text:
Thursday morning we switched hostels, moving a few streets over to Durty Nelly's.
The hostel felt traditional in the sense that we were in a big dormitory, but it was much quieter than Flying Pig. There was no common room but it was located above a cozy Irish pub that seemed like it would do well enough.
After dropping our bags we took the tram to the south part of town to start on a few more museums. We started at the Rijksmuseum, which, though housed in an enormous castle-like building, was surprisingly condensed. The highlights were probably a crash course in Dutch history and a lot of works by Rembrandt, including The Night Watch.
Next up was the Van Gogh Museum. I had never realized Van Gogh was an artist for such a short period of his life, so it was interesting to follow the museum's tour through his active years and see paintings that were, well, not that great. It was the perfect way to get to know an artist though—not as someone who all of a sudden sprouted a genre-transforming talent, but as someone who started from almost nothing and then gathered ideas and practiced until something came of it.
After Van Gogh we somewhat blindly wandered through canals and streets on the way to our next destination. Along our route we visited a long canal lined with the city's flower vendors. Within their tents was every type of tulip conceivable, packaged in big bags or in dark, earthy, loose bulbs. Finally, though, we found our way to the Rembrandt House Museum. The famous painter and printmaker lived there from 1639 to 1658, using it both as a dwelling and studio. Walking through, you could see where Rembrandt slept (new life goal: sleep in a box bed), cooked, painted, produced prints, sold paintings and generally lived. In one room you could see the shelves of props he and his assistants and pupils used in their works.
Interestingly, the museum was also exhibiting what it called "The Last Caravaggio." What is suspected to be one of Caravaggio's last paintings—"St. John the Baptist Reclining"—was on display to the public for the first time in 400 years. The giant canvas seemed cramped in the tiny little room at the top of the house, but I suppose anything seems roomy after being hidden away that long.
That night we mostly hung out in our hostel room with some of the other guests. One was Australian, two Canadian and the last English, making it a somewhat strange summit of the world's English speakers. Conversation passed from Amsterdam to music (how many Australian bands can you name?) to American sports teams. Somewhat late, we all took the tram to the South part of town to the nightlife district. We found a quiet pub with some live Jazz and settled in for a bit before heading back to the hostel.
Friday we first had a late breakfast at a nearby bakery that offered a weird mix of traditional Dutch and Italian fare. We carefully selected two items off my food tourism list—Belgian waffles smothered in chocolate and Dutch pancakes—and dug in.
We left in a satisfied sugar coma and quickly realized one of our main goals for the day—to rent a bicycle—was going to have to be abandoned because of the cold. So opting for the tram instead, we headed East to another museum district that, excitingly, was near the zoo! After gazing at camels through the front gates for a bit we tore ourselves away and found our destination—the Dutch Resistance Museum. The exhibits chronicled the country's effort's against the German occupation during World War II which, though weak on the military front, included a strong underground network of information dissemination, protection of the country's threatened people and some creative banking to fund the resistance. The tolerance of Amsterdam was again apparent.
After the museum we were determined enough to see a real Dutch windmill that we walked for 20 minutes in some of the worst wind and cold we had encountered so far in Amsterdam. But as soon as we came around the last corner, there was the De Gooiyer windmill, towering over the surrounding canals, cars, buildings, everything. It was shingled brown with big, wooden sails…that weren't turning. Oh well.
At the foot of the windmill sits the IJ Brewery which, if you are ever in Amsterdam, I highly recommend a visit to. It was Christmas Eve so the tour was canceled, but the beer was cheap and strong and definitely worth a taste (you should also try the cheese with the seasoning they put out on the tables).
We quickly fell into a fierce game of cards and befriended the American and Israeli pair sitting nearby. They taught us a Russian card game, and it very soon became apparent we were terrible at it. The consequence? A performance of the hokey pokey for the whole room to see.
That night we completed the food tourism list, filling our stomachs with fries with mayonnaise and Wok to Walk, our quest bringing us on a somewhat surreal route through the red light district and canals filled with huge white swans.
Anyway, now we're on the train to Paris. The jarring sound of Dutch (Damstraat I'm going to miss butchering street names like Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal) is finally shifting into the somewhat familiar French and, for now, we're safe from the snow and cold inside a high-speed train. We opened a few gifts that had been packed away in our bags (thanks Mom!), providing us with ample ways to entertain the little Dutch boy sitting in the seat next to Jess. It sounds like plenty of stuff will be open on Christmas there, so I'm hoping to do some terrible ice skating before having a nice dinner. Happy Holidays to all!
25 December 2010 · Comments
Author's picks
Jump to post
The Sartorialist and the derby


text:
Baked Greek-Style Bean Dip
Yield: 3 3/4 cups.
More From Oxmoor House
Recipe Time
Cook Time:
Prep Time:
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
- Calories: 19
- Calories from fat: 19%
- Fat: 0.4g
- Saturated fat: 0.2g
- Monounsaturated fat: 0.0g
- Polyunsaturated fat: 0.0g
- Protein: 1.7g
- Carbohydrate: 2.3g
- Fiber: 0.4g
- Cholesterol: 1mg
- Iron: 0.0mg
- Sodium: 86mg
- Calcium: 0.0mg
- 2 (15.8-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (8-ounce) package nonfat cream cheese
- 4 ounces crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup seeded, finely chopped tomato
- 1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
- Position knife blade in food processor bowl. Add first 8 ingredients, and process until smooth, scraping sides of processor bowl once. Spoon into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
- Sprinkle tomato and olives over dip before serving.
Note: You can make this recipe up to 24 hours in advance. Prepare the bean mixture; cover and chill. Let mixture stand at room temperature 30 minutes, and bake at 350º for 35 to 40 minutes.
My Notes
Only you will be able to view, print, and edit this note.Add Note
Baked Greek-Style Bean Dip Recipe at a Glance
- COURSE: Appetizers, Dips/Spreads
- CONVENIENCE: Make-Ahead, Quick/Easy
- CUISINE: Greek
- MAIN INGREDIENT: Beans
- DIETARY CONSIDERATION: Diabetic
- COOKING METHOD: Bake
- PUBLICATION: Oxmoor House
More Recipes Like This
Cuban Black Bean DipSouthern Living
Red Bean-and-Olive Oil DipHealth
Garlic & Herb Yogurt DipHealth
Do you love cookies?
We do too! Get your favorite holiday cookies delivered to your inbox.(Nov.-Dec.)
We Respect Your Privacy. Privacy Policy

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Two arrests were made Wednesday in connection with a meth lab explosion that happened just after 8 a.m. on Tuesday in Northeast Richland County.
According to Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, 34-year-old Jeremy Bowen and 29-year-old Holly Baier were both arrested at a family member's home in Attalla, Alabama, and charged with manufacturing methamphetamine, unlawful disposal of methamphetamine waste, unlawful conduct towards a child, hazardous waste management act, and manufacturing methamphetamine in the presence of a child.
The couple were taken into custody by United States Marshals Service.
Lott said that the Baier and Bowen could face additional charges pending the results in Alabama for possessing methamphetamine chemicals in the vehicle they were traveling in.
A third suspect, 20-year-old William Tenuto, will be charged with manufacturing methamphetamine, unlawful disposal of methamphetamine waste, and hazardous waste management act once he is released from the Augusta Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia, according to Sgt. Curtis Wilson.
Baier and Bower's 6-month-old child was in the home at the time of the explosion and has been taken to an Alabama hospital for observation.
Follow WIS:
Copyright 2014 WIS. All rights reserved.
918 Frontage Road East
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
(843) 839-9623
FCC Public File
EEO Report
Closed Captioning


text:
Halloween '13: What tech frightens us most
Summary: In their latest October 2013 survey released just in time for All Hallows' Eve, IT recruiting firm Modis surveyed 1000 Americans to find out what potential tech disasters are keeping them up at night.
6 of 6Image
You'll pay big bucks to protect your phones and content on them
Americans are willing to pay up to protect their mobile phones and associated content.
- Nearly half (47 percent) of Americans are willing to pay to safely recover their personal mobile phone and all its digital content if it were lost and left accessible to others, with the average amount they are willing to pay being $128.
And willing to pay more to recover it! Muhahahaha!
