Sunday thread

The lugubrious music of Taiwan pop idol Jeff Chang (“Bu yao dui ta shuo…”) is reverberating through my house, bringing back all kinds of memories (his music played in many a Beijing elevator while I was there). It seems like a good time for an open thread.

The Discussion: 236 Comments

My American friend here is getting married today. Apparently the night before the wedding ALL of the guests come to your house and inspect it. They have 500 guests for their wedding! 3 DIFFERENT kids shit ON their floor. The mother’s “sort of” cleaned it. It got on peoples shoes and now it’s everywhere. His parents are visiting China for the first time.They are very impressed.

July 17, 2005 @ 8:00 pm | Comment

I am feeling rather Fungible today.

July 17, 2005 @ 8:07 pm | Comment

You have to be kidding about the kids, AM. No? Please say you are.

July 17, 2005 @ 8:38 pm | Comment

here is the “american general zhu”:

http://tinyurl.com/d26v8

http://tinyurl.com/co8sk

July 17, 2005 @ 8:50 pm | Comment

Richard, As the American’s say “I shit you not” I’ve seen similar stuff before .

July 17, 2005 @ 8:53 pm | Comment

“This is not the Air Force saying we want to go to war with China, he said. “This is the Air Force saying if we want to avoid war with China, we’ve got to be able to hold their critical capabilities at risk lest Beijing be tempted to use force to resolve disputes it has with other countries in the region.”

these mad men can always say something like this

July 17, 2005 @ 9:00 pm | Comment

Thanks Bengfeng – where’s the reference to a US general saying he’d consider using nuclear weapons on China?

July 17, 2005 @ 9:02 pm | Comment

And Bingfeng, have I mentioned tinyurl.com to you before? Check it out so the comment margins don’t get screwed up. Thanks a lot, buddy.

July 17, 2005 @ 9:03 pm | Comment

AM – if you had taken a photo, it could’ve become like that Korean chick with her dog shitting on the train. She’s famous now!

July 17, 2005 @ 9:04 pm | Comment

Off-topic (I know, what topic?), Richard, did you get your spam problem solved? I’m getting inundated again, especially in trackbacks, and have lost some of my blocking features due to Great Firewall interference. Looking for an easy fix, of course 😉

July 17, 2005 @ 9:19 pm | Comment

AM, I don’t find that hard to believe at all. Reminds me of the post where I ranted about the woman letting her dog shit on the floor in front of the elevator.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen parents letting their kids shit on the sidewalk or holding them over a trashcan in a building.

July 17, 2005 @ 9:31 pm | Comment

I just checked in my Chinese manners and traditions book. It’s supposed to be good luck for the newlyweds.

July 17, 2005 @ 9:42 pm | Comment

Bingfeng, did your parents let you shit on the floor when you were a baby?

July 17, 2005 @ 9:43 pm | Comment

I just told off my friend.I said:” You are being culturally insensitive” He lost his face. He will NEVER talk to me again.

July 17, 2005 @ 9:47 pm | Comment

Gordon, According to the book.”This behavior is only acceptable at Wedding’s and Bar Mitzvah’s. Shitting on one’s floor at any other occasion is considered very bad taste” Food for thought.

July 17, 2005 @ 10:04 pm | Comment

Man I can’t wait to go to a wedding!

I wonder if he would feel worse if I told him that nobody shit on the floor at my wedding?

July 17, 2005 @ 10:06 pm | Comment

He’s coming around to the idea that it was a compliment.

July 17, 2005 @ 10:15 pm | Comment

For any general to say that they are prepared to use nukes is not much of an issue. That is easy to say, because it is an option that everyone knows is available. The utility of the option can and should be debated. What is insane is when some general says that we will use nukes and we are prepared to lose all the cities East of Xi’an, or West of the Mississippi, or some such thing. That is not an option, that is just callous disrepard for human life. It also does not make military sense at all. As I wrote once before, this is in context of invading Taiwan; if you lose all you bases East of Xi’an, how will you conduct the invasion from Qinghai (or where ever West of Xi’an). The United States would not have to invade the mainland, they wouldn’t have to do anything. All of this chatter about generals nuking one another is just idle chatter, not much value except to make useless comments about useless chatter.

July 17, 2005 @ 10:17 pm | Comment

Why does the General think the cities west of Xiam will be safe? The US has ample capability to incinerate all of them too.

July 17, 2005 @ 10:38 pm | Comment

They still live in caves west of Xian.

July 17, 2005 @ 11:03 pm | Comment

Nuclear Forces Guide

July 17, 2005 @ 11:18 pm | Comment

Nuclear Forces Guide

July 17, 2005 @ 11:19 pm | Comment

I’m lovin’ the idea of a Nuclear Forces Guide! “Honey,When you go to Border’s can you get me that new edition of the Nuclear Forces Guide?”

July 17, 2005 @ 11:25 pm | Comment

It would make a nice stocking stuffer.

July 17, 2005 @ 11:27 pm | Comment

gordon and AM,

you are really AMERICAN man.

enjoy yourself 🙂

July 17, 2005 @ 11:28 pm | Comment

Yep, We know how to have a good time.

July 17, 2005 @ 11:32 pm | Comment

Bingfeng, I joke about American people ALL the time. WE can take it. We are confident enough.

July 17, 2005 @ 11:35 pm | Comment

Right, AM. We don’t have a gaping inferiority complex! (BF, just kidding.)

July 17, 2005 @ 11:38 pm | Comment

Richard, I feared you had retired for the evening.

July 17, 2005 @ 11:40 pm | Comment

Insomnia.

July 17, 2005 @ 11:43 pm | Comment

Bingfeng, Go Google- My Trailer Park.It’s really funny. It’s about US STUPID AMERICANS.I stole it from ShenZhen Ren. How many sites like that in China about your own folks?In America there are probably Hundreds of thousands of similar sites. You Dig?

July 17, 2005 @ 11:44 pm | Comment

I have always found that a good dose of the Duck will do wonders for insomnia.

July 17, 2005 @ 11:44 pm | Comment

That’s one thing you can say about Americans, we are willing to laugh at ourselves. Can you ever imagine the CCP laughing at itself?

July 17, 2005 @ 11:46 pm | Comment

Apparently they NEVER look in the mirror.

July 17, 2005 @ 11:47 pm | Comment

The Simpson’s is all about making fun of America/American’s. Many American’s think it’s The greatest American T.V. show ever.

July 17, 2005 @ 11:52 pm | Comment

Well, after Lawrence Welk and Art Linkletter.

July 17, 2005 @ 11:53 pm | Comment

Oh gawd I LOVE the Simpsons! I’ve gotten to attend a couple of their cast reads. They are so effin’ brilliant. tonight’s episode was a repeat I hadn’t seen – Homer is convinced that the Rapture is coming. At one point, God says, “I sent my son down to earth, and he’s never been the same.” And they cut to Jesus sitting on a swing, twisting around pathetically.

Yep, the Simpsons are one of America’s cultural treasures.

July 17, 2005 @ 11:57 pm | Comment

“Other Lisa, you are an America basher! The Simpson’s are the Anti-christ.” Yeah, that was a great episode! I have it here!

