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Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Yelp Reviewer Caught On Camera

I am curious if this is actually the same person.

If it is, wow.

If it is not, also wow.

 Basically, a person wrote a negative review about a Chinese restaurant. The Chinese restaurant then showed the person only spent 22 seconds in the restaurant, before leaving supposedly. And released the video. The person is claiming it's not them.

The person has now closed their Yelp account.

Caught on camera: Lying Yelp reviewer exposed as having spent only 22 SECONDS in Chinese restaurant he gave bad write up - Daily News

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Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Southland's Christian School Buyer Update

The school my daughter went to, Southlands Christian's Schools original campus was sold to a Buddhist group.

I just found out in Taiwan, Tzu Chi, has had some type of scandal going on that is being fueled by Social Media. Information in English is limited.

This is the nicest article I saw...

Tzu Chi has admitted errors; it's time for compassion - Want China Times

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Chinese Backed Rail in Israel

I am surprised that China is backing a rail line in Israel.

China seeks strategic foothold in Israel - dw-.de

The continued threat of economic boycotts targeting Israel hasn't deterred China from forging ahead with a new freight rail link through Israel. The planned link could provide an alternative to the Suez Canal. 

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Xi's Corruption Campaign Comes to the US

From what I am reading, China's government is now working to go after corrupt officials that are in the US. Currently, the US has no extradition treaty with China.

Xi’s Purge Comes to America - The American Interest



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Friday, March 20, 2015

Lawsuits in Arcadia over McMansions

I am surprised at the amount of comments, 29 so far.

A group called, Save the Arcadia Highlands, is suing to stop construction of two large mansions in Northern Arcadia. They are using the CEQA, California Environmental Quality Act. I note on their website, at least one of the members is Chinese. Arcadia is 59% Chinese, and have been attracted by the excellent school district. I grew up in Monrovia, next door, so I am very familiar with Arcadia.

Arcadians Suing to Try and Stop the Mansion Boom - Curbed Los Angeles


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Wednesday, March 18, 2015

China's Robot Problem

China's Robot Problem

Interesting article, that brings up a lot of questions on what impact this will have on China's economy in the future.

Moore's Law states the number of components in a chip can double every two years. This means in two years, you will be able to buy a computer that is twice as powerful for the same price you would pay today. This applies to most computer based devices, including smart phones and robots. This means that Robots every year are getting smarter and cheaper. And Chinese wages are increasing every year. And we will see what impact 3D Printing will have in the future.

China’s Robot Problem - The American Interest

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NY's Largest Chinatown Sunset Park

A+ article about Fujianese in Brooklyn.

I love this quote:

Principal Ruth Stanislaus was amazed when one kindergartner’s mother said, in faltering English: “My son must go Harvard.”


Hardworking Fujianese immigrants use the borough as a launching pad to the middle class.
City Journal

Key Points:
  • As of 2010, Asian Americans’ median household income was $66,000, the highest of any demographic group in the nation, according to the Pew Research Center.
  • Sunset Park's Chinatown is now the largest NY Chinatown. Larger than Flushing or Manhattan. I have family that lives in Flushing.
  • Smuggling can costs $50,000 or more
  • Reverse Migration, where parents send their kids back to China to be taken care of. I have seen this.
  • Sunset Park and Borough Park zip codes had among the largest number of acceptances at the city’s specialized, competitive high schools.
  • No matter how poor they are, parents find a way to get their fourth- or fifth-graders into test-prep classes.


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Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Birth Tourism So. CA Raids

Chinese Birth Tourism Raids

20 locations were raided, including one in Rowland Heights! The apartments across from Target.

Benefits:

  • Free K-12 education
  • Green Cards for parents
  • Entrance to Foreign Schools in China

Negatives not advertised

  • Paying US Taxes on all income, including overseas...

I was wondering how the Hospitals were being paid for. This may be an answer:
One of the women paid $4,080 out of $28,845 in hospital bills when her bank account showed charges at Wynn Las Vegas and purchases at Rolex and Louis Vuitton stores, the affidavit said.

