Foreign reporters in China have it tough. While they try to stay out of trouble, their very profession puts them in harm’s way. It could be worse: They could be local reporters. The Toronto Star’s Asia Bureau reporter Bill Schiller was detained and interrogated by undercover police in Beijing. He was eventually released. At least they did not beat the crap out of him. They could have, and there would be nothing he could do about it before, during or after. From a Canadian standpoint, being detained by Beijing police was quite illegal, by Chinese law, and should not have occurred. Such incidents with foreign reporters are quite common. The message to Mr. Schiller, from a Chinese government perspective is as follows: You are in China and you play by our rules. You were covering an event that you should not have. We can detain you, search through your things and confiscate whatever we wish. Being a reporter offers you absolutely no protection from the police. You were committing an illegal act and you signed a document admitting this. You admitted guilt, so now we have the legal right to not only detain you but to deport you from China for your crime. We own you.
Which Toronto Chinatown is better? Uptown or Downtown? I test both.
It is rare for me to visit Toronto’s downtown Chinatown because I live in North-East Toronto, where we have the highest concentration of Mainland Chinese in Toronto. Today we went to MEC.ca (Mountain Equipment Co-op) for cycling gear, so stopped and had lunch in Chinatown at Spadina and Dundas. Having not been there for many years, it was interesting.
Ibanez Roadstar II RB800 electric bass, 1987: body finishes were black, pearl, red, fountain blue
Ibanez basses are difficult to identify. They often have no specific model numbers written on the bass. After heavy use these model markings can wear off, making identification of vintage models difficult. Many sellers using Craigslist and Kijiji will also post poor photos of basses, making ID very difficult. This post will positively identify the Ibanez Roadstar II RB800 electric bass, as well as provide related internet links. There is actually very little information about this Made in Japan, Fugigen factory 1987 model on the internet, so every little bit helps.
There is something about singing that puts me in a better, more cheerful mood, but I don’t really know what it is. Increased oxygen intake? Distract you from other issues? A recent study has come out from Harvard Medical School documenting how a 76 year old arthritis patient with high blood pressure was able to lower her BP by 40hg by singing hymns, just before her surgery. I wonder if this has further implications than a single sample size.
Here is the link to this interesting article in Science Daily, as well as the journal article, published Mar 30, 2011. It is difficult to extrapolate from a sample size of 1, but maybe we could sing a little more?
Democracy in Canada does not usually directly affect individuals in our society. Usually it is when something goes awry that one sees democracy in action. I guess we take democracy for granted, until it is somehow revoked. Some people look for trouble and get arrested, while the rest of us lead law abiding lives and stay out of trouble. For the average citizen jury duty breaks the veneer of average living and brings democracy to the fore. Jury duty is when your average citizen is called to potentially be selected as a juror for a court case. Mandated by law and therefore mandatory for all citizens over 18 years old, citizens are randomly selected for jury duty, and again randomly selected to become an actual juror. In a world of technology, where certainty and sharp contrasts prevail, I found this randomness surprisingly refreshing.
Man vs Mother Nature, Mother Nature won: Japanese earthquake and Tsunami, Mar 2011. The Fukushima DaiIchi nuclear incident is a man made disaster.
Having taught English in Japan for a year, I have first hand experience with people from Japan. I was stationed in Kyushu, the largest southern island of Japan, about 100km away from a very large volcano. When you live in close proximity to a volcano that often blows its top, you become pretty nonchalant about tremors. Being Canadian, this never happened to me. The Japanese people love fresh food, especially vegetables. Having some of their food supply deemed unfit to eat is a big psychological blow. We can only hope that this nuclear disaster can be averted. Earthquake, tsunami, and now a nuclear incident: How much can they endure?
As an experience project manager I often see the planning of projects before they start the actual work. Often I can predict when a project will go off the rails before it actually happens. Small red flags dot my brain and the warning lights go off. If I feel I have a duty, a gentle reminder is extended. Most of the time the leader feels more than capable of running the project to completion. My advice is relegated to the garbage pile of idiot verbiage and life goes on. I then sit back and watch the train wreck become reality. It is all so unnecessary.
Rocker RA-200 dreadnought acoustic guitar, Made in China, surprisingly good quality
My friend bought this guitar and, due to lack of time, gave it to me. This acoustic guitar is a low end “Made in China” acoustic dreadnought, purchased here in Toronto, Canada. For the low price of $60CAD, this guitar is surprisingly high quality. It says in tune, sounds very good, is well finished and looks great. The neck is straight and intonation perfect. The action is high but can be somewhat lowered. I do hate the “Rocker” brand name. Whomever chose this name should be shot.
Blatant as blatant can be at the Toronto G20 Summit in June 2010. Police abuse and brutality, much caught on video or photos. Police use of the crowd control technique called “kettling”, which is not approved nor part of the training of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Abuse of the legal system to create a law that was not disclosed to the public and then abused by the police. Numerous cases of abuse of our rights to free speech, as documented by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. Frivolous spending of over $1 billion Canadian taxpayer dollars. Yet at Canada’s federal and Ontario provincial governments, refusal to call a public inquiry. We Canadians deserve much better. These politicians should be removed from office immediately. What more is physical abuse, political manipulation and financial bungling is needed to prompt a public inquiry here in Canada?
Ten bad driving habits, by Chen Xin, People Daily, equally applicable here in Toronto, Canada
As a lifelong resident of Toronto I can attest that many fellow Torontonians wonder out loud why Chinese drivers are so terrible. I am one of them. As I live in Scarborough, a heavily Chinese area of Toronto, there are certain major intersections that I avoid due to a very high proportion of Chinese drivers that approach 100%. As my ethnic background is Chinese, I have ruled out genetics. Moreover I know many Canadian born Chinese, or Huayi, that are excellent drivers. Further, anyone from Hong Kong can attest to the prowess of their local driving skill. So why are Chinese drivers so terrible?
