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The Choco-Laws of Valentine's DayIt's time once again for English class here at the manufacturing company. My students are sitting quietly, waiting while I scribble out a blog post idea that just came to me. The whole first paragraph is coming together in my head, I need a few more seconds to get it all down.
I toss out the old stand-by: 'So what day is it, guys?'
I keep scribbling. And scribbling. It's not that hard a question, guys.
My students usually enjoy the easy back-and-forth. It helps them get into English mode. It's nice for me too since I usually don't know what day it is. As far as I'm concerned, that we've shown up on the same day at the same time is cause enough to celebrate.
"Let's cancel class and go out for ramen and beer!" I always say.
I've yet to find a student who doesn't see this as a breach of some vague rule system.
I'm still scribbling, enjoying the extra writing time though it's getting ridiculous. I look up - and see Michiko staring back at me. Just...staring. The three guys in the class are staring at her, all of them smiling like they just figured out a secret. Something's up. And they know what it is.
And then it hits me too.
Valentine's Day!
Immediately my mouth starts watering.
As February comes to Japan it's hard to miss the chocolate-covered excitement of Valentine's Day. In supermarkets and department stores all across the country the racks and aisles explode in red white and pink manifestations of love. On the surface it looks like your typical Valentine's Day in any number of countries around the world.
But in Japan, where showing affection ranks just below understanding football on the scale of social importance, the enthusiasm for Valentine's Day seems utterly illogical. I've seen houseflies show more passion than these people. (It's true, I have. It was weird.)
There is an explanation, however. And it's right where you'd expect: in a thorough set of guidelines that tells the entire population how to properly express their roiling emotions.
I love Valentine's Day in Japan. By rule, only the women are expected to hand out chocolate. The men just hang out and rake it in, not for being the object of anyone's affection so much as being an object in someone's proximity. This typically includes those seething creatures of passion known as bosses, co-workers and foreign English teachers.
I think every country I live in should have such a Man's Day – called something else of course so the general female population goes along with it.
A Little Bit of History
It is widely accepted that the confectionary company Mozoroff introduced the concept of Valentine's Day to Japan in 1936 with an advertising campaign targeting foreigners. Mired in a climate of muted self-expression, these expats had become unable to show any sort of outward affection and were at first confounded by this familiar yet vague sense of loving deja-vu. But the chocolate-covered scheme worked and soon the white men were reunited with their libidos.
The wider Japanese population, on the other hand, had no idea how to handle the strange feeling of having feelings. They would only begin to enjoy the amorous effluvium years later, once the rules for doing so had been developed and disseminated and committed to memory. Few things are more unsettling around these islands than a spontaneous, unregulated and unsightly leaking of emotion.
It is interesting to note that a simple error in the translation of an early Mozoroff advertisement may have led to the unique Japanese custom of the women giving chocolates to the men. Rather than embarrass anyone by trying to correct the error the women – and, it can be assumed, the men – decided to continue the ways of the holiday without causing a fuss.
A Whole Lot of Rules
On Valentine's Day in Japan the mark of true love is known as hon-mei, the highest form of chocolate in the land. Traditionally hand-made and wrapped with the precision of a neurosurgeon, hon-mei is reserved for the woman's (presumably) one true love, who in turn is expected by state ordinance to recognize all the effort and labor that went into this box of bon-bons and conclude that the woman deserves to have children.
Some women attempt to pass off expensive and elaborately-wrapped store-bought chocolate as hon-mei, but this sort of side-door attempt at love has traditionally only been met with suspicion. Recently, however, to the relief of countless women and the delight of many a confectioner, the taboo of such false affection has received official governmental mitigation – proffered case-by-case in correlation to how expensive and elaborately-wrapped the chocolate is.
Kind of gives the expression 'a yen for love' new meaning.
Beyond the custom of hon-mei, in any Japanese office every woman is expected to give Valentine's Day chocolate to all male co-workers in a specified desk-radius. Failure to do so results in punishment, the swiftness and severity of which is largely unknown as Japanese women are warned (by powers no one has ever actually seen) not to test the system.
Women are further advised in a memo circulated on February 4th (or that following Monday if the 4th falls on a weekend) to bring a stash of emergency chocolates for the men who show up to work early on the 14th and reposition their desks to maximize their intake. In 1987 a woman in Yokohama tried to complain to her boss about the whole situation before she realized he had moved his desk to the Tokyo head office for the day.
To counterbalance the risk of the women turning this flood of giving into something heartfelt, and to prevent the men from unduly appreciating any gesture of kindness, a term has been created for this Valentine's Day duty: giri-choco, or 'obligation chocolate'. Everyone gives, everyone gets. We are all equally
The Powers keep people's feelings in further order with the added protection and comfort of an acceptable price range for this level of intimacy. This index of regulated generosity is invaluable to any woman, for if she goes too high-end with her truffled obligations she risks the embarrassment of appearing to be whoring out multiple hon-mei. On the other hand, if a woman tries to get by on the Valentine's Day cheap she'll be accused and scorned for handing out cho-giri-choco, designated in the 'No Co-Worker Left Behind Act' of 1991 as the 'very obligatory chocolate' reserved specifically for the accounting department and any other geeks normally outside the social desk-radius who, until 1991, got nothing.
Acts of Chocolate Revolution
Despite the seemingly over-riding adherence to the rules of love and affection, there are those in Japan who are simply hell-bent on bucking the system. Over recent years an officially non-estimated number of men were suspected of giving their favorite females hon-mei chocolates and other tokens of affection on 'Barentine's Deh'. In response to the hushed anarchy the Japanese Diet handed down the state-sponsored concept of gyaku-choco, or reverse chocolate. With this the courage of all men was unleashed and they openly stormed the supermarkets and confection shops with their newfound governmental permission to express themselves.
These men did not comprise the only social uprising going on. Teenage girls had also begun testing the limits of Japan's tolerance for unchecked displays of intimacy with the unruly practice of swapping sweets and treats with their female schoolmates. Recognizing the unstoppable nature of this wave of unrest the Diet quickly instituted the term tomo-choco, or 'friend chocolate', and order returned to Japan's emotional landscape once more.
Most recently, consequent to the Kyoto Agreement, the Japanese government encouraged the practice of giving boxes of eco-choco which, compared to hon-mei choco, came with an average of 2.4 kilograms less packaging, ribbons and stickers with misspelled English terms of endearment. This of course sent the packaging, ribbon and sticker industries into a tizzy of 'Change?' while upending the ability of the general populace to determine the proper level of suspicion for store-bought hon-mei. Thus eco-choco was slow to catch on.
The Equal Chocolate Rights Amendment
For years Japanese men reveled in their lack of mandated responsibility to return the affection and
expense that women, through negative reinforcement, were highly encouraged to extend. This until the National Confectionery Industry Association lobbied to make men pay back with standardized gratitude all the pure, heartfelt generosity shown to them by all the women who had no other choice.
Thus was born the state-sanctioned and socially-compulsory 'White Day'. Now every year on March 14th (a bonus for me as this is also my wife's birthday) men dutifully fulfill their heart-shaped responsibilities by reciprocating on every hon-mei, giri-choco and cho-giri-choco they received and logged in a special notebook they were permitted to buy at the drugstore or 7-Eleven of their choice, as long as they could provide a receipt. (In a strange twist, eco-choco was not repaid on grounds it would double the packaging, ribbon and sticker waste; women thus quickly abandoned the idea, putting the final nail in the eco-choco coffin.)
To make sure the men were not just responding robotically to the profound emotional foundation of Barentine's Deh, the Industry created the term 'sanbai-gaeshi', or 'three times the return'. With this the men are obliged to spend three times what the women spent, in a show of raw and honest gratitude confirmed by an elaborate system of bar code technology and comparison guidelines.
In the spirit of patriotic animosity South Koreans have not only adopted Valentine's Day and White Day and proceeded to spend, by official accounts, 'a rot more' than their Japanese counterparts, they've gone further and set aside April 14th as 'Black Day'. This is when everyone who got the shaft (or didn't, as it were) on Valentine's Day and White Day goes down to their local Chinese restaurant for a dinner of black noodles.
The Korean Confectionery Group is looking for ways to introduce the concept of cho-giri-choco to the common workforce but the Black Noodle Underground has so far been able to stymie their efforts.
Consummating The Choco
Despite the extensive choco-policies there does exist in Japan the natural human ability to let the emotions flow rampant. After all the rules and regulations regarding the various levels of choco have been adhered to and one's affections have been properly displayed and officially received, Japanese people, like all sugared-up lovers, do take to the bedroom.
According to reports submitted by the Japan Love Hotel Conglomerate, this fiery release of passion takes place every year on society's self-administered day of consummation: Christmas Eve.
Note: As a Westerner of genuine emotion I do not subscribe to the one-way protocol of Valentine's Day in Japan. That is why, as I sit on the couch waiting for my wife to finish changing my screaming kid's stinking diaper, I am going to save the last two chocolate-covered strawberries she made for me so she can try them. Then we are going to cuddle up and watch the movie I rented: Fight Club.