One-quarter (25 percent) of those respondents are willing to spend more than $50 to recover their personal mobile phone and all of its digital content.
- The willingness to pay more than $50 actually decreases as people age. Four in 10 (40 percent) Americans ages 18-34 are willing to pay more than $50, while just 24 percent of those 35-44, 22 percent of those 45-54, 16 percent of those 55-64, and 11 percent of those 65 and older would say the same.
Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.


text:
Joy - Local Area Photos and Information
Local Area Photos | Local Business Directory | Local Real Estate | Local Employment Center
Joy is a populated place located in Livingston County at latitude 37.355 and longitude -88.386.
The elevation is 423 feet. Joy appears on the Golconda U.S. Geological Survey Map. Livingston County is in the Central Time Zone (UTC -6 hours).
Livingston County: Cities & Towns | ZIP Codes | Schools | Features (airports, churches, hospitals, etc.)
BOUNDARY MAPS: | Salem Division | Livingston County
Joy - Searchable Map, Aerial Photos & Driving Directions
|BIG Map |
Driving Directions |
Data Source - USGS GNIS FID: 513083
BOUNDARY MAPS: | Salem Division | Livingston County
Nearby Cities, Towns & Census Designated Places
Joy, KY
(< 0.1 mile)
Carrsville, KY (3.1 miles NNE)
Lola, KY (4.9 miles ESE)
Hampton, KY (5.1 miles S)
Shetlerville, IL (5.3 miles NNW)
Rosiclare, IL
(5.3 miles NNE)
Golconda, IL (5.6 miles W)
Humm Wye, IL (7.4 miles N)
Gowins, IL (7.6 miles NW)
Elizabethtown, IL (7.7 miles NE)
Nearby Neighborhoods, Subdivisions & Other Small Populated Places
Fairview, IL
(4.5 miles NNE)
Milford, KY (4.7 miles ENE)
Mullikin Junction, KY (9.6 miles SSE)
Lemen Landing, KY (11.3 miles S)
Miller Landing, KY (11.8 miles S)
Lewis Corner, IL
(12.1 miles WSW)
Moxley Landing, KY (12.5 miles SSE)
Mitchell Landing, KY (13 miles SSE)
Holmes Corner, IL (13.8 miles W)


text:
- pat gilbert
- Tustin, CA
- United States
This conversation is closed.
How likely is it that China will go to war as a solution to their current and future economic problems?
Countries often use war as a diversion to their economic problems?
Closing Statement from pat gilbert
The consensus is that China will not go to war.
Not sure how predictable this subject is though.
Jan 14 2014: Impossible~! We have 56 nations in China, we get along well with one another and Chinese people use the cultural power and good communicatons to assimilate other people invisibly instead of wars. We suffered so much from wars in the history and would never want them. And most of all, Chinese people are influenced by buddhism a lot, we advocate non-violence life and pursuit a safe and happy life.So if we think our country's safety is under threat, we have to take actions accordingly.
Jan 14 2014: I was hoping someone from China would respond. You do realize that any war is always started by someone other than who you think it would be. E.G. In this country FDR started WWll by provoking the Japanese (not that I disagree because the Japanese had done things that were unacceptable), Wilson did things to setup WWl to provoke Germany, even our much revered Lincoln did things to provoke the Civil War, all other countries in the world ended slavery without war, not that he cared at all about abolition.
When someone starts pointing to the straw man look at the accuser.
Is there any such sentiment circulating in your country now?
Jan 14 2014: "I know but Jimmy cannot understand this." why do you think so? Jimmy didn't mention socialism or capitalism, he replied with the question" "Countries often use war as a diversion to their economic problems?" I think It's you who thought his comment was flavor of socialism... right?:)
I know exactly that Sweden and Switzerland are differnt countries. I did mean Switzerland. Why do you think I meant Sweden?
As for your other quesitons, I'll get back to you if possible. Thank you.
Jan 15 2014: History shows that, oftentimes, there is a big difference in the perception of how people see their own country and how they are seen by citizens of other nations. Sometimes the truth lies somewhere in-between.
Let us hope that the United Nations will become a more effective intermediary of disputes among nations. History shows that so many lives have been lost and so much sacrifice has been wasted because we, humans, could not agree to solve our disputes fairly and peacefully.
Today, there are several islands in the Pacific Ocean (China Sea) that are being claimed by different countries. Unless the United Nations and the countries involved settle these disputes fairly and peacefully, "situations" we may not like could happen. Heavens forbid! With all the powerful weapons we, humans, have at our disposal, the prospects for long-term peace are dim.
History shows that man has used every tool or weapon he has invented. When we see humanity from this perspective, we humans have very few alternatives left ...
When will we realize that we are all fellow passengers in this journey ... in this ship called Earth? It takes a lot of soul-searching before one sees the truth!
Jan 14 2014: I come from a country that has been involved with a war with China, though China's stand was that it was an extensive border skirmish. It was a heavy toll for India but at least people could see how weak Nehru's leadership was.
Despite that history, I think Chinese people and hope ultimately Chinese government have enough prudence not to get into any war unless of course there is a sad turn of history. I do not believe China will start a war unprovoked, it's certainly not in the best interest of that country.
As far as Chinese people and their culture are concerned, they are the most resilient I have ever come across.
Jan 14 2014: Yes but if they decide to go to war they will create the provocation. The US did this in Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonken, James K. Polk did this over some disputed land in Texas, Lincoln did this at Fort Sumter.
They do something to provoke the enemy to do something that gives them an excuse to start the war.
BTW the history books are fairy tales here in the US.
Jan 14 2014: I can understand what you are getting at. But let me try to give you a different perspective.
As much I have read history, particularly those of war, I noticed that most wars (almost without exceptions) resulted from a number of people or very small group who could successfully highjack the sentiments and rationality of vast majority of people to be replaced with, in absence of a better word, shit.
The earlier you go in history, the more honest this highjacking. As we approach modern times or present day, trickier and more conceited it gets. Ideas like nationalism, homeland security, religious bigotry thinly veiled in politics start to cloud things. But essentially we find only a a very small number of people pushing the button. It's never one country vs. another.
China is comparatively free from religious bigotry, racial/national schizophrenia and it is on a winning trail already. Unless some greedy dumb-ass highjacks the good spirit, it is not going to be provoked so easily, certainly not as easily as the US.
Jan 14 2014: That aspect of this county is crony capitalism which is another form of subsidy.
As I have stated before the reason for the success of Sweden is it's previous free market, but to understand this you would have to be capable of listening. This is a myth know by many.
The success of this country is the free market portion.
Jan 14 2014: With all due respect, I don't think this problem relates to whether this country is socialism or capitalism. It depends on the culture of the country. I often heard some news about gun violence happening in the USA and never heard about any in Switzerland, Although Switzerland is a capitalistic country but they never tend to be interested in violence or wars.
Jan 14 2014: I know but Jimmy cannot understand this.
Sweden and Switzerland are two different countries.
One of the ways that both of these countries finance their well being is by avoiding any cost for self defense.
Anyway I would like to hear about China. What is the view of the Chinese on the world? on capitalism? on household income? any threats?
Jan 14 2014: To tell you the truth, another reason I didn't mention Sweden is because I remember Jimmy said Sweden is socialism not capitalism.:) I just browsed through some information about Sweden. It's true, Sweden is a great country with good social security and welfare systems with least disparity in different people's incomes. Impressive! And I know Switzerland never took part in any wars and always kept a neutral stand in all the world wars.
Jan 14 2014: Apparently you cannot or will not talk about China?
Sweden saved money by not going to war as well as protected it's people from harms way.
Jan 22 2014: Hi, Mr. Gilbert,
I agree. War is always an "unknown commodity", an unpredictable factor in world affairs. We, humans, have a way of making irrational choices and acting in strange ways.
A wise man once said, "To the man who only has a hammer in the toolkit, every problem looks like a nail."
We hope our world leaders have learned the lessons of history!
Jan 22 2014: It is not necessarily true that they start out with bad intentions they are co opted into complying with the cronies.
Here is a video of guy who sets the record straight regarding some the middle east activities. It is mind blowing how much propaganda there is regarding war. Listen to what says about Iran and Somalia and Hezbollah and Al Qaeda. IMO is is about keeping the defense contractors "gainfully employed".
