Detroit Debacle: Missing Party at Bargaining Table July 30, 2013
Posted by hslu in Congress, Global Affair, Military, Obama, Politics.Tags: CIA, Democracy, Detroit, Egypt, Mursi, Muslim Brotherhood, nations building, Obama, public sector labor unions, tax payers
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All along the painful decline of the once thriving Detroit, one party was consistently missing at the bargaining table: the tax payers.
The elected representatives gave Detroit tax payers’ money away until they were no longer able to afford the endless fat checks to public sector labor unions.
This is called “况慷他人之慨.“ Of course, “费别姓之财,於人为不利,於己甚无谓乎?”
The ones who have generously spent other people’s money buying votes got re-elected again and again. This amounted to “legalized bribery” disguised as democracy, even though the other 49.99% might disagree with the so-called “majority.” The only recourse those disgusted tax payer had was to vote with their feet and move to other communities. In the end, the ones without any means got totally screwed.
I hope the bankrupted judge is able to see through this legal but unethical practice and reduced pensions to union members. It is only fair, isn’t it? I also hope that the disguised tax payer file a class action law suit against current and former city officials who failed miserably to protect tax payers’ interests for so long. Someone or some people have to be held accountable for their mistake.
Of course, this didn’t just happened in Detroit. It has been happening up and down the entire political spectrum for decades in the United States: from the president of the United States on down to the Senators, the Representatives and to many if not all elected officials in the State and local levels.
For sixty or seventy years, America repeatedly declared itself the “sole defender of democracy” in the world. The United States gave itself the license to wave the “flag of democracy” in the faces of others nations. It also repeatedly called on other nations to change and constantly told them that this was the only way to go.
In the mean time, the U.S. government either covertly via secret CIA operations or overtly in the form of wars, interfered in other nations’ internal affairs or engaged in nations building. It then installed a so-called “Democratically elected” government. Once again, those elected representatives spent our tax money on other nations often without our input. Of course, in the case of Mursi of Egypt, democracy decidedly took a back seat because the United States didn’t like the policies the elected president tried to do. Obama looked the other way while a military coup removed Mursi, free election can wait.
I call this Hypocrisy of epic proportion because the flag of democracy was conveniently folded for Mursi.
Well, our tax money to Egypt is still on because a coup is not a coup when America doesn’t like the free-elected president.
Sorry, Mursi and millions of Mursi and Muslim Brotherhood supporters. It was not America’s fault because Obama has been tired of playing the role of the leader of the world. As far as Obama is concern, someone else can take it.
Here is the new definition of Democracy:
“Generously spending tax payers’ money for the benefit of publicly elected representatives.”
Again, the tax payers are not at the bargaining table. In the end, the ones who get screwed are the tax payers.
Royally, every time!
BRIC Development Bank July 28, 2013
Posted by hslu in China, Economics, Euro, Global Affair.Tags: Brazil, BRIC, China, India, International Monetary Fund, Russia, South Africa, World Bank
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The details of the BRIC Development Bank are being discussed among five founding members of the bank: China, Russia, India, Brazil and South Africa. Each country has pledged $2 billion initially to get it off the ground. It will be ready in 2015 according to news reports. Of course, $10 billion is a minuscule amount compared to what IMF has inits war chest. But, given it sometime, like a decade or two, it will give IMF and World Bank some competition when it comes to lending emergency funds to troubled countries. Many countries didn’t like the tough conditions tied to the emergency funds that came from the IMF but they had no choice because it was the only game in town. Commercial lending was mostly shut out to these debt laden countries.
Competition is always good for consumers even when we are talking about lending billions of dollars or Euros to bankrupted countries.
I am sure that one of the items on the table is the depreciation of the U.S. dollar. It is also reasonable to assume that another topic under consideration is the possibility of using Renminbi, instead of US dollar, as the preferred common currency for inter-country trades. Funding commitments based on each country’s GDP will also be discussed.
Will BRIC Bank lend its money without string attached?
We shall see how it evolves about 18 months from now.
Clinton told Weiner to quit. Just kidding. July 28, 2013
Posted by hslu in China.add a comment
Clinton on the popular Sunday TV talkshow “Face Your Conscience” said that Weiner should get out of the NYC mayoral race. He said that Weiner lied to the public and lied to his wife and their kid. He is not qualified to be the mayor of the second most liberal city in the U.S.
When asked about his “you-can’t-tell-your-kids-but-every-kid-knows-about-it encounter with Lewinsky in the WH, Clinton said that he knows he is partially responsible for the moral decline in America. He confessed that he wanted to resign when he got caught with the blue dress but Hillary told him to stay. He said that he is the kind of man who is scared of his wive. He stayed in to have some peace at WH dinner table because they were running out of tax-payerd-paid fancy plates. He concluded by saying that “I love Hillary and Hillary loves me. Nothing else matters. Period.” He was so serious about the whole thing that he wagged his finger again just like he did to American people more than a decade ago.
Just kidding.
But look where Bill and Hillary are now. You have to agree that Hillary did the right thing.
特等坐,大陆高铁和谐号 July 28, 2013
Posted by hslu in China, Travel.Tags: 特等坐,大陆, 高铁, 和谐号
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We once had a chance to ride 大陆高铁和谐号 from Shanghai to嘉善南。 We bought 特等坐 just for the heck of it
We ended up in car No. 1 right behind the cockpit. (駕駛艙)
Here is what you get:
:
Bali July 28, 2013
Posted by hslu in Travel.Tags: Bali, 海神庙, Kuta Beach
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Bali is a famous tourist destination but away from the St. Regis the city looks old and backward. Streets need improvement. Very few high rise buildings and houses along the streets look like houses in Taiwan decades ago.
The entire economy of Bali is supported by tourism and the tourist business suffered 40+% drop after the bombing more than 10 years ago. It has slowly recovered. Lately they saw more tourists from China. Since Bali isn’t very famous for shopping, few Chinese tourists are coming here.
Exchange rate was 9100 Rupiahs to $1 when we were there. It has depreciated to 10255.9 probably because the once hot economy is cooling down.
We shall take a tour of Bali now:

