Its not hard to imagine how China manages to get away with being one of the more brazenly oppressive nations to hold the Olympics in recent times. The USSR was able to do so, but only with half the world boycotting and in 1936, Nazi Germany’s Olympics were held before boycotts were widely used as […]
Month: July 2008
What did you think was gonna happen?
The fools of the world who believed Chairman Rogge and the Chinese BOCOG are to blame for their foolishness. There are several stories out there: The frog and scorpion, the fool and the snake … whoever thought that the Games would change the nature of the snake, was probably dreaming of dragons …
One Last Roast
Indeed, I wrote a lot about how perfect my “Leaving” is, as it comes almost to the day when i arrived 8 years ago. I spoke a lot about how everything seems pre-ordained. Well, now I am beginning to experience what that actually means. These days in Beijing will be a further searing of my […]
Down in Kokomo
Will the damn Games just start already … All day I got BBC hollerin about censorship, human rights and nationalism in one ear and CCTV hollerin about the glory, sacrifice, achievements and bursting pride of the Chinese nation in the other ear. In the middle, i compile reports. I tell Prof. Han to find the […]
The good news is
That the Chinese are ready to do this. Just Imagine: Your dad grew up smilin if he got some pork in his rice bowl.Your granddad grew up smilin if he got to shoot the invader that raped his village You are smilin cuz pork is in everyone’s bowl. No one dares invade. You got access […]
busy day
In this small blurb about a photo that made it into a tabloid about the Tiananmen protests in 1989, we see another example of the many people these days who don’t know about what happened and frankly don’t care, yet face the consequences for their ignorance. I wrote before about a couple of copy editors […]
My Worm Ridden Hound named “Dog”
I am amazed at how rumors fly around this country. its a thing of beauty to watch a story go from one part of the nation to another — at the ground level — finally coming to a feather light landing as an encapsulation of some human condition within a four-character phrase. The phrase dutifully […]
caterpillar fever
Oh, about 5-6 years ago i saw my first pile of cordyceps in Kangding, Tagong and throughout the Kham area of western Sichuan. Tibetans were slanging the dried worms on the ground for several RMB (like 10 – 20) for a pile of about 250 grams. I didn’t buy any, because at the time I […]
Friedmann has found his issue
He is just hammering away, hammering away at the alternative, renewable energy grid that would bring the US out of its doldrums. No mercy. I remember being annoyed with good ol TF for some of his views on globalization and war in the middle east, but he’s got this one nailed. his issue is important […]
Feelin for Liu Xiang and Obama
Yeah I been criticizing Obama a lot here, I guess its cuz I was so excited and inspired by his nomination run and then to see him do the necessary shuck and jive towards the center of American politics made me lose my fiery optimism. But there is a quote in this here tale that […]
Chicken Grease
Played cards with the boys last night and it was good “craic.” I think that’s how you spell the Irish version — the lone Irishman at the spot won all the damn money, even though at the end all he could spit out were mumbles and curses, followed by a bellowed “Fiiive!” — referring to […]
We exist
Last night was great fun. I met up with Zachary Mexico and Li Du of Kunming Paper Tiger fame. I took along a couple of work associates to see if everyone would be able to mesh. It worked out fine. my workmates deal with foreigners all the time, are highly educated and the communication lines […]
Hey Ya’ll
… my people will hear me though…
A Smoggy day in Beijing
There is a situation going on right now at east gate in Beijing. About 100 people and are in the area. The issues is with the demolition of several apartment blocks to make way for a park. The residents have made a “last stand” in front of the last building. Anytime people actually get hifey […]
Picture me Laughing
china gives peeps designated “arrest me” zones to do their thing. “Chinese people know better than to go demonstrate in a {issue} zone during the Olympics, except maybe a few people with nothing to lose,” he said. “They know the risk of retribution is very high.” He added: “It is not a step toward allowing […]
Aint Nothing Changed
Things is hectic in this piece … for real. after the K’ming bombings the government made a few changes to security that are putting a crimp in everyone’s style. In the Metro lines the only security they have are cadres of fussy old women — the same people who yell at bicycles that cross the […]
When things die
I was in Chengdu for the past two days taking care of some business and I went to check out my old home in Three Gods Village. I have posted here about it earlier — the place is getting torn down to make way for high rise buildings and the people are forced to move […]
Clean Energy
Friedmann has been hammering away at this issue for the past few weeks. I think the nation is ready for a Kennedy-style mission to develop clean energy. talk about killing a flock of crows with one stone: A US developed clean energy alternative to oil would revamp the economy, create jobs, remove the need to […]
Bombs in Kunming
Reports came in this morning that at least two bombs destroyed two buses in Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province. Although unconfirmed, the word is that suicide bombers boarded the buses and blew themselves up at 7:50 and 8:00am. A possible third and fourth bombing is rumored but unconfirmed. BBC was the first foreign media outlet […]
My brother can get you out the clink
In case you do some shady shit and get caught, holler at my brother, the lawyer Tim Matuszak, he’ll take care of you.