July 18, 2005 @ 12:00 am | Comment

The Rapture epsidoe tonight had me laughing out loud. Some marvelous swipes at today’s Evangelicalmovement (subtle but wicked). I never saw it befoire, and it renewed my faith in the show, which hasn’t quite sustained the hilarity it enjoyed in the late 90s.

July 18, 2005 @ 12:05 am | Comment

anyone says that chinese don’t know how to laugh at themselves doesn’t really understand chinese people

chinese jokes are much smarter and better than american ones, especially political jokes

July 18, 2005 @ 12:11 am | Comment

btw, which host of the “tonight show” do you like?

July 18, 2005 @ 12:12 am | Comment

Actually, I think the Chinese people are capable of laughing at themselves. It’s the CCP that shows virutally no sense of hunor over it’s being human. So they can never acknowledge wrongdoing and can never laugh at itself.

Every year in Washiington, the president participates in a skit with the US press team, making fun of the dumb things he’s done in the previous year. (Last year, it was Bush looking under the furniture in the White house for the weapons of mass destrucvtion in Iraq). If the CCP could do that, stand there and really admit what assholoes they can be, capable of mistakes and human frailties, I would respect them infiitely more. Unfortunately, it’ll never, ever happen.

July 18, 2005 @ 12:15 am | Comment

AM, there was only Johnny Carson. Everyone simply disintegrated in the face of his greatness. Even Jack Paar and Stevel Allen.

July 18, 2005 @ 12:16 am | Comment

richard,

at what level of ccp laughing at themselves will validate the assertion that ccp can be hurmous?

the largest contributors of chinese political jokes are ccp members at all levels, although i am not sure hu/wen do that

July 18, 2005 @ 12:19 am | Comment

Of course Johnny was the best. Bingfeng, Chinese air is also better. What a stupid comment! EVERYONE thinks their’s is THE best. Except me.I like British humor best.

July 18, 2005 @ 12:22 am | Comment

Richard I thought that presentation of Bush looking for WMD under the furniture was a riot! I laughed my ass off when I saw that.

BingFeng, you may be able to speak English pretty well, but I seriously doubt that our skills enable you to understand the witty sarcasm that most of American humor is based on.

My Chinese professor has lived in the States for more than 20 years and she still doesn’t quite understand the sarcasm. It’s something you just about have to grow up around to fully grasp it.

July 18, 2005 @ 12:26 am | Comment

Bingfeng, here is a good example: The media mistakenly reported that Al Gore said he had “invented the interne” in 2000. He never said that; he said he invinted the initiative that eventually led to today’s Internet, which was comepltey true. But the myth was repeated so often, it becase a reality., and Gore got smart and simply started making jokes about himself as the man who invented the Internet. And it was cool — it neded the crisis.

In th end, especially after he left office, Clinton did the same thing with the Monika scandal – instead of fighting it (which he couldn do), he embraced it and told jokes about it! He himself was the butt of every joke — never anyone else. There was no mockery of anyone, only Clinton himself. He was willing to make a fool of himself. And know what? It saved his polidytcal career and today it it a big part of why do many people, like Conrad and JFS and Gordon adore Clinton despitr his vicissitudes. If the CCP could only get that act down, and realize its humanizing effects……..

July 18, 2005 @ 12:27 am | Comment

Just ask a Brit. They think American’s have no grasp of irony/sarcasm. Many people don’t. I love Bob Newhart.

July 18, 2005 @ 12:29 am | Comment

Gordon, no doubt it was funny. In questionable taste, but definitely funny. Can you see Hu looking around for a SARs virsu with a butterfly net?

July 18, 2005 @ 12:30 am | Comment

I think I can see Bingfeng scratching his head.

July 18, 2005 @ 12:34 am | Comment

” Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on.” Bob Newhart – Yeah,SOMEBODY should listen to Bob.

July 18, 2005 @ 12:36 am | Comment

Can you see Hu looking around for a SARs virsu with a butterfly net?

ROTFLMAO!!! Now that’s funny!

Anybody good with Photoshop?

July 18, 2005 @ 12:37 am | Comment

And now I am going to fall over and hibernate. To the two commenters to whom I wrote a somewhat emotional email a little while earlier, just ignore it, I was having a panic attack, as I was running low on lithium. I regret sending it, as t was a bit half baked, but my offer remains.

Thanks to all for hanging out at this infamous hate site, and keep up the goodf fight in my absence. And those of you who want to hook up in Asia in four weeks, I’m ordering tickets now, so let’s coordinate. It’s really gonna happen. Buona notte, sweet dreams…

July 18, 2005 @ 12:39 am | Comment

[Deleted – MAJ is passing messages about people who embarrassed him in the Fantabulist thread using other people’s weblogs, and I have to end it here. Please guys, let’s not play into his hands again. He made total folds of us, then we won the next round, and now he wants to come in for the prize. We all saw what he can do in terms of telling major um, exaggerations. I won’t let my site be a conduit for MAJ messages, with all resapect Laowai (and your won messages are always welcome).]

July 18, 2005 @ 12:39 am | Comment

He wrote to himself?

July 18, 2005 @ 12:41 am | Comment

Are they the same person?

July 18, 2005 @ 12:48 am | Comment

Let’s dicusss it later; I have a real headache over this

July 18, 2005 @ 12:49 am | Comment

The poor Brits, they once had the largest empire in the world, lost it within the remaining life of an old PM (Churchill) after his office, their former colonies outshine them, they chose a unbelievable stupid economic model and found themselves sufficating, and an old women, Maggie Thatcher comes along and pulls them out of the quagmire they were in, they boot her out, say nasty things about her, but secretly are glad since they can hold their nose up to the French for having the most vibrant economy in Europe. Yes, I agree, the Brits have developed irony and sarcasm to a good degree, but they need to do something useful to occupy their time.

July 18, 2005 @ 12:57 am | Comment

JFS, I’m beginning to like you!

July 18, 2005 @ 12:58 am | Comment

I just read MAJ’s letter to himself. It’s a REAL keeper!

July 18, 2005 @ 1:02 am | Comment

Please, AM — keep it, and keep it far from me.

July 18, 2005 @ 1:04 am | Comment

Richard,Roger that.

July 18, 2005 @ 1:05 am | Comment

He’s threatening to post it here!

July 18, 2005 @ 1:05 am | Comment

It’s gone. If you want to see it, you can email me and I’ll email it to you, as I guess that’s what he intended – to have the last word again. But he’s using my site as his own blog, and that irritates me, so I’ve deleted it.

July 18, 2005 @ 1:06 am | Comment

You’ve all got it wrong. The CCP do know how to have a laugh at themselves…it’s just you don’t get the joke. Why just last week this general started talking about nuking that US over Taiwan. They’ve been peeing their pants about that one at PLA HQ all weekend!

July 18, 2005 @ 1:08 am | Comment

something about mark’s behavior gives me the feeling that he has an amazingly small penis.
anyway, next topic.

July 18, 2005 @ 1:11 am | Comment

Good call, Laowai.

July 18, 2005 @ 1:11 am | Comment

Interesating theory, Simon, and not without possibilities.

July 18, 2005 @ 1:13 am | Comment

Roughly translated: “We will bomb American’s with Nuclear weapons” Punchline: “It’s hard to rob and pillage rubble” It’s even funnier in Putonghua.

