Amazing work by a a group Georgetown students and their professor.
Key Points:
Nobody outside of China knows how many Nuclear Weapons China has (may be up to 3000 - the mainstream assumption was 80-400, where Pakistan has 50-110, and the US 5000)
China has built 3000 miles of tunnels for a giant shell game on nuclear weapons
China has a no first use policy on Nuclear Weapons (only 1 of the 4 original nuclear powers)
The US and Russia by treaty have onsite verification of nuclear weapons, there is no
Foreign firms in China are being made scapegoats (Lipton, Johnson & Johnson, WalMart) by highlighting any possible issues. Johnson & Johnson surprises me - they were used as case studies on an ethical company. Lipton is strange - rare earth in teas? WalMart was accused of falsely labeling pork as organic, and suffered the closure of stores in Chongqing (where Bo Xilai is campaigning for a top central committee position).
China has a serious food safety issue.
Lack of trust by ordinary people on safe food
Organic food sells for a premium
Foreign companies are seen as safer than Chinese firms for food
The reason is an increase in the number of English only households (6 in 10 pupils primary students in 2010), and he sees bilingualalism as a competitive advantage for Singapore.
Terminal 3 in Bejing's Capital Internaional Airport lost part of its roof. My guess is poor quality, lower cost materials were used, and not what was specified. Corruption often leads to materials being switched, and the difference is pocketed.
I am surprised that the image of Lt. Pike did not catch on in China. Chinese Internet Users Shrug at Pepper Spraying Cop - WSJ. A couple of my daughter's friends go to UC Davis, and she also has friends at UC Berkeley.
From the WSJ:
Meanwhile, a joke circulating widely on Weibo takes both governments to task (in Chinese):
Chinese journalist: “President Obama, how do you account for an American police officer using pepper spray on citizens?” Obama laughs: “Are you saying we should have used tanks?”
One of the complaints about China's government reducing funding of majors that have an oversupply of graduates, is this may increase false reporting of market demand. In the US, this has already happened with law degrees and other programs with high pressure on rankings being accused of fraud. From the reporting of Employement Data, to testing scores. I still have a bit of anger over what was reported for my graduate program for salaries and employment before I started.
Foreign maids in Hong Kong fight for permanent residency
Maids from the Philiphines who have lived in HK for many years, would like to get permanent residency. Unfortunately the current HK law is that domestic workers are not eligible for permanent residency, as other occupations are.
My guess is somehow, this is not going to happen.
Foreign maids in Hong Kong fight for permanent residency - LA Times Unlike lawyers or bankers, domestic workers are barred from seeking permanent residency even after decades in the city. Recent legal challenges have produced mixed results.
Amazing how poor pronunciation/a bad accent poor English can lead to a false story that caused a lot of panic.
Basically a reporter called up a Chinatown Meat Market, the person answered said he did not know English, and was asked if they sold dog. The person thought he meant duck meat, so he answered yes. WCO then aired a sotry, that was picked up by the NY Post, than then NY's state agriculture department searched the market and found no dog meet.
A point that was made in the comments, is does the US have a similar situation? An interesting question where in some areas yes, but I would argue overall no. Wealth in the US has a habit of lasting a few generations only. And in the US, the rich are usually careful not to flaunt its wealth as was done in the Gilded Age and the Roaring Twenties as symbolized by book, The Great Gatsby.
A Chinese saying reflects this, and I have heard a similar American saying:
富不過三代(富不过三代) (fu bu guo san dai)
Literally: Wealth does not pass three generations.
Meaning: It's rare that the wealth of a family can last for three generations (the 2nd may see the value of hard work, but the 3rd forgets it).
Explanation: In business, the first generation works extremely hard, so that the second generation reaps the benefits. By the time the third generation arrives, the wealth is squandered.
Compare: the proverb of Lancashire, England: "Clogs to clogs in three generations: the first generation makes it [money/wealth], the second generation saves it and the third generation spends it!". In Victorian times, clogs were wooden soled working mens' shoes, commonly worn in the factories of Northern England.
China's 'princelings,' the offspring of the communist party elite, are embracing the trappings of wealth and privilege—raising uncomfortable questions for their elders.
China's leadership is about to go through it's once a decade change in the top people, the question is what model will be used going forward? The Guangdong Model, or the Chongqing Model
The Guangdong Model can be thought of an Egg, where the Yolk is the Communist party that stays the same, but everything else other parts, how the party rules, can change and adapt.
The Chongqing Model is more nationalistic, a bit of Maoism, and lots of popularism.
China's 'princelings,' the offspring of the communist party elite, are embracing the trappings of wealth and privilege—raising uncomfortable questions for their elders.
China Solar Makers Face ‘Suicidal’ Prices on Excess Output
This makes sense, since Europe was a huge market for solar due to government support, which has been reduced due to economic issues. Which has translated to an oversupply and Chinese companies have a bad habit of just competing on price.
I would not be surprised if a forced consolidation happened soon in China of Solar Cell manufacturers.
A reflection of how high stakes College Admissions has become. A student got paid to take the SAT tests for others in NY, 7 students have been arrested so far. 13 other students to be charged soon.
The more interesting question was how did the person get caught? Per the article ETS looked for a large descrepancy between academics and the SAT scores.
A free audio visual tour that has 2 chapters on San Luis Obispo's Chinatown.
