Allon

We have unfortunately concluded that she cannot go to China for New Year celebration. I think you all are going through similar problems. For Chinese people, the New Year is family, family, family. Maybe we should have a thread on how to keep our spouses happy after two years of cave management and facing at least one more being away? I am running out of ideas. Shopping, as much as it is a renewal of a friendship, is getting boring. And Netflix is too. I think I am going to stir up the local Chinese Cultural Center (really run down now) and see what we can come up with.

If COVID Delta will let us alone, she plans to go to China for New Year. Getting back was the original concern. The US and CHina are going round and round with letting each other's people in and out.

My wife is a massage therapist, certified in California. Randy, the article fits her to a T. A guy came in one day and while the others went for lunch, the wife stayed behind. He ended up taking all the laptops, cell phones, and tablet. In the struggle he cut her shoulder. After the doctor, the exams, and the shock and blood, she is doing all right. We went to the cops and it was a disaster. She clammed up the minute she saw the gun on the detective's belt. As soon as the organization was formed I joined the Stop AAPI group and donated to the cause. As what happened in Atlanta. we fight for more respect to the Asian community. No more Model Minority. No more not going to the police. At least document that it happened. And watch your surroundings. She now is afraid to go anywhere without me. And I am going to the pistol range more often.

Have to congratulate Randy on gathering this information. Very helpful to us.

This news is not good for us. I think the student idea might work. She is taking English classes at the local CC.

Unfortunate choice of word -- doggies. The propaganda ministry looks for ways to make the US look bad and this was a real gaff. The PM said the US likened the Chinese to dogs. A gross simplification but nonetheless the Embassy withdrew its post but the damage was done. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/06/world/asia/china-us-embassy.html?action=click&algo=bandit-all-surfaces-decay-decay-02&block=lone_trending_recirc&fellback=false&imp_id=908855309&impression_id=90286a62-ae95-11eb-a5a6-29cf12db5a4f&index=2&pgtype=Article&pool=pool%2F91fcf81c-4fb0-49ff-bd57-a24647c85ea1&region=footer&req_id=179881169&surface=most-popular-story&variant=1_bandit-all-surfaces-decay-decay-02 Let me know if you can't reach the link and want to read the article. I can post the whole thing.

The phrase "growing misogynistic backlash" is quite appropriate not only for China but Korea, where it seems to me much worse. Korean women there are so stereotyped. With the fast moving economy comes fast moving morals and culture. In some of the forums, women seem so confused and coming to America seems the only answer. And by any means.

I will bet China is pleased they were postponed, hopefully until January 21.

Bolton's book provides a lot of insight to what is really going on under the sheets. First, Bolton feels (and so does Pompeo and a few others, except Mnuchin) that Trump gets too personal with Kim, as he does with other leaders such as Putin. And they work that "charm" against him. Kim came to Hanoi with the surrender offer of its major ballistic missile testing site. (Of course, satellite photos and some Humint says they were planning on blowing up the site in a way that allows them to build it back quickly. And there are other sites Kim would not destroy.) Trump pretty much held out strongly with Kim until he gave in to a reciprocation of stopping testing on ballistic missiles that could reach the US. Of course that would please his base. But would not please Japan or the other countries in the surrounding seas. Abe was furious when Trump gave in to the deal since it did NOT stop Kim from developing intermediate ballistic missiles with nuclear capability. Since that time, Kim has fired off intermediates quite regularly to thumb his nose at Trump for leaving Hanoi without an agreement. Kim wanted those sanctions lifted. When he did not get them, he went to China to beg for food and supplies, and got them. (North Korea's people living in starvation is something of a question to Bolton.) So now there is little left to bargain for if you come in again demanding North Korean denuclearization. Since then and Bolton's anticipated leaving, Trump has tweeted time and again for a number of chips, such as meeting Kim at Panmunjom for a handshake -- which they both did to the horror of Bolton and the other security/State officials, including Mulvaney and Pompeo. But there has been no movement since the Hanoi summit of any import. Trump simply lost the momentum of the deal when he played personalities with Kim, rather playing the realpolitik that Bolton and his national security apparatus wanted. (Hmmm. The Art of the Deal comes to mind....) This whole story that Bolton tells in his book is quite revealing. He not only tells all about Trump's negotiating style and manner, but tells of the weak kneed Mnuchin who did not want stiff sanctions called for by Trump and Bolton (and others, Kudlow, Wilbur Ross). Mnuchin also is really timid when it gets to the subject of tariffs and banking seizures of assets of China and Korea and especially Iran. In fact, one scene got to shouting between Trump and the Treasury Secretary. All in all, Trump is exactly where he complained about previous administrations (read: Obama) -- he defaulted to a bad deal when he wanted to walk away from one and ended up with the status quo, right where he was before, except 12 steps behind. Bolton went up a few notches in my view with this book. He does take some cheap shots now and then being a Republican (really more conservative than Republican -- the two are not the same) at Obama and even Bush 41 and 43 indirectly. But he has a good grasp of the history of the dynamics going on that is quite perceptive and helpful. I wish his writing style was better but it is a deep subject. He does sprinkle some humor but probably over the average farmer's head in Kansas or North Dakota. But that's another book.

