Monday, November 30, 2009

China e India contaminarán menos;¡chisssst! es un secreto, no se lo digáis a nadie

NOTA: este artículo va dedicado a CHINA e INDIA no siempre denostadas en su justa medida.

Y estos son los logros de otra “INCREDIBILE” cumbre sobre reducción de emisiones contaminantes a la atmósfera. O lo que es lo mismo, países con estructuras de producción eléctrica obsoletas basadas en carbón, renovarán cuando les venga en gana dichas estructuras, introduciendo petróleo o energía nuclear, que como tecnológicamente son más eficientes pues provocarán una reducción de las emisiones. Esta transformación se iba a llevar a cabo con cumbre o sin ella, ya que dichos países no tienen más remedio si quieren seguir produciendo a bajo coste; pero claro está, por que no ir a una cumbre para anunciarlo a bombo y platillo; fíjate tú todo lo que podemos conseguir:

* salvamos la cara ante la opinión pública internacional ya que vivimos de ellos

* les salvamos el pellejo a políticos de medio pelo, tipo “OBAMA”

* y lo que es más importante, comemos y bebemos a costa de los erarios públicos; ¡qué coño! “QUE PARA ESO SOMOS POLÍTICOS.

 

[Via http://aopensecret.wordpress.com]

PERTANIAN KITA DALAM PETA DUNIA

Melihat pandangan negara-negara lain terhadap Indonesia dalam pertemuan multilateral APEC di Singapura, terasa bahwa kita adalah negara yang dipandang penting dalam peta dunia.

Sebagai negara berpenduduk terbesar keempat di dunia dan memiliki pertumbuhan ekonomi ketiga tertinggi setelah China dan Indonesia, Indonesia dinilai penting dalam menjaga keseimbangan pertumbuhan ekonomi global.

Hal tersebut juga berlaku dalam bidang pertanian. Berdasarkan data statistik dunia, Indonesia adalah penghasil pertanian terbesar keenam dunia dengan nilai keluaran sekitar 60 milliar dollar Amerika Serikat (2007). Indonesia adalah produsen biji-bijian pangan (sereal) terbesar kelima dan produsen buah-buahan terbesar kesepuluh di dunia. Indonesia juga produsen beras nomor tiga di dunia setelah China dan India meski merupakan konsumen terbesar ketiga juga setelah China dan Inda. Sekadar menambahkan, Indonesia adalah produsen minyak sawit mentah (CPO) terbesar di dunia, nomor tiga untuk karet dan kakao, nomor empat untuk kopi, dan nomor enam untuk the.

Arti penting pertanian Indonesiaitu terefleksikan dalam berbagai usaha mencari solusi persoalan global. Melalui posisi Indonesia yang kian terhormat di forum-forum internasional – ASEAN, APEC, atau G-20 – peran Indonesia dapat lebih banyak tersampaikan.

Ketidakpastian iklim

Dalam ketahanan pangan dan terkait perubahan iklim, Indonesia adalah korban ketidakpastian iklim, tetapi sekaligus dapat menawarkan solusi. Ketidakpastian iklim telah menimbulkan masalah bagi ribuan petani Indonesia yang menghadapi kekeringan, kebanjiran, atau siklus iklim yang berubah-ubah.

Ketidakpastian iklim membuat produktivitas kian sulit ditingkatkan, gejolak harga membingungkan. Bahkan, beberapa pulau di Indonesia terancam abrasi air laut dan tercancam tenggelam.

Namun, Indonesia juga dapat menawarkan solusi. Pertama, dengan membangun ketahanan pangan sendiri, Indonesia telah turut berkontribusi dalam ketahanan pangan global. Pengalaman krisis pangan tahun 2008 menunjukkan, ketidakstabilan pangan pada satu negara dapat memicu persoalan, bukan melalui perdagangan atau investasi, tetapi melalui informasi.

Tahun 2008, Filipina membutuhkan tambahan amat besar stok beras. Keadaan ini menyebabkan harga beras melambung tinggi, termasuk di negara-negara yang telah berswasembada beras bahkan pada negara-negara eksportir. India yang mengalami masalah penurunan produksi gula tahun 2009 juga menyebabkan kenaikan harga gula di beberapa negara. Artinya, dengan Indonesia mampu menjaga stabilitas ketahanan pangan, selain untuk kepentingan rakyat Indonesia sendiri, maka akan dapat memberi solusi – setidaknya mengurangi beban – persoalan ketahanan pangan global.

Kedua, menambah pasokan pangan tetap merupakan agenda besar di seluruh dunia. Ketersediaan lahan dan air menjadi amat penting. Indonesia masih memiliki kedua sumber daya alam penting itu. Badan Pertanahan Nasional telah mengidentifikasi lahan seluas 7,1 juta hektar yang dapat dimanfaatkan untuk perluasan areal tanaman pangan. Sebagian di antaranya dapat dibuka untuk kerja sama internasional menambah pasokan pangan pasar global, sebagian lainnya untuk penambahan pasokan pasar domestik.

Strategis

Karena itu, amat strategis langkah Presiden RI menawarkan revitalisasi industri dan pertanian – khususnya untuk gula, pupuk, daging, kedelai, dan hal-hal terkait daya saing sektor pangan – sebagai kesempatan investasi kepada para pemimpin dunia usaha di “CEO Summit” pertemuan APEC Singapura.

Investasi di bidang-bidang itu dapat bermakna ganda, sebagai peluang yang menguntungkan serta sebagai bagian solusi ketahanan pangan global dan membangun pertumbuhan ekonomi dunia yang lebih berimbang.

Hal itu harus dilakukan dengan tetap melakukan pembenahan diri ke dalam. Petani, industri, pedagang, dab semua pelaku pertanian diajak untuk lebih proaktif melakukan adaptasi dan mitigasi lingkungan.

Semua praktik keseharian yang tak ramah lingkungan harus dikurangi bersama bahkan dihilangkan. Iklim investasi terus diperbaiki sehingga memberi apresiasi lebih besar bagi ”investasi hijau”. Pemerintah akan menyambut tiap kreativitas dan inovasi petani untuk dapat lebih hemat air. Apresiasi akan diperoleh pemerintah daerah jika menerapkan kebijakan yang efektif dalam melarang oembakaran sampah atau sisa tanaman di pemukiman, sawah, kebun, apalagi di hutan ; dan aneka kegiatan prolingkungan lainnya. Efisiensi industri dengan menggunakan teknologi ramah lingkungan akan mendapat respons positif dari konsumen.

Semua itu jelas tak dapat dilakukan sendiri. Menteri Pertanian dengan tepat melakukan pendekatan lebih terbuka kepada dunia usaha untuk membangun kerja sama sinergis. Penguatan organisasi pertanian dengan struktur baru pun akan didayagunakan untuk mengurai sumbatan kebijakan dan pelaksanaannya, sekligus mencari terobosan bersama lintas sektor.

Semua itu diharapkan dapat kian mengaktualisasikan peran pertanian di dunia bagi sebesar-besarnya kemakmuran rakyat ; dan tidak hanya menjadi angka-angka statistik belaka.

Sumber  :

Pertanian Kita dalam Peta Dunia, Bayu Krishnamurthi | Wakil Menteri Pertanian

Kompas, 18.11.2009

[Via http://hagemman.wordpress.com]

Friday, November 27, 2009

Elétrico da Infiniti será esportivo

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Esperamos que no te hubieras encaprichado de la idea de un Nissan Land Glider con asientos de cuero y tablero de aluminio rugoso, porque el modelo eléctrico que anda preparando Infiniti poco tendrá que ver con el peculiar biplaza presentado por su matriz en Tokio.

Automotive News nos cuenta que según Carlos Ghosn, el coche a baterías en el que está trabajando la filial de lujo de Nissan será “un compacto de cuatro asientos, altas prestaciones, y cero emisiones”. De hecho, Ben Poore, vicepresidente de la Unidad de Negocio de Infiniti, este automóvil no sólo complementará la imagen de la firma, sino que la reforzará.