Which sky will it be?
views from my window.
propagandja
My man Mike the B. and some info on the Freddie Mac thing, which i said was sinister a few days ago …
like i said, communicate
Here is a story that is pretty interesting, in that it shows the polarized views of this country that people have. I am sure that the woman in the story did not have the right documents. She either did not register, was never registered, had a wrong visa or some other glitch that she probably […]
No Fun Olympics
Check out my no-fun dork shoes: China’s “top-down” approach to security in the Olympics guarantees that there will be very little mirthful exchanges between the people (in public places at least) and the Games here will be … well … all business. 2am curfew. anti-drunken partying behavior by the coppers. random security checks. jumpy cops […]
Beijing 2008
I am finally in Beijing. After several months of talking about it and changes to the plan on a weekly basis, I am now officially part of the whole “one world one dream” experience in Beijing. Yesterday was a beautiful day. The sun shone all day, the sky was blue and white lazy clouds hung […]
Impeach Bush
This was posted as a comment, I am re-posting it so everyone can take a look.
In Memory of Aintwortha, the Original Fleabag.
We had a cat when i was five years old that was called Aintwortha Shit. We just called him by his first name. My earliest memories in life are of my dad chasing this cat down, in speedo underwear, throwing couches around, cuz aintwortha reached up and clawed his toe while he was napping. My […]
We have seen this before, and its always sinister
In today’s NYT, the “demise” of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae is treated with the soft gloves of supposed objectivity. The article begins by saying that the tumultuous tumble in stock value of the two mortgage giants is inexplicable and at the same time potentially devastating for the US economy and, above all, taxpayers.“There is […]
It can’t happen here, can it?
Engdahl drops some more knowledge … check out his site i have it listed under digable (to the right and down)
Sucked in
Every week or so i find a new web tool for this blog. I am trying out the “share me” button, even though I myself have not signed in to any Diggs, Blinks or de-lish-us sites. i am interested to know how many of you actually use and are familiar with these content sharing applications.
Indocrination II
My good friend and patna Fraggle Beanmilk has just been hired by a large daily newspaper here in the Du. They signed ol’ Beanmilk to a three year contract and the training began yesterday. So far, she has learned that Marxist Theory on the media is right in line with the current Party theory and […]
Laughs
(snicker snicker) (cackle cackle)
The death of traditions
It is so hot and humid in Chengdu right now that my brain is bathing in its own liquid, humming strange tunes to itself and sending me images of massive artillery guns firing into the distance. Spengler is a columnist for Asia Times who has derided the Europeans for lacking the courage to face the […]
Surprise! Beijing is a polluted city!
Sigh. The truth the world has refused to confront always comes out in the end, be it war for oil, Bush is a fool, we need alternative energy or China is polluted … it funny how long it takes before people admit the truth to themselves. I think it takes at least three large stories […]
My Neighbors
Here are some pics by photographer Andreas Mueller of the village i live in and some of my neighbors:
America the Ridiculous, America the Glorious
Today is Independence Day, and I suppose it is a good a chance as any to re-hash all of the things that i feel and believe about America. I am so eager to head back to the States. I miss so much about the place. But the things I miss are absent from the public […]
Patterns of Development in China
Francesco Cisci is the Asia editor for La Stampa and a frequent contributor to Asia Times. Here is an essay of his that does a good job of tracing China’s cultural changes and is also invaluable for me in that the patterns he describes course through my story about the Hakka.
Three God’s Village and The Hakka – lil Update
I have gotten a glimpse of the historical record of the Hakka that settled in Three Gods Village where I live. They arrived in Sichuan during the reign of Kangxi — first in Longquan (not far from where I am) then eventually in this village. The trip took 4 months from Guangdong where they are […]
Hakka in Sichuan
Hey. I am doing research on the Hakka people in Sichuan. The Hakka are sometimes referred to as the “Jews of China.” They reportedly originated in the Yellow River Valley and migrated south to Fujian and Guangdong to escape wars and famines. They settled in and around the Pearl River for many centuries, retaining their […]