Jan 21 2014: To Robert,
I can't reply to you following your comment below, so please forgive me putting my reply here.
I have leafed through some information about the most affluent life of people all over the world. There're several countries in front of you America. And I don't understand why you American want to be the strongest leader of the world and control everything? In my view, we Chinese people only aim at a high living standard and a happy life, we never thought of being the No.1 in the world. If we can live the richest life, why being the world's No.1 is so important? I'd like to look forward to that one day China could be the most affluent country in the world just like Luxembourg and help others instead of being the No. 1 country to bluff the world. But at that time, hope no other countries would invade us again!!!
I always heard that some of Americans like to comment other countries people's religions and some sensitive part of culture obtrusively, which we Chinese never do. And most ridiculous is we never thought you're a threat to us but you do.I think diplomatic capabilities start with the capabilities of your people of communicating with others, and respect and sincerity is very important to make true friends.But I have also heard much news about Americans' kindness in China helping some Chinese disabled children etc. So I think if I can accept you, others will do it too as long as you respect them.
Thanks for telling me your good impression on China, and hope you don't mind my bold comment on your Americans as an exchange of ideas.
Jan 20 2014: I am thinking that we may already be engaged. I don't see future war with bombs bursting in air and all, that would be national suicide.... highly improbable... but, digital warfare, economic disruption, and a host of other slight of software is ongoing I think, such as recent disruption of credit card information... China, Russia, South Sudan? who really knows.... that kid hiding out in Moscow?
Jan 18 2014: I have a basic problem with your assumption of the so-called economic bubble in China. Many developed countries cried foul that the Chinese authorities artificially suppressed the exchange rate of the RMB in the 1990s. Now China has elevated the value of their currencies. They also moderately increased their wage levels, but they suffered very little on their export advantages. As far as the so-called shadow banking problem, I don't believe their situation is as bad as Argentina or even Brazil. In my judgment its economic condition is not any worse than that of the U. S. Furthermore, you probably haven't realized that they have been buying lot of mining industries as well as other resource companies in all over the world. Besides the oil reserves, they also bought the Smithfield meat company in the U. S. recently. In addition they could buy almost any quantities of food/grain from Canada or Australia. So at least within the next 50 years, I don't see any famine could happen in China.
As far as territorial dispute are concerned, Chinese went to war with their neighbors, but never got into any persistent and large scale all out war, except WWII. I hope you wouldn't claim that the Chinese was the aggressor instead of the Japanese. The current disputes about the islands in South Sea or the islands near the Chinese east coast are all about mutual claims involving different countries, (Japan has dispute with Korea & Russia too), but the true reason is that there are always different interpretation of who did control these islands to start with. I am not taking a stand on who should be the LOGICAL OWNER OF THESE ISLANDS, JUST LIKE THE FALKLAND ISLAND BETWEEN THE BRITAIN AND ARGENTINA. I am only saying that the truth is mostly depending on whose view you agree with. This is also applicable to the Tibet case. By the way "Manchuria" has been "returned" to China from Japan specifically stipulated by the WWII peace treaty, and it has been under Chinese rule for 70 years now.
Jan 18 2014: The bubble is a fact, not an opinion. Japan has done this in the past as has the US in the 1920s. The bubble resulted in the current morass Japan is going through and the great depression in the US. China is on the cusp of going through this now for the same reason. People think that the trade deficit does not matter but that is not true. China's exports will drop and their GDP growth of 10% will go down to a much lower level.
Shadow banking by definition is hard to put numbers to?
Since the past decade or two China has been investing big time, their need for commodities was much bigger than it will be as they revalue the Yuan to increase household income.So again the resource thing is a non issue.
But because they still have low domestic interest rates and built empty cities to keep the growth going they have demonstrated a reluctance to reign in the spending which will result in economic calamity just as it did in the US and Japan. One erroneous solution to this calamity is war as it was in the US and Argentina and the USSR and Germany.
Jan 19 2014: Just to recite a few recent quotes about the shadow banking and other news here:
From Weiss' Money and Market:
"But despite some minor rule changes, virtually nothing has changed. In fact, according to the latest Quarterly Report on Bank Trading and Derivatives Activities by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), U.S. banks still control $240 trillion of the most highly leveraged speculative vehicle — derivatives.
That's more than four times the size of the entire U.S. debt monster I mentioned a moment ago."
There are not much difference in this situation about the derivatives bubble in banking here vs the shadow banking in China.
The other matters about the government debt discipline, I am quoting 2 recent factual report:
1. Just in today's Wall Street journal, the Norway newspaper is asking that if Norway could have a balanced budget for the past year, why is it so difficult to do the same by the U. S. government.
2. There have been more than one comment, by the Chinese banking officials, about the global effect of the U. S. Federal Reserve System money printing, flooding the world with U. S. $..
These can be easily confirmed by looking in recent newspapers. Thus, the chance of an economic collapse will be equally likely in China as in the U. S.
Another thing is that there are usually a distinction of the culture and psychology of the East and West developed countries. The East culture/psychology emphasize using words; sable rattling rather than wars or sneak attacks, as the western countries.( the Japanese are, like the West, exceptions). Thus I predict that there won't be a new Sino-Japanese war within the next 2 or 3 years. There will still be war of words or declarations one way or other. After all, anybody with a little sense will see that there is nothing worth an all out war for the 3 uninhabited islands anyway. Also there were border skirmish between China with Russia, India, Vietnam, etc. in the past, but nothing lasted more than 30 day
Jan 19 2014: What doesn't get reported about derivatives is that they are hedged so the real exposure is close to zero. The entire credit market in the US was around 50 trillion, it is absurd to think that 5 times that amount is left floating in the wind. Don't you think if this was a real danger it would be on the front page every single day because it would mean the melt down of the entire economy?
The thing about the FED printing money is a two way street. It is true that the US can print money out of thin air at everyone's expense because of it's reserve currency status. The down side of this is that the US has to allow China or anyone else to buy as many treasury bonds as they want. Now you ask so what? Glad you asked, the problem is that that forced the US into being a deficit country. This means the US is forced into spending as the Chinese put excess funds into the US coffers. This gets complicated, for further understanding read "The Great Rebalancing" by Michael Pettis, a Chinese economist.
A shorter answer is that the trade deficit does matter. When you have such a big difference it does have an effect. The only way China could sell that much to the US is the US spending more by using credit. Since China is no longer growing, giving the US credit does no good for China. So China is no longer buying US treasuries.
The US will collapse of that I have no doubt. It will collapse because of debt and it will take place over many years.
China is in the same situation as the US in the early 1930s for the same reason. The great depression was not all that big of a deal EXCEPT they did not allow the market to clear which prolonged the depression for 10 years or so. If China allows the market to clear the adjustment will not take long but if it does the same Keynesian government meddling it could take 10 years?
Jan 19 2014: In his book Pettis points out that the culture is greatly affected by the monetary policy of the country. Parts of China were known for wasteful extravagant spending by the people yet have changed 180 deg since because China has forced down household income by devaluing the Yuan. Cultures change greatly because of monetary policy. The US was not known for wasteful spending before Nixon took us off of the gold standard.
China and Asia are projected by the IMF to have 2/3 of the middle class. The US and Europe will have 1/3. But it will take longer if they meddle with their economy and do stupid shit like war.
This subject is greatly obfuscated because there is so much misinformation about the economy. The source of the current US difficulties started with the then treasury secretary Hank Paulson acting like Chicken Little saying that the sky would fall if the US did not bail out AIG. This was NOT TRUE AIG would have declared bankruptcy on part of its assets that were exposed to the derivatives but at least half of it's assets would have been untouched as they were insurance related and legally could not have been touched. The balance of the banks that would have failed are only about 6 and their losses were not that great. Because of this lie the US has since printed about 6 trillion dollars out of thin air and will lead to the collapse of the country.
Jan 19 2014: Mr. Gilbert, it appears on your writing that you are a well-read, well-informed person who is always contemplating on the affairs of the world. And I believe you are spending an enormous amount of time to know these "things" because you really care. The world needs more of you.
Having said that, would you please share your thoughts on WHAT THE WORLD WOULD BE IN TEN YEARS? ... IN TWENTY YEARS? I know this is a very broad question, but I think you can handle it.
Wish you the best!