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Videos de stock libres de regalías sobre Button
78,076 videos de stock libres de regalías sobre button
4k00:204K social media red heart counter, shows likes over time on a white background with alpha matte
4k00:14Starting car engine. Track in to the button. Finger press the button to start the car engine.
4k00:13A physician, surgeon, examines a technological digital holographic plate represented the patient's body, the heart lungs, muscles, bones. Concept: Futuristic medicine, the human body, and the future.
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hd00:26Laptop keyboard typing. Hands touch typing on a laptop keyboard. Camera performs a circular overflew.
hd00:05PRESS START INSERT A COIN TO CONTINUE RETRO VHS TV SCREEN / PRESS START RETRO VHS / A retro VHS Screen featuring Press Start Insert a coin to continue text
hd00:10HILTON SOUTH AFRICA JULY 25 2017: A motion graphic video animation illustrating growing like and share popularity on the Facebook and Twitter social media websites.
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hd00:10Closeup of business woman hand typing on laptop keyboard. Closeup of a female hands busy typing on a laptop. Woman's hands pressing keys on a laptop keyboard trying to access data.
hd00:53Robot playing chess with a man. Hand manipulator moves the chess and presses the key of the control watch
hd00:25SAN FRANCISCO, USA - April 1, 2016: "Facebook Like Button" From Bright White Surface. Facebook is The Most Popular Online Social Networking Service in the World. Editorial Animation.
4k00:07Man working on professional digital audio channel mixer in studio. Electronics for amplifier and balance of sound in show. Soundboard knobs. sound engineer presses the keys, moves the buttons. Closeup
4k00:18Rear view of young caucasian woman laying on couch with colorful socks. She puts her feet on table and relaxes. The girl watches TV and holds remote control
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4k00:16Buttoning a jacket. Stylish man in a suit fastening buttons on his jacket preparing to go out.
4k00:13MONTREAL, CANADA - May 2015 : Popular social media logo brand being swipe. The number of people actively using social media each month has now passed the 2 billion mark
hd00:21Facebook like button and empathetic emoji in the form of balls are falling on the surface. Social networking service. Matte included, ready for compositing, isolated on black. 3D render. Editorial.
4k00:13Team Of Young Man And Women Designers Working On 3D Touch Screen Hologram Augmented Reality 3D Model For 3D Printing Future Technology Innovation Concept
4k00:10close up or macro of an eye of a doctor, surgeon. futuristic and technological vision of medical care and patient protection. futuristic medicine, technology Eye, medical holography, future
hd00:10the groom is going to the wedding ceremony dress watches and straightens his shirt in a suit, emotions slow motion, stylish fashionable bride groom wedding charges an elegance bride
4k00:23SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MAR 6 2015: Illustrative editorial clip; macro ECU of user clicking on Facebook 'like' button; camera dolly away and return. This clip shows the prevalence of social media today.
4k00:30Grid Background, HUD Interface, UI elements, Sci-Fi Frame Grid Backround | 3840x2160 | 0:30 sec| alpha channel |
hd00:06Man's hand pushing the button and swipe credit card payment on pos terminal standing on wooden desk.
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4k00:52ROME, ITALY - January 28, 2018: Falling EMOJI Social Network Animation, Rendering, Background, with Alpha Channel, Loop, 4k
hd00:06ABSTRACT DIGITAL UI & HUD GLITCH 5 / Modern Pattern Glitch 5 / An abstract digital modern pattern glitch for UI or HUD's 5
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4k00:30Group of tablet computer PC and modern touchscreen smartphones or mobile phones with various internet applications and web apps with color interface and colorful icons and buttons with selective focus
4k00:19Futuristic businessman, student in a suit, uses a holographic hologram for the world's fast, speed Internet, connect with contacts, quick search, location Concept business future, network, connection.
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4k00:06ZRENJANIN, SERBIA - OCTOBER 13, 2017: Man hits like button on Instagram page. Social media and networking editorial footage.
4k00:20Slow motion of a hand of a young tailor who makes the tissue measurements with the tape for sewing
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4k00:302 Radial HUD Circles Burst UI Elements. HUD Concept. - sci fi spin radial circles - hi-tech - futuristic widget 4K | 3840 x 2160 | 0:30 sec |
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4k00:09Pushing Play Button on a Vintage Tape Recorder. Close-up. Pushing a Finger Button Play. Man finger presses playback control buttons on audio cassette player.
hd00:18Surreal close-up portrait of young african american female model with gold glossy makeup. Face art. Fashion concept
hd00:14Male hand holding the TV remote control and turn off smart tv. Channel surfing, focused on the hand and remote control. Internet TV. Programm on demand.
hd00:19Broadcast Tv Studio Production - Vision Switcher Studio Director broadcast video mixer operation - Close-up of hand
4k00:10Businessman in a suit is walking towards an executive car in a garage parking lot. Shot on RED Cinema Camera in 4K (UHD).
4k00:30Futuristic digital interface screen / Streaming and flashing computer interface with data on it / Command center
4k00:20Female hand holding the newest smartphone on green screen. The last phone model. You can track it easily putting the trackers on the screen corners.