En sus propias palabras, “el modelo encajará perfectamente con los estándares de prestaciones que hemos fijado para la marca”, así que lo mínimo minimórum sería esperar algo así como un G37 (¿G0?) con un motor eléctrico de par saltarín en lugar del tradicional propulsor VQ. ¿Sería mucho pedir una versión a escala reducida del Essence? Ya veremos. Por lo pronto no cabe esperarlo antes de 2012, así que siéntate con nosotros y prepara los sudokus.

[Via http://allthecars.wordpress.com]

China to set a target...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/nov/26/china-targets-cut-carbon-footprint

Ok so China is coming on board with some kind of carbon emission reducti0n (in fact not an absolute reduction, just a reduction in intensity) for COP 15… a great breakthrough or nothing new?

It is becoming difficult to keep up to date with the different targets, baselines and measures countries are using to set their own targets. In this instance China is using 2005 as a baseline measure for their carbon intensity reduction. This means that 15 years of emissions are not accounted for, compared to the Kyoto Protocol which uses 1990 as a baseline. Fair enough you might say, China is a developing nation but the important thing here is why move the figure? Why not calculate carbon plans using the same measures as everybody else? A 1990 baseline? The US climate and energy bill uses 2005 as a baseline with a 17% reduction target. With both China and the US talking in terms of 2005 now, the rest of the world seem a bit slow on the uptake sticking with 1990 levels. Did responsibility only start in 2005? Instead of focusing overly on the fact that some numbers are on the table, should we be thinking a bit more about how these numbers are constructed? If we have a situation where everybody puts numbers on the table but calculates them differently, then how can we compare across countries? Absolute reductions / intensity reductions / 1990 levels / 2005 levels… the mind boggles.

In response to the Chinese announcement, I’d say great start lets engage with China to build these proposals but lets not allow 2005 to become the default baseline. 1990 took years to negotiate, lets not abdicate our resonsibility for 15 years fo rapid growth.

[Via http://susannahfisher.wordpress.com]

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

China executes 2 for role in tainted milk scandal

China executed a dairy farmer and a milk salesman Tuesday for their roles in the sale of contaminated baby formula — severe punishments that Beijing hopes will assuage public anger, reassure importers and put to rest one of the country’s worst food safety crises.





In this Sept. 18, 2008 file photo, a child cries as he waits for ultrasonic scan to detect for problems related to consuming tainted milk formula at a hospital, in Shijiazhuang, northern China’s Hebei province. (AFP Photo)

The men were the only people put to death in a scheme to boost profits by lacing milk powder with the industrial chemical melamine; 19 other people were convicted and received lesser sentences. At least six children died after drinking the adulterated formula, and more than 300,000 were sickened.



Beijing has responded swiftly and comprehensively to eliminate problems in its food production chain that have spawned protests at home and threatened its export-reliant economy. The milk powder contamination struck a nerve with the public because so many children were affected, but was only one in a series of product recalls and embarrassing disclosures of lax public health safeguards.



Melamine, which is used to make plastics and fertilizers, has also been found added to pet food, eggs and fish feed, although not in levels considered dangerous to humans. The chemical, which like protein is high in nitrogen, fooled inspectors. It can cause kidney stones and kidney failure.



China has tightened regulations and increased inspections on producers and exporters in cooperation with U.S. officials, who have noted a drop in the number of product recalls on Chinese exports.



But Beijing continues to struggle to regulate small and illegally run operations, often blamed for introducing chemicals and additives into the food chain. The country has 450,000 registered food production and processing enterprises, but many — about 350,000 — employ just 10 people or fewer. The U.N. said in a report last year that the small enterprises present many of China’s greatest food safety challenges.



Zhang Yujun, the farmer, was executed for endangering public safety, and Geng Jinping for producing and selling toxic food, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.



Much of the phony protein powder that Zhang and Geng produced and sold ended up at the defunct Sanlu Group Co., at the time one of China’s biggest dairies.



Xinhua said an announcement of the execution had been issued by the Shijiazhuang Municipal Intermediate People’s Court, although a court clerk who answered the phone Tuesday said he was unable to confirm the sentences had been carried out. Most executions in China are performed by firing squad.



Of the others tried and sentenced in January in the scandal, Sanlu’s general manager, Tian Wenhua, was given a life sentence after pleading guilty to charges of producing and selling fake or substandard products.



Three other former Sanlu executives were given between five years and 15 years in prison.



There was outrage after news spread of the doctored milk in September 2008, both because of the extent of the contamination and allegations that the government prevented the news from breaking until after the Olympic Games in Beijing.



The cover-up accusations were never publicly investigated, and authorities have since harassed and detained activist parents pushing lawsuits demanding higher compensation and the punishment of government officials. Families were offered a one-time payout — ranging from of 2,000 yuan ($293) to 200,000 yuan ($29,000), depending on the severity of the case — to not pursue lawsuits.



Tuesday’s executions brought some comfort to Li Xinquan, who lost one of her 8-month-old twin daughters who was fed with melamine-tainted formula from Sanlu. Li has campaigned to force authorities to admit negligence and provide fair compensation.



“They deserved it. This is the punishment they have received from the government,” said Li, whose other daughter survived because she was breast fed.



Another parent, Wang Zhenping, also voiced satisfaction with the executions, reflecting strong support for the death penalty in China, which executes more people annually than the rest of the world combined.



Wang, who said his 2-year-old son appeared to have recovered from melamine poisoning, rejected the compensation offer and said he was growing weary of the struggle.



“I feel like it doesn’t really matter now,” he said.



U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission Chairman Inez Tenenbaum said last month that Beijing has made progress in increasing product safety.



The numbers of consumer recalls of toys imported from China had fallen from more than 80 in fiscal 2008 to about 40 in fiscal 2009, Tenenbaum said.



“Chinese suppliers and U.S. importers are now on notice from both governments that it is a mistake to depend on good intentions and a few final inspections to ensure compliance with safety requirements,” she told a conference in Beijing.



Source: SGGP Bookmark & Share

[Via http://baovietnam1.wordpress.com]

China in the Market Place

MBT     Mbt Chapa

The pattern of china’s foreign trade has changed substantially since the founding of the People’s Republic.During the 1950s China exported agricultural products to the USSR and East European countries in return for manufactured goods and the capital equired for the country’s industrialisation programme which placed emphasis on the development of  heavy industry.The Great Leap Forward of 1985-59 initially produced gains in agricultural and industrial production ,but subsequently resulted in serious economic imbalances.Economic problems were exacerbated by three bad harvests(1959-61)with the result that national nicome and the volume of foreign trade contracted during 1960-62.

The withdrawal of Soviet economic and technical aid in the early—1960s caused trade to shift away from the USSR and its Comencon partners towards Japan and Western Europe,A consistent theme of China’s foreign trade polices has been the strong emphasis which has been palced on develpong trade relations with the Third World countries.

The growth of foreign trade was disrupted again during the Cultural Revolution (1966-76)when agricultural and industrial production fell sharply and transportation constraints became more serious . Mbt walking shoes

Foreign trade,which has a major role in the Four Modernisations programme.has grown rapidly over the past few years.A major tarde agreement with Japan ,under which China export coal and oil in return for industrial equipment and technology,was sihned in February 1978.China also signed a long-term trade agreement with the EEC in 1978 while trade with the USA has incerased rapidly in the wake of the normalisation of diplomatic relations at the beginning of 1979.The Sino-USA agreement on trade relations .which came into force in February 1980.accords China most-favoured-nation treatment..Mbt Lami   Mbt Sport

[Via http://sunflower518.wordpress.com]

Monday, November 23, 2009

Shanghai no es comunista

A pesar de que con el viaje que hice en verano a China no me las pueda dar de conocedor del país y de la cultura china si que me atrevo a opinar en algunas cosas.

Shanghai no es China. Shanghai no es comunista.