Like most of Youtube. Frsnkly, I can't keep up with all of the crazies, nevermind the ones that are worth trying to keep up with.

Conservative groups, including Bill Gates, have been strong advocates of H1-B. But for the past few years, those I work with have had to go to Canada to continue working at the same company. So even if they still have a job, Trump is cutting off renewal of the H1B. If they go to Canada, the job is not left vacant for an American. And not many schools are teaching the old skills in computers (which most H-1B's are). And to say they are "highly skilled" is to be kind. They are normal except for a few. And when the whistle blows better not be near the doors. I will miss many of them as they have become good, but it's really too late to make room for someone in America to take over. That's why corporations don't like the idea. We didn't need them in 1995 when all of it started. Now we do. Just like the migrant workers who pick our fruit and vegetables. A lot of people are sweating, not to forget Americans too.

But it's more than the 3 carriers. If the Chinese are following the build up in Okinawa, they would say otherwise. I have known Air Force guys that flew there since the early 60's. C-130's carried 9 (each) nuclear weapons there. Camp Naha where I took jungle training is a huge Marine base now, as are most smaller installations I knew. Kadena is back and operational. I am sure the targeting plans are for China and/or NK. So the carriers will be the frontline but the secondary attack is what will be interesting aside from the long range targeting of our land missiles. I hope it never happens. Every time I hear sword rattling, I hear the sound of a loser.

Do you mean LIVE lions at the MGM? Stone lions are pretty common in China. Actually no, they were made of stone. The have live lions inside the MGM in the mall area. (Last time was a while ago but they had only one then, but two time before I went.) And it is clear the management who had the idea of having stone or concrete, whatever, lions at the entrance did not know anything about feng sui.

Agree. Now that I work at home and can see the pictures (our firewall at work won't allow streaming or pictures) I can enjoy them. Thanks, Randy. Not much of a Facebook guy so I don't see things like this much.....

Yes, there is a big Chinese community. My wife has several friends there. One has a restaurant, that closed down for the duration. Just go a bit north and west of the strip. Had some good noodles at one place. A short story about the Chinese gamblers you might already know: MGM once had two big stone lions at the entrance. They found the huge Chinese community would not go there to gamble. When they found out how superstitious the Chinese are about the mouth of the lion/tiger and being eaten, they got rid of the statues. Everybody happy now.

H-1B's will just go to Canada as I have already seen. Most of them do not work in a major category of management within the tech community -- anymore. But if they are good, they will just be relocated by their company to Canada and continue working there. If there were more monitoring by the government of the issuance of H-1B's then that might solve the problem of loss of US jobs. But when a a small posting of a job or jobs is on the bulleting board in the lunch room, and that satisfies the posting of any opening for US citizens, then problem solved. And if the salary is something like $10 an hour, then you know who is going to get the job. You do get what you pay for.

Even the US intelligence community says the virus did not come from the lab. The genetic material from the lab is different from that which is out in dissemination, human engineered or not. My question is: why does it make a difference:? It all came from China. Now there is is evidence that Chicago had cases as far back as November, 2019. The virus that hit New York came from Europe. Blame is such a game that goes nowhere especially now. Are we going to get in a war because of this? We all want blame because of the way the court system works. We must have someone to blame. In this case, like ebola, or any kind of influenza, it happened. I wish I could sue someone for the flu I had in Madrid or when I first got to Thailand. And I definitely don't think we did the best we could to prevent its spread. I wish we could listen to the scientists. We need pateince and empathy during this time. Time for us to listen to each other.

Yes, we had one. Every time I see a flyover, a flag raises in my heart. I am just glad it was not a "Missing Man" formation. Here's a closer look from AF Times. https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2020/04/29/air-force-arizona-air-guard-jets-to-perform-flyover-above-phoenix-to-honor-responders/

Thanks for posting that, Randy. To me, it's good news. I hope there is no second wave.

Where I am is a noticeable scarcity of pork but when it's there, the price is not out of line. We go during a "senior time" at 0600. And it is now too hot (AZ) to walk. Really challenging my remote working attitude.

So that makes it a natural security issue if you don't show up for work because of concern about your health. I notice no such instructions have been issued for health workers,

I think China would like to be the top dog but more important to stay in power. It's the social contract that has existed for centuries and been broken usually by earthquakes or floods.

Interesting reprint of an article from National Interest, a somewhat conservative group that specializes in so-called "American realism." They are said to have connections to American intelligence. On the Chinese aircraft industry, especially the J-11 or the Russian SU-27. Taiwan gets its air force for the most part from France and the US. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/one-enormous-problem-tailing-chinese-air-force-93426 Taiwan can win a war with China. .....a little old but still relevant...... https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/09/25/taiwan-can-win-a-war-with-china/

I mention Bo Xilai to my wife and she turns cold. He was well known in Liaoning, the province, and she will not talk about him. But she does mutter under her breath.

"Give me your poor....."