SerpentZA and Other Vloggers

[Martin B]

1 hour ago, Randy W said:

Another one not worthy of embedding or even a link - 

Both sides have fallen so far it's comical (and really sad at the same time). 
BTW I noticed JaYoe has been MIA for almost two weeks. His last video was a 1+ hr long stream which I passed on... maybe he explained something there? But it's pretty clear his channel has majorly stalled since pivoting to the van life.

[Randy W]

1 hour ago, Barfus said:

Both sides have fallen so far it's comical (and really sad at the same time). 
BTW I noticed JaYoe has been MIA for almost two weeks. His last video was a 1+ hr long stream which I passed on... maybe he explained something there? But it's pretty clear his channel has majorly stalled since pivoting to the van life.

He had stem cell injections into his knees - hopefully, it has nothing to do with that.

In that last video, he did talk about a "stagnation phase" and working on his van for now.

Edited December 2, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Daniel Dumbrill likes to jump on low hanging fruit - he is all over both Winston's video and C-Milk's "desecration of a grave site" (he came across a partially exposed human skeleton while dune buggying on a Taiwan beach - Vivi FREAKED OUT while he was poking at it with a stick).

More garbage from the high school debate team squad.

Edited December 3, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

This is about Vietnam, not China, but I think would apply to someone from China, as well.

In any event, she makes good videos - have a watch.

Why I Left America and Moved Back to Vietnam? | International Student in The US

What The Pho

America is a beautiful country that is known as a land of freedom and opportunities. However, there are 3 reasons that made me leave this beautiful country and moved back to my homeland Vietnam. Check out this video to see the differences between America and Vietnam in terms of lifestyles, cultures, food, etc.

Cảm ơn bạn Thuỳ Trang và Thu Hà đã giúp mình phần phụ đề nhé

 

Edited December 7, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

 . . . and now they hit the New York Times

Meet China’s newest propaganda tool: Foreign YouTubers who speak up for Beijing and reap rewards in money or clicks.

Their videos might look casual, but they are part of the Communist Party's efforts to shape the global conversation about China.

from the article -

The views on Mr. Galat’s YouTube videos have fallen since he left China. That doesn’t bother him, he said. In the future, his channel probably won’t be so political.

“I am not completely comfortable,” he said, “being a political talking post for big issues.”

from the NY Times on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/nytimes/posts/10152837069804999

INSIDE A CHINESE PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN 

How Beijing Influences the Influencers
By Paul Mozur, Raymond Zhong, Aaron Krolik, Aliza Aufrichtig and Nailah MorganDec. 13, 2021

Quote

 

The videos have a casual, homespun feel. But on the other side of the camera often stands a large apparatus of government organizers, state-controlled news media and other official amplifiers — all part of the Chinese government’s widening attempts to spread pro-Beijing messages around the planet.

State-run news outlets and local governments have organized and funded pro-Beijing influencers’ travel, according to government documents and the creators themselves. They have paid or offered to pay the creators. They have generated lucrative traffic for the influencers by sharing videos with millions of followers on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

With official media outlets’ backing, the creators can visit and film in parts of China where the authorities have obstructed foreign journalists’ reporting.

 . . .

But even if the creators do not see themselves as propaganda tools, Beijing is using them that way. Chinese diplomats and representatives have shown their videos at news conferences and promoted their creations on social media. Together, six of the most popular of these influencers have garnered more than 130 million views on YouTube and more than 1.1 million subscribers.

Sympathetic foreign voices are part of Beijing’s increasingly ambitious efforts to shape the world conversation about China. The Communist Party has marshaled diplomats and state news outlets to carry its narratives and drown out criticism, often with the help of armies of shadowy accounts that amplify their posts.

In effect, Beijing is using platforms like Twitter and YouTube, which the government blocks inside China to prevent the uncontrolled spread of information, as propaganda megaphones for the wider world.

“China is the new super-abuser that has arrived in global social media,” said Eric Liu, a former content moderator for Chinese social media. “The goal is not to win, but to cause chaos and suspicion until there is no real truth.”

 . . .

After The Times contacted Mr. Apesland (Gweilo60), he posted a video titled “New York Times vs Gweilo 60.” In it, he acknowledges that he accepts free hotels and payment from city and provincial authorities. He compares it to being a pitchman for local tourism.

“Are there fees for what I do? Of course,” he says. “I’m doing a job. I’m putting the videos out to hundreds of thousands of people.”

 . . .

But YouTube also requires channels to disclose sponsorships or other commercial relationships so viewers can be made aware. After The Times asked about the payments and free travel from Chinese state media, YouTube said it would remind the creators of their obligations.

YouTube also tries to promote transparency by labeling channels run by government-funded news organizations. But the platform does not label the personal channels of their employees, it said.

This allows some YouTubers to obscure the fact that they work for Chinese state media.

Li Jingjing takes her subscribers into the coral reefs of the South China Sea and discusses the West’s efforts to contain China. Her channel does not mention that she works for China Global Television Network.

 

 

[Randy W]

 

He talks about having seen more of China than his home country, and wanting to restart his trike journey from the US.

A very interesting and even handed conversation with a New York Times reporter (the one who wrote the above article), but 2¼ hours long (yes, I watched the whole thing). This interview took place BEFORE the article was written.

 

[Martin B]

On 12/14/2021 at 8:55 PM, Randy W said:

 

He talks about having seen more of China than his home country, and wanting to restart his trike journey from the US.