En todas las ciudades que estuve durante el viaje hay claros ejemplos de comunismo, de control sobre los ciudadanos, de gente que vive de manera conformista. Estar en países que están “atrasados” deja entrever cómo van cambiando las maneras de vivir, la mentalidad de la gente…

Uno de los guías, explicándonos un poco (opinión de un ciudadano de 62 años) la historia y cultura de China dijo: “Para los chinos Mao es el salvador”. Lo fue y, para ellos, lo sigue siendo porque fue el que consiguió que todos los chinos pudieran comer.  En general, la mentalidad de la gente sigue siendo conformista en ese aspecto, la gente con tener para comer y una bici con la que desplazarse ya es feliz.

Lo que me parece curioso es la diferencia de Shanghai con el resto del país. No entiendo quién cambió las reglas, quién dejó que la ciudad se desarrollara de manera capitalista bajo un estado comunista. Es alucinante la competencia que se ve por todas partes, la cantidad de comercios que hay abiertos de sol a sol, los miles de traspasos de restaurantes, bares y discotecas casi a diario, el aumento de restaurantes occidentales, los centros comerciales de marcas de lujo…

Una ciudad de casi 20 millones de habitantes, que se rige por la leyes del mercado como muchos otros países, más de 8.000 rascacielos (I repeat) más de 8.000 rascacielos, un sistema de transporte público muy por encima de los de Barcelona o Madrid, trenes de alta velocidad que hacen 30 km en 8 min (mientras en España lograr que el AVE llegue a 300 km/h lo suyo ha costado), tiendas y centros llenos de consumidores dispuestos a gastarse todo lo que ganan en su tiempo libre…

¿Qué ha pasado con Shanghai? ¿Cómo tanta diferencia?

Merece la pena visitarla, si tenéis opción no dudéis en viajar a China.

[Via http://180segundos.wordpress.com]

thanksgiving week!

I only have two days of my internship until the Thanksgiving holiday! Push through it, Dublado!!!

My internship this past week has been great. Just as I suspected, I didn’t do so well the week before that. My field instructor did talk to me about it and we resolved everything. I’m getting to talk to more and more kids and I have a list of kids waiting for me tomorrow. My research paper is screaming for me! I need to read the articles I have. I don’t even think I can work on my research project this Thanksgiving week! Wednesday, I’m going shopping for an outfit. Thursday is actual Thanksgiving. Friday, possible Renaissance Festival. Saturday, Liz’s wedding. Sunday, work. Then, back to internship Monday.

There is no such thing as a break. I have to see my friend, Jia! She is in town from California! I miss her greatly!! I’m not even sure when I saw her last. It has gotten harder and harder to keep in touch with people. Even people who live in Houston. It’s quite pathetic.

This week has been a definite struggle with work. My co-workers are amazing and will always be amazing. There’s just tinges of drama that takes a great chunk of my energy. I did have a good time at work today, though. Human relationships are so infinitely complex. That is the sentence that would best describe this week at work.

After work today, my mom and I went shopping. I had no luck dress shopping, but I still did some damage at Old Navy. I got to catch up with my mom a bit. I told her about the study abroad opportunities through my graduate school this summer, to Turkey and to China. I also started talking to her about the non profit organization I wanted to set up in the future, and she was actually excited about it. Approval! wowza!

Can’t believe 2009 is almost done. It’s been a great year.

[Via http://maridublado.wordpress.com]

Friday, November 20, 2009

China, Taiwan, and the U.S.

Brute force is the clumsiest of tools for any nation to try and take charge of another region, far more commonly the battle takes place quietly under the name of economics.  All countries that are able to do so use this tactic, the U.S. does so quite frequently.

As China’s power grows, so does their ability to influence negotiations.  While terrorism is a near-term threat to the U.S., strategically China is much more of a threat.  Then again, maybe I’ve read too many Buck Rogers/Flash Gordon comic strips. 

From Xinhua:

Mainland China and Taiwan to Normalize Economic Relations

A Chinese mainland official on Taiwan affairs said here Thursday that the mainland would work actively for “normalization” of economic relations with Taiwan.

    Wang Yi, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said at a conference on cross-Strait cooperation in trade and science held in the northwestern Shaanxi Province that the priority of economic relations between the two sides at present and in the next stage is to negotiate and sign the cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA).

    Wang said experts from the mainland and Taiwan have basically completed joint research on the ECFA.

Link to full story

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Part 1 of Riz Khan interview

Part 2

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While the citizens of China are for the most part good people, there is a strong nationalistic pride running through the populace, and we probably shouldn’t forget that as much as China moves into capitalist markets, they still have a Communist government.

While China is not an enemy of the U.S., it seems somewhat foolish to not recognize a rival of this size and potential power.  Competition is one thing, but do we actually have to be helping the ones we are competing against?  At this point it is too late, China has become an export powerhouse and a holder of billions in U.S. debt.

Of nine nations, non-censorship, free books & an Obama of hair

I’ve come across a few interesting things online in the past week or so and I thought I’d share them with you.

1 First up is an article by Patrick Chovanec in The Atlantic breaking down the 1.3 billion people in China into “a mosaic of several distinct regions, each with its own resources, dynamics, and historical character.” It’s called The Nine Nations of China. As the article and sweet interactive map point out, all of China’s population doesn’t actually share the same language, history, and culture as we tend to think. I’ve added The Nine Nations of North America to my “to read” list, which is where Chovanec says he got some of the inspiration for his Nine Nations of China.

2 President Obama visited China as part of his four-stop Asian tour, which also included visits to Singapore, South Korea, and Japan. While in Shanghai he conducted a town hall-style meeting, of sorts. I don’t think I need to say too much about it because commentary on his now-infamous quote where he refers to himself as “a big supporter of non-censorship” can be found all over the net. Of particular note, here are two posts about it at Shanghai Scrap and Granite Studio.

Obama’s performance reminded Shanghai Scrap of “an overly coached American businessman on his first trip to China, so concerned about what he should or should not say that he forgets what he wants to say in the first place, and ends up going home with nothing but a hotel bill and empty promises.”

And Granite Studio says, “Well, that’s just great, Barack. Thanks! I personally oppose not getting ice cream for my birthday and I am firmly in support of not-drunk airline pilots.”

In the end, the President ultimately got censored in the Chinese news media anyway. This blog is also denied access in China.

3 Next is the discovery of Gary Thomas’ new book, Pure Pleasure, as a free eBook over at his homepage. Also, John Piper’s bestselling book Desiring G0d is Xtian Audio’s free audio download of the month, so go download it before November is over!

4 And lastly, to return to our President again, check out a Chinese hairdresser’s replica of Obama made from human hair, as well as proof of some other weird Obama mania in China.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Rachael Flatt : "Kim fantastik bir patenci..."

Amerikalı Rachael Flatt, 2009 Skate America serbest program yarışmasında, sezona fırtına gibi giren Yu-Na Kim’i yaklaşık beş puan farkla geçti. Üstelik son spini sayılmadığı için puan alamamasına rağmen. Yalnız burada Kim’in yardımını da unutmamak lâzım. Kim, önceki yarışmaların ve beklentilerin aksine serbest programda kötü bir performans sergiledi ve üçlü flip’te düştü, iki atlayışında da epey bocalayarak puan kaybetti.

2008 Dünya Gençler şampiyonu Flatt, Kim hakkında, “Dünyanın en iyi patencisine karşı yarışmaktan onur duydum. O maalesef iyi bir serbest program sunamadı, ben de iyi günümdeydim. Herkesin iyi ve kötü günleri vardır. Serbest programı böylesine iyi kaymak ve kazanmak çok hoş bir duygu” diyor.

Yu-Na Kim, katıldığı dokuz ISU Grand Prix yarışmasında sadece bir serbest programda geçilmiş ve Mao Asada, 2007-2008 ISU Grand Prix finalinde Kim’i yarım puandan daha az bir farkla geride bırakmıştı. Flatt, ISU Grand Prix’de Kim’i geçen ikinci patenci oldu.

