It's a conspiracy entitled 'Centralized Wealth control', carried out in many obscene ways.
I understand I can't enter links here, is that right? a
Anyway, I'll try this one:
www.salon.com/2014/06/01/help_us_thomas_piketty_the_ 1s_sick_and_twisted_new_scheme/
"You have to pick your battles" - well said.
My most common annoyance about living in China - they're everywhere, relentless - who do they think they are fooling? But it helps explain the common practical sense of most people, which is admirable in a way and quite depressing in others.
Apparently virtually all Yahoo news articles are "Sorry this cannot be displayed" today, and google is worse than usual, as usual. There's a great world out there for those who understand the difference between communication and manipulation, but an awful lot of organizations the members of which are paid not to know the difference. Then add everyone in advertising and PR - everywhere - and it gets pretty depressing.
I too am annoyed by the nearly continuous and obviously unbelievable and unbelieved propaganda about how everything is good except the stuff we have defined for you as being bad. Which includes people - seems there are 'good people' and 'bad people', but little understanding of the fact that both good & bad are nearly always the results of action by ordinary people.
As for landlords, I've been very lucky - no hassles at all, and genuinely friendly relations. Quite surprising in a sector based on profits for simple ownership.
I've never had problems with taxis or taxi drivers in over 10 years here - no, I don't know any secrets or how this happens, although I've certainly seen other foreigners with suspicions or attitudes that, one way or another, seem to lead to problems - and yes, I'm sure that there are cabbies who have such suspicions & attitudes as well - somewhere - I guess. It's all usually a pretty simple operation: I get in the cab, tell him where I want to go, occasionally chat with the driver, he takes me where I want to go and I pay him, and have perhaps been overcharged by 1-2 rmb a total of 2-3 times, in 10 years. REALLY BAD, but I think I can live with it.
Landlordism and profit from merely owning property is a very old scam, very popular under feudalism, successfully adapted for capitalist conditions.
I should mention, however, that I've had the same landlord here for many years & all my relations with her have been really good, fair & above-board. I actually like her - this a first for me.
No results found.
Not quite what you'd call a jumping place, but not bad at all for rather standard US-type meals, not overly expensive, and with a really good salad bar that's cheap, or free with most dinner dishes after 5:30PM. You can get a bottle of beer or even wine if you really want to, but I've never seen anybody do it - maybe that's just to take out. Chinese Christian run, and they hire people with physical disadvantages, who are pleasant and helpful. Frequented by foreign (mostly North American) Christians and Chinese Christians - was started by a Canadian couple associated with Bless China (previously, Project Grace), who are no longer here, but no religious pressure or any of that. Steaks are nothing special, and I avoid the Korean dishes, which I've had a few times but which did not impress me.
As a shop and bakery, it's very good bread at reasonable prices, of various kinds (Y18 for a good multigrain loaf that certainly weighs well over a pound. Other stuff too, like granola and oatmeal that is local, as well as imported things, including American cornflakes and so forth, which some people seem to require.
Large portions, seriously so with the pizza, which is Brooklyn/American style, I guess. Convivial, conversational, good place to drink with good folks on both sides of the bar, especially after about 9PM.
Too bourgeois.
Really good pizza and steaks. The wine machine fuddles me when I'm a bit fuddled, & seems unnecessary. Good folks on both sides of the bar.
Ain't no flies on Salvador's.
China hands out happy city awards, Kunming sad
发布者Social cooperation is also hard-wired into the individuals of an innately social species such as ourselves, without which the individuals of our species would not have survived to pass on any genes..Rouseau's 'noble savage' never existed, both he and Hobbes were wrong.
China hands out happy city awards, Kunming sad
发布者Subjective reports of happiness mean something, but I'm not sure what.
Kunming smells part II: The good, the bad and the ugly
发布者You get used to it all after awhile, as most of Kunming's 7 million inhabitants surely have.
Government sues parents to get kids back to school
发布者@nnoble: don't follow - who or what is rotting? I can think of various candidates, but I'm not sure which one you're talking about.
Government sues parents to get kids back to school
发布者There are economic issues concerning education in China for very poor communities, which obviously need a bigger share of the economic pie than they are getting. Yet China's 'socialist market economy' is increasing the overall level of economic resources within China.
What's wrong with this picture?