Jan 19 2014: Thank you Rodrigo
I think it could be as the IMF guy says where China and the rest of Asia creating 2/3 of the middle class. And the US and Europe languishing for the duration with an ever shrinking population.
But the absolute key is the division of labor and comparative advantage.( for more understanding of this: http://www.ted.com/talks/matt_ridley_when_ideas_have_sex.html)
China may not reach this possibility without the allowance of private property. India may not reach this possibility without fixing their corrupt stifling government.
Africa would be the new low cost manufacturing area, which would greatly improve the standard of living of the African people.
The US is the target of endless carping but none the less is the paradigm for what the free market can do. When it languishes and collapses there will no longer be a paradigm for the world.
Technology is an unknown commodity but considering the rate of growth in this area I have to think the basics of life and communication will be at a much higher level. But the essential part of this is comparative advantage. If government hinders this it would be a hindrance to progress.
War is also an unknown commodity and can divert resources that could be used to create a better standard of living.
Jan 17 2014: Mr. Gilbert, resources are always an issue as well as human nature such as pride, prejudice, and greed! Even if resources and technology are not an issue, human nature - our insatiable appetite as humans - will always determine our choices, ... our future.
Most of the great accomplishments of man throughout history were led by men of wealth, power, and influence. And, unfortunately, some of the most hienous crimes committed by men were also decided by men of wealth, power, and influence.
The more powerful the country, the more powerful and destructive the weapons ...
Human Nature determines our decisions ... resources and technology facilitate the accomplishment of the decisions. I really, really, really wish we are much much much better ... and wiser.
pat gilbert 100+Jan 17 2014: Technology changes things. If you were around 100 years ago would you think that oil would be a big deal or uranium or air? By 2016 the US is projected to produce as much oil as Saudi Arabia because of fracking. Peter Diamandis talks about a machine the size of an office refrigerator that will purify water for a very low cost.
Resources are not the issue.
Jan 18 2014: " I hadn't thought about what country, just the reason."
You are interesting , since you just ran your assumption on Chinese, why did you raise the question as "How likely is it that CHINA will go to war as a solution to their current and future economic problems?" but not "How likely is it that JAPAN will go to war as a solution to their current and future economic problems?" Many Japanese also hate you American due to the American Air force base in Okinawa?
Jan 19 2014: Yoka, I am not saying that you are wrong ... I agree.
The only place this could occur is on the world stage. So the players must be our leaders and those who represent the USA.
Specifically the President and the former and current Secretary of State.
You are to kind to state the obvious ... I am not.
Having identified the players, I must also state that nations have agendas and those agendas seldom change with new leadership. We are indeed lacking leadership and diplomatic relations in our foreign policy. This was established in the primaries that this weakness existed. The American people decided that it was not important .... and now the media has sided with the administration and down plays the importance also.
This week the Senate investigation found that the State Department (Hillary Clinton) was directly responsible for Benghazi. And as the mid term elections come close the democrats are distancing themselves from the President. The new Secretary of State continues to make our friends angry at us .. and Putin continues to spank us on the world stage and by strange coincidence also saving Obamas legacy ... to which Obama fails to recognize.
So I am not for sure we would be more accepted ... there would be less political cartoons about the Prince of Fools ... him going down with the US Ship of State ... bowing to Kings ... Liar of the Year ... etc ...
The fact is that when you are on top ... everyone gets a shot at you. As you say some make it easier and provide more targets.
We are accepted because we travel and throw money ... we give nations (who hate us) billions of dollars ... we are laughed at for doing these things ... they will not stop ... buying (false) friends is all we have going for us. We are about bankrupt then what?
We need leadership and diplomacy ... or, Yoka, is it to late to adjust and regain what we have lost over the last few years.
You are not alone in your perceptions.
Be well. Bob
Jan 16 2014: Given most wars are based upon Economic issues, I would expect that China would invade another country to acquire resources. There have been border clashes between India and China in the past. I would expect that there have been border clashes between Russia and China in the past.
For example, if there were a major famine in China and they could not buy the food, they would invade the Asian rice bowl (Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand). If China really needed oil, I could see the invasion of Manchuria, Siberia, etc.
Jan 16 2014: Hi, Wayne,
This is only a question not debate. I have a question. Why that famine would happen?Why do you think China can't grow her foods by herself? And the famine could let other countries not export foods to China? We had famine before and didn't invade any other countries. We're also kind to our neighbors. I think to judge a war is defensive or invasive is not difficult. If the army drives the invaders out of the country's border and returns, it's defensive, if the army takes the advantage to break into other countries robbing treasures and killing people, that's invasive.
But I think "Lag Behind and Be Vulnerable to Attack" is true, Chinese people have learned this and will try best to develop our economy and technologies.
Jan 16 2014: The new leader of China just stated that China would be spending 10 Trillion dollars in import in the next 5 years, most of it in food and energy (not sure if it will be coal, oil natural gas or a combination). Some people in the market are betting it will be more as population and pollution grow. The amount of arable land is projected to decrease.
Jan 16 2014: Thanks for replying. I think this is a very complicated question about balance in all aspects. I 've also heard some people said China would lack people in the future.....but the development of technologies is leaping forward day by day.... maybe we can buy foreign lands to grow foods......
Yes, we buy a lot to make friends with other people sometimes.
Anyway, your concern is worth our studying, thank you again.
Jan 18 2014: And I want to say that if the famine could happen in China, it could also happen in other countries, why do you think only China would launch a war with other countries because of famine but not defend itself when it was invaded by those suffering from famine who wanted to grab foods from China? And if there was a super catastrophe like the sun exploding, the whole world would be terminated. What do you think?
Jan 15 2014: Excuse me, why do you think we will be following the USA's and Japan's economic footprints but not other western countries that didn't start a war at all? We have different CULTURE and PEOPLE and characteristics of society( socialistic capitalism).:)
You don't know us Chinese at all, Chinese people are difficult to be cheated by our government into starting a war because we're already well informed about the world through all kinds of approaches and like to be happy and enjoy a safe life.And we like to save money. When the wars happened, I think our savings would be in danger. No one would want this to happen. And according to your reply , your possible scary thinking is we lend money to you USA , so you have the motivation to kill us because you don't want to or can't pay off the debts. I hope this is just a small number of Americans' thinking, because I've heard from other Americans that they're against it and feel appalled too. And I think other righteous powers all over the world won't let this happen.
And you have told us a secret that the USA's taking part in the WW2 was because of the benefit in economic development but not because the Pearl Harbor Incident. Thank you for sharing you point.
According to your answers, I personally think the USA is a threat to our world's peace too. I wish to be able to hear other Americans' voices here.
Jan 15 2014: Are you asking me? Notice at the top of the page I framed this conversation as a question, not a debate or a statement.
I'm not assuming anything, certainly not that I know anything about the Chinese people.
Before a war gets started the idea is sold to the people. The leader needs a reason for the war so they do something to provoke another country to commit an act of war. That is how it has worked in the past in Vietnam. Johnson made up a story about the gulf of Tonkin to get the US into the war.
In North Korea the US came to the aide of the South Koreans as China was aiding the N Koreans as they did in Vietnam.
Most people do not want a war, especially me. Jimmy (notice how someone can sell someone else an idea) sent you a link on how Americans want war. This the very mechanism I'm talking about. In the case of war as I stated war is usually about money so for example the Swedish Banker says the US said something bad about you to the German leaders, the banker then goes to the US and says the Germans said something bad about you. This creates animosity in Germany and the US. Maybe this is why Sweden is never in wars?
The past few wars were about the WTC bombing in which 3000 Americans were killed in one of our biggest cities. I admit that they have gone into countries with little provocation and questionable reasons.
The debt is a problem but our country will likely just inflate the value of the dollar and pay back debt with money that is worth less.
Yes many Americans wish that we would quit spending so much on policing the world.
Jan 15 2014: You know what you did....
Quote from Yoka
"Your thinking has reminded me that I have seen a video about Jimmy show in which Jimmy asked the American children if one day Americans can't pay off the debts to Chinese what they would think was the good resolution. And one child suggested killing all the Chinese. It seems this is a philosophy of Amercan, isn't it?"