July 18, 2005 @ 1:14 am | Comment

JFS, you’ve lost me—totally. What point were you making just there? Genuine question.

July 18, 2005 @ 1:16 am | Comment

Laowai, you made my night. Thank you. He plans to send it off to all the bloggers. He needs to make his “last comment” (followed by dozens more)and try as hard as he can to embarrass me. That in instelf says a lot about him I’m afraid, thought not much that most of us hadn’t alreasdy figured out. Now, finally, good night.

July 18, 2005 @ 1:16 am | Comment

I think he was just trying to piss of some Brits.

July 18, 2005 @ 1:18 am | Comment

ha! Richard, you could use your filters to censor the names of MAJ (including those initials) so that when someone refers to them, it will display as something like “what’s his hame”. (MAJ = What’s his name)

At least he would no longer have the satisfaction of seeing his “name” advertised on the duck.

July 18, 2005 @ 1:19 am | Comment

Richard, You want want to call quantico and ask for a Clarice Starling.She has a very long relationship with what’s his name.

July 18, 2005 @ 1:22 am | Comment

Hang on, join the dots here….MAJ, mad Chinese generals, pig semen being sent into space.

Trust no-one, people.

July 18, 2005 @ 1:24 am | Comment

I just went through the ritual Harry Potter reading…and it’s like “you know who”!

July 18, 2005 @ 1:30 am | Comment

Simon, Did you just refer to the Snot-ro-naut as “Pig Semen”? Now thats insensitive.

July 18, 2005 @ 1:31 am | Comment

Perhaps my sense of humor is not that good developed but I think Bush looking for WMD under his table is more making fun of all the people he fooled than making fun of himself.

Simpsons are realy great. Bart v. Australia is one of my favorites.

On the nuking general:
I think Lisa’s right that there is a lot of dangeraous talk on both sides.
Here we have something on the mini-nukes the US allready posesses:
“Enemy combat forces and facilities that may be likely targets for nuclear strikes include WMD and their delivery systems; ground combat units, air defense facilities, naval installations, combat vessels, nonstate actors, and underground facilities.” – Executive Summary, Joint Publication 3-12.1, Doctrine for Joint Theater Nuclear Operations, published by Joint Chiefs of Staff, 9 February 1996

July 18, 2005 @ 1:37 am | Comment

AM, you’re not in a position to lecture on cultural sensitivity today.

I’m just putting up the links and asking everyone to join the dots.

July 18, 2005 @ 1:43 am | Comment

There’s always tomorrow.

July 18, 2005 @ 1:45 am | Comment

the famous sex blogger muzimei just leave a comment in the teahouse to introduce her new blog:

http://www.muzimei.cn/

she said that she had made love in ti@n@nmen suqare, perhaps next time you visit beijing, you could meet her making love in the beijing metro seats!

July 18, 2005 @ 1:52 am | Comment

That’s what I’m afraid of, AM. How much more damage can you do?

July 18, 2005 @ 1:53 am | Comment

Ha! Thanks bingfeng. I’m reading her new blog now (unfortunately it’s in Chinese). She only started it 3 July 2005. It looks good, she’s a bit of a thinker is our Mu Zimei.

I actually quite like her as she’s a bit of a rebel. She’s back living in Guangzhou again after finishing with her Shanghai boyfriend (or so I heard on the GZ grapevine). I know someone who knows her! Oh yes. I’m well in there.

July 18, 2005 @ 2:03 am | Comment

I’m off to take some photographs…

July 18, 2005 @ 2:19 am | Comment

bingfeng

木子美’s blog isn’t new. I’m busy reading the archives now. I genuinely thought she’d diappeared following the unwanted press attention. I know she fled Guangzhou for quite a time.

Anyway, I’m glad she’s back in the saddle. (As a Guangzhou resident) she’s one of us!

July 18, 2005 @ 2:23 am | Comment

muzimei has been forced to close her blogs before, that’s why she re-opened new ones

i have no opinions on her blog, but if we can tolerate a pighead like gen. zhu, why can’t we tolerate muzimei

July 18, 2005 @ 2:34 am | Comment

Indeed. Still, 木子美 isn’t threatening a nuclear holocaust! Haha.

July 18, 2005 @ 2:38 am | Comment

As promised, rewatched Monty Python’s Life of Brian on the weekend. What a movie.

July 18, 2005 @ 2:41 am | Comment

Yeah, I didn’t think Bush’s WMD skit was all that funny either, given how many Iraqis and Americans have, well, you know, DIED because of it.

Okay. This is way past my bedtime. Good-night, all my e-pals!

July 18, 2005 @ 2:44 am | Comment

The dying part wasn’t so funny.

July 18, 2005 @ 2:51 am | Comment

“Always look on the bright side of death” – Eric Idle.

July 18, 2005 @ 2:58 am | Comment

I left a comment at Bingfeng’s Teahouse. I won’t get into that here out of respect for our host who is now asleep.

I am determined never to mention again “that” name(s).

July 18, 2005 @ 3:01 am | Comment

Absolutely correct Martyn. This is the last time I’ll post on a thread that mentions “that”name.

July 18, 2005 @ 3:07 am | Comment

Martyn, your post doesn’t show up.

July 18, 2005 @ 3:09 am | Comment

Chinese censorship? BF where are you?

July 18, 2005 @ 3:11 am | Comment

Anyone looking for good reading, there are a few ‘must reads’ at simonworld’s Daily Linklets.
——————
“Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara, normally considered mad, talks sense on China’s economy.”
——————
and for anyone intersted in CNOOC/Unical:
——————
“CNOOC/Unocal: The CNOOC folks place advertisements for their bid. Quillsnews has a series of posts dedicated to the entire CNOOC/Unocal takeover, full of insights from an ex-industry insider. Chinese Law Prof asks if the bid has WTO issues?”
——————-
However, PRC residents, you lucky people, must be prepared to put your left foot in, left foot out, in, out, in, out and shake it all about and do the Hokey-Proxy. I.e. Blogspot.

July 18, 2005 @ 3:12 am | Comment

Fat Cat: Agreed

Laowai, thanks. I’ll check it out now. Btw, fair play to you for deleting. Someone sent me “it” earlier.

July 18, 2005 @ 3:15 am | Comment

That’s strange. I tried to post twice but it didn’t show up on BF Teahouse. Laowai, I’ll mail it to you. Can you help? Thanks.

July 18, 2005 @ 3:22 am | Comment

chinese jokes are much better than american ones, especially political jokes.

As any of us who witnessed Tung Che-hwa can attest.

July 18, 2005 @ 3:26 am | Comment

I don’t know, Conrad. Spiro Agnew?

July 18, 2005 @ 3:27 am | Comment

Bob “Bobcat” Dornan?

July 18, 2005 @ 3:30 am | Comment

Dan “Dipshit” Quail?

July 18, 2005 @ 3:31 am | Comment

George W. Bush?

July 18, 2005 @ 3:32 am | Comment

I could go on and on and on……..

July 18, 2005 @ 3:32 am | Comment

Thomas “Brown Sugar” Jefferson?

