China rising

[michiganbuck]

You're right, the wrong word I used.

The global arid lands, or drylands, can be loosely-defined in terms of precipitation and evapo-transpiration, which characteristically result in semi-permanent water scarcity. This manifests itself in low soil moisture availability, ephemeral stream and river flow, and a plant cover that occupies only a part of the landscape

 

[EmGo]

You're right, the wrong word I used.

Credit where due, PeteM has the eagle eyes.

Did you know that Taiwan claims that Mongolia belongs to them ? Just found that out, now that made me laugh

 

[michiganbuck]

If Taiwan took Mongolia, and then China took the pair the might be good for China.

Likely that is Taiwan's plan, to let Chianna wait a long. long time for that to happen.

Mongolia does have some valuable assets.

mongolia pretty girls - Bing images

 

[EmGo]

If Taiwan took Mongolia, and then China took the pair the might be good for China.

Nah, it's a leftover from when Taiwan claimed it was China So much for their "always been an independent country" schtick ...

mongolia pretty girls

I'll try again ... take your brave pills, Buck, and waste a half hour of your life. If you can push the green button on a 20" grinder wheel you can do this. You'll be surprised. And I even dug it up on youtube, so don't have to check under the bed for commies first

https://youtu.be/QIOOfAXxBkc

 

[Ries]

I watched some of that show, and it was pretty awful. I am sure its accurate about daily life in many chinese cities though.

But as far as Mongolia goes, it, too, is probably different than most think it is.

For one thing, they DO buy pickup trucks there...

Mrs M, who is a female Mongolian rap star, has a very big pickup.

https://youtu.be/Joiz566cd1k

 

[EmGo]

I watched some of that show, and it was pretty awful.

You probably didn't like Mork and Mindy, either. Or My Favorite Martian

I am sure its accurate about daily life in many chinese cities though.

That was the idea. They didn't build a giant set to convince foreigners of what Chinese cities are like, that's all filmed on location.

So much for Buck's fantasies ...

But as far as Mongolia goes, it, too, is probably different than most think it is.

For one thing, they DO buy pickup trucks there...

At least as props on an MTV set And no plates on it either ... but that's a different country anyhow. I have no idea, never lived in Mongolia.

Speaking of slant-eyes, do they have "full size" pickups in Japan ? Never thought about that. I think they still don't allow foreign cars ? (They do on paper, just not in real life. You can buy and register any automobile you want in China but the deal is, has to be new and has to come through a registered auto dealer. So you can import and register a new Corvette but not a '63 split window. No '59 Caddy convertible, waaah)

 

[EmGo]

I watched some of that show, and it was pretty awful.

I was going to just chalk this up to different tastes, but mmm, have to come back. No, it's not awful. You don't have to like it, grumpy old curmudgeons often can't relate to young people, but it's actually pretty good. Plot has as many holes as a west Texas highway sign and they couldn't afford a continuity girl, it's definitely low budget but the issues are common ones for twenty-somethings and they are addressed in a sophisticated way. You don't see Leave it to Beaver asking if a buddhist life is better than engagement. The acting is very good, especially considering these are unknowns.

You can't relate to it because you aren't a twenty-five year old qingdao kid, but it's not meant for you. It's not awful at all.

Definitely need to skip the first two minutes of each episode tho, they always do that in the credits, make a montage of the gooiest moments. Yuck

I am sure its accurate about daily life in many chinese cities though.

Yes, it's reasonably accurate about a whole generation of Chinese young people ... which is so far different than what Buck imagines, that I thought it'd be worth his while to spend some time looking, instead of imagining. So far no luck tho

 

[michiganbuck]

QT which is so far different than what Buck imagines,

Give it up Emanuel, I have had numerous conversations with exchange students from China, South Kora and Japan. yes most Asian exchange students are from well-off families but they know a little about the countryside.
My wife's girlfriend Susie is Japanese and her family has factories in Japan and in China. You should hear what Susie says about Chinese people and the things they make. My friend Mike married a girl from the Philippines, I read a lot about China and have been following the 3 Gorges Dam since before it was started. Likely I know more about China than you think I do. I don't have anything against the Chinese people but would not wish the USA to follow their lead. Our government is bad enough ...

