true issue is. In the Pashtunwali Code it may not matter what the dispute is about. The simple fact that one tribe thinks another tribe dishonored them or stole from them, true or not, is reason enough for a blood dispute. I may have mentioned this, but the Pashtunwali Code is a code that the Pashtun people live by that drives their lives and decision making process. For instance, a local will take into their home for food and shelter a US Soldier or a known Taliban simply if asked because the code says they will shelter and assist those that ask. This of course leads to problems because in our society a person that does that is aiding and abetting if they allow a known criminal into their world. Not the case here.

Shanghai Wednesday Night

A bit blurry, but I didn't have my tripod and the shutter stays open so long at night that I have to have one. The picture above is the exact same picture I have on the entry below during the day. Tomorrow I will bring my tripod home from work, where it has been since my father sent it to me a year ago.

This pic, also blurry, was taken off my bedroom balcony. The building is United Plaza. I'm sure that in one point in time, it was nice, but since no one has replaced the carpet or painted since it was built 15 years ago, it's a bit run down.

Shanghai Wednesday

Today was an absolutely beautiful day in Shanghai. This picture was taken from one of the windows in my apartment, and I discovered for the first time in 8 months that you can actually see the Pearl TV Tower in Pudong from my place. If you look dead center in this picture, off in the haze is the Tower.

Clear days are rare. I spoke with several other tenants in the building who had been here far longer than me (one has been here 4 years) and they had no idea the Tower was within sight.

Given that we are on holiday and it was a fantastic day, I went to lunch with a couple of friends.



At the suggestion of the Icelander, we went to a place called the Blue Chair and sat outside. The Blue Chair is a French joint and specializes in Crepes.


Note the banner on the porch. Very appetizing. It is difficult to read on this site, but it advertises a special: 48 kuai for crepe entres and 35 for dessert during the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 02:00 a.m. On the menu, all the crepes sell for 58 kuai plus. Sounds like a deal.



The Icelander had been to this place before. He said that when asked about the special promotion, he was told that there was no promotion. They liked the pictures on the banner. The prices of the crepes are as they appear in the menu. My friend raised the truth in advertising issue. The waitress said: "When you go into a store and they advertise shoes for 100 kuai, do you really expect to pay 100 kuai for shoes. Excellent argument from a Chinese perspective. You are correct; I never expect anything to make sense. And the chairs aren't blue.

Jimmy C Gets No Respect in Sudan

International superstar and long time megalomaniac peacekeeper Jimmy C runs into some trouble.

Former President Carter got in a shouting match Wednesday with Sudanese security officials who blocked him from a town in Darfur where he was trying to meet representatives of ethnic African refugees from the ongoing conflict.

The 83-year-old Carter walked into this highly volatile pro-Sudanese government town to meet refugees too frightened to attend a scheduled meeting at a nearby compound.

Carter was able to make it to a school where he met with one tribal representative and was preparing to go further into the town when Sudanese security services interrupted.

Too bad he wasn't this upset with Iran took our countrymen hostages.

Reason # 1 to Vote for McCain

I couldn't get excited with a Muslim in the White House under the current conditions. I'd like a more convincing display of disgust over the status quo in the Muslim world.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on presidential candidate Sen. John McCain to appoint a Muslim campaign advisor and a Muslim White House aide if elected in 2008.

CAIR's request came following McCain's remarks that America is a "Christian" nation and that he would not be comfortable with a Muslim in the White House.

In response to a question from Beliefnet.com about the possibility of a Muslim presidential candidate, the Arizona senator said: "I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles, that's a decision the American people would have to make, but personally, I prefer someone who I know who has a solid grounding in my faith."

In response to a quiry about how my basically faithless Protestant friend would handle marrying into a solidly Catholic family, she replied: "Sprinkle some water on my head and baptize me Jewish; I don't care." I always loved the gesture.

Inquest into Death of Princess Di

Excellent. For a moment I thought this travesty was going to vanish from the lime-light.

The father of Princess Diana's Egyptian lover reiterated Tuesday his claim that the couple were murdered by the British royal family, as a long-delayed inquest into their deaths finally got underway.
Mohamed al-Fayed made the comments on arrival at the High Court in London, where hearings began with the selection of an 11-person jury to hear the case 10 years after they died in a Paris road tunnel crash.

