19

Mar

Long of peace, short of breath

This panorama, an amalgamation of photos of Beijing’s “atmosphere” during the once-a-decade meetings of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference from March 4 – 17, shows the state of environmental affairs along Chang’an Jie (“Long Peace Street”) and Tian’anmen Square. As this panoramic combo makes its way around the Internet, coupled with last week’s news of almost 6,000 dead pigs clogging Shanghai’s waterways, expect environmental news to take front-and-center this week in Chinese news and on QQ/Sina Weibo.

Three sunny, blue-sky days out of 14 in Beijing? The visiting politicians must have brought good luck with them.

11 years ago Short URL Comments

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13

Mar

Fear and clothing in Des Moines

Fear and clothing in Des Moines

A few days ago, I waxed poetic on the fine art of “Iowa-bashing.” Lo and behold, a new example has been churned out, much to the delight/chagrin of Iowans. (“They name-dropped us!” we say excitedly, as every native Iowan links to it on Facebook. “BUT THEY DID IT TO HATE ON US!” we realize, dejectedly.)

Coming from the Onion, it’s hard to take it too seriously. And let’s be honest: Iowa, much less Des Moines, will never be a bastion of fashion. (That’s your cue, Iowa State Fair attendees.) But the story could have “taken place” just as easily in Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma…maybe we Midwest states aren’t so alone after all. “No Coast” states, it’s your time to shine. On the catwalk.

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11

Mar

Shanghai’s “pork soup” problem

“Officials say the water quality has not been affected and they are investigating where the pigs came from.”

For those wondering, no: This is not a story about piping-hot 馄饨汤 (pork dumpling soup). It is about a river. And the pigs in question? Long past their expiration date.

On Friday evening, reports of 900 1,200 pig carcasses dumped in the Songjiang section of the Huangpu River (just outside Shanghai) made the news, shocking residents of China’s second-largest city. According to Beijing Cream, city health officials determined “the pigs do not pose a health hazard, and the risk of E. coli is not much higher than normal.” The thought of ingesting bloated, fermenting swine is one thing – though Cthulu help the 22 million residents actually drinking or using tap water in Shanghai.

(The fact that this situation has heightened the E. coli risk to “not much higher than normal” is another matter all together.)

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Retrieval and disposal of the more than 1,000 pig carcasses continues. (Image courtesy of CRJ Online and ministryoftofu.com)

Reports also indicate that officials “are investigating where the pigs came from,” as noted in the Independent (U.K.). Don’t you hate when 900 1,200 porcine bacon-makers mysteriously appear and suddenly die in your city’s major waterway? But thanks to coverage from the Ministry of Tofu, there’s no need to sugar-coat this sweet-and-(mostly)-sour pork:

“It is reported that since January, over 20,000 pigs have died in the neighboring rural villages. The mass death events have overwhelmed pig farmers as well as villages living in the area.”

Of the 50 million tons (110,231,000,000 lbs.) of pork produced in China each year, one must factor in a number of animals who just won’t make it, due to biological or disease-related reasons. In its reporting, the Ministry also noted that “Jiaxing Daily, a state-run newspaper circulated in Zhejiang province, disclosed Saturday…that 10,078 pigs died in January and 8,325 in February.” Just this month, “an average number of 300 pigs are killed each day.”

(While it’s unknown how many are slaughtered for meat and how many are “put out of their misery,” it’s safe to say that the recent conflagration in the Huangpu is probably not the best way to deal with an excess of unpalatable swine carcasses.)

Schneider said. “It was so limited before. Now it’s like: ‘Look at this progress, we can eat as much meat as we want.'”

Apparently that means breeding, growing, and slaughtering enough pork to satisfy one-fifth of the world’s population. (Not that Americans are any more meat-conscious: The average American eats 276 lbs. of pork per year, compared to 132 lbs. by the average Chinese person.) If anything, this incident should bring to light the unsustainable nature of pork production and/or drinking water treatments in China’s cities.

But then again, who in Shanghai would turn down a nice hot bowl of 馄饨汤, straight from the faucet?

11 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

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10

Mar

Iowa Legislature “funnels” 2013 bills

Members of the Iowa legislature hard at work. (Image courtesy of watchdog.org)

Members of the Iowa legislature hard at work. (Image courtesy of watchdog.org)

Bills regulating bullying control, strip clubs, and Alzheimer’s disease were among the select few to pass the Iowa Legislature’s first “funnel” of the 2013 session. The Des Moines Register reported Saturday on 25 bills that made it past the initial hurdle (and 10 that didn’t), further informing Iowa’s residents what their representatives are backing on their behalf.

While most of the proposed laws seem relatively innocuous – who could argue against increased transparency from the state Board of Regents, an optional 4.5 percent flat income tax, or making “reasonable accommodations” for pregnant workers? – there are a few that Iowans might find less candid and clear-cut.