July 18, 2005 @ 3:45 am | Comment

Ivan, Your mather mayka spesial Goolash fer you! You com beck to der datcha now K. My dumplink!

July 18, 2005 @ 3:45 am | Comment

I had a dream where I was Halle Berry and I was Jeffs’ slave and…………I’m not gay am I?

July 18, 2005 @ 3:46 am | Comment

I’ve been MAJed.

July 18, 2005 @ 3:47 am | Comment

Did he wear a condom?

July 18, 2005 @ 3:49 am | Comment

HA! Mr KGB man, I know that old trick!
My mother knows I hate her cooking! I would never answer her call to dinner!
Nice try, KGB man, but you have to get up early in the morning to fool Ivan The Avenger!

July 18, 2005 @ 3:50 am | Comment

Martyn I can’t submit a comment either. Bingfeng’s got a tempermental system, or he’s banned me.

July 18, 2005 @ 3:51 am | Comment

Why you tak like dis. You alweys lub yer madders cukin”To da datcha my leetle hankover.

July 18, 2005 @ 3:52 am | Comment

Simon I tried to send you an email through simonworld earlier and it bounced back through your other address.

odd.

July 18, 2005 @ 4:03 am | Comment

That’s odd, but it does happen if the spam filter gets too aggressive. Send it to that other address, but keep it to yourself.

July 18, 2005 @ 4:16 am | Comment

Actually Gordon it made it through…don’t bother resending.

July 18, 2005 @ 4:18 am | Comment

No need. You’ve already been “MAJ-ed”.

I was just trying to send you the heads up before it was deleted.

July 18, 2005 @ 4:18 am | Comment

AM,
Now I make big trouble for squirrel and moose!

July 18, 2005 @ 5:20 am | Comment

Martyn: I really wasn’t trying to say anything. I had watched a good sumo bout before. I forget the names, one Bulgarian (I believe, they all look the same to me) was in a match with a Mongol (There are five Mongols, and I believe three or four Europeans in Sumo this year). The Mongol is a rather brutish fellow, he always slaps the opponent at first, attemtping to distract them I guess (very unpolite). He did this to the Bulgarian but the bout lasted pretty long (for sumo). In the end the Bulgarian was able to pick the Mongol up and throw him headfirst to the mat. The Bulgarian also fell, it was a close, who hit the mat first: the Bulgarian’s hand or the Mongol’s head. It appeared the Mongol hit first and lost. Boy, did the cushion seats come out flying. It was a good match.

Although I do laugh at the English. The left disparage Maggie Thatcher to no end, but it was just those feeble changes that she instituted that brought the English economy out of the dismal shape it was in.

I was watching a new broadcast a month ago or so and the talking heads were talking about the reason the German economy was going South. They were blaming the German consumers for not buying enough consumables. Typical politicians, blaming the people for the economy, instead of the dreadful government regulations that increase transaction costs, etc.

July 18, 2005 @ 5:42 am | Comment

i didn’t ban anyone in my blog

[deleted – references to someone who needs pity, not attention]]

July 18, 2005 @ 6:55 am | Comment

Does ANYONE really care?

July 18, 2005 @ 6:59 am | Comment

What do you mean “does anybody really care?” I remember an old song (I THINK it was from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood) – just imagine Mister Rogers singing it to MAJ:
“I care, I do,
There’s no one like you…”

July 18, 2005 @ 7:08 am | Comment

Rocky: Do you know what an A-bomb is? Bullwinkle:Certainly A bomb is what some people call our show.

July 18, 2005 @ 7:09 am | Comment

Ivan, Mr. Rogers was a child molester. I always liked the Magic Garden. “Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea…………” That one was about dope.

July 18, 2005 @ 7:12 am | Comment

Fearless Leader: What does Pottsylvania have more than any other country? Mean! We have more mean than any other country in Europe. We export mean.

July 18, 2005 @ 7:17 am | Comment

Can you say, “Paranoid Schizophrenic?” Can you say “thorazine?” I knew you could!

July 18, 2005 @ 7:19 am | Comment

Paranoid Schizophrenic and thorazine. Yep, I can say it.

July 18, 2005 @ 7:23 am | Comment

Guys, this MAJ stuff has passed fropm the point of odd or funny to something much uglier and I request we not mention him anymore. Please don’t use my blog to advertise posts from him on your own blog. Thanks a lot.

July 18, 2005 @ 7:25 am | Comment

“She had a bad affair with a cat from Hiroshima…she turned into a head of lettuce….she eats thorazine in her farina…but they took her away…..tossed her in the bin…now she’s hangin’ out in East Berlin” Everytime I Eat Vegetables I Think Of You.

July 18, 2005 @ 7:30 am | Comment

Richard, You have my word!

July 18, 2005 @ 7:33 am | Comment

Some people will do anything for traffic.

July 18, 2005 @ 7:38 am | Comment

Richard,
You have my word too, I won’t mention him again.
Except to say that if Mr Rogers really WAS singing songs about “dope”, then…. 🙂

July 18, 2005 @ 7:39 am | Comment

“Some people will do anything for traffic.

Posted by American man at July 18, 2005 07:38 AM ”

you are right, including the notorious “weekly girl blogging”, LOL!

—————

richard,

sensitive infor has been disguised

July 18, 2005 @ 7:46 am | Comment

Hm, Boris and Natasha. I’ve loved the name Natasha ever since the Soviet movie “War and Peace” (made by Sergei Bondarchuk) aired on American TV when I was a boy – but it confused at the time me because THAT Natasha looked nothing like Natasha Fatale.

July 18, 2005 @ 7:49 am | Comment

other lisa, just wonder why americans are not bored with movies like “the war of the worlds”, i don’t have the patience to finish the first half hour, my wife told me the ending is exactely the same as what i guess …

July 18, 2005 @ 7:56 am | Comment

We aren’t as Smart (thats another word for clever) as the Chinese.

July 18, 2005 @ 7:59 am | Comment

wow

south korean netizens have to use their real names to make comments on the web, from october this year

July 18, 2005 @ 8:31 am | Comment

Austrians have to write their full name and adress on their blogs/webpages when it could influence public opinion since 1.7.05
The Nannies become more and more 🙁

July 18, 2005 @ 8:38 am | Comment

Chinese more brain than the America, more culture too. You America, you always say you smart, then why you always McDonald and stupid movie? You only McDonald and hegemony, America no manner too.
As we all know, America think it best, how can be best when no culture?
Chinese are, very, RESERVED! We are reserved, we shy and polite, good manner. Chinese culture show in movie, culture movie on old China tradition.
Why you America always hegemony in your movie?
(From Ivan the Chinese Nationalist)

July 18, 2005 @ 8:38 am | Comment

Bingfeng:
Martial art movies are also quite prdictable, not to mention those bollywood melodrams. Think that’s a problem with popular culture in general. Not typical american.

July 18, 2005 @ 8:44 am | Comment

The Chinee is arways porite to japan.We are fliend with rong way back history. No peopre brog on they brog japan bash.Chinee is no hypokrit .Dey see arr creary.

July 18, 2005 @ 8:47 am | Comment

Dats Hypoklit (my bad)

July 18, 2005 @ 9:07 am | Comment

Ugh. War of the Worlds was the worst movie I’ve sat through in recent history…

It’s predictable, in some regards because it’s the archetype of a genre, I’d say.

