2010-05-22, 16:54 | Link #7321 | |
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And here is the sequence of scenes that define the movie: |
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2010-05-22, 17:12 | Link #7322 | |
Sensei, aishite imasu
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Hong Kong Shatterdome
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Speak of the devil. |
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2010-05-22, 18:01 | Link #7323 | |
NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 35
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I was fascinated by the science rather than the special effects behind it, being a boy I was like, "wow, cool!" at the lasers, and that was what sparked my interest in astronomy and quantum mechanics. Much less to be said, Star Wars was my favourite set of films of all time. And my sister and female friends never understood why their male classmates/friends and boyfriends are rushing to see "The Phantom Menace" when it first came out. Alternatively...... For those who do not understand, basically they are saying the same lines, but rather than formal Hokkien, they are speaking in pidgin. The lines go : Luke : Oww! My hand! Vader : Luke, turn to the dark side! Luke : Wait long long (a way of saying "not on your life!" in hokkien)! Vader : Luke, I am your father! Luke : It can't be! It can't be! My father is dead!
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2010-05-22, 20:57 | Link #7324 | |
Resource cabinet
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Toronto, Canada
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Actually it's really hard for the Chinese. Their cost of producing anything is much cheaper than in America, so everything they sell can be better in quality and lower in price, which naturally putting US products out of competition. Yes, the labour conditions there may be bad but as a consumer, when you need to settle basic necessities like food, you don't really have 1. a lot of choices and 2. a lot of room for choices. Of course, you can get organic US stuff which is undoubtly great, but you don't really have a choice if you don't have a lot of money to spare. This is where the problem gets worse. The US government is stuck on setting restrictions on Chinese products and imposing ridiculous taxes on their products, which ultimately the US citizens pay the price. The US always complains about the value of the yuan and demands the yuan to be manipulated so that the US will have trade advantage. The things is, the things the Chinese wants (hight tech stuff, etc) are restricted and not sold to them, while the things they sell to the Chinese is not competitive enough than other imports (cars, electronics gadgets etc), not to mention local prodcuts. And the Chinese isn't crazy enough to listen to the US and raise the yuan's value as they wanted. They knew what happened to Japan after what US did to them and they also know that they keep printing more and more US dollar money. I am not old enough to know how the whole system works but I do know printing money is not always a good thing. Over this matter I think the US really deserves a beating. Look, they even resorted to trying to declare some countries in Asia "currency manipulating countries". Taiwan?Singapore?Hong Kong? WTF? They on drugs or something? I don't know about Taiwan or Singapore, but I did read something about Hong Kong and they use a linked currency exchanged rate (HKD to USD) at 7.8 and only little fluctuation is allowed. How can you declare this "manipulating of currency" when this system has been in place for 27 years?? (since 1983)
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2010-05-23, 06:26 | Link #7325 | ||||||||
Aria Company
Join Date: Nov 2003
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Also, paragraphs are your friend.
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2010-05-23, 08:00 | Link #7326 |
廉頗
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Massachusetts
Age: 35
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Though what is the aim here, for the US? If the yuan strengthens, are we expecting the US exports market to go up and to even our deficit with China? That's a pipe dream. The Chinese have more assets backing up their currency, a far larger manufacturing base, and if their currency really does strengthen then the US will have a whole new world of problems. The currency peg has allowed the US to remain so consumerist despite being a nation in financial tatters.