Notably, “The Darker Side” devotes two chapters to Chinatown, the Palm Street neighborhood that served as a city center for hundreds of Chinese immigrants during the 19th century. Arriving in California during the Gold Rush, they labored in hotels, laundries and restaurants, worked on wharfs and roads, and built the narrow-gauge railroad stretching from Port San Luis to San Luis Obispo.
Judge Rules Teacher Should Lose Job After Facebook Post
I have such mixed feelings about this.
Some classes have students that act like jerks. And no one will tell them they are acting unacceptably, including their parents who believe they walk on water. A friend of mine was a substitute teacher, a super nice lady very soft spoken, and a girl cursed at her. She talked to the parent, who would not believe her little angel would curse, and accused my friend of lying. At another school a parent was lawsuite happy, so all the teachers knew to leave the kid alone.
Never, never put anything electronic you don't want to go public. The rule I learned in E-Mail days, was never put anything in an E-Mail you would not want to appear on the front page of the NY Times.
This seems like more of the zero tolerance behavior, that removes common sense from decisions.
USC enrolls the most international students in the nation
And most of them are graduate students, my Father went to USC. USC enrolls the most international students in the nation - LA Times The university has claimed the top spot for 10 straight years. UCLA ranks sixth. Meanwhile, the number of international students enrolled in American higher education rises 5% from the previous year.
Online sales taxes get new support - Internet Retailer
It sounds like a step in the right direction requiring states to simplify their tax codes for Internet Sale Taxes. The current system is not fair for local businesses, but as a consumer I appreciate it.
A Mkt Professor used to repeat - all marketing is local!
Great quote from the article:
“Audi is still the de facto car for government officials,” said Wang Zhi, a Beijing taxi driver who has been plying the capital’s gridlocked streets for 18 years. “It’s always best to yield to an Audi — you never know who you’re messing with, but chances are it’s someone self-important.”
Double the amount of Audi's have been sold in China in 2010, as in the US. And Buick triple the sales in China, as compared to the US.
Great article that discusses the current profit model of book publishers and some of the issues with it. The entire publishing model is changing very quickly. Amazon E-Library Is Publishing’s Profit Model - Bloomberg
Interesting, Chinese search engines have blocked the word occuppy followed by any Chinese city.
I found this discussion interesting in the article comparing the US to China a hidden jewel in the article:
Using the "Gini coefficient," which measures a nation's income inequality, China ranks as the world's 36th most unequal state, while the United States is a few steps back at 44th. Forbes magazine reports that the United States has more billionaires than any other nation. But just behind, in the second spot, is China. Meanwhile, the United Nations says that almost half of China's population does not have access to a toilet. (In the United States, it's less than 1 percent.) What does that tell you about income inequality?
Interesting, the Chinese government now requires journalists in China to not uns any unverified information from mobile phone messages, or twitter type services (which are being used to get around censorship).
The bottom half of the article discusses Chinese honey, and how it has entered the US market. The claim is its heavily subsidized and to disguise its original, its microfiltered removing the pollin. Often fructose is added as a way to reduce cost to the honey. I was surprised at the high percentage of what is labeled as honey on the market, has been micro filtered. Tests Show Most Store Honey Isn't Honey - Food Safety News
Putting extended families under 1 roof - latimes.com
It was very frustrating when we were looking for a house to buy that we could not find a newer one with guest quarters. Around where we live, they are scarce.
I live with my in-laws, and its different. I am lucky that they are amazing people, and we get along well. I am also very appreciative when somebody else does the cooking (my in-laws are great cooks).
I am surprised... I would guess it depends on the campus. All you can eat buffets, that many campuses have, are deadly for diets. Of course at that age, they don't need to worry as much as when they are their parents age.
Laws are being created in China, which is positive. The challenge is they are not being followed, or they are being circumvented. But, a foundation is being layed. A Glimpse into Chinese Law-Making - China Real Time Report - WSJ
I view this as a smart attitude. Basically the idea if you have a bunch of lemons, make lemonade. The core money is coming from sales of the game which can't be easily pirated. Accessories, which has been pirated in China, are an area they probably would not have gotten the sales for anyway.
Because of a mix-up with UCLA on our campus tour, we got a to eat on campus. Great food last year, and it sounds like it has gotten even better. At UCLA, Asian-style diversity on the menu The renovated dining commons at Rieber Hall is offering food from seven national cuisines. It's part of a trend by colleges nationwide to replace old-style cafeterias and 'mystery meat' offerings with innovative ethnic fare that's more healthful.
Pens have a huge amount of status in China, the pricier the better. In the US, the pen market for upscale pens is tiny. They are also excellent gifts in China, where gifts are expected.
Wen Jiabao is the premier and party secretary of China. This translates as one of the top people in China's government. The Chinese leadership of the Politburo governs in a consensus style, but the Premier and President positions are the highest status and most visible of the Chinese leadership.
Web Jiabao's Grandfather died probably due to the stress of repeated self criticisms (he was an intellectual running a girl's school). His Father was sent to a pig farm during the cultural revolution.
"My childhood was spent in war and hardship. The poverty, turmoil and famine left an indelible imprint on my young soul [ ...] I realised only science, truth-seeking, democracy and hard work can save China."
In China, when the government complains about culture on the decline of modern culture in China, they believe they have the tools to take action to halt this decline.
Actions taken:
Capping the amount of entertainment shows on TV.
Increased visits to Internet companies by officials
