Is it just me or was this guy crying too much. Its difficult for me to watch women cry, let alone men. I was raised to believe that if a man wants to cry, he needs to do it where no one else can see - unless he is crying because someone he carred for died. This was just too much. And why? He should be proud and happy he is standing on his principles. Why is he crying?

And they live in Tierrasanta. They messaged me on gmail before they left the house. I hear a lot of San Diego is under threat now.

Apple notebook computers are hot sellers in China nowadays...simply because they are expensive, and everyone knows they are expensive, so they are status symbols. iPods are popular too for the same reason. If you are a Shanghai youngish person making 10000RMB a month, you own an iPod. Otherwise you own a Lenovo. Chinese people also buy cell phones for status. However, when I was looking for cell phones at the market today, every seller had overstock of iPhones. The iPhone seems to have a bad reputation here because: they break easily and are expensive to repair; the who update/unlock issue; and I believe because Chinese people think that writing with a stylus on the phone looks more cool.

To answer above question...we make a lot of brands. Those brands encompass far more profit and wealth than the raw production value of the goods which those brands represent. Unfortunately, maintaining a brand in the United States does not employ as many people as building the product which fits under the brand. Nor does it create as much economic "multiplyer" effect.

Anyway, what this article is implying, but not stating in plain English, is that these economists think that the United States is headed for economic collapse. If Americans are saving instead of spending, there will be fewer car purchases, and therefore fewer auto-industry jobs. But there will also be fewer McDononlds jobs, fewer clothing store jobs, etc. Which will mean less income for people. Because of the nature of where our goods are produced, if there are no trade deficits, it really means Americans are too poor to import.

Furthermore, pushing China to devalue the dollar is the EXACT same thing as pushing China to export their inflation to the United States. It seems that our government is trying to make us poorer. But why?

I'm not a Huckabee supporter at all. I'm a Clinton supporter (or maybe an Obama or Edwards supporter...not sure yet). But I do not agree with your views on this issue.

Quarantine of AIDS patients is not a good idea in the US because it would cause people to go underground (thus defeating the quarantine)…and quarantine certainly has moral implications. But this is not a “gay” issue…it is a public health issue. Today we know that AIDS is beatable. Many people did not know that back then. There is some logic to the idea that patients carrying a deadly disease should be tracked.

The last point, about AIDS funding, is again, about public health and not about AIDS. And I for one believe that AIDS got much more funding than comparable funding for other diseases. Unless you contract HIV through a blood transfusion (something that does not happen in the US anymore), AIDS is entirely avoidable through practicing safe sex and avoiding the use of intravenous drugs. The risk of heart disease and cancer… the #1 and #2 killers of Americans … can be lessened with good life-habits, but cannot be completely prevented. This being the case, why did HIV/AIDS research get so much more federal funding than cancer and heart disease?

Both the US and China (and probably many other places) have huge coal reserves. This is one reason the peak-oil theories are stupid. But, as we know, coal is dirty. And, as I understand it, its still much cheaper to extract oil for transportation fuel than it is to convert coal into a liquid or gas form.

I actually heard sometime a year ago (and I don't know where I read it) that China over-produces electricity. There are many inefficient illigal coal power plants in China The problem is that their electricity generation is inefficient and the transmission system is really bad.

Another issue here... all of North China (ie. China North of the Yangzi river) is heated with coal.

The funny thing is, there are really easy ways to start addressing the issue in China. For example, retrofit buildings with more insulation can have a huge impact on China's fuel usage paterns.

I think others are going to say its meaningless...and that is probably true.

But this clip has reminded me about how much I used to hate Beijing. My boss wants me to move there to open an office. Sure, Beijing actually has more culture than Shanghai/Pearl Delta region...and definitely better food. And the appartments there have central heating and better insulation. However, I think I would go postal on people every day...listening to that accent while inhalling car exhaust fumes in the dry cold air. Yuk.

And for the record, I hope it snows like crazy every year for now on in Southern China. Sure...its abnormal and my city (Suzhou) has pretty much shut down. But snow looks so pretty here (until it turns to slush...then dirty ice everywhere...then not so pretty).