Maternity tourism' raids target California operations catering to Chinese - LA Times

Feds Raid California 'Maternity Hotels' for Birth Tourists - NBC News

California 'maternity hotels' for Chinese birth tourists raided by the feds | Daily Mail Online

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Barnes & Noble Closes Rowland Heights Location

Sigh, for a while Rowland Heights had two US bookstores. A Borders, and a Barnes & Noble. Now there are none.

First, the bathrooms were closed.
Then they took away the seats.
And then, they closed the store.

2 1/2 stars in Yelp.

Barns and Noble even closed the location in Pasadena!

I wonder if Barnes and Noble really wants to be in business?

There is a niche for bookstores, when properly managed usually.

I do know about Borderlands closing in San Franscisco, and how it was saved potentially through sponsorship's.

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Coming Chinese Coup & History

An interesting read, that took a while to read as I researched all the names mentioned. As I was reading the article, I realized how little I know of Chinese history. The past 150 years are full of tragedy.

The Coming Coup in China
Sulmaan Khan


I disagree with the conclusion of the article. It does give a different view of China, that I can see.

Names that were mentioned in the article, that I would go read up on. So many of their fates are just tragic. One family was killed, including children. Another imprisoned for 50 years. 

Yuan Shikai
Hong Xiuquan
Zhang Xueliang
Yang Hucheng
Peng Dehuai
Lin Biao

This picture captures the tragedy, Peng Dehuai:



Note, some of the Wikipedia articles may have a political bias.

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Who owns, "Standing Guard for Our Great Motherland"

I was reading about an artist, Shen Jiawei, who originally painted for the Red Guard  and the PLA, and painted a famous painting "Standing Guard for Our Great Motherland". He moved to Australia, and has done a portrait of the Pope Francis.

From the Huntington Archives. More information on the poster. Note the word, Private Collection.

Private Collection
Shen Jiawei, like all young people of his age, had been sent from his home, which was in Zhejiang, to the countryside, where he cultivated the frigid soil of a military farm on the Soviet border with Heilongjiang. His heroic character is a border patrol, who stands in the freezing wind to guard his nation against a Soviet attack.
So who owns it? How did somebody purchase it? Mao had over 250,000 posters made of it.



The portrait of Pope Francis from Wikipedia:


Finally found an answer:
http://en.artron.net/auction/showpic.php?picid=art58430047

The paining went for auction in 2009. It had been returned to the artist, and then restored.

Sold for RMB 7,952,000. At the current exchange rate, about $1.2 Million dollars.




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Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Obama sharply criticizes China's plans for new technology rules

I view the stance of President Obama as hypocritical. If the US can and does demand that all access, why can't China ask for the same thing?

In an interview with Reuters, Obama said he was concerned about Beijing's plans for a far-reaching counterterrorism law that would require technology firms to hand over encryption keys, the passcodes that help protect data, and install security "backdoors" in their systems to give Chinese authorities surveillance access.

Obama sharply criticizes China's plans for new technology rules - Yahoo News

And yes, I read 1984. And no, I have not watched Citizen Four yet.

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Macau Gambling Revenue Down 53%

The amount of visitors to Macau's Casinos is actually up, but the amount of revenue is down. This means the whales, or big fishes are not playing. I view this as good news, because it means the anti-corruption campaign in China may be working.

Corruption Crackdown Costs - Macau Casino Revenues Collapse "Shockingly Bad" 53% - Zero Hedge

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Amazing Chinese Gala for APEC

Wow! It's definitely worth a watch and it looks great on a big screen TV.

My wife got me to watch it this last weekend with my daughter.

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Chinese Environmental Documentary



Under the Dome has gotten big play in China, with over 200 Million Views.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2977859/China-rocked-former-state-TV-news-anchor-linking-baby-s-tumour-country-s-terrible-air-pollution-hard-hitting-film-seen-200-million.html

More:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-01/chinese-documentary-got-over-30-million-views-one-day



Unfortunately only English Sub-titles. The Video is by a former reporter who spent a year putting it together and cost $160,000 to produce. 

The Chinese Minister of Environmental Protection said:

'I want to thank her. She has wakened up the public to pay attention to the environment from a public health perspective.

'I think (she is) worth our respect.'

The video even got recognized by the Chinese press. I would compare it to the impact of the US book, Silent Spring, that probably led to the creation of the EPA.

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