Anyway, I’m with Shulan. Most pop culture has a formula. That’s why it’s pop culture – it’s reassuring. Drunken Master II was a bit of a surprise at the end, but most martial arts movies are pretty formulaic. US pop movies are mind numbingly predictable . as are Japanese Horror movies, and the Korean and Hong Kong rip offs of said horror movies (it’s a ghost/half-ghost in your eyes/ears/cell phone/video tape that will make you die after you see/hear/answer/watch).

July 18, 2005 @ 10:35 am | Comment

“Japanese Man,”
I see you no really Japan, you Chinese pretend to friend of Japan.
How you can pretend be Japan China friend? As we all know, Japan have no friend. Except America when hegemony.
America fight Japan in 1940s because hegemony, America want to contain China.
China Communist defeat Japan then America come in to contain China. This always America plan for hegemony.
(From Ivan the Chinese Nationalist)
PS, Richard, sorry if I’ve gone on too much about how the Chinese Nationalists rattle on about “American Hegemony”, but I’m just so sick of it, and I DO hope some Chinese Nationalists might see this and think a bit more….I’m just so, so, SO sick of Chinese Nationalist “Professors” of “International Politics” who know only three concepts:
“America…always…hegemony….”
Oh and Richard, I apologize if I have gone too far here, ranting on your blog about my pet peeve, Chinese Nationalist “Professors” (some of whom often appear on CCTV, among many others) who know nothing other than “America always hegemony”…..
…I will put a lid on it in if you ask me to…… 🙂

July 18, 2005 @ 10:47 am | Comment

War of the Worlds had some awesome effcts (credit where it’s due) but was, like Twister, a hollow, manipulative shell of a movie. It held my interest due to the sheer level of action, but itr’s basically a waste of time.

July 18, 2005 @ 11:33 am | Comment

Bingfeng, THIS American is thoroughly bored with movies like WAR OF THE WORLDS. I didn’t go see it and have no intention of going. That’s two hours plus of my life I could spend doing other things.

The best movie I’ve seen in ages is, and I kid not, BLIND SHAFT (I think it’s MANG JING in Chinese).

July 18, 2005 @ 11:34 am | Comment

Looks like I’ve arrived late to the party…and with nothing to add, too. Bother…

July 18, 2005 @ 12:29 pm | Comment

I’ve seen a few reviews of WOTW and it’s definitely not my thaang. The only thing worse that I can think of is any movie with Steven Segal in it. Now that’s bad.

July 18, 2005 @ 12:29 pm | Comment

Though I started to like Tom Cruise after he played in “interview with a vampire” his recent missionaric ambitions for sientology made him very dislikable again. So war of the worlds is not on my film agenda.

July 18, 2005 @ 2:19 pm | Comment

Yeah, that proselytising of Cruise’s really bugs me too.

July 18, 2005 @ 3:22 pm | Comment

war of the worlds appears on the top of a boxoffice list in the US, that’s what puzzles me – why such a bad movie attracts americans

July 18, 2005 @ 6:39 pm | Comment

Slow day at the teahouse, AGAIN?

July 18, 2005 @ 6:46 pm | Comment

“The greatest ignorance is to reject something you know nothing about”

July 18, 2005 @ 7:03 pm | Comment

” Sacred cows make the best Hamburger” Mark Twain

July 18, 2005 @ 7:06 pm | Comment

“Tell me and i’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand” Chinese Proverb

July 18, 2005 @ 7:21 pm | Comment

why do chinese people watch CCTV, which is so boring and stupid?
oh yeah, because there’s nothing else to watch!

July 18, 2005 @ 7:37 pm | Comment

i’m sorry but most of the tv and movies i see in china are even stupider than the ones in america. but i am not suprised that bingfeng has gone off on this tangent.

July 18, 2005 @ 7:42 pm | Comment

Yeah, most is bad. Some is GREAT. Simpsons, nip/tuck, Six Feet Under, Seinfeld,Get a life ………………I do love KOREAN soap opera’s.

July 18, 2005 @ 7:46 pm | Comment

for example, if i watch the news, or the annual new years party, i often wonder: this is what 5000 years of culture brings you?

July 18, 2005 @ 7:48 pm | Comment

Why did/do so many Chinese love Titanic? It’s one of the biggest piece’s of excrement Hollywood has pinched in my lifetime.

July 18, 2005 @ 7:52 pm | Comment

Don’t even get me going about Kenny G, Celine Dion….Richard Marx. They must think he’s related to Karl.

July 18, 2005 @ 7:54 pm | Comment

AM, very slow at teahouse since richard removed the link to my teahouse here 🙁

kevin, talking about cctv, true, it sucks, but that doesn’t change the fact that WOTW also sucks

July 18, 2005 @ 7:58 pm | Comment

near, far, wherever you are… believe that my heart will go on…

July 18, 2005 @ 8:00 pm | Comment

Richard is feeling quite sick tonight, so let’s pretend this is the Monday thread and keep on going. Thanks.

July 18, 2005 @ 8:00 pm | Comment

yeah, what i mean to say is that low culture is everywhere. and i would argue that there is even more of it in china than in america, that i why i always get so riled up when i hear people talking about “american culture” as stupid. it’s too easy of a generalization.
i haven’t even heard about this war of the worlds thing until now. i am a total space cadet when it comes to movies. i remember old school came out… umm, gosh… two or three years ago. my dad recently said he liked batman. that’s all i know.

July 18, 2005 @ 8:06 pm | Comment

I wonder how War of the Worlds will do Worldwide. I’m sure it will flop in China. Personally, I wouldn’t have even THOUGHT about watching it. BTW,Bingfeng , to attract traffic; How about a Beijing Bukkake thread?

July 18, 2005 @ 8:34 pm | Comment

i agree american man, there is no hope for “war of the worlds” in france or china.
flop-a-roni!

July 18, 2005 @ 8:40 pm | Comment

If you do not like War of the Worlds, and someone else does, then that means you do not like the movie and someone else does, there is no transcendal deeper meaning involved. If Americans wish to see such and such a movie, then that is the fad there, if the chinese, or French, or Japanese wish not to see that movie, but another, then that is the fad there. If committees are chosen to select the movies that will be good and useful for us all, then we tend to see how tractors are fabricated or how the Dear One has enlightened our lives by his kind conduct toward rodents or such.

July 18, 2005 @ 8:47 pm | Comment

Dey gots hi koulture!

July 18, 2005 @ 8:47 pm | Comment

I tried picking up a copy of WOTW this weekend and could only get a Russian language version of the movie.

Russian? Wasn’t it filmed in English? The pirated DVD industry in China is getting too efficient.

Seriously, I think HBS should do a case study on the pirated DVD industry in China. It is easily the best run and most efficient industry around here. These guys can take a movie that was released less than 48 hours previously and have it copied, millions of DVD’s burned, packaged and distrubuted nationwide.

Obviously not an SOE.

July 18, 2005 @ 8:54 pm | Comment

Why would anyone pay $10 for a movie like War of the Worlds? The Chinese got it right. Go stand at an intersection. Wait for an accident. Watch policeman and driver’s argue. Debate the merits of each person’s case between each other. 1.5 hours later scene ends. Go home. Tell family about your interesting day.Call it a day .Go to bed satisfied. 80 kuai firmly in someone elses pocket.