This stop is included in the tourist package. The restaurant is doing great with hundreds of tourists stopping by for a quick meal. I didn’t like it though.

定食 at Sushi Zen. Standard issue。Included in the tour package. The restaurant is huge; probably can accommodate 200 tours at a time. Everything is streamlined for efficiency. Quality is secondary.
St, Regis, Bali July 28, 2013
Posted by hslu in Travel.Tags: Bali, St. Regis
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This was a beautiful and spacious compound. Trees and tropical flower filled the garden. Water in the swimming pools was warm and the weather was nice when we were there in late September. Beach was like the one you see in the movies. Our tour company and local tour guide made an arrangement with the hotel and offered us a honeymoon suite and boy was it nice! The hotel even gave us some gifts to go with the room.
There is no question that St. Regis tried its best to please us even though we were just an ordinary tourists from the US. My tour guide told me that they had many tourists from Taiwan and Australia. Few from the U.S. because it is very far away. They have seen a surge of tourists from China but few stayed at St. Regis. Probably because it is far away from the city and the shopping area.
Bali is still a very poor place but the streets looked a lot like those in a farm county in Taiwan. Many Chinese lived in Bali and Indonesia and have been there many generations. The locals don’t like Chinese because they work hard and saved a lot of money.
St. Regis is located in a region called Nusa Dua far away from the city center and airport. When we arrived here, our hosts welcome us and offered us water or soft drinks. After we finished registration, a Chinese speaking woman, probably the marketing manager for Chinese tourists took us to our room and went over the honeymoon suite with. We also got free gifts to go with the beautiful room.
See link here:
The restaurants we went to are in separate posts.
Take a tour of the beautiful St. Regis compound with us:

This is 玉蘭花 and it sure brings back a lot of memory from Taiwan. They are very popular in Taiwan and you can buy them at street corners usually from an old lady carrying a basket made from bamboo. They are very fragrant and last a long time. They really sooth your feelings and clam you down.
Dinner Buffet at Bordeka, St. Regis, Bali July 28, 2013
Posted by hslu in Food, Restaurants, Travel.Tags: Bali, Bordeka, Dinner buffet, St. Regis
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Candle light, plenty of carefully prepared food, wide selections, soft lighting, wonder desserts, spotless service and eat all you want just about sums up our dinner buffet at Bordeka, St. Regis in Bali. Wines (champagne in this case) were expensive though: about $27 per glass or $150 per bottle.
Take a look of what we had:
Afternoon Tea at King Cole Bar, St. Regis, Bali July 27, 2013
Posted by hslu in China.add a comment
The afternoon tea is also part of the package. We ate about half of what we usually ate at lunch so that we can enjoy the tea. Well, it was too much. When St. Regis say afternoon tea, they mean an “eat until you drop” meal in the afternoon before your dinner buffet.
Breakfast Buffet at Bordeka, St. Regis, Bali July 27, 2013
Posted by hslu in Food, Retirement, Travel.Tags: Bali, Bordeka, Breakfast Buffet, St. Regis
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Breakfast Buffet at Bordeka
Top quality breakfast and dinner buffet. There was simply more food than you possibly eat. Hundreds of items and you can order from your waiter or waitress too. Make sure you skip a meal before you go. The food was fresh. The selections are endless. The service was great and attentive. You can also order off items from the menu as well. The interior of the restaurant was beautiful. It was one of the nicest breakfast buffets we have ever had.

If you want to order wine, expect to pay a hefty price for it. This glass of wine was $27 when we were there.
- One of the best Egg Benedict we have ever had. The yolk was a tad firmer than the one we once shared at a small restaurant in downtown Richmond, Virginia. The presentation at Borneka was a lot better though.

Some plates are from the second day. We didn’t eat that much in one meal! More choices and some are different from the ones we had yesterday.

Herb made this simple dish great! Light and healthy!

Colorful display. Open kitchen in the back. many chefs working and waitress and waiters taking orders and serving drinks and special dishes not on the menu.
Kayuputi – St. Regis, Bali July 27, 2013
Posted by hslu in Retirement, Travel.Tags: Bali, Kayuputi, St. Regis
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Great restaurant. Fresh ingredients. Excellent food. Warm service. Romantic ambiance. Great view. Open kitchen.
And very, very expensive wine. Bali adds at least 200% tax on imported wines.