Jan 18 2014: Thank you Jimmy, I'm glad I can open it, but I have a lot of things to do.And I've already known you have different opinions on issues of China's human rights( I did remember you posted a lot of relevant links in one comment in the past)with mine, I've known what's in your link, but I'm tired today and need time to read it carefully ,will get back to you as soon as possible.
Jan 21 2014: Hi, Jimmy, I didn't find anything in the link that said China did the wrong things(Chinese version), do you believe the Dalai lama too? Why? We helped Tibet people to get freedom from the Dalai lama(abolished the feudal serfdom system) and build houses for them to live a better life. They used to live a life even worse than animals' before our liberation.Have you been to Tibet?
And actually I don't think this has anything to do with that China will launch a war in the future. I think this is a little unfriendly topic to mislead people to thinking China is aggressive and dangerous.
Jan 17 2014: Yoka,
I agree with Wayne about Tibet. It's generally accepted in the majority of the world that what China is doing there is wrong.
All human rights organizations support Tibet in this issue.
Here's a Wiki if you wish to read, but you can just Google "China and Tibet" to get answers.
Jan 18 2014: Yoka,
There are several sites but amnesty international is probably less slanted:
If you are interested, here are some sites run by people that want to free Tibet:
Jan 18 2014: Hi, wayne, thank you for your links but I can't open them, actually before asking you for the evidence, I have roughly read some materials, but I'm not there in Tibet so I wanted to know what you thought of it first and compare it with what fact I can find out. And I'm busy with other things in my life, so I can't reply in time sometimes. Although I think this is a matter related to POLITICS not T,E and D, but I'll get back to you to exchange my idea on this with you.
Jan 21 2014: It's a long story about Tibet. But I didn't know your story about water resource.
It's said Chinese people set up the governmental bureau in Tibet in the Yuan dynasty( Year 1264). And China was under invasions from some foreign countries before 1912 and the Qing dynasty didn't admit the announcement of Tibet to be totally independent at all. Meanwhile, the Qing dynasty was on the edge of downfall, another Chinese revolutionary power in China wanted to take over the power. It's such a chaos in China. As a result, Tibet fell into autonomy to some extent. Obviously it's an abnormal time in China during that invaded period!
So I think Chinese people wanted to take it back after all the wars(invasions and civil wars) ended and the new China stood up, it's actually because of our history that we think it's one of our part. And still it's one of our autonomous regions now(their people and religion are respected).
In fact, people with different political stands may interpret the same facts into different views. Many countries opposed China's socialism since long ago. And you said you came to China before and you liked people here. Do you feel Chinese people are violent? And after the new China was established, we had the 3-year famine in China, many people died instead of considering invading other countries for foods or resources.
Jan 23 2014: I think each country has their version of history. The actual story is probably somewhere in between.
I just saw a special on Tibet and what the Chinese Government is doing to Tibet. Creating a shopping mall at one of the most religious sites to the Tibetans. The report also indicated that the number of monks has gone down from over 200,000 to 30,000. Most of the people feel they have no freedom.
Did you know about the riots that occurred in 2008 and the number of monks that have set themselves on fire in protest of the Government?
No, I do not think the Chinese people are violent. I believe that the Chinese Government will do what they want to get to the goals they have set. As I have said before, the veneer of civilization on humans is very thin and anyone can be violent.
On the famine from 1958-1962, I am old enough to remember the news reports from that period. The Chinese Government claimed there was no famine and it was propaganda generated by the Western Governments. There were reports of people starving to death before warehouses full of grain. I, also, believe that there were major problems with distribution. The government and the military were well fed.
Jan 23 2014: Can you give me the special news on Tibet and the 2008 violent event? I know there're ofen this kinda violent actions taken by some problematic Tibetans.
As for the famine, Chinese government at that time certainly didn't release the truth to the world But I heard it from my parents a lot. At that time, there's a slogan: You can get as much food as you can imagine. So they got grain from lots of barns into one barn and filmed it to show you foreigners as well as domestic people how rich China was. But you're right too, some people think it's not only the natural disaster but also a negative political activity because at that time people were so interested in politics and didn't work at farming either.
Jan 23 2014: I could not find a link to the report but here are links to NY Times reports and the BBC reports
Jan 24 2014: Hi,wayne
First I'd like to tell you that the bbc was said to be one of the reactionary media for Chinese government. But it seems something has changed because of our economic open policy, so I can access your news now. And people sometimes have to tailor their own political orientation or other orientations to cate to who they work for to make a living.
The news about the fire in Tibet is true, but compared with ours, it's just a worm's eye view. There isn't much detail about why the fire occurred and how Chinese government tackled the fire and helped people to reduce and relieve their loss in life.It's an accident. Every country has its own problems in social security in some aspect like you America still having a problem with gun violence. It's not reported in our news about "fire prevention equipment had been closed down to prevent pipes from bursting in below-freezing temperatures." Why this part has been reported as a main point in your news? Here I'd like to attached the link to our news too. You can find our people are aware of this matter's severity and angry enough to appeal to the government to find out the reason of the fire and how our government reacted to the fire. We Chinese people are also feeling grieved to see the cultural relics have been ruined by the fire.I think only people are trustable. They can make all the truth transparent.There are several groups of people who are interested in exposing some under-table truths in our society such like corruptions or illegal inside deals etc. You can see not only the positive side but also the negative side in the reports. But where is the positive side in your news?
Jan 25 2014: Continue the part of the Chinese report in http://news.enorth.com.cn/system/2014/01/14/011606313.shtml :
Jan 25 2014: In light of http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25188292
I didn't find much detail about the evidence too. The main part is to use the British Minster's campaigners so-called findings to lead people to believing something. Maybe it's true, but I know some people who believe in some religion are difficult to be communicated some new ideas. But we have to respect their traditions or beliefs. This may arouse some conflicts sometimes. I have seen some reports on TV that some mobs even killed and hurt their Tibetan civilians when they committed their violent behaviors.And Chinese people like the ethnic minorities very much(not only Tibetans). There are many excellent artists among them who are versed in dancing and singing or handy crafts etc ,and without their culture, we'll lose a lot of varieties of music style,clothing ,architecture etc. The children from the ethnic minorities have many extra points added to their final score when they take the entry exams to schools and universities. Do American Chinese have extra points when taking entry exam to the university?
And you mentioned some monks' "tragic life", I don't know exactly either. But according to some materials I've read and the feudal serfdom system which has been abolished in Tibet, the monks are said to be the exploiters of the Tibetan civilians. So if their civilians get more freedom and can live a better life under the help of our people, then it's reasonable that those monks will have less to get if they don't want to change their identities in the new society.
And I know there will be lots and lots of other news like this in western, I'm not really interested in it. Hope this can bring some different thoughts to you on how to understand news at your end about China.
And last, I want to make it clear that even if I tell you some truth, people who believe China is a threat in the future may don't change their mind, that's what I really feel sorry for.
Jan 25 2014: And here are some fantastic videos introducing China filmed by BBC and Chinese.It's called "美丽中国"。
I think everything has two sides.:)
And if you're interested, please find more by yourself.
Jan 15 2014: War is only one expansionist strategy China could apply to swipe resources. It's also relatively obsolete as a technique and few countries can embark on it completely autonomously today. For China as an emerging global power, there are other easier, more cost effective, methods for gaining dominance over resources. I would be more interested, for example in watching Bitcoin's relationship with the Yuan and the U.S dollar as this changes the scale of things. Wars, of the bloodletting, explosive, military kind are usually, in our modern age, a kind of reaping. In other words the war has already taken place, the power struggle fought and won, in the boardroom of a global corporation.
Jan 15 2014: Ok so we have a misunderstanding. I thought that would be accepted understanding. When I used the word expansionist I was referring to economic not territorial. Territorial expansion is also only about resources but today a global entity does not need borders. Nationality is only a nostalgic tool.
Jan 15 2014: "Anyway I would like to hear about China. What is the view of the Chinese on the world? on capitalism? on household income? any threats? "
I'm not good at answering big questions at all. I will get back to you about how I think about the world if possible. And you want to know about our income level, I can tell you it's still low. I'm not working in the government but I got some official datas for your reference. I think most people's incomes are between 50000CNY-----100000CNY .The good is people's incomes seem to rise gradually, the bad is we have huge disparity in incomes. Here's the link about the newest information about income in Chinese(Sorry, only Chinese, but with some datas):
What do you think of it?