Here is just a small sampling of what’s up at bat for the state legislature this session:

A nonprofessional "permit to carry" gun license for the state of Iowa. (Image courtesy of usacarry.org)

A nonprofessional “permit to carry” gun license for the state of Iowa. (Image courtesy of usacarry.org)

  • H.F. 81: Confidential permit information of weapon carriers and purchasers. According to this bill, the state commissioner of public safety must “maintain a permanent record of all valid permits to carry weapons and of current permit revocations,” and heretofore “keep confidential the names and addresses of holders of nonprofessional permits to carry weapons and permits to acquire pistols or revolvers.” Looks like a few Iowa House members got rubbed the wrong way by the University of Iowa and Johnson County’s recent information-sharing non-scandal. However, it would seem that if one is opting to own a gun – for personal safety or hunting reasons – one should be more than willing to admit to owning a lethal weapon, right?
  • S.F. 298: Official definition of a “sex act.” For god knows what reason, the state’s classification of a sexual deed apparently needs to include “ejaculation onto the person of another,” the only addition to this already standing (and surprisingly thorough) legislation. The Register reports that “the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the Family Planning Council of Iowa support the bill.” (However, neither provide abortions should one be accidentally ejaculated into.)
  • H.F. 186: Optional straight-ticket voting. This law would ensure that ballots “[b]e so constructed or designed as to permit voting for candidates for nomination or election of at least seven different political parties or organizations,” and would remove straight-ticket voting boxes for either Republican or Democratic nominees. I have to side with the Iowa House majority on this one; requiring voters to physically fill in their votes for each office would likely encourage more informed (and potentially varied) votes for state officials. The downside? Taking 10 more seconds to fill in a ballot.
  • H.F. 485: Photo ID required to vote. This House bill, unlike the one above, is hard to swallow (possibly because it’s chock full o’ ALEC groupthink). According to the proposed legislation, “[a] precinct election official shall require the voter to present for inspection proof of identification before being allowed to vote,” proof being a document – with photograph – provided by the United States government or the state of Iowa, a higher education or secondary school in Iowa, or a “political subdivision of the state of Iowa.” (Or – and I shit you not – you may have a relative come along to swear an oath on your identity!) And should one refuse to show identification, under this proposed bill? No ID, no vote. Thankfully the Iowa House has taken up this pressing matter, as voter fraud in Iowa/America has clearly decreased the number of “real” votes in this country. (#sarcasm)
  • S.S.B. 1163: Transparency from the state Board of Regents. As reported by the Register, “[m]ore transparency would be required of the Iowa Board of Regents, although a provision banning political activity by the Regents has been stripped from the legislation.” While it’s unfortunate that said “political activity ban” has been cut (*cough*Bruce Rastetter*cough*), requiring Regents to hold public input forums in different areas of the state and respond to constituents’ questions would be a step in the right direction.
  • H.S.B. 196: School anti-harassment and anti-bullying policies. Changes to this bill would allow Iowa school supervisors to “discipline students for bullying and harassment wherever the actions take place – including online and on social media sites – and whether under school supervision or not,” according to the Register. The state House of Representatives should be lauded for taking on this issue, as it’s not an easy one to regulate. Whispered insults in the hallway and derogatory Facebook comments can be equally damaging to a student, yet only one occurs on school grounds. Should school officials have the authority to punish students for both forms of harassment? Or is it too easy to go overboard, as with disciplining students for pretend guns?
Is bullying outside school within the jurisdiction of school officials? The Iowa House will decide. (Image courtesy of bullyingpreventionnow.com)

Is bullying outside school within the jurisdiction of school officials? The Iowa House will decide. (Image courtesy of bullyingpreventionnow.com)

What are your thoughts on these proposed bills? Which deserve to be passed, and which are better left for the crows?

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08

Mar

No one wants to “Learn from Lei Feng”

On March 5, I wrote about “Learn from Lei Feng Day,” in which we the People were instructed to take note of Mr. Lei’s selfless altruism, patriotism, and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party (even in death). No qualms, as the dude was basically a nationalistic – if not fabricated – bad-ass. (With a ballin’ hat to boot.)

But apparently Chinese audiences weren’t in the mood for a hearty helping of party propaganda on this glorious holiday. According to the Hollywood Reporter:

“Screenings of ‘Young Lei Feng,’ a biopic about a revolutionary long immortalized in Chinese official discourse for his reportedly selfless contributions to the Communist Party, were called off at cinemas in the cities of Nanjing and Xi’an because no tickets were sold. Ironically, the cancellation came on the very day the government designated as ‘Lei Feng Day.’ “

Still from "Young Lei Feng," which coincidentally flopped on "Learn from Lei Feng Day." (Image courtesy of weibo.com/cajing)

Still from “Young Lei Feng,” which coincidentally flopped on “Learn from Lei Feng Day.” (Image courtesy of weibo.com/cajing)

To add insult to injury, writes the Reporter, propaganda-esque films “have always been a hard-sell, and [film venue managers] expected the film to be taken off screens soon as a raft of more entertaining and profitable releases…are released towards the end of the week.” What would you rather spend a week’s worth of income ( usually ¥60 RMB, or $9.50) on: “Young Lei Feng,” or the current Hollywood blockbuster?