“Kim’e büyük hayranlık duyuyorum. İnanılmaz bir patenci. Çok yenetekli ve bulunduğu yere gelmek için çok çalıştı” diyerek rakibine övgüler yağdırmaktan geri kalmıyor Flatt…

Flatt, Kim’le aynı yarışmaya çıktığında ondan ilham aldığını beliritiyor ve “O beni daha iyi bir patenci olmaya yöneltiyor. Onunla yaptığım ilk antrenmanda biraz korkmuştum ama herkes gibi benimde üzerime düşeni yapmam gerektiğini farkettim. Tesadüfen aynı grupta antrenman yapıyorduk. O, fantastik bir patenci. Ülkesinin  ve hayranlarının böylesine baskısı altındayken bu kadar iyi yarışması inanılmaz bir şey. Kendisini alkışlıyorum” diyor.

2009 ABD ikincisi Flatt, Skate America’da serbest programda kendisinin en iyi serbest puanını elde etti. Bu yarışma, ayrıca kendisine güvenini arttırdı. “Cup of China yarışmasına giderken kendime çok güveniyordum. Ama oradaki performansımdan sonra biraz güvenim azalmıştı. Ama Sakate America’da kendime güvenimi tazeledim” diyor.

Flatt, Skate America’da kısa programda, üçlü flip-üçlü toeloop kombinasyonunda düştü. “Bu aslında teknik açıdan atlayışın başlangıcında basit bir hata ama bazen havaya sıçradığımda gerekli düzeltmeyi yapamadığım oluyor” diyerek açıklıyor hatasını.

Amerikalı patenci, aynı üçlü kombinasyonunu Cup of China’da deneyecekti ama flip’in çıkışından sonra kombinasyonu üçlü flip-ikili toeloop’a çevirdi. “Çin’e gitmeden önce üçlü-üçlü kombinasyonu çalışmıştım, çok da iyi oluyordu ama orada hem antrenmanda hem de yarışmada sıkıntı çıktı. Gelecek yarışmaların hepsinde üçlü-üçlü kombinasyonu yapmayı düşünüyorum ” diyor.

Cup of China yarışmasında layback dönüşünün zorluk derecesi üç olarak değerlendirilen Flatt’in Skate America’da bu dönüşü iki üzerinden değerlendirildi. “Aslında üç olması için ben çaba göstermedim, diyor Flatt, ikili axel’ın iyi olması gerektiğini düşünüyordum. Bu nedenle, birkaç kesirli puandan vazgeçtim. Axel’a giderken derin bir nefes almam gerekiyordu. İyice geriye eğilirsem bu derin nefesi almakta zorlanacaktım…”

Flatt için ikili axel kolay bir atlayış ama spinden sonra dik konuma gelmesi, vücut konumuınu ayarlaması ve atlayışa girerken doğru pozisyona gelmesi için bir-iki saniyeye daha ihtiyacı vardı. “Bazen düzgün bir şey yapmak için fedâkarlık gerekiyor. Çok şükür ki bu durumda bu küçük bir fedâkarlıktı. Çin’deki yarışmada layback spini üç üzerinden değerlendirilecek şekilde yaptım ve öyle de oldu” diye konuşuyor 17 yaşındaki patenci.

Flatt, Cup of China yarışmasında serbest programda üçlü flip-ikili toleoop-ikili rittberger yapmaya niyetlendi ancak flip’ten öbür ayağının üzerine sıçrayarak çıkınca, onu yerine üçlü salchow-ikili toeloop-ikili rittberger yaptı.

Skate America’da Flatt’in serbest programındaki son spini, iki ayrı dönüş olarak kabul edildiği için değerlendirmeye alınmadı. “Spin kombinasyonunda yön değiştirme vardı. İki ayrı bölüm birbirinden meafe olarak uzak olunca böyle değerlendirildi. Bunu ABD Şampiyonası öncesinde düzelteceğiz” diyor genç patenci.

Flatt, son yarışma olan Skate Canada öncesinde sıralamada 22 puanla beşinci durumda bulunuyor. Finale gidip gidemeyecei Skate Canada sonrasında belli olacak.

Flatt, şimdi esasen Ocak ayındaki ABD Şampiyoansını hedfliyor ve Olimpiyatlar konusunds hayale kapılmıyor. “(Olimpiyatlara gidecek) ABD takımına girmek istiyorum ama tabii ki bu garanti değil” diyor… ABD, 2010 Vancouver Kış Olimpiyatlarında Bayanlarda iki patenciyle temsil edilecek.

ABD’nin Del Mar kentinde 21 Temmuz 1992’de doğan Flatt’i Tom Zakrajsek çalıştırıyor, programlarının koreografisini de Lori Nichol hazırlıyor.

Babası onu bir alışveriş merkezine dedesine hediye almak için götürmüş ama hediye almak yerine buz pateni derslerine kaydolarak dönmüşler eve. Flatt, o zamanlar dört yaşındaymış.

12 yaşında kadar ABD Şampiyonalarına Yıldızlar kategorisinde katılan ve bu yarışmalarda şampiyonluklar elde eden Flatt’in Büyükler kategorisinde yarışmaya  başlaması 2007’ye rastlıyor. 2007’de ABD Şampiyonasında beşinci olan Flatt, 2008’de ikinci olarak gümüş madalya kazandı.

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Flatt, Çiftlerde de yarışamalara girmiş bir patenci… Yıldızlarda yarıştığı dönemde Çiftlerde teste giren Flatt, daha sonra Andrew Speroff ile Çiftler yarışmalarına katıldı.

Flatt/Speroff ikilisi, Yıldız Çiftlerde 2003 yılında gümüş, 2004 yılında da altın madalya kazandı.

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Obama Bows, the Nation Loses Faith

You know it’s a slow news week when the only thing coming out of Obama’s trip to China is an embarrassing political gaffe. Instead of talking about undervalued Chinese currency, Tibet, human rights, or Chinese purchase of American debt, we are instead talking about Barack’s bow wow wow like a little puppy dog to the emperor,  which has caused quite the firestorm. Here is Wesley Pruden, editor of the Washington Times, with his scathing criticism today:

When the emperor invited MacArthur to call on him, the general sent word that the emperor should call on him – speaking of breaches of custom – and the two men were photographed together, astonishing the Japanese. The emperor arrived in full formal dress, cutaway coat and all, and MacArthur received him in summer khakis, sans tie, with his hands stuffed casually in his back pockets. Further astonishing the Japanese, he towered over the diminutive emperor.But Mr. Obama, unlike his predecessors, likely knows no better, and many of those around him, true children of the grungy ’60s, are contemptuous of custom. Cutting America down to size is what attracts them to “hope” for “change.” It’s no fault of the president that he has no natural instinct or blood impulse for what the America of “the 57 states” is about. He was sired by a Kenyan father, born to a mother attracted to men of the Third World and reared by grandparents in Hawaii, a paradise far from the American mainstream.

He no doubt wants to “do the right thing” by his lights, but the lights that illumine the Obama path are not necessarily the lights that illuminate the way for most of the rest of us. This is good news only for Jimmy Carter, who may yet have to give up his distinction as our most ineffective and embarrassing president.

Monday, November 16, 2009

A Smart China

by Kevin Connors

Let’s say you’re in middle school. You were awkward for a few years, maybe even got picked on towards the end of elementary school. But once 6th grade came up you suddenly got some swagger in that step. You started wearing Abercrombie. You got some cool boot-cut jeans and $99 Airmaxs your mom bought for you at Footlocker.

Now you got some confidence, right? At least more than before, that’s for certain. So you wanna start talking to girls. Before, you’d always have to go through your friend–the good looking one who’s good at b-ball and the fly 6th grade honeys are always crushing on. Usually you’d call him up on your iPhone (also purchased by your mom) and tell him you were trying to hollerrrrr at a fly honey.

But now…oh man. Now YOU can just talk to the girls yourself. You put your buddy on the backburner and now HE has competition because your balls dropped, you picked up your skirt, and you just went with it.

Now insert some players here. Your friend is the US, You are China, and them fly chics are the rest of the world.

Let’s take a step back. China’s got some momentum. It’s on the front page of the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal everyday. It’s the world’s 3rd largest economy and Obama even said himself China is of the highest priority of the American people.