subset: commoncrawl


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|16 Feb 2012
Can't tell if its hardware or software.
I have been having crashes that i don't think are BSOD's since there are no dump files anywhere. I thought it was my ram but i am failing to determine which sticks are bad or if any of them are bad at all. I have ran memtest with all 4 sticks in and no errors. I have ran memtest with 2 sticks at a time and no errors. If it crashes it is usually right as the desktop would show up after the windows 7 welcome screen. If it was the RAM wouldn't it not always crash at the EXACT same time. But then sometimes i can boot fine and won't crash for hours or days with all my ram in. I think im going to go to vista and see if i crash at all. This problem seems like software to me but i have just about given up on this problem. Its just way too inconsistent to know if it is ram related or any hardware related. Has anyone ever had this problem?
|My System Specs
|16 Feb 2012
If when it crashes you see a blue screen with numbers on it, it is a BSOD. There are several places the DMP files can be and several reasons why they cant be created.
We do need the DMP file as it contains the only record of the sequence of events leading up to the crash, what drivers were loaded, and what was responsible.
If you are overclocking STOP
You may be able to get the DMP files without crashing by booting into safe mode (F8) with networking.
To enable us to assist you with your computer's BSOD symptoms, upload the contents of your "\Windows\Minidump" folder.
The procedure:
* Copy the contents of \Windows\Minidump to another (temporary) location somewhere on your machine.
* Zip up the copy.
* Attach the ZIP archive to your post using the "paperclip" (file attachments) button.
*If the files are too large please upload them to a file sharing service like "Rapidshare" and put a link to them in your reply.
* Go to Start, in the Search Box type: sysdm.cpl, press Enter.
* Under the Advanced tab, click on the Startup and Recovery Settings... button.
* Ensure that Automatically restart is unchecked.
* Under the Write Debugging Information header select Small memory dump (256 kB) in the dropdown box (the 256kb varies).
* Ensure that the Small Dump Directory is listed as %systemroot%\Minidump.
* OK your way out.
* Reboot if changes have been made.
|My System Specs
|16 Feb 2012
I have never crashed booting into safe mode. I have checked that they are enabled and i don't have any minidumps anywhere not even a minidump folder. nothing is overclocked.
|My System Specs
|16 Feb 2012
Are you sure the control panel is properly configured? DO you have UAC turned off?
is the page file the same size as ram and on the same HD.
|My System Specs
|16 Feb 2012
not helping
I turned that on and it made windows run reallly slow. i went and turned it off again but did not restart after. i was fine for a while and then my display driver said it crashed and the screen went black and it kept crashing and then after a couple of times i got BSOD from my display driver. Could this be what was causing issues but without driver verifier on i did not have the BSOD screen come up? page file is set right.
|My System Specs
|16 Feb 2012
I turned that on and it made windows run reallly slow. i went and turned it off again but did not restart after. i was fine for a while and then my display driver said it crashed and the screen went black and it kept crashing and then after a couple of times i got BSOD from my display driver. Could this be what was causing issues but without driver verifier on i did not have the BSOD screen come up? page file is set right.
I need the driver to find out.
|My System Specs
|17 Feb 2012
Im using the 290.53 64bit driver for a gtx 560. But i have tried 2 different drivers from nvidia and i still crash but i had not gotten that bsod before. I still have driver verifier on but no more bsods when i crash.
|My System Specs
|17 Feb 2012
If that is the case please send the event viewer log as described below.
|My System Specs
|17 Feb 2012
no logs
nothing to post, all i got in event viewer is kernel-power id 43. which just means unexpected shutdown which is obvious lol.
|My System Specs
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If you can't handle taking showers in the early hours of the morning because the water is way too cold; it is ideal to purchase a water heater for your home. The water heater is very useful; especially, if you are living in a cold place or if your are used to warm bath. Do not fret for there are lots of available items in store for you. All you have to know is the specifics of the product that will fit your needs and budget for your water heater. More importantly, is for you to know where is the place you need hot water the most. By these, it makes your water heater cost-effective and energy saving.
There are several types of water heaters available in the market nowadays, you can surf the Internet for a wide range of options. They come in modern design that also accentuate your home. Water heaters are made with safety features, like automatic shut-off when there is leakage. Furthermore, you can read reviews for this item, you can try to skim some blogger's take on some brands to help you make your final decision. Most brand names in home appliances manufacture heaters for houses and hotels, so you just have to select what will be perfect for you.


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Susie Coelho
Lifestyle Expert, Television Personality & Best-Selling Author
"Susie has boundless energy, plenty of great marketing ideas plus she's a real creative visionary. Her beautiful personality both on and off camera makes her a pleasure to work with—"
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Terry Cecil, President & CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer,
International Sponsor Council
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"In 2006, as CEO of Bank of America's mortgage, home equity and insurance businesses I hired Ms. Coelho to lead the external marketing effort of the most innovative mortgage product ever developed. She assisted in creating a marketing campaign that introduced a No Fee Mortgage Plus product that led to billions of dollars of product sales and propelled Bank of America to the number one position in retail mortgage sales in the world. Her work product combined with her celebrity were intregal to our success. Ms. Coelho is an intelligent, creative and trustworthy professional. I would highly recommend her for any assignment that would utilize her seasoned skill set."
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Though Susie is a celebrity that has achieved many milestones in her career, she is a beautiful person with a wonderful, warm, inviting, personality that made her a delight to work with. I highly recommend working with her and hope that I can again sometime soon.
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We partnered with Susie on a promotion for our client, Dare Foods, manufacturers of many cracker and cookie brands including Breton. The entire process of working with Susie and her team was professional and pleasant. Susie was an integral part of our "15 Minutes to Fame" campaign from recipe development to styling to personal appearances. The recipes she developed for us were interesting yet attainable – she focused on using easy-to-find ingredients, but put together in a unique way. Her eye for style was helpful on the set and she collaborated with us (the agency), the photographer and the stylists to help make the shots look just right. Her gracious and friendly personality was a big draw at the three trade shows she attended on our clients' behalf, and her appearance really added "buzz." Susie is a true professional -- hard-working, detail-oriented, and committed.
Jean Giguere Partner/Director of Accounts
"Thank you for your advice and words of encouragement and support! I truly appreciate that you took time out of your busy lives to talk with me, offer encouragement, and offer advice. Most people simply wouldn't respond because frankly, who are we but just 2 everyday moms trying to do something! Not only did I get an email response from you over the weekend, but within two days after that, you had a meeting set up for me with one of your business associates over two hours away from you! Boy you work fast! When I got back home from the meeting, I told my kids about it and said to them that if by some stroke of fortune we had a chance to work with you, it would be such a pleasure and an absolutely incredible experience. You were so warm and open through our email communications. Truly a pleasure just to simply communicate with you! We wish you much continued success and thank you again so much for your time!
Sonja Kelly, CEO, One Night Stan
What a breath of fresh air, confidence and knowledge you are bringing to the company. I feel a new stirring from within myself that it's another new beginning. I will say 'thank you' again for the hope you have brought to so many through your God given talents, the hope you are bringing to the company as a whole and now the hope you have given me personally.
I wanted to drop you a note to say thank you for your contribution to our new branding and the new catalog.I think our new spring catalog is going to be an incredible new start for us.
I am so excited about Susie's new partnership with this company! I can't wait to see what kind of innovative projects she can lend her panache to and help us grow.
I think your entrepreneurial past helps you bring a new language and viewpoint to us.
I met you at the conference you had in Richmond at the Crowne Plaza. I told you just because I happen to be there so many good things have happen to me. I have my own woman organization and we do a lot in the community. Again thank you and have a great day.
Wanted to let you know that I had a party last night and one of the guests was so excited to hear that you were involved in this company!! She shared with everyone how great you are and about your show.
I can't tell you how excited I am about your participation with and support of this company!!! I have been a fan for years---dating back to your work on "Surprise Gardner".Thank you, again, for bringing your talents to us. I am so excited about all of the great things to come and look forward to meeting you.
For more information on Susie Coelho, please visit
www.susie coelho.com
Susie Coelho Enterprises, Inc.
466 Foothill Blvd., #203, La Canada, CA 91011


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choose system
retro platforms
pre-order highlight
Enter The Matrix is a unique new form of game, which forms an integral part of the overall Matrix storyline and blurs the distinction between the game and the movie. Developed under the creative direction of the Wachowski brothers, Enter The Matrix has been scripted by the Wachowski's who also oversaw the game design, supervised the fight sequences, approved the music and actually filmed new 35mm movie sequences for use within the game itself. The game promises that actions in the movie will have consequences in the game world and vice versa. In short, the game promises to be as revolutionary as the movie itself.


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It's the foundation of your travels-- packing. In this episode of Solo Travel Talk, I share several packing philosophies to keep the stress levels low. Covered in this solo travel podcast show are things like...
- How to use a packing list (and how to get the most out of my packing list)
- How to avoid overpacking
- How to stay logical-- not emotional-- when packing
Listen to the new episode with the player above, or subscribe on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher or with your favorite podcast app. Leave a comment and tell us what you think about the show!