A very interesting and even handed conversation with a New York Times reporter (the one who wrote the above article), but 2¼ hours long (yes, I watched the whole thing). This interview took place BEFORE the article was written.

 

Holy shyte can this guy ramble. I didn't watch the whole thing but I did pick a few questions in the time stamps. He straight up dodges questions (e.g. the question about YouTube being blocked in China) yet somehow manages to talk for 6 minutes about it. Not sure why he even wasted 2-3 hours of his time on that, once a reporter has a set agenda generally you can only make things worse by talking on the record. Anyways, hope he enjoys the extra publicity courtesy of the NYT. 

[Randy W]

I think he did fairly well, and is trying to put a SMALL amount of distance between himself and the other YouTubers. Still, the "Beijing Influencers" headline with his picture under it can't help his image.

I notice also that Corey Selby Prime in China has changed his YouTube name to PrimeTV, and his persona to that of "AngryFatGuy". He DOES address the animal cruelty charges directly (in the comments), saying that it was reduced to a misdemeanor since he wasn't living there at the time and "wasn't directly responsible".

[Randy W]

Jingjing strikes back

 

[Randy W]

The high school debate team squad in action here - I think Winston wins this one hands down. Yes, they are talking about different topics, but high school debate teams are usually handed differing assignments.

Daniel Dumbrill diverts, reflects, changes the topic, snows his audience with a barrage of "facts", and challenges his opponent with questions and assigning chores that he KNOWS they won't bother with, which he is more or less told is WHY people don't bother with him at around 25:00 in this video.

Winston sticks to the subject and makes his points himself, albeit in typically over-blown Serpentzian fashion. Yes - he's correct. Meng Wanzhou DID confess to what she had done, and was let go with a VERY small slap on the wrist.

 

Edited December 24, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Amy Blondie in China walks "The Line" 

 

 

[Randy W]

Gweilo and Weifang are heading back to Canada on Feb. 26 - she tested positive (cancer). An interesting talk, too, about differences among the different health systems.

My own wife chose health care in Yulin over that in the US, even though my insurance covered a full slate of Chinese (not just Chinese-American) doctors for her. Their staff, although most were Chinese-Americans, did not speak a Chinese language. Her English is not as good as Weifang's.

 

Edited January 28, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Martin B]

8 hours ago, Randy W said:

Gweilo and Weifang are heading back to Canada on Feb. 26 - she tested positive (cancer). An interesting talk, too, about differences among the different health systems.

My own wife chose health care in Yulin over that in the US, even though my insurance covered a full slate of Chinese (not just Chinese-American) doctors for her. Their staff, although most were Chinese-Americans, did not speak a Chinese language. Her English is not as good as Weifang's.

 

Wow - that's really a shame. Despite not agreeing with this guy, obviously I don't think anyone would wish his wife gets ill again. 

He's in a tough spot. Paying cash for good-quality medical care in China is incredibly expensive. But his Canadian insurance doesn't kick in for another few months. In his case I'm not sure why he's waiting a month to go back, if there's a COVID outbreak in Nanning around the time of his departure he could be looking at several weeks delay, possibly not even able to go to Chongqing. Not too mention all the instability with flight schedules these days. And it could in theory be years before they can come back to China (if ever). Lots of factors.

While it would be financially painful, I would choose the fastest way to get the best treatment possible. Stop messing around with insurance and start paying cash until insurance kicks in. Sell the house in Nanning and rent a dumpy apartment in Chongqing. Or sell the condo in Canada and rent or stay with family to pay cash for treatment until insurance goes online. I'd even be looking at paying cash at a top clinic in the US if need be (the first idea that came into my wife's head when I told her about this). I know a Canadian who was in a similar situation, he ended up paying $100k to get treated at the Mayo Clinic ASAP because of the waiting times in Canada. 

I get the sense there are some financial considerations going on here which I'm not a fan of when it comes to life/death of a family member, given how he's hinted numerous times at being very financially well-off due to all the businesses he had in Canada. 

Edited January 28, 2022 by Barfus (see edit history)

[Randy W]

But it's hard to really second guess what someone is doing without knowing the full set of circumstances. My understanding is that her treatment for now is mostly the chemotherapy, which they can take with them to Canada. The treatment in Canada is free after a three month residence. Returning to China when she is declared cancer-free would require a quarantine.

He didn't really address what the prognosis is for now.

[Randy W]

On 1/29/2022 at 1:45 AM, Barfus said:

 

 

 . . .

He's in a tough spot. Paying cash for good-quality medical care in China is incredibly expensive. But his Canadian insurance doesn't kick in for another few months. . . .

 . . .

Remember that this is for his wife, who can navigate the very inexpensive Chinese hospitals quite easily. There is a CFL thread somewhere from someone who wanted to pull a Chinese relative out of China for cancer treatment in the U.S., because, well, OBAMACARE gives free medical care to semi-legal aliens. I advised against it - there are good cancer hospitals in China.

My own hospital stay, with surgery, came to around $4000 for a 1½ month stay. The only weak link (sad to say) in my treatment was my wife,who has her own ideas about medical care, which she discussed with the doctors, rather than to simply act as a translator. Even so, I'm very pleased with the care I got, and strongly doubt that I'd have been better off in the U.S.

I think Gweilo and Weifang have considered their options and have chosen this route.