July 18, 2005 @ 9:13 pm | Comment

” A police car and a screaming siren, pneumatic drill and ripped up concrete, a baby wailing and a stray dog howling, the screech of brakes and lamplights blinking, days of speed and slow time mondays, pissing down with rain on a boring wednesday,watching the news and not eating your tea,a freezing cold flat with damp on the walls…….That’s Entertainment” Paul Weller

July 18, 2005 @ 9:36 pm | Comment

There’s a German restaurant (Schenider’s?) near the Lufthansa center where they’d hand me huge duffle bags of DVDs to go through as I ate dinner. 8 yuan each, and some were of movieshad been release only a few days earlier. I’ll never forget the hilarious subtitles, and the people standing up and walking in front of the camera…. I strongly suspect they were pirates.

July 18, 2005 @ 10:30 pm | Comment

I believe the restaurant is Schillers. I personally prefer Schillers 2. There is a slim chance that the movies may have been pirated… slim I say.

Usually it pays to wait a week or two after the official release to get the “Alternative Copyright” version. The best DVD’s are those that come out before the official release and the period leading up to the Academy Awards.

All of the above with the exception of the reference to the German restaurants is pure speculation on my part.

July 18, 2005 @ 10:37 pm | Comment

That’s it, Schillers! The manager has four or five big black duffle bags full of DVDs, some of which may be pirated (though you never know). Shocking. And a very convenient place to shop for movies. The food, however, totally sucks.

July 18, 2005 @ 10:40 pm | Comment

Bingfeng, you have to admit, a large majority of China’s biggest box office movies have been…well…dumb American movies! They seem to have a universal appeal, I’m afraid…

July 18, 2005 @ 10:51 pm | Comment

Mornin’ Lisa!

July 18, 2005 @ 10:55 pm | Comment

Those “Dumb American Movies” aren’t really movies at all. They are products. Products that sell really well. Everywhere.Hollywood has nothing but contempt for the average movie- goer. They know their audience.

July 18, 2005 @ 11:04 pm | Comment

Is McDonalds food? Er……. Yes and no.

July 18, 2005 @ 11:05 pm | Comment

Mornin’ AM!

July 18, 2005 @ 11:14 pm | Comment

If you want to see a good Chinese move, I highly recommend The Blue Kite and To Live.

The are both excellent films.

July 18, 2005 @ 11:23 pm | Comment

Lisa, Have you ever been to C and O Trattoria? I used to brunch there on occasion.

July 18, 2005 @ 11:24 pm | Comment

If you want to see a couple of good Chinese movies, I highly recommend The Blue Kite and To Live.

The are both excellent films.

July 18, 2005 @ 11:27 pm | Comment

Gordon, I like both of those films. And of course, RAISE THE RED LANTERN, which is a beautiful and disciplined piece of film-making. I like NOT ONE LESS quite a bit too, as long as we are in the Zhang Yimou ouvre (sp?).

AM, I have been to C&O, though not for ages. I go to the Library Alehouse (I think we’ve talked about that) and the Border Gril a lot. My new hang is Primitivo, which is a California interpretation of a wine/tapas bar. It’s a little pricey but really good, with a great wine list. Good thing I got a raise…

July 18, 2005 @ 11:28 pm | Comment

Ah, The border Grill. Have the Cochinita Pibil. Say hi to Mary Sue from American man! She should remember me.

July 18, 2005 @ 11:35 pm | Comment

Lisa, I don’t always agree with you but YOU always have class.I wish I could buy you a brewski.

July 18, 2005 @ 11:40 pm | Comment

Dude, really? Mary Sue’s a friend of mine! She and Susan are such cool people.

well, I’ll take you up on that beer – just you wait!

July 18, 2005 @ 11:41 pm | Comment

“It’s a small world…….” You ever go to James Beach? or Globe venice?

July 18, 2005 @ 11:48 pm | Comment

Oh, I have some sad, very sad, news to report. Globe Venice is no more. That was one of my favorite spots – I have this good friend Billy who is a major foodie/wine expert, and we used to go there a lot (they had a killer wine list and really good prices). Globe never did get that popular, but we’d hoped they were doing well enough to make it….but no….

Our favorite person there was Candace the Chemist – she is the sister of one of the owners, I think. She lives in San Diego and has a regular gig as some sort of research chemist but would work at the Globe a couple nights a week.

I’ve never gone to James Beach – should I?

July 18, 2005 @ 11:51 pm | Comment

Well, it’s been years now.It WAS good 6 years ago or whatever.So try it and get back to me.Shame about the Globe.

July 18, 2005 @ 11:56 pm | Comment

On a happier note: General Westmoreland died! The fires of hell are burning bright.

July 19, 2005 @ 12:05 am | Comment

Na, that was just me setting my farts on fire again.

July 19, 2005 @ 12:47 am | Comment

Seeing as how we’ve recently had our Arizona and Shanghai readers arguing over whose city has been the hottest lately, allow me to throw Hong Kong’s hat into the ring: (today’s SCMP)
————————————————–
HK heads for cover on the hottest day of the year

Typhoon Haitang’s effect pushes the mercury to 37 Celsius, but a heat index factoring in humidity makes it 50 degrees

If you felt hotter yesterday than the official temperature seemed to indicate, then by one measure you were probably right.

The Hong Kong Observatory reported a high of 34.4 degrees Celsius at its Tsim Sha Tsui headquarters and the mercury touched 37.4 Celsius elsewhere as Typhoon Haitang – which battered Taiwan yesterday, leaving one person dead and 25 injured – sent a band of hot, still air across Hong Kong.

But the effective temperature, as measured by the unofficial Heat Index, was as high as 50 Celsius – a level dangerous to health.
————————————————–

July 19, 2005 @ 2:12 am | Comment

we don’t lack pigheads like gen. zhu – “Rep. Tancredo Mulls Nuking Mecca “:

http://rds.yahoo.com/S=53720272/K=mecca/v=2/SID=e/l=NSR/R=3/SIG=126b2f1ov/EXP=1121847610/*-http%3A//www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,162795,00.html

July 19, 2005 @ 2:24 am | Comment

Yep, there are some crazy Americans too. Tit for Tat is so very childish. Shouldn’t you be making racist comments about the Japanese on your bore blog? You have Zero credibility. Don’t come here and try and make yourself relevant. Gordon already pimp slapped you.You forget your history?

July 19, 2005 @ 2:32 am | Comment

This is the tinyurl for bingfeng’s above monstrous link.

http://tinyurl.com/9vc44

July 19, 2005 @ 2:34 am | Comment

This has got to be the headline of the day:

“Sinophobia, or fear of China, is gripping Michigan”

From the Detroit Free Press.

July 19, 2005 @ 2:36 am | Comment

Weird, I’m afraid of Michigan!

July 19, 2005 @ 2:49 am | Comment

Bomb Mecca? Oh, yeah, THAT will go over well.

1 billion muslims today, and onlly about 50,000 actively move against the U.S.

Bomb mecca: all 1 billion. Good thinking, Tom.