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2010-05-23, 08:05 | Link #7327 | ||||
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: China
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Spoiler for A bit too long so hide it:
I'm also thinking that it won't be too effective with the raising salaries since the economy here is still fairly closed off. What will people buy? More darn apartments and cars - as if there aren't enough crappy buidings and floods of cars on the roads these days? Quote:
It's more likely that manufacturers will just go elsewhere instead. For the average consumer product - excluding the high-end goods - people won't buy (or buy less) if things are too expensive, esp. if their buying power is not catching up. There are plenty of other countries out there happy to take over China's place. Spoiler for A bit off-topic:
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2010-05-23, 14:41 | Link #7328 | |
Sensei, aishite imasu
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Hong Kong Shatterdome
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There are two types of Appliances. Appliances from before US outsourcing to China, and appliances after US outsourcing to China. You'll buy some of this new cheap china stuff, and it'll break down before that old 20-30 year old American made stuff will. My familiy has this toaster that we got after my Grand mother died, and it's vintage 60's/70's and the bloody thing still works like a charm. We seem to replace these new Chinese made one's every other year. edit:Though listening to LynnieS, it sounds like a great deal of the quality issues in Chinese exports may revolve around American companies liking that kind of cheap stuff. |
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2010-05-23, 19:37 | Link #7329 | ||
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: USA
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2010-05-23, 19:57 | Link #7330 |
廉頗
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Massachusetts
Age: 35
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Perhaps in that regard it would be beneficial. But I can't help but feel like it would do more harm than good since the US has no manufacturing jobs anymore. If we had a manufacturing base that could take advantage of yuan strengthening, I would be more optimistic, but we're essentially all services now. It's a risky position to be in financially.
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2010-05-23, 21:08 | Link #7331 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: USA
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There's a vein of naive Idealism that runs through American philosophies, both Left and Right. On the Right it often emerges as an unshakable faith in Free Markets. Unfortunately the logic of free markets will not necessarily play out well for any given actor, or group of actors. As a nation, America has the right, or even the imperative, to act in its own self-defense, but free market idealists have insisted for a generation that any attempt at placing a hand to the tiller of our economic destiny is unwelcome interference in the free market. We can continue to drift aimlessly, and allow the current to take us towards the rocks, or someone can attempt to guide the ship. Producing value that can be exchanged in the global marketplace will require some sort of national planning. The most sensible thing I had heard in a while was the notion of creating the industrial capacity to sell clean energy goods to the rest of the world. It doesn't surprise me at all that that initiative has fallen to the wayside. While Washington squabbles, the ship drifts towards the rocks. |
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2010-05-23, 21:33 | Link #7332 | |
Love Yourself
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Northeast USA
Age: 38
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That aside, wealth and prosperity depends on a healthy trade balance. If we're just importing goods from other countries then we're still exporting something: wealth. If it isn't returned to us in some form then we get a collapse, as we won't be able to afford anything anymore. That's bad for the rest of the world, now that economies are all connected, but it's even worse for those of us here. This is why currency fixing is a bit of a dirty trick; the currencies should rise and fall based on the balance. China's fixing of their currency has allowed them to accumulate a lot of wealth without triggering any of the factors that would balance it out.
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2010-05-24, 02:50 | Link #7333 | |
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Toronto
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You haven't seen the quality products that China can offer. |
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2010-05-24, 02:51 | Link #7334 | |
NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 35
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2010-05-24, 05:11 | Link #7335 |
Onee!
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Auckland, NZ
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idealism is fine. reality is a bi. what was it that Gandhi said of Western civilisation? "I think it would be a good idea." (hell, same for communism come to it. and any other form of government really.)
the current predicament is the fault of both sides, self serving as usual with a health serving of human bastardness flavoring both. China is flooding the markets with low quality cheap goods because there are a lot of people in the country, everyone wants a job, supply and demand etcetc. the quality is low because if you want something that is high quality then demand to pay rock bottom for it you are a moron. on the other hand the West (an unfair generalisation I guess) has come to expect low priced goods- if everyone was so serious about quality they'd stop buying the damn things, supply and demand again, but they don't and so fuel the exploitation (for want of a better word. and it's not far from the truth). that's pretty much the situation anyway, and either side can add flowery language and their own case points to strengthen their own argument but the point is there. and the yuan is under-valued because it's good for exports, which the Chinese government likes. the US wants this to stop because it's not good for THEM. (and of course lots of other people but the main concern will obviously be for themselves.) those are the bare facts, they can be argued either way with countless bits of evidence to back them up but we have politicians and lawyers for that. ...have a nice day :D
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2010-05-24, 09:28 | Link #7336 | |
NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 35
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Similarly, with China not floating their yuan so more people will buy into them, I suspect that they are trying to get the world to buy into their products, and thus give them absolute control over the economy in the next half-decade.