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Today's comic is a little snapshot from my kitchen the other night...
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Chore Methodology
Posted by Robin Cain at 9:54 PM
3 comments:
HA. That's cute.ReplyDelete
I really like the perspective in the second panel, too.
Bud on the computer "OK just a sec" That's what I always say to my wife when I'm on the computer. Bud got there a lot quicker than I do though. Half hour later & a few more wifely reminders I will move. I guess licking them gets off any bits his Dad missed during the washing up process...ReplyDelete
My parents use to make me wash all the dishes before I loaded them into the dishwasher. If you didn't they wouldn't get clean. Now I just wash the dishes and skip the stupid dishwasher. Worthless thing.ReplyDelete
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Join Website or existing users Login
Charlie Shearer's Iron-man Report.
Lacrosse Scotland member, Charlie Shearer, recently underwent a grueling challenge, here he explains why:
Several Issues ago, as we remembered Scotland's #4, Jamie was kind enough to mention that I was racing in the Canaries, raising money for Help for Heroes. The support I received from the lax community was fantastic, with donations coming from the men's, women's and mixed communities, and as far as Australia, Hong Kong, USA and Canada, from people I know well and people I've never met before. I cannot thank you all enough.
5am, 17th May, I found myself in a sea of 2099 other competitors, in the athletes area, putting the last touches to our bikes, donning the wetsuits, and contemplating what the next 17hours had in store for us. Come 7pm the cannon (yeah, they had a cannon!) went off and the sea turned into a boiling hotpot of fists and feet which you did your best to avoid for the whole 3.8km race.
1 hour and 7 min's later, and much faster than anticipated, beating several professionals, I exited the water and made my way to transition to start the 180km ride around Lanzarote. It's such a long distance but the truth is I remember very little of it, it was head down, grit your teeth, turn the pedals and don't crash! The Island is notorious for the mountains and every meter of the vertical climbs had your legs screaming. However reminding yourself why you were doing this kept you pushing forward. 7 hours and 1 minute after getting on the saddle I rolled into the second transition.
The run, a marathon, 42km, 26 miles, it doesn't matter how you tart it up; it scared the hell out of me! I not a natural runner and the cycle had caused my hip and right knee to play up. I had a plan that I would switch between run and walk to get through it, which worked for the first 16km before my body started to rebel. Thankfully the other competitors and spectators are amazing, they check up on you, they walk with you, and they make sure you keep going no matter what. By the time I got to the last 4oom the sun was setting the crowds were several rows deep, they literally cheered every last person in, and you can't help but sprint that last bit! I crossed the finish line, 226km after starting, in 14 hours 18 min's, slower that I had hoped for but so grateful that I had finished and that I had been able to honour all the donations made in Bobby's memory.
My family had made the trip out and it was great to have them cross the finishing line with me. The final total raised for the charity was £2,184. HOWEVER I wasn't alone in fundraising for Momo in May. Bobby's brother, Thomas, and his sister Annie, both completed the Edinburgh Marathon raising £2,006 and £1,050 respectively. I'm sure the lax community will join me in congratulating the two of them on what must have been a very emotional day. If anyone is tempted to take the plunge, I cannot recommend it enough.
To watch Charlie's Challenge click here:


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Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Getting Back to Painting
4 comments:
Thanks for this blog post Janice - I can really relate to this. I suppose we all get out of this creative "funk" from time to time and I appreciate your thoughts on how you get it back. I can also relate to Eckhart Tolle's when he states " All true artists, whether they know it or not create from a place of 'no mind', from inner stillness".ReplyDelete
It's important to know when to turn the rest of the world to "OFF" mode and get back to what you know how to do best in this world i.e. create.
Best - Lori
P.S. It's a small world - I sat beside a woman on Saturday who knows you well - Linda - a school teacher at Chartwell school - would really like to organize a dinner when you come to Vancouver in July if you have time! So looking forward to your workshop!
HI Lori,ReplyDelete
Thanks for your thoughts on this. My work is all about inner stillness, such an important place to work from and so hard to find in this frantic world. See you in Vancouver!
Fabulous post and something that is so part of the art process.ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks Ruth, it's important I feel to share our process with each other. Appreciate your taking time to comment.Delete


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I rubbed butter on the kids' hands and they shaped them into nests.
Here is the nest on our front porch. The kids really wanted to know if there were eggs in it and how many. I waited until the mama bird left and then climbed the ladder and held up my camera to snap a picture.
We found this nest in a tree next to our back porch.


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The Rockhouse in Thunder Bay was host to an amazing concert last night. Three bands performed including The Wild, Sebastian Bach and the main act, Buckcherry. Unfortunately we couldn't get there early enough to watch The Wild perform, but, from what I heard, they put on an amazing show. The main reason I attended the concert was to take photos for The Walleye, but I was super excited to see Sebastian Bach because I grew up listening to him.
Once he took the stage, the whole floor was jam packed as well as the balcony. Sebastian Bach sounded amazing and he really did put on such a great show. He just seemed so happy to be there, performing in front of the Thunder Bay crowd. He played all the songs you would expect and even a few surprise ones. I'm pretty sure my wife Anne would have fainted if he got remotely close to her but as he is one of her favourite singers. He was on stage for over an hour and it went by so fast.
Buckcherry was the feature act, and after a short break, they kept the night going and then some. By the time they took the stage, you could barely make your way across the floor. I wasn't as familiar with their music as I was Sebastian Bach's but I didn't really need to be because they also put on superb performance. I did know some of their songs and even the ones I didn't, were very easy to enjoy. I still can't believe how good of show it was, and we were all talking about it even today.
Even though it was my first concert I photographed at The Rockhouse, I can't wait to do another one in the near future.


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Worldwide Costa Rica Country
Below watch the video from YouTube about people Costa Rican & a few lessons
country wide, location Etc.
Importance potential country worldwide.
It's my pleasure to have the opportunity to talk about one of the American
countries where in a very small space of land, so much can be found
The name of Rica means rich and what is best about that statement is that the
combination in between peoples and environment, political style of life and
respect or consideration for others.
Canas, el coco, la cruz, Liberia, Tilaran.
Tiendas peliculas. | Cheap Online Store Best Bargains In USA | La Tienda Comprar


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TapeBy: Steven Camden (author)Hardback
Up to 2 WeeksUsually despatched within 2 weeks
DescriptionTAPE is an outstanding debut. Told with crackling prose, shimmering with humour and deeply moving, it will haunt anyone who reads it... Record a voice and it lasts forever... In 1993, Ryan records a diary on an old tape. He talks about his mother's death, about his dreams, about his love for a new girl at school who doesn't even know he exists. In 2013, Ameliah moves in with her grandmother after her parents die. There, she finds a tape in the spare room. A tape with a boy's voice on it - a voice she can't quite hear, but which seems to be speaking to her. Ryan and Ameliah are connected by more than just a tape. This is their story.
About AuthorSteven Camden is a leading spoken-word poet, performing as Polarbear. He also writes radio plays, teaches storytelling in schools, and was a lead artist for The Ministry of Stories. You can find out more about Steven at www.facebook.com/stevencamdentheauthor and you can also follow him on twitter at @homeofpolar.
Product Details
- publication date: 29/01/2015
- Format: Hardback, Paperback
- Number Of Pages: 384
- weight: 260
Delivery Information
- Saver Delivery: Yes
- 1st Class Delivery: Yes
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Pin Up Perfection
One of the many perks of my job is getting to meet so many truly beautiful ladies, and the last few weeks has been jam packed with them!
Remember our launch day Pin Up Poster shoot giveaway? Well, Sunday was the day that our gorgeous winner Jo came to the studio for her shoot :)
We gave her a perfect pin up makeover. Curling her hair with velvet covered, heated rollers (a must have for any vintage look!) and then styled into victory rolls. Makeup was kept pale and flawless, with black eyeliner, and false lashes, just a hint of pink on the eyes and cheeks, perfectly sculpted brows to frame her beautiful face, and ruby red lips to finish, transforming her into a stunning vintage pin up girl, a look she was made to wear! I was blown away by how gorgeous this lady was!
Everyone always starts the shoot a little nervous, not sure of what to expect, but Jo was soon posing like a professional, as I guided her through various poses. You can check out some of Jo's photos on our Facebook page, and I'm sure there will be more to come, as we both struggled to choose our favourites!
These last two weeks it's been makeover mayhem at Betty Noir Studio, as we began our before and after makeover shoots. We just love seeing the transformation of these beautiful women, into divine, glamorous ladies. A real feast for the eyes!
We hope you've enjoyed seeing them as much as we have creating them!
There are just two more ladies to makeover, both wanting different styles, we cannot wait to treat them both to a makeover and photo shoot, a great way to remind themselves just how gorgeous they really are :)
You can view the rest of our before and after makeovers on our Facebook page.
If you fancy treating yourself to a makeover shoot, a makeover in any style you want, then just visit our on-line shop, where you can purchase a makeover shoot for just £40! That's including hair and makeup!!
So what else could have possibly happened this last week?! Besides before and after makeovers, and pin up poster photo shoots?
We also had a gorgeous redhead in the studio, who travelled two and a half hours just to come and see us a Betty Noir Photography! Always so flattered at how far some of you are willing to travel, to pay us a visit :) and boy are we glad she did!!
Such beautiful long red hair, enough to make us all green with envy.
To top off this exciting week, we also found some of our photos had been published in Modern Vintage Magazine! Can you believe, we launched Betty Noir Photography just over two weeks before?! and already our photos of you vintage vixens are popping up in magazines! I can barely contain my excitement, as I do a little dance of joy around the studio :D
and already our Facebook page is nearing 250 likes! So here's my question to all you Betty followers out there.... how shall we celebrate when we reach the 250 mark? What would you like? A makeover shoot giveaway? Another Pin Up Poster giveaway? Or something entirely different? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment below, post on our Facebook wall, or send us a private message or email, what is it that you would like, to help us celebrate reaching 250 likes so quickly?
Something we can do to say thank you for all your support :) x