Ad Screening

This doesn't bother me a great deal. I wish the US had fewer sexual erection ads on TV.

China has banned television and radio ads for push-up bras, figure-enhancing underwear and sex toys in the communist government's latest move to purge the nation's airwaves of what it calls social pollution.

Regulators have already targeted ads using crude or suggestive language, behavior, and images, tightening their grip on television and radio a few weeks ahead of a twice-a-decade Communist Party congress at which some new senior leaders will be appointed.

Soybeans Returned

The Chinese government once again finds itself utterly incapable of playing fair and accepting responsibility. Instead they push a trade war.

The country's top quality watchdog on Friday said it had returned 460 tons of soybeans imported from the United States because they contained live Khapra beetles - an extremely destructive pest of grain products and seeds.

The soybeans, in 21 containers, were seized at Huangpu Port in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, according to a circular from the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).

No Such Thing as a Two Way Street

I don't have a lot of love for the French, but this is really a crock:

A Chinese court has ordered France’s Schneider Electric to pay a Chinese company $45m in damages for infringing its patent, the largest amount ever awarded in an intellectual property case in the country.

Intellectual property violations are one of the main sources of friction between China and the rest of the world, and in the vast majority of IPR cases involving foreign players, the Chinese company is the defendant.

If you look at any infringement case against a Chinese company, the awards are always $5,000 or in a particularly egregious case $45,000. If I were the French government, I'd have a bit of a heart to heart with the Chinese government and explain that if they want to keep dressing their children in Burberry diapers, they better rethink that award amount.

When Trapped in Elevator, Watch the Smeary Walls

Now in your hour of need, helpfully comes the City of Shanghai Official Website to assist you in that broken elevator. What suggestions do they have?

What to do when trapped in a lift?

If the lift malfunctions when you are riding the lift, keep cool and don’t panic.

Keep collected, console other passengers trapped in the life with you.

Explain to other passengers that usually there will be no danger. The lift won’t fall down the lift shaft. Now everybody should be of one mind to call for help.

Fellow passengers don't worry. Usually there is no danger . . . except, oh wait.... this has the "Made in China" label.

Explain to the trapped passengers that usually there’s an anti-falling safety device on the bottom of the lift box, which stuck the lift box firmly on the rails on the walls of the lift shaft so that the lift box won’t fall. Usually when there’s a power cut, the safety device won’t fail.

That's two "usuallys" in one short paragraph. What are the chances?

Use alarm bell or interphone to call for help

When there’s no reply for the calling, the safest measure is to keep calm, retain physical strength and wait for chances to get help. Get prepared for suffering hunger or sultriness.

Note the assumption that no one will reply. Pretty safe bet. Most likely, the phone in the elevator isn't even hooked up. And you will suffer.

Call for help by flapping on the door if there’s no alarm bell or interphone. If there’s no lift technician to be immediately found, let the people outside to call for help to the fire brigade or police. Firemen usually can wind the lift up or down.

There's that word again . . . "usually". Just flap yourself against the door again and hope it isn't a national holiday.

If there’s no trained lifesaver outside, don’t climb out of the lift by yourself.

Never attempt to prize the lift door open by force. Even if the inner door can be opened, the outer door can unnecessarily be reached. The smeary wall of the lift box may make you slip. It’s uneasy to open the outer door and get out safely.

Word of caution: watch the smeary wall.

Even if there’s an emergency exit on the ceiling of the lift box, don’t readily climb out through it. As when the exit door is open, the safety switch will break the lift stop. But if the exit door accidentally closes, the lift may make a sudden start and make you lose your balance. If you stumble you may fall off the top of the lift box and cause serious injury.

That's a lot of think about. Why not just have a phone that works?

It's Probably Cancer

If you are feeling a bit under the weather, it's probably cancer. Don't wait for it to spread further; go see your doctor immediately. Here's a little more information from the City of Shanghai's Official Website.

Does patient who catches a cold have to see the doctor?

The first is depended on the light or severe degree of the disease. If the patient has only common symptoms such as cough, sneeze, and his daily life is not influenced, he may wait for one or two days, then he may decide whether to see the doctor according to the change of his disease. If he can not sleep comfortably or his appetite decreases, and he becomes pale and tired, he must go to see the doctor.