I think the Dam is a basket case with poor cement and poor re-rod. The original cracks likely have allowed the re-rod to rust and stress the cement and that will result in even more cracks. It might go another 5 years at best. Many people below the dam are in great danger.

 

[EmGo]

Give it up Emanuel

Nice try, Buck, but you're a grinder guy, not some buttonpushing nc riffraff. We don't give up easy on the good ones If they ever open up again, we may have to do an intervention .... are you allergic to any sedatives ?

I have had numerous conversations with exchange students from China, South Kora and Japan.

Oooh, I admit defeat. If I'd had a conversation with an exchange student, instead of living in the damn place for twenty years, I'd probably run home and hide under the bed !

btw Buck, all the places you mention are in Asia. There is no way anyone who doesn't know you really really well is going to disagree with what you say. Whatever you want to hear is what they are going to tell you.

My wife's girlfriend Susie is Japanese and her family has factories in Japan and in China. You should hear what Susie says about Chinese people

I notice Susie's feelings don't stop her family from having factories in China ... does she often go supervise ? Does she take troops with her ? And maybe a doctor, for doing some experiments ?

Did you know, I had a friend who worked for GM. Want to know what he said about Americans ? Must be god's truth, right ?

My friend Mike married a girl from the Philippines,

Cool ! And my friend Mike married a girl from Philadelphia. But they're divorced now.

I read a lot about China

But you won't even click on an actual teevee show from qingdao I can find some books about Detroit, Michigan, if you like to read ...

have been following the 3 Gorges Dam ... I think the Dam is a basket case with poor cement and poor re-rod.

You do know it's a gravity dam, right ? Strength is not involved, it's like putting a row of huge rocks like a wall in the river ? And those photos you keep posting are phony ?

Many people below the dam are in great danger.

News to them ... we had some pretty good friends in Yichang. That's about 25 miles downriver. Cool factory, it's all hills there so the place is on three levels and really pretty - offices and housing and fountain and flower gardens and dining house at the bottom, then up a level the final assembly and testing and storage, then at the top castings and big parts machining. Must be a pain to deal with but really pretty, and the people are super. A little old-fashioned, they have a factory youth group and do employee mass weddings and stuff, still kind of paternalistic. Nice, though.

Unfortunately, their products are not very good. Drifted apart when they came out with a product that competed with us and I kinda denigrated it to some potentials ... but before that, going there was always super.

Never worried one little bit about the dam. It's fine. Susie and your exchange students are mistaken.

 

[michiganbuck]

Good that the government is admitting that the dam is distorted and has cracks.
How does a concrete and re-rod structure bend and still be safe?

Likely the China government will say "Ops, a landslide created tsunami or unexpected earthquake caused the dam's unexpected failure," a few million people will die, and some engineers and inspectors will get sent to prison to take the blame so the China government will walk thinking/pretending they are never wrong. Some people will believe that story and the ones who don't will be careful what they say so as to not go to prison for saying a wrong thing.

Old news from 2010
In China, Three Gorges Dam'''s image showing some cracks - Los Angeles Times

 

[EmGo]

Good that the government is admitting that the dam is distorted and has cracks.
How does a concrete and re-rod structure bend and still be safe?

You are supposed to wipe and flush that stuff, not smear it around here, buck.

Besides which, do you understand what a gravity dam is ? And do you have any experience with ferrocement ? It bends a lot, quite happily.

This intervention is gonna be a bitch, you're a hard case, my man. A truly hard case. May take a whole year of cormorant fishing in yangshuo to bring you around ...

What do you think, import to Michigan ?

 

[michiganbuck]

We already have cormorants and likely nobody in Michigan uses them for fishing or cooks them for food.

Some people want to shoot them...not me.

 

[EmGo]

We already have cormorants and likely nobody in Michigan uses them for fishing

Why not ? you could be the first !

Some people want to shoot them...not me.

How come ? Are they not native, or something ? They don't wake you up at dawn crowing, I know that. And you could have eggs in the off-season.