The man should be made to apologise

July 19, 2005 @ 2:53 am | Comment

General Westmoreland died today:
————————————————–
“Vietnam-era commander Westmoreland dies”

By BRUCE SMITH
Associated Press

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Retired Gen. William Westmoreland, who commanded American troops in Vietnam – the nation’s longest conflict and the only war America lost – died Monday night. He was 91.
————————————————–

July 19, 2005 @ 3:34 am | Comment

[Note from Richard: Here is how this obscenbe comment was described to me by a reader – “Re the long Chinese language rant in today’s Sunday Thread comments section. It’s a cut+pasted rant about
“Japanese Dogs”, overflowing with foul language, full
of racial abuse and slurs and serves no other purpose
other than to spew pure anti-Japan hatred. It’s the
type of thing that appears on some extremist Chinese
nationalist sites as it would never be allowed on
China Daily, sina.com, 163.com.”
Please read at your own risk and understand this – like all comments here – doesn’t necessarily reflect my own opinions. I’m leaving it here because it says so much about this type nationalistic insanity.]
etc.asap.”在亚洲东北部一个西太平洋中的“鸟”国,是谁TM厚颜无耻、不知道廉耻在过活, 他们男的思想龌龊,她们女的行为堕落,欺软怕硬、臭不要脸就是他(她)们的下流本色! 那是一面臭名昭著、沾满血腥的肮脏国旗,上有一处另人作呕、遭人唾弃的罪恶污迹, 它不偏不斜在正中心,像用过的夜用卫生巾,正配合他(她)们人民只配在厕所垃圾筒里呼吸! 操自己就是日本人,苛且喘息活在丑恶日本,犯下的滔天罪行,天理难容,人神共愤, 这种下等民族也TM配在世上生存,活该要被老天隔三岔五的搞些地震! 那是遗臭万年、人见人烦的日本鬼子! 他(她)们没有人格、没有尊严还没有个子! 是些道德沦丧、罪大恶极的下流痞子! 只会顺沟溜屁、认贼作父去甘当孙子! 从甲午战到九.一八事变,从卢沟桥事变开始了八年抗战, 小日本总TM在中国土地上犯*,灭绝人性的留给我们不计其数的苦难! 狗日的丧心病狂制造了南京大屠杀的惊天血案! 狗日的丧尽天良实施了重庆大爆炸的惨绝人寰! 狗日的令人发指的建立了七三一用我们同胞试验! 狗日的下流无耻的利用三光对我们百姓摧残! 打倒日本帝国主义,我们前赴后继,狗日的敢玩儿猫腻,就把它夷为平地! 打倒日本帝国主义,我们势不两立,狗日的否认历史,你TM做贼心虚! 打倒日本帝国主义,我们前赴后继,狗日的拜鬼装B,就死无葬身之地! 打倒日本帝国主义,我们势不两立,狗日的所有产品,去死吧日本垃圾! 直到我们改革开放日益强大的今天,小日本的阴谋始终没有间断, 中国已经今非昔比,不是从前,你TM还有什么本事跟我们肆无忌惮?! 狗日的明目张胆的修改教科书,想为罪恶翻案! 狗日的没脸没皮的强占钓鱼岛,为霸占能源! 狗日的蠢蠢欲动想复活军国,复制了大和战舰! 狗日的妄想成为常任理事国,在亚洲公开叫板! 听说小日本有个什么管事儿的名字叫TM小泉, 竟去什么鬼社去拜曾残害我们的一群王八蛋! 如此胆大包天,你TM真是活的不太耐烦! 放心中国人民总有一天让你跟他们团圆! 我说联合国的秘书长那个姓安的大爷,小日本的狼子野心已经昭然若揭, 想要控制亚洲金融实行它的经济侵略,你可不能黑白不分纵容狗日的猖獗! 打倒日本帝国主义,我们前赴后继,狗日的敢玩儿猫腻,就把它夷为平地! 打倒日本帝国主义,我们势不两立,狗日的否认历史,你TM做贼心虚! 打倒日本帝国主义,我们前赴后继,狗日的拜鬼装B,就死无葬身之地! 打倒日本帝国主义,我们势不两立,狗日的所有产品,去死吧日本垃圾! 中国的姐妹兄弟自己也要争气,西北大学、珠海事件耻辱依然清晰! 不用枪炮一样可以给日本致命打击,今天开始拒绝日货从我自己做起! 我们一个月不买日本产品,小日本就要有数千家企业面临破产关门倒闭! 我们半年不买日本产品, 小日本就要有一半的民众下岗失业回家种地! 我们一年不买日本产品, 小日本引以为荣的经济将彻底崩溃瓦解没戏! 它还狂个屁,它还狂个屁,还是把每年1400亿美金留给我们自己! 毒气污染、它们拒绝赔款,狗日的新账旧账不容你说算就算! 松花江水,不会流干,九.一八也永远不会在中国土地上重演! 就算争端,我们再所难免,中国人民不怕牺牲随时准备迎战! 蹋平富士山,让樱花不再灿烂,干躺消灭不堪一击的日本又有何难?! 打倒日本帝国主义,我们前赴后继,狗日的敢玩儿猫腻,就把它夷为平地! 打倒日本帝国主义,我们势不两立,狗日的否认历史,你TM做贼心虚! 打倒日本帝国主义,我们前赴后继,狗日的拜鬼装B,就死无葬身之地! 打倒日本帝国主义,我们势不两立,狗日的所有产品,去死吧日本垃圾

July 19, 2005 @ 4:27 am | Comment

if you can’t read Chinese, the above is an anti-Japan rant from some idiot.
same old pathetic tired stuff.

July 19, 2005 @ 4:33 am | Comment

Bingfeng,

Unlike the Chinese general who came out and advocated the use of nuclear weapons against America, Tom Tancredo wasn’t encouraging a first strike.

He clearly said “IF THEY NUKE US, then we should bomb Mecca”.

Do you understand the “if,…then..” clauses?

So, IF there aren’t any nuclear weapons detonated in America, THEN there would be no need for the United States to return a nuclear strike.

Personally, I half-heartedly support the idea. It works as a deterrent just as the MAD policy did between the US and the USSR during the Cold War.

July 19, 2005 @ 4:34 am | Comment

One question: why does being a “Chinese patriot” always have to involve racial abuse, unacceptable racial slurs, very one-sided and long-winded diatribes overflowing with nothing but pure hatred?

If that’s nationalism then you’d better go look for your dictionary boy. Until then, don’t be surprised if others judge you as the idiot that you’ve just proved yourself to be.

July 19, 2005 @ 4:35 am | Comment

They Hate themselves. Just like all racist’s the world over. Always looking for a scapegoat. Never accepting responsibility and always complaining. It’s so easy.

July 19, 2005 @ 4:41 am | Comment

Bingfeng,

I see that you are hosting some high quality stuff these days and oooh, not to mention the posters.

I’m in strange, but humorous mood today. So perhaps that’s why I found the libelous comments accusing me of being a racist to be …well, amusing to say the least, not to mention pathetic.

I do wonder though, is that the same JR that posts on this blog or is MAJ talking to himself with a sock puppet?