The second is depended on whether the patient has other symptoms in addition to cold; such symptoms as serious nausea or vomiting should be suspected to be reactions of brain lesion (for example, meningitis). If the patient has high fever and does not want to eat greasy food, combining with nausea and vomiting, etc, these should be suspected to be reactions of infectious hepatitis. If the onset of disease is very severe, and the patient feels cold then have a fever; and the high fever over 39℃usually lasts without sign of descending, complicated with aching pain of the body and having no appetite; and surrounding people show the same symptoms, that is probably flu. If the patient demonstrates high fever persistently, complicated with dyspnea, severe cough and cyanosis of mouth lips, then the disease should be suspected to be pneumonia.

Cold virus sometimes cause myocarditis. The symptom usually demonstrates as follows: about one week after catching cold, the patient presents with palpitation, chest distress, short breath, ambiguous ache in precordial region and so on, especially when presenting with tachycardia (more than 100 times per minute) and irregular heart beat. The patient with these symptoms should see the doctor in time.

Protect Your Qi

Just moved to Shanghai and are feeling a little anst about the local health care system. Don't. Modern medicine is readily available here. Here are a few tips for coronary heart disease patients on how to survive spring in this part of the world:

How do coronary heart disease patients pass through rainy season in spring?

1.The patients must have enough rest and sleep in rainy season in spring, and avoid excessively tired or exciting mood. In this way, the patient may well adapt the changes of the weather.

2. Working and living surroundings need ventilation and dry; the patients breathe deeply or do breathing exercises every morning. So the patients may increase their vital capacity and avoid oxygen lack and the uncomfortable feelings of muffling, hot or humid.

3. Take necessary drugs and Chinese herbs to prevent angina pectoris. The patient who feels severe chest distress may take musk heart-protection pill sublingually, so as to obtain the goals of fragrant enlightening and regulating the flow of qi to head.

It's all about qi.

Handy Tips From the Shanghai Government

On a whim, I decided to check out the official City of Shanghai's website. Keep in mind this is the most cosmopolitan city in China as well as the city with the most expats. Unfortunately, none were available to proofread the site. Under the category of "Epidemic Prevetion" are these suggestions:

How to do health care to mouth in summer?

I admit, the title made me curious.

1. Do not enjoy only nice and cool feeling. In summer we often see such patients: they are normal before sleep, but when they get up, they suddenly find they can not drink water and mouthwash; they present with distortion of commissure, leaking of water when drinking water, unable to blow cheek, leaking air when blowing, wrinkles of forehead disappearing, unable to frown, hypophasis and revealing of conjunctiva, etc. This disease is called Bell paralysis, and it is a simple type of paralysis of peripheral facial nerve. Bell paralysis usually occurs after local region of the body being blown or exposed to cold by cold wind, probably caused by spasm of blood vessels supplying facial nerve, thus the nerve suffers from ischemia and injury, followed by edema of tissues. Edema aggravates the oppression of nerve and hinders the flow of lymph and blood, so the vicious cycle results in facial paralysis. Therefore, in order to prevent Bell paralysis, avoid suffering from chilling of the face, especially the retroauricular region and not to sleep near windows or on roof at night; moreover, avoid retroauricular region being chilled by cold wind when riding.

This definitely explains some of the paranoia at the office. As soon as the weather turns, everyone heads to the hospital for treatment.

2. Keep good health habit and avoid foul breath.

Foul breath often worries many patients greatly. It may affect interpersonal communication severely and injure the patients badly. As a disease, foul breath is receiving increasing attention of more and more stomatologic doctors and extensive care of people. About 85%-90% of foul breath comes from mouth; bad oral health, thick lingual fur, decayed tooth, peridentitis, food impaction, impurity artificial tooth or smoking may all cause foul breath. In addition, rhinitis, nasosinusitis, gastritis, gastric ulcer, diabetes mellitus, liver dysfunction or uremia are associated with foul breath. In summer, it is hot and people may suffer from insufficient sleep, mental stress, overtiredness, and these may lead to temporary physiological foul breath. Good oral habit may cure most of foul breath; cleaning back of tongue, tooth brushing and rinsing the mouth are all effective methods. When patient suffers from chronic refractory foul breath, he should be examined to see whether he has other disease.