But China (You) is like maaaan. I don’t need you Obama. I run this…so they do. They start doing whatever the hell they want. They’re officially atheist so they run around closing churches that become a bit too popular. They manipulate their currency so their goods are cheaper abroad and everyone snatches them up at stores across the Western world. They violate every human rights law in the book. They essentially finance the US wars in the Middle East via purchasing of US treasuries. And after all this they sit back and drink tea because there’s nothing anyone can do about it.

One of the cool things China  is also doing–and the point of this post–is it puts its currency, the Renminbi–in the hands of other countries. Why would they want to do this? And how do they do this?

First, they want to do this because if you’re buying stuff from China you probably want to pay them in Chinese currency. Basically, it’s easier for you if you can just hand China Renminbi when you buy them new Nike Airmax kicks made for $1 and sold for $99. Before, you’d have to go to a bank, exchange your local currency into dollars, then dollars into Renminbi. But China’s got some balls now. So basically they’re slapping the US in the face and being like, “Our country is pretty sweet too, the time of American world economic domination is coming to an end.” And the sad things is…they may be right. Back to our example, you don’t need your friend to hook you up with girls anymore because you got that Abercrombie zip up. You’re cool on your own.

A bit more technical, but HOW they are doing this is pretty cool too. They’re engaging in currency swaps, or more specifically central bank liquidity swaps. China is handing over billions of Renminbi to countries like Argentina, South Africa, and South Korea in exchange for those countries’ own currencies in equal value (so for example, China hands you 10 billion Renminbi, and you hand them the equivalent of that in your local currency). This essentially provides liquidity to these countries so they can now purchase Chinese goods using the Chinese currency–which makes things much easier. Plus, the other half of the swap agreement is that in 10 years, after your country buys a ton of stuff from China and you can self sufficiently provide liquidity in Chinese currency, you swap back with China the same amount at today’s exchange rate. Basically, you’re borrowing Chinese Renminbi, interest free, for ten years at a predetermined exchange rate.

It also makes the Chinese goods cheaper because it subtracts the transaction costs related to going to banks and exchanging currency. Finally, it also insulates the local country (Argentina, South Africa, South Korea, etc.) from fluctuations in the US Dollar–which lately has been getting railed by the global economy.

Strategically, this is really smart on China’s part. When other countries are running around trying to find the definition for a collateralized debt obligation, China’s making it easier for other countries to buy its stuff and, as a byproduct, undercutting the US Dollar’s role in the global economy.

You (China) are now providing your friend (the US) with some competition. How will your friend react? Will he tell all the girls you’re a loser? Will he help you out? Will he act like he’s cool with it but behind the scenes sabotage your ascent to stardom? And the only real question left to ask is, when YOU (China)–the new cool 6th grader–finally sack up and ask an 8th grade fly honey (the rest of the world) to the dance, and your friend (the US)  does at the same time, who will she say yes to?

THE HORIWOOD TOP 10 - SUN 11.15.09

President Barack Obama walks a political tight rope as he does international diplomatic relations, arriving in Shanghai, China wearing black on black attire. Here’s how you voted your top ten entertainment and celebrity news posts today here in Hollywood on Horiwood.Com. Enjoy! Third biggest day in October-November to date… thank you worldwide.

1. AMBER ROSE is a top model at The Ford Modeling Agency in New York City.

2. HAYDEN PANETTIERE spins herself into a silky executive TV producer.

3. LADY GAGA is good for convertible-style driving on a Saturday Night out in LA.

4. ROBERT DOWNEY JR wants to be a Hollywood film director.

5. BEYONCE’s I Am Tour set list, is what the world wants to see.

6. Twilight’s New Moon has a MOLE…. [sigh!]… again.

7. RIHANNA is a big star and a true Caribbean hip hop artist.

8. KRISTEN STEWART drops her poker face and is caught smiling on camera.

9. I Am a Black Male Barbie–Martel iconizes TAYLER LAUTNER into a doll.

10 TIE A: Quote: KRISTEN STEWART on ROBERT PATTINSON

10 TIE B: KEITH URBAN and NICOLE KIDMAN share a joke at the CMAs.

BONUS POST: New Zealand’s National Ruby Football Team for America.

Beyonce, I Am Yours promotional poster, care of BScott.

~with Love – Horiwood, Hollywood California, USA~

Friday, November 13, 2009

If the Fed is Looking to Inflate Away Problems, What Should Asia Do?

 Nov 11, 2009

Andy Xie thinks the Fed is on an inflationary path.  Last month, he wrote an article in Caijing which says that ‘stagflation lite’ is the Federal Reserve’s preferred outcome. What’s interesting is his recent article about the need for China and Japan to join forces under an ASEAN umbrella, rejecting the APEC umbrella shared with the U.S.

In last month’s article, Xie said:

The bottom line is that, regardless what central banks say and do, the world will be awash in a lot more money after the crisis than before — money that will lead to inflation. Even though all central banks talk about being tough on inflation now, they are unlikely to act tough. After a debt bubble bursts, there are two effective options for deleveraging: bankruptcy or inflation. Government actions over the past year show they cannot accept the first option. The second is likely.

Hyperinflation was used in Germany in the 1920s and Russia in late 1990s to wipe slates clean. The technique was essentially mass default by debtors. But robbing savers en masse has serious political consequences. Existing governments, at least, will fall. Most governments would rather find another way out. Mild stagflation is probably the best one can hope for after a debt bubble. A benefit is that stagflation can spread the pain over many years. A downside is that the pain lingers.

If a central bank can keep real interest rates at zero, and real growth rates at 2.5 percent, leverage could be decreased 22 percent in a decade. If real interest rates can be kept at minus 1 percent, leverage could drop 30 percent in a decade. The cost is probably a 5 percent inflation rate. It works, but slowly.

If stagflation is the goal, why might central banks such as the Fed talk tough about inflation now? The purpose is to persuade bondholders to accept low bond yields. The Fed is effectively influencing mortgage interest rates by buying Fannie Mae bonds. This is the most important aspect of the Fed’s stimulus policy. It effectively limits Treasury yields, too. The Fed would be in no position to buy if all Treasury holders decide to sell, and high Treasury yields would push down the property market once again.

I certainly agree with him. You don’t have to be in the hyperinflation camp like Marc Faber to think the Fed takes Ken Rogoff’s suggestions about 6% inflation seriously. In a May post, I said:

Basically, the Fed wants to inflate our way out of this depression – that’s the dirty little secret.  There is really no other policy choice because the mountain of debt in the United States is immense.  And I think Bernanke, Geithner and Summers have proven they are willing to do anything to reflate this economy and avoid debt deflation dynamics.

And when I say anything, I mean create asset bubbles that are being given intellectual cover by the likes of Frederic Mishkin. This is a policy of economic weakness.

So what should the Asians do?  China is desperate to employ its tens of millions of countryside transplants cruising its cities in search of urban employment. That’s a major reason it keeps its exchange rate fixed to a plummeting dollar, making not just Americans but Europeans irate?  Japan has been in a modern day depression for twenty years. Its sovereign debt-to GDP is now over 200%, risking a downgrade.

Xie says the two should join forces – in part as a rejection of the U.S., which he basically calls a fading power (although the paragraph above points to serious weaknesses in China and Japan as well).

Here is an excerpt of Xie’s article:

Yet the fundamental case for Japan to increase integration with the rest of Asia and away from the United States grows stronger every day. Despite high per capita income, Japan remains an export-oriented economy, having missed an opportunity to develop a consumption-led economy in the 1980s and ’90s. In the foolish belief that rising property prices would spread wealth beyond the industrial heartland in the Tokyo-Osaka corridor, the government of former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka pursued a high-price land policy, discouraging the middle class from pursuing a consumer lifestyle as they saved for property purchases…

The point is that Japan has a strong and genuine case that favors more integration with East Asia. The United States is unlikely to recover soon and with enough strength to feed Japan’s export machine again. There is no more room for fiscal stimulus. Devaluing the yen to gain market share is not an option as long as Washington pursues a weak dollar policy. Without a new source of trade, Japan’s economy is doomed. Closer integration with East Asia is the only way out…

Five years ago, I wrote an op-ed piece for the Financial Times entitled China and Japan: Natural Partners. At the time, a prevailing sentiment was that China and Japan were antithetical: Both were still manufacturing export-led economies and could only gain at the other’s expense. I saw complementary demographics and capital: Japan had a declining labor force and China needed to employ tens of millions of youths migrating to cities from the countryside. China needed capital and Japan had surplus capital. And their trade relations indeed tightened, as Japan had increased the Chinese share of its overall trade to 17.4 percent in 2008 from 10.4 percent in ‘04.