July 19, 2005 @ 4:43 am | Comment

One question: why does being a “Chinese patriot” always have to involve racial abuse, unacceptable racial slurs, very one-sided and long-winded diatribes overflowing with nothing but pure hatred?

Martyn, that’s what they’re taught in school. Over and over and over again….Just ask them to defend their statements with a reasoned response of their own. They short-circuit every time.

July 19, 2005 @ 4:46 am | Comment

I just mailed Richard and told him exactly what that piece of crap says above so hopefully it will be zapped in an hour or two.

Hopefully, Richard might also share with the world exactly who it is hiding behind the handle 爱国主义者 i.e. “Chinese Patriot”. I have my own ideas.

If there wasn’t enough hatred about, this anti-Japanese stuff borders onto being a national obsession.

I read in today’s SCMP that despite that fact that the Chinese government have opened displays and exhibitions all over the country showing usually graphic photos of war-time brutality to “celebrate” the 60th Anniversary of the end of WW2 (Hiroshima 60th is 6th Aug), that it “won’t effect Sino-Japanese relations” and is not meant to “whip-up anti-Japan hatred”. WTF? I’m sorry???!?

Yeah right, take your kids to see photos of soldiers executing civilians etc. Fun for all the family!

July 19, 2005 @ 5:02 am | Comment

I’m going to try an American Man comment, right, here goes:
———————
Gordon!,STOP bashing China. Its a message of brotherly love and peace to all men,with CHINESE characteristics!
——————–
How’d I do?

July 19, 2005 @ 5:05 am | Comment

Booooooo [throws tomato]

July 19, 2005 @ 5:14 am | Comment

Martyn, I am honored by your wonderful impression of me. To me you are a humorous voice of reason. I appreciate your contributions and your patience. How you have lasted here all these years is REALLY impressive.You must be made of some special stuff. Like Teflon or something.

July 19, 2005 @ 5:31 am | Comment

My five year old (Chinese) nephew just returned from Beijing with his father.I asked him: “How was Beijing? Very bad! Why? People steal little children in Beijing, I was scared” I asked my wife if Beijing was famous for kidnappings. She told me no. I asked her why he said that he was afraid to be kidnapped. She told me his father told him that so he would be scared and that he would behave.

July 19, 2005 @ 5:54 am | Comment

Is this still the Peking Duck? Or is does it simply serve as a medium for American Man, Gordon, and Martyn to yack all day? If I wanted to read/hear more middle aged white male Americans bitch, moan, and otherwise impotently whine ad infinitum about China, I’d watch Fox news more often.

July 19, 2005 @ 6:48 am | Comment

I don’t see you contributing anything worthy of discussion Jing.

You’re just complaining too….

July 19, 2005 @ 6:53 am | Comment

Well, Maybe if someone else would post something…BTW, I’m not white.
I am not middle aged and I don’t yack.Tell me. Who can change this place? You? Don’t watch Fox news, it’s bad for you.

July 19, 2005 @ 6:54 am | Comment

Maybe actually living here would help……………….

July 19, 2005 @ 6:55 am | Comment

That you two responded within moments kind of proves my point. Yacking.

July 19, 2005 @ 7:01 am | Comment

How’s Professor Guzman these days?

July 19, 2005 @ 7:03 am | Comment

Well, It would seem that you have got a gift for the yack as well.

July 19, 2005 @ 7:04 am | Comment

Martyn isn’t American.

July 19, 2005 @ 7:06 am | Comment

Gordon is certainly not middle aged.

July 19, 2005 @ 7:07 am | Comment

Jing, How bout those Yankees?They took first place from the Bo-Sox. How cool is that?

July 19, 2005 @ 7:09 am | Comment

This thread has 220 comments, 84 of them are yours alone American Man. Spammers respond with less frequency and more content.

July 19, 2005 @ 7:09 am | Comment

Ouch! You can always go to China Daily.

July 19, 2005 @ 7:11 am | Comment

I’m sorry if actual Chinese experiences bother you.It’s part of ACTUALLY living here.

July 19, 2005 @ 7:12 am | Comment

Thats 85 or is that 86 now?

July 19, 2005 @ 7:13 am | Comment

Well Jing, it’s been a rather boring day here. I’ve been waiting for someone to come along with something interesting to discuss, but so far all that’s come along is you.

July 19, 2005 @ 7:19 am | Comment

To modify the conversation a wee bit. I am wondering why AM thought it was a happier note that general Westmoreland died and why would the fires of hell burn brighter? As a young man, Westmoreland served as a Lt. in the army and was in North Africa and Sicily during WWII. I had an uncle that was in the third wave that landed in Sicily. Nasy business, that. The first two waves were nearly annilated. When he was on the beach, you never touched sand, just dead bodies, and some of them my uncle knew from before. Korea was also a nasty war, the poor GIs that fought in it are rather unappreciated for the difficulty they went through. Westmoreland was there also. Although there are revisionists that want to claim that if Kennedy and company knew about the civil war in Vietnam, they would not have engaged in it, Kennedy and company knew there was a civil war going on, but discounted it and engaged the Vietnamese as a push against the Soviet Union. Many want to blame the military for this war, as it was their idea, not quite true. What Kennedy and MacNamara did not consider as significant was the geo-political restraints that China was imposing on Americas action in the war. The fog of war, as Shulan mentioned before, is not the knowledge that combatants have before the war, that is just the assessments of the enemies strengths and weaknesses and that information is quite often in error on both sides. The fog of war (and battle) is the lag of intelligence (information) concerning what is happening as to what the commanders are aware of is happening. A good commander, because of his experience and knowlege, will have good intuition as to what the enemy is up to and what he should do in preparation to that enemies activities. Whether Westmoreland was a good general or not is trivia now, but he was a decent human being. Although I am not consulted as to who goes to Hell, I would see no reason for him to be so confined there.

July 19, 2005 @ 7:19 am | Comment

Just out of curiousity, can anyone, anywhere in China access geocities with a proxy?

I’ve tried them all and nothing works.

July 19, 2005 @ 7:22 am | Comment

JFS, Of course you are entitled to your opinion. As am I.

July 19, 2005 @ 7:23 am | Comment

I recall lying to the public about Vietnamese troop strength being a bit of a hassle for him at one point.I happen to beleive that he lied.

July 19, 2005 @ 7:26 am | Comment

He aslo lied regularly about NVA casualties.

July 19, 2005 @ 7:30 am | Comment

Seems you miss the-one-that-should-not-be-named, Gordon.

Just finished translating a part of that f*ing Daode Jing. classicle chinese sucks. Even the Chinese differ about the meaning of these texts. I like Mao better.

July 19, 2005 @ 10:20 am | Comment

I happen to believe that all military leaders will go to the eternal barbecue. Although he probably was no better or worse than any of the others. Military leaders don’t meet MY definition of decent people.Just a personal opinion.

July 19, 2005 @ 5:39 pm | Comment

Richard, I hear their dropping like flies in Phoenix. Stay inside with the A/C.

July 19, 2005 @ 5:41 pm | Comment

Their-They ARE/THEY’RE. SORRY FILTHY!

July 19, 2005 @ 5:42 pm | Comment

Thread bloated. Move north.

July 19, 2005 @ 7:17 pm | Comment

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