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A key feature of the recent 19th Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and the events leading to it, was the strong emphasis placed on Marxism in China. This was underlined in Xi Jinping's report to the Congress. It was stated explicitly in official reports Chinese reports of the Congress in the mainstream Western media. For example the Chinese Ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, noted in the British Daily Telegraph: 'The Congress has adopted the Xi Jinping Thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for the new era. This is the latest adaptation of Marxism to Chinese conditions. It is the CPC's understanding of the laws of social progress and it answers the question of how to adhere to and continue building socialism with Chinese features.'
This CPC emphasis on Marxism is of key significance for both wings of the political spectrum:
This Congress on Marxism is clearly a further step in China entering into dialogue with Marxists in other parts of the world and is in direct line with the events at the 19th CPC Congress. Because of the importance of this the announcement in Xinhua of the Congress on Marxism is reproduced in full below.
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BEIJING, Oct. 22 - The 2nd World Congress on Marxism is scheduled to be held in Peking University in Beijing next May, the organizer said Sunday.
The congress, to be held from May 5 to May 6, is expected to attract more than 300 Marxism researchers to discuss Marxism in the 21st century and its developments in China.
The congress coincides with the 200th anniversary of Karl Marx's birth and 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up, said Gu Hailiang, head of the academic board of the organizing committee.
It will be a significant event for the world Marxism research and scientific socialism, Gu told a press conference.
The conference, with the theme of "Marxism and the current world and China", will have 17 subforums covering topics like Chinese solution and modernization approach by the developing countries, said Sun Daiyao, vice president of the School of Marxism of Peking University.
Gu said the congress will focus on Marxism research by the global academic circle and Marxism in current China.
The congress will help to interpret to the world academic circle the "China road, China theory and China experience", Gu said.
China was ready to support Greece at the height of the 2015 debt crisis says former Greek Finance Minister Varoufakis - an important lesson for Europe
In an important and revealing video former Finance Minister in Greece's Syriza government, Yanis Varoufakis, has revealed his successful negotiations for a mutually beneficial investment agreement between China and Greece at the height of the Greek debt crisis in 2015. This revelation explains several important recent developments regarding Greece and China and has important implications for the Europe and international left wing parties.
In his account of these events Varoufakis strongly commends China's ability to achieve what China would term a 'win-win' outcome - simultaneously meeting Greece's need for investment to revive its economy with expansion of activity in Europe by Chinese companies. He also reveals this mutually beneficial deal was then blocked by intervention by the pro-austerity Berlin government.
These revelations, and his praise of China, by Varoufakis are important for several reasons.
First, Varoufakis is a respected figure internationally among those of a left wing political orientation and among left wing political parties. His clear praise of China's role will help weak anti-China confusion among such political circles.
Second, this revelation that at the height of the Greek debt crisis China offered a constructive way forward for both Greece and its own interests helps explain the positive attitude the Syriza government has taken to China - including blocking attempted EU propaganda against China.
Third, although Germany blocked the comprehensive deal between China and Greece this has not stopped Chinese investment in Greece. The New York Times recently noted regarding the port of Piraeus: 'China invested nearly half a billion euros in the port, transforming it into the busiest harbor in the Mediterranean.' And: 'Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras returned from a summit meeting in Beijing in May, where he signed billions of euros worth of new investment memorandums with Chinese companies.' Such investment is clearly of mutual benefit of the Greek people as well as China.
This clear explanation of the background to these events by Varoufakis therefore has important lessons for Europe and more widely. The text of Varoufakis video is below but the original contains much interesting information and readers are strongly recommended to view it.
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Greece and China, two ancient civilizations, two countries whose peoples have had a long experience, and quite recently, of colonialism, of being treated like the sick men of the world. Europe in our case, Asia in the case of China.
In 2015, when I was conducting negotiations with the Chinese side, in parallel to the negotiations we were having with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, I was very pleasantly surprised by the way in which the Chinese authorities managed to combine their sense of self-interest with a patient investment attitude and a genuine commitment to renegotiate and negotiate and discuss again and again and again with us, with a view to achieving a mutually advantageous agreement. The discussions began regarding the Port of Piraeus, where COSCO, a state owned Chinese company, already had their foot in the door, so to speak, and there was a discussion about how to extend its operations. They were very surprised when I proposed to them that this should be part of a broader investment exercise in Greece by China, involving railways, technology parks, involving all sorts of activities where our economy needed patient capital, like shipbuilding and shipyards and tourism.
We came to a magnificent agreement. The showed broadmindedness, they were prepared to accept collective bargaining agreements with trade unions. They were prepared to take it step by step in a way that would, of course, benefit them but would also benefit us in a non-colonial manner. What stopped it was an intervention by Berlin insisting that no deal should go through until and unless the Eurozone had finished with the Greek government.
New US data shows that China's economy is growing at 6.8% and US at 2.3% - China growing almost three times as fast as US
New US data published on Friday shows that the US economy in the year to the 3rd quarter of 2017 grew by 2.3%. In comparison China's economy grew by 6.8%. That is China's economy is growing almost three times as fast as the US. This is shown in the chart.
Some confusion in the media is caused by the fact that the official reports of China's and US economic growth are presented in different ways. China emphasizes real year on year growth - that is China's latest data, for 6.8% growth in the 3rd quarter of 2017, is a comparison to the 3rd quarter of 2016. As the same period in the two years is being compared no seasonal adjustment has to be made to the data.
The US instead takes growth over the last quarter and compares it to the previous quarter - that is US growth in the 3rd quarter of 2017 is compared to the 2nd quarter of 2017 and the result is annualized.
The strong disadvantage of the US method is that is relies on the calculated seasonal correction being correct. But it is well known that at least one of the US seasonal adjustments, that for the first quarter of the year, is seriously incorrect - resulting in reported US growth in the 1st quarter being seriously under reported, and that in the next quarters therefore being too high. Furthermore purely short term fluctuations can seriously affect a quarter by quarter adjustment. For this reason China's method of comparing growth to the same quarter in the previous year is more statistically robust.
The data therefore confirms that China's economy is growing almost three times as fast as the US.
By 2022 China will enter the ranks of world high income countries - creating a 'new era' in the global economy
China at the 19th CPC Congress reaffirmed its immediate domestic goal as to 'comprehensively build a moderately prosperous society' by 2020. This forms a corner stone of China's 'new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics'. But to judge the international impact of this goal it may be noted that 'moderate prosperity' is a specifically Chinese term and therefore a criterion which cannot be judged in comparison to other countries. It therefore helps to understand the international impact of the 'new era' to also analyse China according to the standard World Bank international classification of countries. The results obtained by such comparisons are extremely striking and indeed strongly confirm that what is involved is a 'new era' – not only for China but globally. To be precise:
In order to demonstrate these developments, and avoid any suggestion of using exaggeratedly pro-China sources, all data in this article is calculated from the latest database of the IMF's World Economic Outlook – a bastion of Western economics which cannot in any sense be described as under China's control.
World Bank classification of high-income economies
The World Bank standard international classification divides economies into four groups:
When will China become a high-income economy?
In order to calculate when China will become a high income economy by international classification it should be noted that the World Bank uses a three year moving average of exchange rates in its estimations – this is done to avoid the distorting effect of any extremely sharp short term exchange rates movements (the method is known technically as 'Atlas methodology'). It should be noted that using this criterion China's current per capita GNI in 2016 was $8,260 - fractionally higher than its 2016 per capita GDP of $8,123.
Evidently it is not possible to predict the exact precise three year moving average of the RMB's exchange rate against the dollar in five years' time (anyone who could do that would be so rich they would make Bill Gates look like a mere pauper!). Therefore, a certain margin of error must be allowed for, but the fundamental statistics are clear. By 2022 the IMF projects China's per capita GDP will be $12,834. The IMF's is a conservative estimate as it actually assumes a substantial slowdown in China's economy, without justifying this, to an annual average growth of 5.7% by 2022. Taking this trend, and the relation between per capita GNI calculated by World Bank 'Atlas methodology' and China's current per capita GDP means than in 2022, or slightly before or slightly after depending on the exact exchange rate, China will enter the ranks of 'high income' economies by standard World Bank international classification. But this, as already noted, will more than double the proportion of the world's population living in high income economies.
The conclusion regarding the global significance of these trends in China's economy are clear. More than doubling the number of people living in high income economies, which is what will be achieved when China enters that status, is in reality a transformation of the global economic situation. In short, the 'new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics' was designated from the point of view of China's domestic development. But the reality is that it will also be a 'new era' from the point of view of the world situation.
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This article was originally published in Chinese at Sina Finance Opinion Leaders.
I have two videos published analyzing why real Western politics is far more sinister than the purely cardboard villains in House of Cards. It is an illusion that in the West the key decisions are decided by 'democratic votes', they are decided by money and power. A short video looking at the situation following the election of Trump, 5 minutes long, was made this year and is at this link. It is a follow up to a much longer one 1 hour lecture, also in English, delivered last year which has been viewed more than 1.2 million time - this long lecture is here.
