Civilization?

China likes to claim that they were an advanced civilization when we were still barbarians (well, actually, they still think we are).
Their ancient herbal medicine was thought of as backward and useless for much of the modern era.
Only in recent decades have many herbal remedies and acupuncture been proven to work and accepted by western medicine.

One reason that acceptance was so long in coming is a refusal on the Chinese side to accept that some of their "cures" are not only worthless, but manufactured via unacceptable practices.
Rhinoceros and Bears are still killed for body parts that have no proven positive effect.
In China, there are even "Bear Farms" that cage Asian black bears in tight quarters, deny them adequate water, and cause and leave open wounds in order to harvest bile from their gall bladders.

Civilization indeed!

China is being assimilated

American companies face increasing pressure to reduce or eliminate pollution.
This has been one of the drivers for offshoring jobs to countries that are more interested in commerce than environmental extremism.
However, as Apple has learned, there is a growing activist movement in China and they have set their sights on companies like Apple which rates last in a list of 29 companies that are not meeting their expectations.
HP, BT, Alcatel-Lucent, Vodafone, Samsung, Toshiba, Sharp and Hitachi have been listed as responsive and improving when it comes to managing their partners in China.


Gee, isn't Apple the darling of the American Left-Wingnuts?
I see this as a positive sign.
China will be dragged down to our level by their homegrown activists forcing over regulation on their tech sector.

China restricting mineral shipments to US, Japan

In a move connected to the current dispute between Japan and China, shipments of rare minerals have been delayed by Chinese officials.
The restrictions followed denouncement of American trade "actions" by Chinese trade officials.
What were these "actions"?
America was calling for an investigation into Chinese subsidies for "clean energy" exports and prior restrictions of rare earth shipments possibly being linked to forcing American companies to do more business in China.

I know we are in the hot part of campaign season, but this would be a major headline if we had an objective press.
The MSM love the Chinese and don't want to embarrass Obama, so this one is only a side story.

China buying into Texas oil

There are lots of ideas out there for stimulating the economy and most of them are not workable because of a lack of money or political backing.
One Idea that may just succeed is at work in South Texas.
State-owned Chinese energy giant CNOOC is sinking $billions into oil and gas rights in order to tap into potential revenue and a storehouse of knowledge concerning the latest extraction techniques.
Unlike their failed attempt to buy UNOCAL, this attempt will likely succeed because of our need for growth and jobs as well as our White House full of traitorous jackals willing to sell us out to any Socialist or Communist. 

Caterpillar to create new jobs (in China)

Obama told us that stimulus money would help create American jobs.
Obama told us Caterpillar would create jobs because of the stimulus.
Caterpillar is opening a whole new factory.
In China.
Maybe there are a bunch of Americans living in China that just got hired?

China tests satellite rendezvous

China tested its ability to maneuver satellites in a manner that would allow them to perform a kinetic 'kill' using a sacrificial satellite or payload to take out another country's space assets.
In 2007 China performed a 'kill' interception of one of their defunct weather satellites, leaving a debris field that still threatens damage to satellites in certain orbits.
China's increasing capability and apparent willingness to weaponize space is worrisome to other nations, especially in light of their apparent lack of concern over the potential damage caused by their tests.

Epic Chinese traffic jam "vanishes"

Just when foreign reporters decided to cover it live, the infamous Chinese traffic jam went "poof!".
Stories of truckers stuck for more than a week due to road construction abounded last week along with tidbits about people making money by feeding them.
We marveled at the drivers for "staying the course" instead of taking side roads.
It was thought that the jam would last for another week or more and that it would take time to dissipate but, aside from backups at toll plazas, there is no jam.

Now I wonder if it was just a new version of the infamous "flash mob"

Update: It's baaaack!

Zoo Panda gassed

Chinese zookeepers are in full apology mode after accidentally gassing a giant panda named Quan Quan with a mix of carbon dioxide and chlorine gas.
They were "disinfecting" a nearby bomb shelter that had air vents connected to the panda enclosure and the gases led to the panda's death.
It sounds like they were recycling (good) but have a lack of understanding when it comes to their infrastructure (bad).