Jan 15 2014: It looks like the wages started rising with the rise of the value of the Yuan.
Raising the minimum wage is consistent with Keynesian economics and will not do any good and will do some harm to the unemployment rate.
If they let the Yuan find it's own value the house hold income in China will rise as your article indicates is already occurring.
But the government has to stop projects to keep the economy going with out any real value to them, the empty cities, airports, train stations. They also have to raise the interest rates. If they don't do this China is in for a rough road ahead. Which is why I wonder about the possibility of war.
Jan 15 2014: " If they don't do this China is in for a rough road ahead. Which is why I wonder about the possibility of war. " Why? Even if the economy wasn't good , why do you think Chinese people woulld launch a war? or do you think all the countries are doomed to launch a war when their economy is in recession? Your thinking has reminded me that I have seen a video about Jimmy show in which Jimmy asked the American children if one day Americans can't pay off the debts to Chinese what they would think was the good resolution. And one child suggested killing all the Chinese. It seems this is a philosophy of Amercan, isn't it?
Regarding other analysis of our economy of yours, I have to say I don't know much about it. I actually feel the standard of our life has been improved and people have more money than before. But thank you for your advice.
Jan 15 2014: " If they don't do this China is in for a rough road ahead. Which is why I wonder about the possibility of war. " Why?
Because the market has to be allowed to clear. The longer it is not allowed to because it is propped up by the government the bigger the collapse will be when the government can no longer hold the economy up.
The US did the same thing as China in the 1920s, and Japan did the same thing in the 1960's,
which was to undervalue their currency to create sales for their countries by making their currency cheap.
The problem is when it no longer makes sense to invest in your own country because the investments are no longer creating anything that people want to buy, things like empty cities and empty airports. The natural tendency is to keep things growing. So the government spends money to create the illusion of growth.
The natural part of the economy is called the business cycle. Part of this is that bad investments need to be bankrupt or liquidated so that the assets of the business can be sold to someone who can make use of the assets. This has to happen it cannot be stopped only prolonged. But the longer it is prolonged the worst it will be.
The US did a poor job of this at the end of the 1920s and it took over 10 years to recover and resulted in the worst economy in US history. The US went into WWll in order to solve this problem, not that it helped but many people believe it did.
"Even if the economy wasn't good , why do you think Chinese people woulld launch a war?"
The people won't it will be someone in government . In the US it was FDR.
" do you think all the countries are doomed to launch a war when their economy is in recession?" No but the current circumstances are extraordinary.
"Your thinking has reminded me that I have seen a video about Jimmy show in which Jimmy asked the American children if one day Americans can't pay off the debts to Chinese what they would think was the good resolution." Yes but hardly unique
Jan 16 2014: I don't know enough about it. But if the market is allowed to clear then any kind of investments shadow or otherwise are going to crash. But that is a big if as it appears Keynesian thinking has metastasized in China.
Since credit default swaps were the center of the problems here and because they also were not regulated (which I guess makes them de facto shadow banking?) the question is how bad would it have been if there was no bailout.
I'm reading David Stockman's book, he indicates that Hank Paulson was chicken little, and convinced everyone that the economy was going to implode without the bailout. I can vouch for this as I wrote my congressman not to pass TARP, he replied we have to. According to Stockman and many others we just needed to let the market clear. So the question is will China allow the market to clear?
They may have a better chance of this because they don't have (I'm assuming) as much crony capitalism as we do.
Jan 14 2014: I do not discount anything ... When we (the world) had strong leadership, and effective diplomats who were not party puppets working to the party goals but to the best interests of the world ... many things could be resolved.
The USA is no longer the world leader it was just a few years ago ... we have lost economic power, no diplomatic powers, no internal stability, we still hold the only existing USA power .. the military and it is suspect under a ineffective Commander-In-Chief. I can see the USA involved in a war for economic reasons.
Korea is a loose cannon ... I would not count on either the Chinese or the Russians supporting them in the same manner of the past. They are a danger due to unstable leadership (Un and Dennis Rodman).
China has many issues they have not resolved the economic and financial woes ... Some countries think in 5, 10, 25, or 50 year plans. China thinks in terms of thousands of years. They learn and grow from history a lesson we all should learn. They have achieved many of their political goals and they will adjust and accomplish new goals.
Slow and methodical, they take pages from others plans and successes. Nikita Khrushchev once said we will take over the USA without firing a shot ... the Chinese are doing it ... free Zones are set up in Macau and Singapore ... open up to tourists ... hosting incoming industry from the USA and others ... cause a imbalance of trade in their favor .... entering the diplomatic arena .... all of these are tests the Chinese are conducting and learning ( and profiting ) from.
The next great frontier is agriculture and community development. It will happen.
The need for war is secondary to the lessons of history and a leadership that is willing to learn and grow.
That the Chinese military is formidable and that their use will be considered should not be discounted. However, with the rest of the world self destructing it will not be necessary.
I wish you well. Bob
Jan 14 2014: First I'd like to say this is only A PERSONAL VIEW. And nowadays we Chinese are not only used to socialism but get in touch with capitalism as well.So most of us don't reject capitalism very much. We always learn from capitalistic western countries for some advanced experience and management.
And as I've said, we Chinese don't have a culture in violence, instead we have Confucianism and Chinese buddhism to foster people's peace and harmony in heart. We have been invaded by foreign countries for many times(especially by Japan) in the past,Chinese people learned this bloody and bitter historical lesson and would never want this to happen again. I think most people in the world think so too. But as a fact I think Japanese GOVERNMENT is really in a wrong direction on the territory dispute now. And some of Japanese people are really aggressive and militant. If talking about tricky, I think they are the best players acting out different faces between Asian countries and the USA. I don't understand why they don't abolish the worship and discard the cremations of the A class war criminals of WW2 in the Yasuguni Shrine. They seem to be comfortable with the fact that they have to be dependent on the USA instead of being independent.But they've set about modifying their constitution to build their armies quickly now. I think if they can have a correct view on history and make sincere apologies to the victim countries and conduct their actions accordingly, their country can be changed just as Germany's changed after the WW2. And I think Japanese culture has the part of self-destruction, inhumanity and violence. They have the Bushido which encourages people to commit the happy dispatch.They actually did some inhumane biotic chemical experiments on living Chinese and even dissected the living people during the WW2~! Their government leads their people to believing in power not justice and integrity.So I think this is a threat to us Chinese now and even to you in the future.
Jan 14 2014: Thank you for the reply Yoka.
Japan practices Buddhism and Shinto?
I have heard about the animosity between China and Japan, for good reason, it sounds like a likely participant if there was war?
Since 2005 China has revalued the Yuan to the dollar higher by 30% has this resulted in a noticeable increase in household income and the standard of living?
Jan 15 2014: "Japan practices Buddhism and Shinto?"
Where were Japan buddhism and Shinto in the war compared with the Bushido?
Chinese people never considered killing people with biotic chemical experiments and dissecting alive people even including pregnant women and little children.And our army never demanded or forced women to be comfort women but still won the battles.
"I have heard about the animosity between China and Japan, for good reason, it sounds like a likely participant if there was war?"
If your family have been killed by some murderers and they don't apologize sincerely and prepare their knives and climb onto your window sill showing them because they have backers of some strongmen, how do you feel? Do you feel happy with them? Some Japanese cultures are good and welcome in China. It's not animosity, it's people's awareness of the historical lessons and desire for justice.
Jan 14 2014: Let us hope not likely. War is bloody and messy. It is not good for children and other living things.
The Chinese are smart and wise. They know and understand the complex but binding agreements between nations or countries, i.e. between Japan and the USA, between some southeast Asian nations and the USA, between Taiwan and the USA, between Japan and the other Asian nations, between South Korea and the USA and so on.
Let us not forget that Australia and New Zealand are within the sphere of Asia. They, too, have binding agreements with the USA and other countries. And perhaps the most critical of all, the agreement between the USA and NATO.
Jan 13 2014: I don't think China will go to war for economic reasons. They already have an economic and economic finger in a very big pie the world over. As far as resources go, they have donated billions into resource rich Africa and have strong trade partnerships with those nations.