Today, the situation has changed. China has a capital surplus rather than a shortage. Demographic complementarity is still good and could last another decade. As China shifts its development model from resource intensive to environmentally friendly, a new complementarity is emerging. Japan has already made the transition, and its technologies that supported the transition need a new market such as China’s. So even without a new trade agreement, bilateral trade will continue growing.

An FTA between China and Japan would significantly accelerate their trade, resulting in an efficiency gain of more than US$ 1 trillion. Japan’s aging population lends urgency to increasing the investment returns. On the other hand, as China prepares to make a numerical commitment to limiting greenhouse gas emissions at the upcoming Copenhagen summit on global warming, heavy investment and rapid restructuring are needed for its economy. Japanese technology could come in quite handy.

An FTA involving Japan and China would be a serious threat to American economic power. You can imagine that policy makers in Washington are opposed to this idea.  Let’s watch to see what kind of rhetoric comes out of Barack Obama’s China trip to see if this issue is discussed.

A Brazen China.

A Brazen China.

Quoting Agence France-Presse, China compared pre civil war America to Tibet before China’s Invasion.

That Lincoln abolished Slavery and Dalai Lama was practicing it before China invaded Tibet and freed Tibet.  This is as much it can go down my Guts.  China is an antithesis of whatever the great Abraham Lincoln stood for.   While Lincoln was for freedom and Liberty, China is for trampling it under Guns.

 

President Obama- two things.

 Don’t get scared if you are going to work late in the night at the Oval Office today.  Surely, Lincoln is going to turn many times today.

Please ask the Nobel Committee to polish the Cup again. Part of it had started rusting after you refused to meet Dalai Lama. I guess it is China’s trillion Dollar T- Notes.   The US Government is no different from Lehman Brothers- I guess it is all Money, National Interest- whatever.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Hillary Clinton in Singapore Today for APEC Summit

From Yahoo News:

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says the U.S. will not impose conditions on Myanmar to force democratic changes there.

But she also says existing sanctions will remain in place until the junta makes “meaningful progress” toward democracy in key areas.

The United States has been urging the junta to hold fair elections, release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and allow her to return to political life.

Clinton says “this has to be resolved within” the country by its people. She told reporters Wednesday “we are not setting or dictating any conditions.”

She is in Singapore to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings ahead of the group’s summit this weekend. President Barack Obama will attend.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

SINGAPORE (AP) — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has urged China and India to push Myanmar toward democracy.
Clinton says “we need a broad response by the nations in the region” to the situation in Myanmar, which has been under military rule since 1962.

She is in Singapore to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings ahead of the group’s summit this weekend.

She told reporters Wednesday that China has an opportunity to play an important role…

I don’t mean to be the ant at the picnic here and I know I sound like a broken record in my criticism of China, but why does the United States continue to pretend like China is not a communist regime? While China does have incredible sway with Myanmar (Burma) and also North Korea (they prop them both up), it’s a bit strange to urge China to push Myanmar towards democracy when China doesn’t seem to be able to push itself in that direction. I’m just sayin’ Also, China is always the 800lb gorilla in the middle of the room, if it weren’t for China continuing to carry those countries economically, they (North Korea and to a lesser extent, Myanmar) arguably wouldn’t be in a position to flex their military muscle.

Indian Maoists' foreign friends-China, Lanka, Bangladesh & Nepal

NEW DELHI – As India’s military, police, intelligence and civilian authorities combine resources to launch the nation’s largest-ever offensive to root out Naxalite (communist) rebels, high-level government sources are pointing towards growing evidence of foreign support of the Maoist rebels.

Among the “outside forces” at work are remnants of the Sri Lankan Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), claim Indian security agencies. Contacts have told Asia Times Online that the LTTE, defeated in May by the Sri Lankan government after decades of struggle, is training the Maoists in the type of guerilla war tactics for which the LTTE were known, including surprise hit-and-run tactics and jungle warfare.

The location of these LTTE-Maoist training centers is thought to be remote parts of central and southern India already under the

 

complete control of the leftists, who have recently been dubbed the “Red Taliban”.

Security officials, who say they are monitoring coastal areas for infiltration by the LTTE in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Orissa, say the joint expertise of the two insurgent groups could form a potent mixture.

New Delhi, pointing to the lack of an effective LTTE leadership in the wake of its defeat, is for now ruling out deeper strategic ties between the two groups, such as them launching a combined war against the state. Security forces believe out-of-work mercenaries who were earlier involved in training LTTE cadres are now heading Maoist training camps in India.

“One element that we are closely looking at is the indoctrination processes followed by the LTTE that turned some of the cadres into suicide attackers. This could have dangerous portents as far as Indian Maoists are concerned,” one official said.

India’s Maoists rebels are estimated to number about 25,000. The insurgent group’s heavily armed, well-trained guerillas say they are fighting oppression and exploitation to create a classless society. With the group’s ability to hide among civilian populations and connections to other insurgent groups in northeast India, India’s security forces face a serious challenge.

Sources say that at least 12 LTTE members recently infiltrated India to teach guerrilla warfare techniques to the Naxalites. Indian security sources suspect the LTTE militants may already be training the Maoist’s military wing, the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army.

In June, New Delhi labeled the Naxalite underground political party, the Communist Party of India (Maoist), a terrorist organization, putting it in the same league as outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Toiba and the decimated LTTE.

India is also concerned about aid possibly coming to Indian Maoists from Nepal, including the supply of arms, as well as from China.

New Delhi this week insinuated that Maoists were procuring arms from China. “The Chinese are big smugglers … suppliers of small arms. I am sure that the Maoists also get them,” said Home Secretary G K Pillai. He ruled out deeper links beyond the delivery of arms.

Indian security agencies claim Nepal is an important source of weapons and possibly funds being channeled to the Naxalites from international sympathizers. Home Minister P Chidambaram said that aside from well-known routes through Myanmar and Bangladesh, the rebel group may be procuring weapons through Nepal.

Unlike more secure borders with Pakistan or Bangladesh, due to high human traffic the India-Nepal border is porous and remains an active smuggling route.

The Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) has declared that its backing of Indian Maoists is only ideological, with no “working relationship”, but New Delhi feels the reality is quite different.

Long way to go

In the past few weeks, India set in motion its biggest and most-organized offensive to root out the four-decade-old communist insurgency. “Operation Green Hunt” involves more than 100,000 federal paramilitary forces, some of which have being withdrawn from Kashmir.

The central forces’ offensive is focused on strongholds in Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh states. Although it has not yet been launched, intelligence-gathering has begun with the aim of catching Naxal leaders in Andhra Pradesh, as this group constitutes the majority of the Maoist’s top brass.

With security forces poised to begin flushing out the Maoists, voices of dissent are being raised.

Using direct force against the Maoists will not be easy, given the widespread areas of their influence, largely sympathetic civilian populations and the difficult terrain, argue some critics. Others suggest that a better solution lies in improving the long-term economic prospects of poor tribal and peasant populations through land reform and employment opportunities.

However, observers say the state cannot build roads, schools, hospitals and electricity in such a hostile environment

Although comparisons have been made with this year’s defeat of the LTTE by Sri Lankan forces, these overlook the facts that the Tigers were cornered in a much smaller pocket of land and it had taken many years for the conflict to reach that stage.