Big Chinese oil spill not news

Once again, our media prove to be enemies of truth and extremely unbalanced.
The Chinese have suffered an explosion and big oil spill and our media sees nothing.
More than 70 square miles of coastal waters have been covered in oil.
This is worse than the gulf spill because it started on the shoreline with no time to prepare.

Update: China's spill still grows and officials claim they are not equipped to handle the devastation. The size of the spill has doubled to 165 square miles and at least one worker was killed as a wave washed him from the boat he was working on.

Goo-Goo Genocidaires

This is a great article on the subject of the groups not given proper blame for horrible crimes they are in no small part responsible.
It is a ten minute read, so I will summarize for the "no time to spare" crowd.
History books, histories, and period movies ignore the culpability of "Peaceniks" in many of history's worst chapters.
The clergy, peace activists, pacifists, and academics are responsible for convincing governments and the public to ignore atrocities by evil leaders like Stalin, Mao and Hitler as transitory growing pains that would go away if we would just make nice and given them a little more power, land, or subjugated populations to sate them.
They helped to disarm America; Europe; and China, making conquest less costly for the Axis during WWII.

They are still at it today.
They are behind the ridiculous protests against freeing countries from evil theocrats and dictators and they fight any attempt to protect American interests, even at home (border control).
As long as they are not linked to the damage and death they are responsible for, they will continue to do their harm while patting themselves on the back for stopping the "evil warmongers" right up to the point of losing their freedom to some Marxist regime they have empowered.

Hat tip: Mr. Brown

Bad Astronaut! Bad!

A Chinese astronaut admitted to eating "normal" food in space after stating that he is asked if they eat delicacies.
What is normal? Dog.
Animal rights groups are up in arms over his statement as he is a "role model" and "hero" to children.
Yep! I want to eat my dog, just like that Chinese astronaut!
Maybe they should use this example to try turning kids off to all meat by playing on their sympathy for pets?

Just swat him with a rolled up newspaper and banish him to the back yard!

North Korea's #1 Export to China: Women

China's one child policy has long been the cause of a shortage of females.
Couples prefer male children for, among other things, their earning potential but they pay by having sons that can't easily find a wife.
Enter North Korea.
For some time, women have been imported from North Korea where the male/female ration is closer to the world norm and many are living in severe poverty.
The women are sold for around $1500 and reportedly have a better life in China as more food and security are provided to support and protect this valued commodity.

So much for the good news.
The bad news is that only about 25% are sold to men to wed and most of the men are elderly or even disabled and looking for a hard working bed warmer and some are even resold.
The rest end up getting jobs a a "computer company" providing internet sex from small rooms equipped with webcams.
If they have children, the Chinese government will not recognize them because the mother is "unregistered".
Most of the money they "earn" is taken to pay for their keep, so they can never repay their "debt".
The one bright spot is that South Korean men using the sex "chat" rooms may actually help extricate them by helping to pay for their freedom and connecting them with rescue groups.

Scientific Fraud (in China)

Another gem from Sweetness and Light
The Chinese apparently copied the western practice of using falsified data to obtain funding, promotions, and power. As usual, they are bent on doing it "better".

Obama Loans Money to Drill For Oil!

Well, President Obama has made good on his promise to open oil exploration and drilling.
Off the coast of Brazil, not the US!
That's right! Obama is loaning money to Brazil to open oil fields.

Hat tip: Allen K.

Obama's investment may be paltry to the money China is throwing into Brazil though.
China may end up with a much more favorable position when it comes to getting the oil our tax money is helping to pump:

But wait! Brazil has already started in that direction and has also been working on making sure Petrobras (its nationalized oil company) is in total control.

And guess which patriotic America-Loving Billionaire owns a lot of Petrobras stock?
George Soros.

Update: The question of how stock is available from a state controlled oil company came up. State "owned" and state "controlled" are not the same thing. You can purchase stock in Petrobras.