If they do go to war it will be more due to national pride. There is currently strong disagreements with Indonesia and Japan over disputed islands. They are still also very sour over Japans invasion of China in the second world war. I doubt that they will do anything though. They shy away from war situations and they are to involved with the US financially to take on one of it's allies. The US owes China trillions and it is in China's best interest to keep relations on good terms.
The only war I see coming from China is North Korea. Although China is North Korea's closest ally, North Korea under Kim Jon Un has been testing diplomacy by detonating a Nuclear bomb, sending up long range missiles and the execution of Un's uncle recently who had close diplomatic relations with China. I think that Un is more of a barking dog and will not go too far, but should he, China will definitely get involved, probably in alliance with the US and Russia. It will take alot though to get to that point. Syria and Libya case in point.
That said, it is not in China's best interest to go to war, they are doing very well on the world stage. It would take a very new world scenario for it to reach that level- new players in governments both in China and potential conflict countries. If the day does come though, they have an extremely powerful and competent army.
Jan 13 2014: Unlikely, I think. A war, even one that goes well, would completely and utterly cripple trade in the area, which is absolutely vital to the Chinese economy, therefore worsening any problems they may be trying to distract from to the point of disaster. Rather counterproductive, really.
Less rational things like nationalistic fervor on the other hand, are less predictable, and usually not half as thought through.
Wars also occasionally start by accident. Bad information coupled with a soldier's paranoia makes for a dangerous combination, and both are always in abundance. Radar can't differentiate between a civilian airliner with a busted IFF and a missile, and at night near enemy territory, you sometimes get the impression even the rustling in the bushes is out to get you.
Countries also occasionally play chicken with each other. Everyone one and again, they both fail to capitulate in time.
Never automatically attribute to malice what can be explained away by simple incompetence...
Even if the outcome is the same.


text:
Guardian :: Rebekah Brooks, the former News International chief executive, should know by the end of the summer whether she is to face further charges in relation to allegations of phone hacking and illegal payments to public officials. Southwark crown court heard on Friday morning that Brooks is on bail until the end of July and a date in early August in relation to Scotland Yard investigations into alleged phone hacking and police corruption, respectively.
Continue to read Lisa O'Carroll, www.guardian.co.uk


text:
ComicsDC is for information and events relating to cartoons and comics (including comic books, comic strips, political cartoons, animation and caricature) in Washington, DC and its environs (including counties such as Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Prince George's, and Montgomery.) Press releases including store events are welcomed - email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Another finger puppet!!!!
SPX meant I couldn't get this mentioned on Saturday, but Richard Thompson caricatured Hilary Clinton as a finger puppet this week. I've made it and she's glaring at my house guests now.
1 comment:
- richardcthompson said...
See my blog entry, "Failure of Imagination". I can only feel for your poor houseguests.
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Hold the front page: sunshine at Silverstone! Yes, the weather saved its best for last this weekend and the ambient climbed to a balmy 17 degrees on race day. Hardly the 39 degrees that we saw in Valencia two weeks ago, but conditions were heaps better than the 12-degree drenching of the previous three days.
The teams and drivers were quick to praise the commitment of the fans after the race, but only one team – Williams F1 – actively sought to improve their enjoyment of race day. The team ran a competition on Twitter on Sunday morning in which it asked trackside spectators to tweet what they were doing to keep warm, using the hash tag #WilliamsWarmer.
The winner of the competition, which was decided by a panel of judges in the team's marketing department, got two paddock passes for an hour and the chance to meet drivers Pastor Maldonado and Bruno Senna. The spoils were taken by a mother and daughter, whose smiles could be seen from nearby Northampton. Good on Williams!
With the men's Wimbledon final taking place on the same day as the British Grand Prix, we got to find out where celebrities' loyalties lay: tennis or racing? Unless your name's Jude Law. The actor managed to attend qualifying at Silverstone on Saturday and then the tennis in London on Sunday!
Actors Rowan Atkinson and Simon Pegg came to Silverstone, as did celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, singer Leo Sayer and boyband JLS. With their one-day series against Australia blighted by bad weather, the England cricket team was out in force as well, with Alastair Cooke, Graeme Swann, James Anderson and Stuart Broad taking a look around the pits. All in all, it wasn't a bad turnout; well done everyone!
When the chequered flag dropped after 52 laps of racing, the party continued at Silverstone with the post-race concert. Eddie Jordan's band, Eddie and the Robbers, played in front of thousands of fans, and lots of drivers put in appearances as well. All three Britons on the grid – Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and Paul di Resta – turned up to say hi, as did race winner Mark Webber and his team-mate Sebastian Vettel. Lots of fun was had, and spirits weren't dampened when rain started to fall either.
Away from the racetrack, Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner opened up his house near Banbury for a team barbecue, and after their 1-3 result in the British Grand Prix, spirits were sure to overflow.
This being F1, however, none of the parties will last long. When team personnel wake up on Monday morning, their focus will be 100 percent on the next race at Hockenheim. This sport is relentless.


text:
Date April 30, 2007 at 10:00 PM
Categories Local News & Sports
New Mexican bred Gordon Tooley emanates contentment. Unlike most of the world, he doesn't crave more. In his early twenties, while working on a 700-acre farm in Maine, where he had followed his sweetheart Margaret, he witnessed a tree grafting demonstration. "I was like, "That's me!' I wanted to have a tree farm, and to grow things that are not common."
Not a typical life goal. "I flunked out of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College. I wasn't a theoretical kind of person." A hands-on person, he obtained an AA degree from Colorado Mountain College in Outdoor Studies, worked at Mesa Verde National Park, then took a job at Purgatory, where he and Margaret met. His introduction to grafting came in 1984, and it changed his life.
Returning to New Mexico, he worked at Plants of the Southwest in Santa Fe. He and Margaret bought fifteen acres bordering Truchas. "Basically we just wanted to grow trees." The two of them (she had worked as a timber framer for years) built their own timber frame house completely off the grid. He did the electrical and plumbing himself.
Unshaved, with a scruffy appearance, Tooley wears a carpenter's belt stuffed with the tools of his trade while giving a tour of his tree farm. He stands straight, looking fit and trim. "What we're doing is producing and preserving varieties that are disappearing. A lot of apples were bumped out of the market because they aren't pretty. But some of the most explosive flavors are in the ugliest apples imaginable." Included in the various conifer and fruit trees he's grafted are 94 apple varieties. And he's still adding more. "Diversity in the landscape is important. Woody plants are the backbone of everything." They hold the soil, give fruit, shade, pollen.
To the north, a line of houses on a ridge marks the southern edge of Truchas, and behind that the snow-covered, rugged Truchas Peaks rise dramatically. At almost 8,000 feet, the tree farm is much cooler than Santa Fe. He loves the beauty of the natural environment, but it's the intricate magnificence of trees that delights his expert eye.
Plant grafting has been around since at least Roman times. Tree grafters work with twigs, called "scions," say an apple tree from Normandy known for making calvados (French hard cider). That gets grafted onto a root stock, probably another apple tree Tooley chooses for particular characteristics: a semi-dwarf that will grow to around eighteen feet high that puts out well-anchored roots, that performs in both well-draining and poorly draining soils, that's tolerant of infertile soil, that resists disease, that does well in the short, cool New Mexico growing season, and that helps bring the grafted variety into production early.
The Tooleys aren't the only ones preserving tree varieties. Cornell University's germplasm repository in Geneva, New York, holding the world's largest collection of apple (more than 3,000) and grape varieties, supplies tree grafters with free twigs. The Tooleys keep this scion wood alive and fresh by burying it deep in wood chips. He digs out a bundle of some 2,000 apple twigs, over 100 varieties, from the wet mulch. He'll graft four to six inches of twig, usually with three buds, onto root stock. That's all it takes to grow a tree.
"You hybridize things that work for you. It takes twelve months to grow a tree ready to sell. Some have to grow three to five years before being sellable." Often he doesn't know how well a variety will work, since he is constantly experimenting. "The trees that interest me, how am I going to get other people excited so they buy them...."
His own enthusiasm spills over onto others, and so far he's found buyers for his collection, including rarities such as Almata (tart, good for applesauce, survives to -50 degrees F), Ben Davis (originally from Arkansas, the best-selling winter apple in its region in the late 1800s), Esopus Spitzenburg (Thomas Jefferson's favorite), and Roxbury Russet (great cider apple developed in Massachusetts in the 1600s).
