2011-07-31

Social mood in China extremely negative

Fury unabated on websites
Despite signs the government may be clamping down on traditional media, internet users were still furious over the handling of the accident on July 23 near the eastern city of Wenzhou , in which at least 40 people died and 190 were injured after one bullet train rammed into the back of another that had stalled.

I saw one television report where the anchor lashed out at the government and listed a number of scandals that have occurred in the recent past. For the first day following the accident, the station spent 30 minutes on the story, but the next day, coverage was down to a few minutes and avoided the most sensitive issues. Anger is in search of a target here and the rail disaster provided one.

Against gold, the Chinese stock market is at a new post-2008 low.

2011-07-04

So I go to a 4th of July Party

Bruce Krasting sets off the fireworks early.

I go to a 4th of July party
-The local Pastor is having a set-to with an accountant.
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-A nurse is fighting with a doctor.
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-Two mothers are ganging up against the middle school principal.
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-The soccer coach is arguing with two Wall Street wives.
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-Two oldsters are defending the fact that they get SS benefits with five younger workers who are complaining they will not see a penny of what they have paid. The grey hairs are losing big time. “Boomers Suck!” is heard.
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-The car dealer is fighting with the insurance salesman. This is getting physical with both sides pushing. (I learned later that infidelity, not politics or economics was the issue)
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-A guy who runs a decent sized lawn business is fighting with two of his customers over the fact that illegal aliens are mowing the lawns. One of the wives is screaming at the poor bastard.
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-Four people are fighting over the local nuke (Indian Point). Some wanted it closed, those who work there were fighting like hell.
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-Young kids are crying. Dogs are barking. Adults are shouting.
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-Husbands are trying to pull back wives. Wives are pulling back husbands.
..
-Fingers are pointing and swearing is happening.

And then it got ugly.

2011-07-01

Euro speculative positions

SoCal wants to secede

Interesting, this may be politically possible depending on which party the Senators would join. A Western New York secession movement has been discussed for some time, but since it would mean two more Republican Senators, Democrats would oppose it. I know some of these Cali counties are Republican and the guy proposing it is Republican, but if it leans Democrat, it could be a balance to a New York secession.

Either way, social mood in action.

Official Calls For Riverside, 12 Other Counties To Secede From California

Borders up!

Danish committee approves government’s controversial border control plans
A Danish parliamentary committee has approved the government’s contested plan to re-establish permanent customs checkpoints at Denmark’s borders.

Opponents to the plan, including Germany and the European Union, say it would violate EU rules on unrestricted travel in the Schengen zone and regulations on the bloc’s internal market.