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2010-05-24, 10:57 | Link #7337 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
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There are good reasons to both appreciate the Yuan and to leave it pegged to the dollar. Discussing the details would lead to a wall of text but the trade-off in China is between economic stability and increased domestic demand.
The issue of the US trade deficit is a separate issue and more political in nature then economic. On the whole comparative advantages make both the US and China better off, lower prices for consumer goods improve US consumer welfare and increased production stimulates Chinese growth. The main problem is that some US manufacturing industries suffer from Chinese competition, mainly textiles and apparel, furniture, plastics, and machine tools (source FAS). Their lobby results in Congressional calls for protectionist measures under the veil of the worsening trade deficit. If people who lose their jobs in manufacturing find work in other more sectors (which generate more added value) there is no loss to society (creative destruction). But this is a traumatic experience for individuals and a very sensitive area in politics. Another issue is that China does not fully enforce intellectual property and limits market access for foreign companies. Accusations of foul play on the currency peg and the trade deficit can be used to secure concessions in other areas. Quote:
The consequence of extended trade deficits is a depreciation of a countries currency. The US dollar has for a long time been protected from this effect by it's reserve status. Developments in the U.S. budget deficit and the level of national debt may trigger a devaluation at some point (Samuelson, Bernanke) but that has a domestic origin. |
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2010-05-24, 11:29 | Link #7338 | ||
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: China
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All in all, I don't see anyone who (1) is entirely to blame and (2) is entirely blameless. There can be decent local brands, IMHO. Meizu's iPhone-like clones weren't bad - but I still skipped on getting one - and Giant's more expensive bicycles (even the ones made in China - according to the shop rep (so take this with a grain of salt)) were still being offered for 13K+ RMB, which isn't that much of a saving.
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2010-05-24, 11:46 | Link #7339 |
廉頗
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Massachusetts
Age: 35
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We have to admit that US consumers also eat up the cheap crap. Look at how successful Wal-Mart is. It continues to exist because there is a huge market for it. We've moved away from a cultural focus on quality to looking for the best deal in every possible situation. It's understandable that people want affordable things, but it is driving the market away from quality. Wal-Mart will even go to Chinese manufacturers and dictate to them what type of items they want at what price.
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2010-05-24, 12:19 | Link #7340 | ||
Moving in circles
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Singapore
Age: 49
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It's an old report but, luckily, it's not very time-sensitive. It's an interesting story worth sharing, I thought.
OK now to 'go solo' in South Korea My colleague and I immediately started consoling ourselves — it's so touching, we're not outcasts any more (*sob*sob*sniff*sniff*)! You see, the nature of our jobs is such that we take turns to go out for meals, which usually means we end up eating alone at nearby canteens or hawker stalls.Quote:
Mock consolation aside though, I do, in fact, eat out and go out alone pretty often. Like the university students polled above, I regard it as a different way of life and not a result of being unsociable. I simply enjoy the freedom of doing my own stuff at my own pace without having to put up with other people's tempers and moods. My thoughts alone keep me plenty busy! At least two good female friends of mine have expressed opinions ranging between pity and bemusement, with respect to my preference for "flying solo". Admittedly, it's not a common lifestyle, and it did use to worry me once. But since taking up my present job, I've literally found myself in similar company (lame pun intended). The demands of the profession are really such that they effectively kill almost all hope of social life, a situation many of us apparently don't seem to mind very much. So, to my fellow loners out there, you don't have to feel alone (yes, another lame pun!). In fact, someone has already been kind enough to publish an entire book outlining the loners' manifesto: Party of One: The Loners' Manifesto
By Anneli Rufus Quote:
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current affairs, discussion, international |
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