The following analysis of the significance of the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) Congress is by Liu Zhiqin, Senior Fellow of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China. Its focus is not only the significance of the Congress within China but China's international role in the strengthening of Marxism. It originally appeared in China's Global Times.
One of the arrogant, 'colonialist mentality' illusions of Western analysis of China, both the 'right' and some sections of the 'left' was that Western writers knew better than China itself what was the ruling theory of China. This was the significance of the claim made in major parts of the Western media that Marxism in China was merely paid lip service to, that it was merely 'for show'. This 'colonialist' intellectual illusion made many Western analysts incapable of understanding the dynamics in China.
This analysis of the 19th CPC Congress shows just how mistaken that Western idea was. China's policy was not only based on Marxism but China's success is now by far the most powerful force strengthening Marxism internationally after the collapse of the USSR. It is vital for those interested in progress in all countries to learn from China and it is greatly to the benefit of the international community that new global conditions make China more active in helping others learn from it. China's impact both in general, and specifically in Marxism, will of course increase with the continuation of China's success.
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The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) takes place at a crucial time in world affairs. The report to the 19th CPC National Congress delivered by General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping on Wednesday is undoubtedly the manifesto of the Communist Party in a new era, as it bears historic and practical significance. The report not only serves as a guide to China's political direction and destiny, but also exerts a profound influence on the development of the international situation and the world political landscape.
Since the early 1990s, the collapse of the Soviet Union has set people's understanding of socialism and communism into a swirling maelstrom and devastated the European socialist camp led by the Soviet Union. After the color revolution hit eastern Europe, almost no political party and public figure dared promote socialist and communist theories and engage themselves in activities in this regard. Marxism was treated unfairly, something that had not happened in the previous century. Society was divided and chaotic. People's beliefs were distorted. As some politicians in the West defamed socialism and communism at that time, Marxism and socialism reached an unprecedented low ebb.
How Marxism and socialism would develop has baffled the international community for almost 30 years. However, China, with the fruitful results of its reform and opening-up over the last 40 years, announced to the world that Marxism and socialism are still an attractive theoretical guide and development path, full of vitality for developing countries. China, through countless facts, has proven a simple truth: Adapting Marxism to a country's reality is the most effective guiding ideology to develop its politics and economy and also to modernize its culture.
Fortunately, China upholds the principle of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context in its reform and opening-up. The astounding achievements China has made in reform and opening-up result from the practice of Marxism in China and the socialist path in line with China's national conditions.
Xi's report to the 19th CPC National Congress proves to the world that more than one path is available for countries striving to pursue socio-economic development and modernization. The development pattern in the West doesn't fit all nations. China's development experience shows that one can follow China's path to head toward the modernization that was achieved in the developed world. If China's path turns out to be feasible to a country home to about 1.36 billion Chinese people, it can serve as an important reference for most nations around the globe.
This is the global significance of China's experience in its reform and opening-up as well as the value of the informative report delivered by Xi at the opening of the 19th CPC National Congress. The past five years have witnessed unprecedented progress and groundbreaking achievements.
The CPC, by training cadres and officials using strict criteria, conforming to people's wishes and keeping up with the times has completed missions and undertakings that the West considered impossible. This is the key to the CPC's consistent achievements.
Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era. The CPC has given shape to the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era which builds on and further enriches Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of the Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development. It is a long-term guide to action that the Party must adhere to and develop in a bid to address new challenges and fulfill new missions in a new era.
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This article was originally published under the title 'Xi's report: manifesto of CPC in a new era'.
Chinese socialism's rapid economic growth, Western capitalism's 'new mediocre' - economic background to the 19th Communist Party of China Congress
The present 19th Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) occurs on the 20th anniversary of the Asian financial crisis and the 10th of the US subprime mortgage collapse which ignited the international financial crisis. This necessarily leads leads to analysis of the achievements and trends of China's economy in comparison with these major crises and of China's relations with the rest of the world. Such comparisons are even more necessary because as will be seen these crises were not purely historical events but their effects continue to shape the present international situation at the time of the 19th Congress.
To summarise the results, both the Asian crisis and the US sub-prime crisis showed in a striking practical way the economic superiority of China's 'socialism with Chinese characteristics' to the Western capitalist system - China was able to come through these two crises with little economic damage, unlike the West. Indeed, China's success during these crises sharply increased its weight within the global economy. These events therefore demonstrated the superiority of 'socialism with Chinese characteristics' not merely in an historic sense but as China's best defence confronted with current problems in Western economies.
Asian financial crisis
Analysing first the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, this had devastating effects on most Eastern Asia developing economies. In 1998 South Korea's economy contracted by 6%, Malaysia's by 7%, Thailand's by 8%, and Indonesia's by 13%. Knock on effects depressed the regions advanced economies – both Singapore and Japan's economies declining.
Given the devastating effect on East Asian developing economies Western commentators predicted China would be affected by economic crisis – a prediction which turned out to be totally false. In 1998 China's economic growth was 7.8% and in 1998 7.6%. In contrast to the other major East Asian developing economies China came through the Asian financial crisis without significant economic slowing.
Sub-prime mortgage crisis
The 2007 US sub-prime mortgage crisis inaugurated an even more severe international crisis as it originated within the US creating the worst world economic crisis since the post-1929 Great Depression.
Under the impact of the US crisis the world economy contracted in 2009 for the first time since the aftermath of World War II. The US economy in 2007-2009 declined by 3%, its worst performance since the Great Depression.
But even more serious cumulatively growth in the advanced Western economies entirely failed to regain its pre-international financial crisis rate. IMF managing director Christine Lagarde accurately described the post-2007 period in the Western economies as a 'new mediocre' - average annual economic US growth in 2007-2016 was only 1.3%, in the EU 0.6% and in Japan 0.4%.
Despite this most severe global crisis for almost a century China's economy continued rapid expansion. In 2007-2016 China's economy grew by 106% - compared to only 9% in the US, 6% in the EU and 3% in Japan. The combined effect of China's rapid economic development with the West's 'new mediocre' therefore sharply changed the situation in the world economy.
China not only raised its own population's living standards amid the extremely negative effects of the international financial crisis, but China became the most important support of the world economy. In 2009, the crisis's worst year, China's GDP increase was greater than the whole of the rest of the world. In 2007-2016 overall China was responsible for 44% of world growth.
These trends created a 'win-win' outcome between China and the rest of the world – practically confirming Xi Jinping's concept of a 'community of common destiny'. China's economic expansion aided China's own people, while Western living standards were falling, but China's growth aided world economic recovery - thereby avoiding greater international problems for China itself.
These two financial crises demonstrated in the most practical way the superiority of China's 'socialism with Chinese characteristics' compared to capitalism.
In capitalism the economy is entirely dominated by private ownership of the means of production. In the US, for example, 83% of investment is private and only 17% state - with no large state banks which can provide easy finance for private company investment. Therefore, when the collapse of the sub-prime mortgage market led to plummeting US private investment, which fell 24% in 2006-2009, there was no state mechanism strong enough to prevent the US falling into severe recession. This repeated the experience of the Asian financial crisis, when investment in South Korea fell 21% in 1997-98, while in 1997-1999 investment fell by 45% in Indonesia and by 47% in Thailand and Malaysia.
In contrast China's 'socialism with Chinese characteristics' has a powerful state sector which in a crisis can maintain investment and powerful state banks which can lend to private companies. Over 35% of China's fixed investment is by the state. Therefore during the Asian financial crisis, while investment was falling sharply in other Asian economies, in China it rose by 22% in 1997-1999. During the sub-prime crisis, while in the US total investment fell by 18% in 2006-2009, In China it rose by 54%. China's 'socialism with Chinese characteristics' was therefore the direct reason China came through the two great international economic crisis without the severe problems which affected the Western economies.
This confirmed the words of the Third Plenum of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC: 'We must unswervingly consolidate and develop the public economy.' This state sector provided a precise mechanism through which the China's government could prevent China's economy falling into crisis. It illustrated the point stated by Xi Jinping 'that state-owned enterprises become the most reliable and power of the party and the country, which can resolutely implement the party's central decisions.'
Within China's economy the state and private sectors worked together, illustrating the point made by Xi Jinping that China could use both the 'visible' and 'invisible' hand' – a much more powerful mechanism than the purely 'invisible hand' of private Western capitalist economies.
The West's 'new mediocre'
However, while China successful economic development after the US sub-prime mortgage crisis showed the superiority of China's economic system nevertheless the simultaneous combination of China's economic success with the West's 'new mediocre' created a new international economic situation.
China's post-1978 'reform and opening up' had produced far more rapid economic development than the West – China's average annual economic growth in 1978-2007 was 9.9% compared to 2.6% in advanced Western economies. Nevertheless, in that period significant growth in the Western economies created a favourable international economic context for China – all major economies grew with China growing faster than any other. China's economic growth in this period successfully achieved 'upper middle income' status by World Bank classification, within striking distance of its immediate goal of 'moderate prosperity'. But the West's post-2007 'new mediocre' created a new international context in which China had to make the transition to 'moderate prosperity' amid slow Western growth.