In the face of the looming government offensive, the communist rebels have killed more than 40 people – including 21 security forces – in the past month. Brazen attacks have included the hijack of an express train for several hours, kidnaps and killings of government officials as well as blowing up schools across central and eastern India.

Since 2008, Maoists attacks have claimed about 1,200 lives, with Maoist-linked violence killing nearly 8,000 people in India over the past two decades. According to official estimates, Naxalism has affected 2,000 police stations spread over 223 districts across 20 states in India.

In the early 1990s, the number of districts affected by Maoist violence stood at just 15 in four states; this has now risen alarmingly. The Maoists rebels have proliferated in the states of Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, Bihar, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, referred to as the “red corridor”.

India’s rich coal-mining activity is concentrated in these states, which have large tribal belts. These provinces, though rich in natural resources, score very low on human development indices, creating wealth gaps that the rebels often capitalize on to gain public support. India probes Maoists’ foreign links By Siddharth Srivastava. Siddharth Srivastava is a New Delhi-based journalist. He can be reached at sidsri@yahoo.com

Monday, November 9, 2009

I love China. More than ever.

Here is another story from the vaults.  I’m sure many of you have read it before, but I’ve edited it a bit and I think it’s worth reposting.

As most of you know, I spent a large part of 2008 at Nanjing University studying Chinese.  2008 was an interesting (to say the least) year to be in China.  In the run-up to the Beijing Olympics, nationalist fervor collided with racial tensions and latent anti-government sentiments.  In response to the Tibetan protests, the Chinese government blocked websites and monitored text messages mentioning anything about Tibet, the protests, or the Dali Lama (whom many Chinese regard as a dangerous radical).   The Western press was blamed (at least in part) for fomenting unrest, and Chinese coverage of Western treatment of the events got more air time than news about the events themselves.

When the Olympic torch relay drew protests in Western cities, most of the Chinese people I knew seemed heartbroken.  Watching the CCTV (government television) coverage of demonstrations that accompanied the torch in San Francisco, my Chinese roommate tearfully asked me why Americans hate the Chinese.

Then there was the earthquake in Sichuan.  Immediately after the quake, every Chinese person I knew was glued to their television, watching hours of horrifying footage of collapsed schools, orphaned children, and distraught parents.  Most people seemed to know at least one person in the Chungdu area, and because cell towers went down, no news really got out for the first few hours.  I think, for many Chinese, the quake experience was comparable to what a lot of Americans felt immediately after September 11.   So by the time the torch actually made it into China, the Olympics had, understandably, become the focus of a lot of emotion.

Here is my story about the torch’s stop in Nanjing.

I love China. More than Ever.

Two days before the Olympic torch came to Nanjing, the whole country observed three days of mourning for victims of the Sichuan earthquake.  Theaters, bars, and karaoke clubs were closed.   The internet was even more restricted, which meant no downloading movies, TV, or music.  “Nothing fun” one teacher told us.

On the eve of the torch’s arrival, my roommate and I walked down to Hankou Lu where venders had lined the street with red and white pro-China t-shirts.  I wanted the one with a picture of two gray fists that looked like stones, raised in front of a red Chinese flag in the shape of China.  Either that, or the one that said, “I Love China.  More than ever.”  But I couldn’t find those in my size.  In the end Yan Yan and I bought matching t-shirts that said “I love China,” only the “love” was really a Chinese flag in the shape of a heart.

The next day we headed out of campus and down to the street where we joined what I seriously think was every other person in the city.  Our procession was led by two students waving a big Chinese flag high in the air, but we each had our own little flag too.  As we marched out of the school gate, we merged with a sea of red and white: white t-shirts with red letters, red Chinese flags, and white “Beijing 2008” flags with the Olympic rings and the dancing Beijing symbol of the 2008 games.

As a foreigner and outsider, I was not heavily invested in the Beijing Olympics and everything they had come to represent.  But there in the moment, I couldn’t help getting swept up by the excitement.  I felt like I was part of something bigger than myself; something that connected me to everyone else there that day.

We stood on the curb for three hours shouting, “Ao Yun, jia you!  Nanjing, jia you!  ZHONG GUO, JIA YOU!” (Let’s go Olympics!  Let’s go Nanjing!  LET’S GO CHINA!).  When the torch finally made its way past the university, I had to stand on my tip-toes and hold my camera up over my head to get a picture.  I never really saw the actual torch; and neither, I suspect, did a lot of people.  But from my spot on the sidewalk I could see the crowd across the street with their hands in the air, waving their little flags together, like a whole sea of flame.

China's Ties with Africa Grow Deeper

Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana has declared a state of emergency before the arrival of Hurricane Ida, which is expected to hit land in the next 36 hours. The declaration allows the state to use federal funds to prepare for the hurricane. Ida is currently a Category 2 hurricane, but expected to weaken, CNN.

91 people in El Salvador have died from flooding and landslides, though experts say this was caused not by Ida but a Pacific storm. Heavy rains have pounded the country for days and a state of emergency has been declared for five regions. 60 people are still missing, BBC News.

China has pledged $10 billion in low-cost loans to Africa over the next three years. China’s interest in Africa has been criticized lately, with some saying China is exploiting the land for ores and minerals, as well as encouraging corruption. Wen Jiabao, China’s premier, denies this and says the efforts in Africa are “more focused on improving people’s livelihoods,” Washington Post.

Hot Topic: Reporter recalls the evening the Berlin Wall came down.

Friday, November 6, 2009

India as Global Military Superpower?

Experts Call it ‘Dreamy Yearning’

“Weak internal security; corruption and inefficiency, ill equipped and under-paid armed and police force,
bureaucratic red tape, outdated laws 
are few reasons why India cannot,” Sahni said. Reacting to SSI’s claim that India’s defence establishment was 
undergoing an unprecedented transformation, Indian experts countered that it was far from being true.

“India takes decades to buy ultra modern defence equipment, even though it doesn’t shy away from signing defence deals all over. The aircrafts which were inducted in the Indian Air Force two decades ago are still no where to be seen,” he said.

 

Ravi S Jha

NEW DELHI — India’s top strategic experts have scoffed at the idea of the country emerging as a ‘military global super power’.

With India and the United States strongly demonstrating that New Delhi is moving from an era of ‘non-alignment’ to ‘poly-alignment’, and by doing so it is growing from a regional military power to a global power, the Indian defence experts said on Thursday they are far from being convinced.

A top US military think-tank has implied that India’s rise as a regional and future global military power now seems certain. Brian Hedrick of Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) of US Army Department of Defence in a paper “India’s Strategic Defence Transformation: Expanding Global Relationship” has suggested that India is bound to become a global military super power.

But India’s independent strategists aren’t buying this conjecture. They 
suggest that such a discourse is just
eyewash. “It’s a dreamy yearning for India to even think that it will be a 
military super power anytime soon,” said Ajai Sahni, director, Centre for Conflict Studies.

“Weak internal security; corruption and inefficiency, ill equipped and under-paid armed and police force,
bureaucratic red tape, outdated laws 
are few reasons why India cannot,” Sahni said. Reacting to SSI’s claim that India’s defence establishment was 
undergoing an unprecedented transformation, Indian experts countered that it was far from being true.

“India takes decades to buy ultra modern defence equipment, even though it doesn’t shy away from signing defence deals all over. The aircrafts which were inducted in the Indian Air Force two decades ago are still no where to be seen,” he said.

Commenting on SSI director 
Douglas Lovelace’s widely published views on India rapidly modernising its military, and seeking strategic partnerships with the US and other nations, ‘with an aim to expand its influence 
in the Indian Ocean and beyond’, 
Indian experts suggested that this is a mere sweet talk, while the US had allowed to fund billions of dollars, and free military aid to Pakistan.

India has increased the number of countries with which it has defence-specific agreements from seven to 26 by the end of 2008. Also undenyingly India has conducted more joint military exercises with the US than with any other country, and the recent series of joint military exercises have now become an annual affair.