In most of the cases I have seen, this epidemic can easily be cured with a toothbrush. I haven't witnessed the level of concern this article suggests either. Unfortunately.

3. Prevent children from tooth trauma in summer.

Children belong to a special group in oral patients. With the arrival of summer, some oral diseases owned only by children show a trend of high incidence. In summer, decreasing of immunity caused by without temperance of eating and drinking, excessive amusement, irregular life may lead to many kinds of oral disease, for example, decayed tooth, endodontitis, periapical periodontitis and so on. Children are lively and active and they have no supervising and tending of teachers in summer holiday, so the morbidity of tooth trauma increases greatly. After tooth trauma, the child should see the stomatologic doctor in normal hospital. The doctor will give corresponding treatment according to the condition. If the damaged tooth is loosened obviously, it should be fixed with epithesis to accelerate its recovery. If the child suffers from complete luxation of tooth, the tooth should be put in a cup contained physiological saline, milk or tap water at once, or stored sublingually or in the oral vestibule of the child and see the doctor immediately. The tooth is avoided by all means to be stored dry. And the survival rate of reimplanting the tooth will increase greatly in this way. Generally, regular return to hospital is needed after tooth trauma so as to observe the survival and therapeutic effect of the dental nerve.

This really cuts in on the tooth fairy's territory. I stick to my original theory: try toothpaste. Fortunately, parents only need to be concerned in the summer. In the winter, they are busy with Bell paralysis.

Yes Men

One of the more irritating Chinese habits is their stubborn refusal to acknowledge when they don't understand your request. I encounter this with my secretary periodically. The perfectly acceptable response is, "Could you repeat that? I have no idea what you just said." I fully expect this response since I don't speak Chinese and English is not her first language. Never once has she said it, however. Instead, she said yes and walks out of the room.

Today I ran errands with a friend with a car (must have friends with cars and drivers). I told the driver I wanted to go to XYZ which I remembered being south of our then present location. He was insistent that I was wrong about the location and drove the other direction. I was a bit miffed, but knowing that I have a penchant for being wrong, I didn't put up much of a fight. After a bit of driving in the other direction, my friend the car owner said "Mr. Guo, we are going to XYZ factory, right?" To which Mr. Guo make it perfectly clear he had no idea what XYZ factory is or where it is located. Then where in the hell is he taking us? My friend repeated the question: "Mr. Guo, do you know where XYZ factory is?" "Not open today" was his face saving response. Hum. That would be unusual.

I never did figure out where he was headed and it just burns me that he argued with me when he clearly didn't know either.

My secretary is learning not to argue with me. If I'm wrong, state your case clearly and succinctly. I'm willing to listen. I often have misconceptions about what can and can't be done in China. But "no, you can't do that". Why? "Because they said so", does not cut it. Neither does: "yes, I understand" when you obviously do not. Finally, if you are going to launch into a protracted argument with your boss, make sure you understand what he or she is asking, what the correct answer is and why.

Quality Control Techniques

There is a terrific article in the Shanghai Business Review on Scrutinising Quality and Control. Chip Chaikin, Managing Director of Blue Point Capital Partners, Asia explains:

Today Blue Point frequently surprises the shop with visits. "Now they're sort of running fine," he says, "but if we started to stop sending the supply engineers in we'd probably have a problem in six months."

Kathy Shepard, Social Responsiblity Manager of Affiliates New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc., builds on Chaikin's statement with:

"Know your suppliers, develop strong relationships with them and, visit them often. Test everything."

The successful sourcing guys in China are rarely in their offices. They are at the factories and plants continually supervising quality, and they have people under their employee who are at the plants when they can't be.

The Chinese will substitute materials if they can, regardless of the impact on the product. They will resist quality control managers on site because it makes substitution much more difficult. Long term business relationships are not something they understand, no matter what they tell you in face-to-face meetings. They understand profit now.

Clients regularly pour into our office with the same stories: We've located a manufacturer who thinks like we do and we want to form a business relationship with them. The owner is a great guy; he ran a test product for us and we've sat down and worked out the quality issues. He understands them. Going forward we should have no issues.

A recipe for getting your clock cleaned.