Perspectives for global economy
To understand how different is the international economic situation facing China now compared to before the international financial crisis, it may be noted that the highest circles of Western economic experts now understand that while the international financial crisis did not produce as great a fall in output as in the Great Depression long term Western economic growth will is slower than after 1929.
This month the New York Times, under the self-explanatory headline 'We're About to Fall Behind the Great Depression' featured joint analysis by former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and former IMF chief economist Oliver Blanchard: 'By 2019, a prime measure of the [US] economy's health — gross domestic product per working-age adult — will likely have recovered less in the 12 years since the crisis began than it did during the 12 years since the start of the Great Depression.'
Internationally the situation is more severe. By the end of 2017 total growth since the international financial crisis in advanced Western economies will be slower than after 1929 – 12.3% in the 10 years after 2007 compared to 15.1% in the 10 years after 1929. IMF projections are that by 2021, fourteen years after 2007, annual average growth in the advanced economies will be less than half that in the same period after 1929 – 1.3% compared to 2.9%.
The next five years
As the IMF's projection of very slow growth in Western economies is by a bastion of Western economic orthodoxy, which cannot be accused of pro-China and anti-Western bias, analysing the IMF's projections for the five years after the 19th Party Congress shows clearly that China will continue to face a situation of slow Western growth.
The IMF does not doubt that China itself will achieve its target of 'moderate prosperity' by 2020. Indeed, the IMF projects China will achieve the World Bank's criteria of a 'high-income economy' by 2021/2022.
The IMF estimates that in 2016-2022 China's economy will grow by $7.1 trillion, compared to a US $4.8 trillion, with China accounting for 28% of world growth, compared to 18% for the US and 16% for the EU - China will be the largest motor of world growth with its contribution to global GDP expansion being almost half as much again as the US.
Significance of the 19th Congress
Such very slow growth in the West does not just have direct economic effects on China, as with exports. It changed China's geopolitical context - which was met with successful initiatives in foreign policy, global governance and military reform since the 18th Party Congress. This international economic situation, as well as China's domestic one, therefore explains why these initiatives were so successful.
In global economic governance, as the Western economies were in a 'new mediocre' they were unable to take the initiatives leading the world economy forward which other economies as well as China required. China therefore took increasing initiatives. These were underpinned by Xi Jinping's fundamental concept of a 'community of common destiny' and included major practical initiatives such as One Belt One Road and very high-profile defence of globalisation by Xi Jinping at the Davos World Economic Forum earlier this year. These became still more significant when protectionism was adopted by forces within the US.
The impact of China's global initiatives may be simply noted from the Financial Times headline regarding this month's annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank: 'China moves in as US pulls back from global institutions'. It noted World Bank president Jim Yong Kim's analysis: 'the accolades this week have been directed at China's president Xi Jinping. "I quote him all the time," Mr Kim… told a packed room on Thursday as he invoked Mr Xi's call earlier this year for a defence of free trade and internationalism. "In a period where we see countries becoming more inward looking, in a period where we see countries becoming more nationalistic what President Xi said at Davos was extremely important".
Geopolitically slow growth in Western countries led to popular discontent within them and increased international instability – for example in the Middle East. In some cases, the traditional Western political elites lost control of key decisions – as with the UK's economically irrational vote to leave the EU. In the US Trump was elected president against the overwhelming majority of the political establishment. While China has strongly promoted peace, such risk of international instability justifies focus on military reform strengthening the PLA.
In summary, China's domestic transition to moderate prosperity, combined with the new mediocre in the Western economies, required a successful series of international initiatives since the 18th CPC Congress. This will continue at the 19th with great consequences not only for China but the global economy.
* * *
This is a slightly expanded version of an article originally published in Chinese by Global Times.
China is the World's Most Rapidly Growing Major Economy - But Don't Wait for Most Western 'China Experts' to Admit They Made Wrong Analyses
The latest international data strongly confirms that China has resumed its position as the world's most rapidly growing major economy. In the year to the second quarter of 2017 China's economy grew by 6.9% compared to 2.2% in the US, the world's largest developed economy – China's economy was therefore growing more than three times as fast at the US. Compared to India, which after China is the world's largest developing economy, China's GDP growth was 6.9% compared to 5.7%.
China's growth is particularly striking as it is clearly outpacing both the major advanced centres of world growth, in the G7, and the largest grouping of developing economies - BRICS. The IMF projects that in the five years 2016-2021 BRICS will account for 38% of world growth and the G7 for 30% making China clearly the largest source of world growth – in comparison only one country outside the G7 and BRICS, Indonesia, will account for more than two percent of world growth.
A situation where China is both the main source of world growth, and the most rapidly growing major economy, is evidently important for the global economy itself. But this trend also reveals a continuing error of analysis in some sections of the media which during the last period failed to foresee China's growth. Comparison of projections to actual economic results therefore shows the necessity to draw lessons for more accurate predictions of China's growth in the future – put technically it revealed the existence of an inaccurate 'pessimism bias' in a number of circles regarding China's economic prospects.
To examine these issues first the latest data for China and global growth will be given and then these will be compared to earlier analyses.
China compared to the G7 and BRICS
Comparing China's growth with the advanced G7 economies the latest data, for the year up to the 2nd quarter of 2017, is shown in Figure 1. As may be seen, China's 6.9% growth far outperformed Japan's 1.4%, the UK and Italy's 1.5%, France's 1.8%, Germany's 2.1%, the US's 2.2%, or Canada's 3.7%.
Figure 1
Figure 2 similarly shows that China outperformed the main developing economies - the BRICS. China's 6.9% growth compares to India's 5.7%, Russia's 2.5%, South Africa's 1.1% and Brazil's 0.3%. The data for Indonesia, the largest contributor to world growth outside the G7 and BRICS is also shown – Indonesia's 5.0% growth ranked only behind China and India.
Figure 2
China and US in the last period
Analysis of prospects for world economic expansion naturally focuses on China and the US as these are the world's two largest economies - accounting for almost 40% of world GDP at current exchange rates and over a third in purchasing power parities. It is therefore clarificatory to make a bilateral comparison of China and the US over the recent period and to compare this to some predictions.
A significant yardstick is that almost two years ago, in November 2015, the US Council on Foreign Relations held a survey China's economy. The Council, a leading foreign policy body, sought the opinion of a wide range of US economists and specialists. Its conclusion was that: 'the most common forecast was that China will avoid a hard landing but fall short of implementing necessary reforms, sentencing it to something similar to China's "lost decade" of the 1990s, with average real growth rates around 1 to 3 percent.' The Wall Street Journal summarised: 'At a recent workshop hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations… 35 or so academic economists, Wall Street professionals and geopolitical strategists—lined up around three different growth scenarios for China… 61% foresaw a "lost decade" of 1% to 3% growth… what's interesting is that apparently nobody considered the possibility that the Chinese government could deliver on its promise of "medium to fast" growth, meaning 6.5% or higher...
'All this matters because, as former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers wrote recently... China will inevitably experience a "reversion to the mean." In other words, it will become merely average, crawling ahead at around 2% along with its peers.'
It is therefore clarificatory to compare these predictions of two years ago to a detailed examination of what occurred during the recent period. Figure 3 shows year on year GDP growth in China and the US from the beginning of 2015 up to the latest data. As may be seen over this period China's growth fell only extremely marginally from 7.0% to 6.9% - the maximum dip was to 6.7% in mid-2016 with acceleration after this. In contrast, over the period US economic growth fell significantly from 3.8% to 2.2% - with extremely slow growth of 1.2% in mid-2016. In summary China did not suffer a significant slowdown but the US did.
Figure 3
Per capita GDP
The difference between China's and US performance becomes even more striking when considered in per capita GDP terms as opposed to total ones. This distinction is signifcant because US population growth rate is significantly faster than China's. This boosts US performance in total GDP terms but, calculated in that way, China's relative performance in output per person is understated compared to the US.
Figure 4 shows that by the time of the latest data China's per capita GDP growth was over four times as fast as the US – 6.4% compared to 1.5%. The reason for strong economic discontent in the US in mid 2016 approaching the Presidential election is also very clear - as at that time US per capita GDP had fallen to a very slow 0.5%.
In summary, contrary to the major predictions collected by the US Council on Foreign Relations, China's economy suffered no significant slowdown while the US experienced deceleration.
Figure 4
To summarise on recent trends and projections regarding China, it is relatively well known that there is a long record of inaccurate predictions that China will experience a severe economic slowdown – that it will suffer a hard landing, that it is a 'dragon out of puff' or even that China is going to suffer collapse. Summarising the data from the latest period and comparing it to predictions, however, confirms that a substantial 'pessimism bias' still continues in many projections regarding China's economy. There are, of course, some serious Western analysts of China's economy who carry out objective analyses - of those which are widely available I would recommend Gavyn Davies blog on the Financial Times. But as the Council on Foreign Relations survey showed the great majority of Western 'China experts' are entirely inaccurate in their predictions - they are engaged in propaganda not accurate analysis.
The data showing China's position as the most rapidly growing major economy is therefore both crucial for global economic prospects and in pointing to the necessity of allowing for, and in future correcting, underestimates of China's economic prospects. But don't hold your breath waiting for most Western 'China experts' to admit that their predictions on China were entirely inaccurate.
John Ross
May 2018