But there is a growing concern in India about the substantial increase in US military and economic aid to Pakistan. “There are concerns that these military equipment and funds are being diverted by Pakistan for anti-India purposes,” said former Indian high commissioner to Pakistan, G Parthasarthy. “If India is really emerging a global super power then why isn’t the US addressing India’s concerns on this,” he asked.

Although he agreed that India and the US have forged institutional mechanisms for counter terrorism cooperation after the establishment of the US-India Counter-terrorism Joint Working Group, Parthasarthy added the Kerry-Lugar bill passed by the US Senate tripling non-military aid to Pakistan to $1.5 billion per annum for the next five years shows why Washington needs to be explicit in its views.

Reacting to comments made by Hedrick, who is a military advisor to the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia at the US State Department, saying that India’s interests have changed over the past decade or more towards attaining the global super power status, the strategic experts pointed out that India will have to stop living in its own imaginary world.

India’s military strategy is entirely made up of Pakistan or China’s counter strategies. India’s military power boasts of offensive, broad front, and highly lethal strategies vis-à-vis China or Pakistan’s counter strategy which is based on comprising war avoidance, counter offensive etc. “Beyond this, India isn’t really global,” said former deputy chief of the army staff Satish Nambiar.

Another veteran Brahma Chellaney, who teaches strategic studies at Centre for Policy Studies, said it is too early to state that India would be a global military power. “India-US strategic partnership appears to be moving towards a higher trajectory. This doesn’t mean India is achieving globally what it should have first achieved regionally,” he said.

India and the US co-operation have been growing in the areas of defence, economy, energy, technology and innovation. “The shared value of democracy has consolidated mutual understanding and partnership with US. The possibility of nuclear use in South Asia increases with the increase in threat to vital interests. There are too many priorities, and India should first address them,” he said.

MM Lee says future challenges will focus on economic issues

Lee Kuan Yew at another business forum.  CNA:

“I don’t think the world’s future will be decided by either Islamic fundamentalism or Christian reaction to it,” he said.

“The big countries do not fight each other because they all have got nuclear bombs. Your contest in the future will be an economic one – who has the best technology, the best products, who commands the largest market share.

“Today, (it) is the US, despite its difficulties. Japan is not doing badly, although its domestic economy is still sluggish. But as I see it, the next 20 years, the rise of China and India is inexorable.”

India, Mr Lee said, will not be able to move as fast as China because of its poor infrastructure and different languages. …

Mr Lee said: “In business leadership, all you’ve got to do is to get a good organisation and get market share, in other words, get customers to buy your products or buy your services.

“In politics, you’ve got to get the people to vote for you and support you. That’s a completely different kind or set of qualities you require.”

 

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

FERRARI 599 CHINA’ AUCTIONED IN BEIJING FOR 1.2 MILLION EURO

November 3, 2009, BEIJING — The unique Ferrari 599 China was won tonight by an anonymous client from Shanghai at the final price of about 1.2 million euro (including taxes). The auction was the climax of the Gala dinner organised by Ferrari at the Red Gate Gallery in Beijing. Lu Hao, the first Chinese artist to work with Ferrari, created this special model decorated with Song Dynasty Ge Kiln pottery patterns. The proceeds from this auction will fund outstanding students and young teachers of Tsinghua University’s Department of Automotive Engineering to study at Italy’s Politecnico di Milano University and internship at Ferrari’s headquarters.

The gala dinner was attended by Ferrari owners and collectors, joined by Ferrari Asia Pacific CEO Mr. Marco Mattiacci, contemporary artist Lu Hao, professors of China’s leading Tsinghua University Cen Zhangzhi and delegate of Politecnico di Milano University Bruno Pizzigoni. A few Ferrari objects, in particular a helmet and a model car signed by Michael Schumacher, who this morning personally unveiled the car to the international media, were also auctioned together with a racing overall worn by F1 driver, Giancarlo Fisichella. The innovative appearance of this unique model, blending classic Chinese elements with Ferrari distinctive features, immediately aroused great interest among the guests.

This follows the spirit of Ferrari founder, Enzo Ferrari, carried on by Chairman Luca di Montezemolo, in investing in young talents and research. Ferrari was involved before in goodwill activities with Chinese associations, dedicated to youth.

The Administration's Foreign Policy Scorecard

Russia’s veiled threat against Poland yesterday was not very veiled, as their army wargamed a nuclear and conventional attack against that country.

North Korea is still ranting against the United States, announcing additional nuclear warheads and demanding direct talks while Kim Jong Il seems to have sent a celebrity impersonator to meet Bill Clinton.

The Ayatollah Khameini has condemned the nuclear deal offered by the United Nations as the Iranian government sends out utterly bizarre mixed signals.

The Secretary of State seems to have personally set back the Israeli/Palestinian peace process by herself over the weekend.

John Kerry’s demand of Hamid Karzai for new elections in Afghanistan blew up in the Administration’s face when Abdullah Abdullah cut a deal with Karzai and the elections were cancelled.

Above referenced Secretary of State tried to engage the Pakistani people and government with virtually no signs of anything accomplished except more scolding

The Honduras “deal” according to the BBC this afternoon, is like an “elephant balancing on a wire”, as each side is interpreting the agreement as they see fit.

Our allies around the world are hedging their bets as they find the American economy to be tottering on the brink and our dollar devaluing.

In Afghanistan, the White House says it may be weeks before the President addresses the urgent situation as laid out by his own Secretary of Defense and military leaders.

It will be a year tomorrow since the election. Hope & Change, Hope & Change.

 

Monday, November 2, 2009

Low Demand For Apple (AAPL) iPhone In China

In the United States, people will line up for blocks and camp out in the cold to be the first customers into Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) retail stores when the consumer electronics wonder introduces a new product. The Chinese response to the introduction of the iPhone was muted.

The Wall Street Journal reports that iPhone sales in China may be slow, at least compared to those in the US. Among the reasons are a retail price that can be over $1,000 and the fact that two million iPhones has already been sold through unauthorized dealers.

A poor reception in China could be the first setback of any significance for the iPhone. It has already sold 34 million units worldwide and is widely viewed as Apple’s next flagship product, particularly now that iPod sales have begun to slow. China has about 700 million cellular subscribers. Apple would be successful even if it got a very modest part of the market.

Apple is also up against entrenched handset manufacturers on the mainland and they will not be easy to dislodge. Nokia (NYSE:NOK), the world’s largest cellular phone company, is the market share leader in China, followed by Samsung. Each of the companies is large enough to bring out new handsets for the world’s largest market and each has extensive relationship with the largest carriers–China Mobile (NYSE:CHL) and China Unicom (NYSE:CHU).

For the first time in a long time, Apple may be facing a hard uphill fight to become an important factor in a market it has targeted. China may be the iPhone’s Waterloo and that would set the global aspirations of Apple back considerably.

Douglas A. McIntyre

Mad Science: Beijing's first snow of season 'artificially induced'

“We wont miss any opportunity of artificial precipitation since Beijing is suffering from the lingering drought”

BEIJING (AFP) – – Chinese meteorologists covered Beijing in snow Sunday after seeding clouds to bring winter weather to the capital in an effort to combat a lingering drought, state media reported.
The unusually early snow blanketed the capital from Sunday morning and kept falling for half the day, helped by temperatures as low as minus 2 Celsius (29 Fahrenheit) and strong winds from the north, Xinhua news agency reported.

Besides falling in the northeastern provinces of Liaoning and Jilin and the northern province of Hebei, the eastern port city of Tianjin also got its first snow of the autumn, the report said.

“We wont miss any opportunity of artificial precipitation since Beijing is suffering from the lingering drought,” the report quoted Zhang Qiang, head of the Beijing Weather Modification Office, as saying.

Chinese meteorologists have for years sought to make rain by injecting special chemicals into clouds.

Although the technique often gets results, a drought in the north of the country has continued for over a decade.

Besides the snow, which the Beijing Evening News said was the earliest to hit the capital in 10 years, the cold weather and strong winds also delayed air travel from Beijing’s Capital Airport, while interrupting passenger shipping services off the coast of Shandong province in the east, Xinhua said.
Read the story Here:

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