Peter what are you talking about? Sucking tits my ass! Thanksgiving is not like pledging allegiance to the flag, or whatever you might want to do, and thanking God is very much optional in the US. If I wanted to thank God for anything, it would not be for a modern nation state - He did not 'settle' North America, and I'm not at all sure he'd like the way it was done. I can respect the Pilgrim's point of view, c.1621. I won't pursue the issue of Native Americans. Get the flag out of the turkey - Thanksgiving is an American cultural festival, and there are things about the culture that are worth appreciating, though we may not agree as to which ones those are. Don't believe the hype.
Would help if people could separate cultural affinities and practices from political convictions. Despite all the talk of multiculturalism, it seems that many don't seem to be able to do that. Something important missing here.
Hope everybody who may have been drawn to celebrating US Thanksgiving had a good meal.
A move in the right direction: disallow the cops from sending people who have not been tried for any crime to up to 4 years of forced labor. I wonder why they didn't think of that before.
I wish journalists would stop using the category 'drugs', or even 'illegal drugs', as if it explained what the substances are and what they do (are we talking about weed or smack? or perhaps whiskey, in some countries?) - it instills a very ambiguous category into the human brain, so that it can't think clearly (ie., similar to many 'drugs' which have the advantage of wearing off after awhile, besides the fact that the 'drug' user KNOWS that he's inflicted weirdness upon himself). And at any rate, there's no excuse for the state in which we live to go about executing people, China has plenty of prisons, and my thought would be to decrease the number of killings, intentional or otherwise, not increase them.
I agree with szbruce - the idea of using hanyu pinyin would, however, perhaps encourage any non-mother-tongue users of the language (such as most Chinese, and non-Chinese who don't go to IPA (as most won't)) to pronounce it in a similar manner to the pronunciation of Chinese, and so in this way to move in the direction of a 'sinicization' of the languages (essentially, to make Han Chinese a sort of standard for these languages). This sounds suspiciously like a nationalist move, and perhaps that is what is intended.
Some years ago (maybe 4) one could/couldn't actually stay at Zhu Family Gdns (unless you were some kinda government bigshot), but it is perhaps a hotel now?
If the 6 people on this court's staff are indeed serious about what they are trying to do, I really feel for them, as the priorities for 'development' run straight counter to them. Keep up the good work, and perhaps it might be best if these folks didn't keep too much booze around the house, especially if they live alone.
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.
Yunnan could hold model for China's labor camp reforms
Posted byA move in the right direction: disallow the cops from sending people who have not been tried for any crime to up to 4 years of forced labor. I wonder why they didn't think of that before.
Report: Yunnan drug war "extremely dangerous"
Posted byI wish journalists would stop using the category 'drugs', or even 'illegal drugs', as if it explained what the substances are and what they do (are we talking about weed or smack? or perhaps whiskey, in some countries?) - it instills a very ambiguous category into the human brain, so that it can't think clearly (ie., similar to many 'drugs' which have the advantage of wearing off after awhile, besides the fact that the 'drug' user KNOWS that he's inflicted weirdness upon himself). And at any rate, there's no excuse for the state in which we live to go about executing people, China has plenty of prisons, and my thought would be to decrease the number of killings, intentional or otherwise, not increase them.
Yuxi university working to preserve minority languages
Posted byI agree with szbruce - the idea of using hanyu pinyin would, however, perhaps encourage any non-mother-tongue users of the language (such as most Chinese, and non-Chinese who don't go to IPA (as most won't)) to pronounce it in a similar manner to the pronunciation of Chinese, and so in this way to move in the direction of a 'sinicization' of the languages (essentially, to make Han Chinese a sort of standard for these languages). This sounds suspiciously like a nationalist move, and perhaps that is what is intended.
Jianshui: southern Yunnan's cultural gem
Posted bySome years ago (maybe 4) one could/couldn't actually stay at Zhu Family Gdns (unless you were some kinda government bigshot), but it is perhaps a hotel now?
Kunming Environmental Court toiling in obscurity
Posted byIf the 6 people on this court's staff are indeed serious about what they are trying to do, I really feel for them, as the priorities for 'development' run straight counter to them. Keep up the good work, and perhaps it might be best if these folks didn't keep too much booze around the house, especially if they live alone.