Buy when you need something, but only what you need. Buy better quality products that can be repaired and last a long time. Eschew throw away consumerism. Repurpose products when these products are no longer needed. With these rules, people will buy less but better, putting much less pressure on Mother Earth. It is a possible solution to reducing the effects of climate change.
Imperial 535 sewing machine pedal. Some springs had come loose, but after replacement did not sew any better. Photo 2 by Don Tai
I thought that my Imperial 535 sewing machine pedal was a bit too sensitive, so today I opened it up. The bottom cover simply slides off, but is really tight. I had to use a screwdriver to pry it open a bit.
Inside there are no parts that I could see that required repair, only a bit of dust. Two springs were loose inside, so I put them back in place. The pedal works as it did before, so no improvement in function. The four rubber feet have long disintegrated. I could drill out the rivets and replace them, but would not improve the functionality of the machine.
Lay flat image from a Chinese forum. I’m laying flat, you come and do what you wish.
It has always been tough for the vast majority of people in China. The wealth disparity is huge in China. If you are from a top city in China, then chances are that your life will be much easier than the rest of China. This has led to a despairing attitude called “Laying Flat”, where young people opt out of the usual social progressions of Chinese life: house, marriage, kids.
These Anti-espionage security regulations were released 2021 Apr 24 and have some very serious implications not only for foreigners in China, but also Chinese citizens who travel abroad. Because it is a law it has far reaching implications.
The 反间谍安全防范工作规定 fan3jian4 di2an1quan3 fang2fan4 gong1zuo4 gui1ding4 or the China Anti-Espionage Security Regulations essentially puts all foreigners in China under scrutiny, regardless of organization. It is far reaching in breadth.
But wait, there’s more. Any Chinese person that goes abroad could also have anti-espionage training. The law also gives the government widespread access to all buildings, facilities, computer systems and networks for anti-espionage investigations, which includes Western companies.
This image was banned on 2 QQ (Chinese) social media forums. This is a label from a carton of 30 Burnbrae large eggs, made in the USA. Photo 1 by Don Tai
I do not intend to be subversive on Chinese social media, nor very political. I also do stay away from sensitive issues on QQ, a Chinese social media messaging and forum site. This image ban, however, really took me by surprise. I teach some English on the Chinese forums, so I thought I’d show them a typical Canadian product label in English and French. I tried 3 times, and the QQ bot banned me all three times from posting to 2 separate QQ forums. Very odd.
Laetmonice wyvillei, a species of marine worm that lives in the deep ocean, is examined in the main lab of the ship. Photo: JoAnna Klein
Laetmonice wyvillei, a species of marine worm that lives in the deep ocean, is examined in the main lab of the ship. Photo: JoAnna Klein
This marine worm, from a deep ocean near Costa Rica, looks pretty out of this world. There’s so much we don’t know about our oceans. There’s a lot to research. This photo was taken on the R/V Atlantis. Wonder and curiosity.
China’s Coast Guard Law, adopted 2021 Jan 22, effective 2021 Feb 01, gives many of its neighbour countries great concern, and with good reason. The law, in Chinese, is quite long. If you view this document as concerning a police force, its contents are not as shocking, but as I believe, most country’s Coast Guards are not maritime police forces, but part of the Ministry of Natural Resources, or even part of the military during war times. This is not the case for China. China’s Coast Guard is certainly a maritime police force, and has all the powers of one.
I do love this story, of a guitar that is so special, that has stood the test of time through maintenance and a bit of luck. Willie Nelson is not gentle with this guitar, Trigger. A testament to quality build.
It has been beaten up, but also maintained, and used to full capacity. The new sound hole might even enhance its sound. What more can a player ask from an instrument? This really goes against the glitz and glamour of the shiny new toys that you can buy off the shelf and throw away once you’re tired of it.
China, Changzhi air quality is so terrible it is off the AQI scale. 2021 Mar 15. aqicn.org
The air quality in Northern China is the worst in a long time. The PM2.5 and PM 10 levels are off the scale it is so bad. This endangers the health of a wide swath of people in Northern and central China.
China, Changzhi air quality is so terrible it is off the AQI scale. 2021 Mar 15. aqicn.org
Sandstorms and pollution in China Beijing, 2021 Mar 15, where air quality levels were so terrible they were off the charts.