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kleinere werke (1. teil) gesammelte werke band 18 (with SIGNED SPEEDY DRAWING)
hellnar, koln, london: edition hansjorg mayer / Eaton House Publishers, 1971 (1980). First edition. Cloth. Special Deluxe Edition of number 18 in the collected artist books of Dieter Rot (26 volumes in total were produced). Fine condition in fine illustrated dustwrapper. Comes with the original green cloth slipcase which is also in fine condition. This is one of 200 unnumbered but special copies produced for Eaton House Publishers which includes a SIGNED AND DATED SPEEDY DRAWING. This one is entitled Original Speedy Self Smaller Work and is dated in 1980. An exceptional three color abstract drawing (see photo for details). Suitable for framing. Quite scarce and beautiful edition. Fine / fine. Item #22375
Price: $1,500.00


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Thursday, July 14, 2011
soil blocks - 3 days later
Seeds mostly all sprouted, except the chard and basil (starting). The lettuce already reaching toward the light, so I moved the trays out onto the deck for the day. Nice and overcast, hoping it stays that way so they don't get dried and fried by a wicked afternoon sun. Stuck them in a slightly sheltered corner of the deck, protected from direct rain and late afternoon sun, just in case.
Posted by Matt at 9:09 AM
Labels: fall, seeds, soil blocks, winter
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Figs & Plums Fabric that is:
I know it's not fair...
But try and take comfort in the fact that all my sewing equipment is packed and all I can do is staire at these babies and drool.
I know :o( But seriously, if you are a Fig Tree fan as I am you will NOT want to miss these. My camera is crappy, these fabric are beautiful, the colors are rich and vibrant you will not belive it. Joanna has totaly outdone herself on these I might just buy some of this by the bolt!
Jun 9, 2008
Eat your heart out, I`m having Figs & Plums....
Posted by Danielle , Alberta, Canada at 4:24 PM
2 comments:
- Ravenhill said...
Wow, are they ever gorgeous!! I am trying not to be too jelous... but it is really hard! Hope you can unpack your sewing stuff soon!
- June 13, 2008 at 12:35 PM
- happy zombie said...
What a pretty, pretty stash. I especially love the aqua. Mmmm. Yummy!
- June 18, 2008 at 12:56 PM
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A car bomb struck the entrance of a police station yesterday in the southern Turkish city of Gaziantep, killing two police officers and wounding 22 other people, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.
Four civilians were among those injured in the explosion, according to Governor Ali Yerlikaya of Gaziantep province. The blast shattered the windows of nearby buildings.
The police station is close to offices for the governor and mayor. Gaziantep is also home to the offices of international aid organisations focused on the conflict in neighbouring Syria.
Police later raided the home of a suspected member of the so-called Islamic State group, who is believed to have carried out the attack.
His father was last night detained for DNA testing, according to media reports.
However, there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. A Turkish interior ministry official, said investigations were ongoing.
Turkey has suffered multiple bombings in recent months linked either to Kurdish militants or the Islamic State group.
May 1 International Labour Day demonstrations in Gaziantep were cancelled for security reasons, the private Dogan news agency reported.
Speaking in Ankara, the Turkish capital, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu expressed his condolences and wished a speedy recovery to those wounded in "the heinous terrorist attack."
Police in Ankara, meanwhile, carried out anti-terror operations overnight and detained four suspected IS members allegedly planning to attack May Day demonstrators, the Anadolu Agency reported.
In Istanbul, police imposed tight security measures and used water cannons and tear gas on May Day demonstrators who sought to rally in non-designated areas. One man died after being run over by a water cannon vehicle, according to local media.
Turkey, which is facing both growing blowback from the conflict in Syria and renewed conflict with Kurdish militants, has seen a rise of deadly attacks across the country. In the past year, more than 200 people across the country have been killed in six major bombings.
In a separate incident yesterday, eight people were wounded after four rockets hit Kilis, another town near the Syrian border, Anadolu reported. Three Syrians were among the injured.
The news agency said the Turkish military retaliated by firing at IS targets across the border in Syria, killing nine militants. It was not possible to verify the agency's claim.
Kilis, where Syrian refugees outnumber locals, has been hammered by cross-border fire since mid-January. There have been a total of 18 fatalities in that period.
The wider province of Kilis borders areas in Syria that are contested by Kurdish factions, IS militants and rebels fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.