In the middle of March, some 1,500 trees grafted within the past ten days are stored in a "hot box," heated to 58 degrees. Some cherry trees are already pushing buds, and Tooley has just grafted thirty-six varieties of apricots from Pakistan. Nearby a grafter's kit holds various knives (the scion and root need to be cut just right), grafting wax to seal the top of the cut so the scion doesn't dry out after grafting, and more. A bucket of water contains fifty cherry root stocks waiting for various scion twigs, to be grafted within a few days. He plans to complete all grafting by April 1. Readers who want to buy trees can see the results of this labor in the thousands of new "whips" on Tooley's farm, which keeps up to 11,000 trees in inventory at any one time.
In a world of market globalization, Tooley is bucking the trend. "We don't graft patented stuff," he says emphatically. Agribusiness, contaminating pure varieties and reducing the gene pool, poses a tremendous threat to the health and variety of trees, and he'll have nothing to do with such companies. "We have to go to South America or Asia to get purity. It's important to keep open-pollinated things pure." The antithesis of the monocrop, corporate farmer, Tooley views places like his farm as gene banks for the future.
Although most customers own their own orchards, he sells a lot to Plants of the Southwest, where he once worked. "His enthusiasm and his love for each of his individual trees is remarkable," manager Susan Westbrook gushes. "He literally has a relationship with his plants. There aren't very many people that bring the level of excitement to heirloom trees and trees in general as he does. It's really a love affair for him and he passes it on to everyone he touches."
Rows of trees, most under four years old, spread over ten acres. Comparing the cultivated, flat orchard with the rugged sage and piñon terrain bordering it, you can see the amount of labor that went into creating land suitable for farming. Tooley explains that you've got to use young, vigorous growth for scion wood, and excitedly points out the seemingly endless varieties of fruit trees. Some have pretty, golden bark. He holds personal affection for Kansas Hawthorne, contorted and thorny, considered too ugly by nurseries. Even a hardy blue spruce, grown from seed, its roots accustomed to hard winters, is a far cry from the potted examples you'll find in a commercial nursery. "Every tree has a different agenda and attitude, like us. You have to work with what the tree wants to do." White ash, Hackberry, Autumn arctic; he understands and respects their innate natures. "We don't sell instant gratification trees. The gratification is the stewardship of producing a healthy tree. These are going to outlive all of us."
Christina Bentrup, who studies tree physiology at Northern Arizona University, is devoting several days of spring break at Tooley's Trees. "I spend a lot of time in front of a computer and I miss working with the trees, the roots, the dirt. It's the best vacation I can imagine." Tooley shares the sentiment. Business consultants have approached him with offers of boosting his business by 500%. "How can I do that? I don't want to work myself out of the field, with a whole lot of employees."
Many would consider the Tooleys' life narrow, or a hardship-up at first light, working outdoors until dark, no vacations, no television since 1989. They have created this life consciously, purposefully. "I feel totally spoiled," he says. "It's hard work, but it's like every day's a day off." If he says he wouldn't trade it for the world, you can believe him. He has all of the world he wants.
You can buy Gordon Tooley's trees at Plants of the Southwest. In Santa Fe, the number is 505.438.8888, in Albuquerque, it's 505.344.8830. Anyone can buy directly from the farm, Friday through Sunday 9 AM to 5 PM. You can leave a message on their phone 689-2400 to get a catalogue, or to receive a call back. Directions: take the High Road, Rt. 76, toward Truchas. At the 15 mile marker make a left onto 1301 Rd. (If you get to Truchas you've gone too far.) The gate to the farm is right there, and you'll see a sign for Tooley's Trees. Close the gate after you and put the chain around it. You can also email Gordon at firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Entertainment news reports L.A. REID has just announced that he "will not return" for the 3rd season of "The X Factor" next year.
Just after hiring two new judges this season—well-known pop stars Britney Spears and Demi Lovato—"The X Factor" will be losing one of its veteran judges… L.A. Reid.
Reid, who has shared the judging panel with Simon Cowell since the very beginning and has grown pretty close to the new recruits, revealed the bad news to Access Hollywood recently, saying:
"I have decided that I will not return to 'The X Factor' next year."
The music executive and chairman of Epic Records explained:
"I have to go back — I have a company to run that I've kind of neglected."
Watch his interview to find out who he thinks should replace him on the show:
Are you sad that Reid is leaving the show?
Photo Via Video Screen Grab
We'd love to hear your comment but please don't spam, we reserve the right to delete anything which is inappropriate


text:
As our population continues to age, problems related to the spine are becoming more common. That's why Boone Hospital has opened the new Spine Center; a facility that allows our orthopedic surgeons and specially trained staff provide patients a personalized and comfortable patient experience while enabling them to be treated by the best in medical technology.
• 20 private rooms complete with the latest amenities
• A satellite gym for rehabilitation therapy directly on the unit
• A specially designed bariatric patient room designed for our larger patients
• A family activity and relaxation room, a redesigned nurses station
• A classroom for pre-operation classes
Together, these features allow our team to care for our patients safely and efficiently, in order to get them back to their lives as soon as possible. The Spine Center represents Boone Hospital's commitment to the community to meet the expanding needs for state-of-the-art orthopedics.
Home|Site Map|Contact Us|Privacy & Security|The Joint Commission|Disclaimer
Copyright ©
1600 E. Broadway, Columbia, MO 65201
telephone: 573.815.8000


text:
Review Summary
- Rubber heel
- Non-marking croslite material outsole
- Croslite material mid sole provides ergonomic fit and support
- Crazy horse leather upper
- Stitch detailing
- Croslite
- Water Resistant
- Belk Exclusive
- Imported
Shipping your purchase is easy on belk.com. Depending on the destination of your package, you can expect it to arrive within 4-7 business days. Shipping Information
Returns are easy on belk.com. Easy returns
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2012, Crocs, Inc. is a world leader in innovative casual footwear for men, women and children. All Crocs shoes feature Croslite™ material, a proprietary revolutionary technology that gives each pair of shoes the soft, comfortable, lightweight and odor-resistant qualities that Crocs fans know and love. Since its inception in 2002, Crocs has sold more than 200 million pairs of shoes in more than 90 countries around the world.
More from: Crocs
May we also suggest
Crocs Modi II Flip Flops
Chaps Gables Thong Sandal
Crocs Santa Cruz Flip Flop


text: Product Details Return to Top Overview Dufflet Rosenberg has earned a reputation for creating the most exciting desserts in Toronto. Now the "Queen of Cake" is offering her small indulgences to you. Savor the crisp snap of hard crack caramel, layered with pistachios and sea salt. Perfect with an afternoon cup of coffee or tea. Features & Specs 3.88-oz. box


text:
PC gets official Xbox One controller drivers
Just as promised, you can now officially use your Xbox One controller on PC. The drivers will be coming in a Windows update soon, but you can grab them early and get started.
They're available from the Major Nelson Blog. You can use the XBO controller with any game that's compatible with the Xbox 360 controller. As we get more PC games that appeared on Xbox One, like today's announcement of Dead Rising 3, those are likely to work natively with it as well. The blog notes connecting a USB cord as part of the process, though, so these drivers seem unlikely to work with the existing 360 wireless receiver.
An unofficial solution has been available for a few months, for those users who didn't want to wait for the Microsoft support.
You must be logged in to post.


text:
diaDexus, Inc.
In Vitro And In Vivo Diagnostic Substances CA, United States
| OTC Markets: DDXS
Similar to: Bio-Techne, Sartorius Stedim Biotech SA, bioMérieux SA
diaDexus, Inc. develops and commercializes patent-protected in vitro diagnostic products which are used in treating cardiovascular and related diseases. Its products include PLAC Tests and PLAC Test for Lp-PLA2 Activity. The company's products, PLAC Tests, are designed to provide information, over and above traditional risk factors, to help identify individuals at increased risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke. The PLAC Test for Lp-PLA2 Activity, is an enzyme assay for the quantitative determination of Lp-PLA2 activity levels in human plasma and serum on automated clinical chemistry analyzers, to be used in conjunction with clinical evaluation and patient risk assessment as an indicator of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. diaDexus was founded on November 27, 1995 and is headquartered in South San Francisco, CA.