“With the advent of the Internet and the emergence of a very sophisticated and commercialized entertainment industry…Chinese audiences have long distanced themselves from propaganda fare which previous generations might have embraced out of either genuine affection or a lack of choice.”

Welcome to visual-stimulation-hungry and free-market-competitive China: Where (increasingly) disposable income meets modern capitalistic consumer desires. (In all honesty, though, I probably would have paid to see Lei’s film. For the lulz.)

In the meantime, perhaps the CCP’s art directors can “Learn from ‘Lost in Thailand,’ ” China’s largest-grossing domestic film ever, before March 5, 2014 rolls around. For a movie not actually about China, it was a smash hit (never mind that it was basically “The Hangover 2” in Mandarin Chinese).

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07

Mar

“Iowa-bashing:” Because…Iowa.

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Iowa: It’s exactly what you were expecting, right?

Today’s public service announcement comes to you straight from the heart of Des Moines, Iowa – a smallish, quaint, quiet and mostly dilapidated circa-1970’s hovel in the middle of a cornfield. With one “skyscraper.” And good God-fearing, gun-toting farming folk. Pronounced “dez MOY-nz.” Right?

Apparently that’s what the reporters over at FishbowlNY have determined about our inconsequential little flyover state, as talks of a merger between Time Inc. and the Meredith Corporation (the latter based here in Dez Moynz) finally sputtered to a halt Thursday. Why would two highly successful publishing houses have difficulty conglomerating into one giant, amoebic media mass, you ask?

According to FishbowlNY, because…Iowa. (And also possibly that “Time Inc. and Meredith can’t decide what to do with Time, Fortune, Money and Sports Illustrated.”) Writes Fishbowl’s Chris O’Shea:

“If the talks fall through, blame Iowa. In almost every report about the media combo, there has been a mention about how people think Iowa (where Meredith is headquartered) sucks.”

One of those “it’s funny because it’s true” jokes, right? O’Shea also kindly informs us that it’s unfair to judge preemptively, as Iowa has exactly three (THREE!) redeeming factors: Adventureland amusement park (yes, really), The Bridges of Madison County, and the same native tongue as New York.

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See? Raygun’s t-shirts get to make fun of Iowa, because they’re made IN Iowa!

(Clearly this man hasn’t done his homework, as there are none of the usual mentions: Capt. James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise, our UNESCO City of Literature and the world-renowned International Writer’s Program, the first state to caucus for presidential election candidates every four years, our Olympics gold-winning gymnastics training centers, home of the World Food Prize, birthplace of professional ass-hat Ashton Kutcher and indie flickster/”Frodo” portrayer Elijah Wood – the list goes on.)

But still…Iowa, right? No number of laudable places, people, or accomplishments seem to un-tarnish our outdated national reputation. It’s no wonder Time Inc. employees were fearful of a potential relocation. From Christine Haughney of the New York Times:

“As bankers and media executives work out the details of creating a new publicly traded company to house the magazine titles of the Meredith Corporation and the lifestyle titles of Time Inc., employees at both companies have been wondering how executives will take on the harder task of merging two very different corporate cultures.

Meredith’s headquarters in Des Moines have an open floor plan; the executives have their offices on the first floor and favor early-morning meetings. A recent lunch at one of Meredith’s magazines featured kale salad and rosemary-infused cucumber lemonade. Time Inc. executives tend toward lunches at Michael’s, where the dry-aged steak is a highlight, and after-work cocktails at the Lamb’s Club.”

Good god, not kale and open spaces! Can you imagine the clash of cultures that would ensue if these media behemoths actually had conglomerated? Who would be so heartless as to send an ambitious young upstart in the Big Apple to Forbes’ running “Best City for Young Professionals,” Des Moines? (I hear they only have one “skyscraper!”)

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Unending miles of corn fields. Look how they sparkle in the glow of the harvest moon. (Image courtesy of picturesofiowa.com)

The jokey, negative stereotyping surrounding this potential merger is just the latest in a long string of what I like to (not very creatively) call “Iowa-bashing.” And why not? No one is actually from there. Just a bunch of potatoes and Cleveland, right? Because…Iowa, right?

Wrong. As with so many things, consistently using the state as the butt of a national joke “is only okay if you’re from there.” (And it’s pronounced* “dee MOY-n,” for god’s sake. Where do you see a “Z” in Des Moines?!) I’ve been from Beijing to Chicago, Paris to Phnom Penh, Jakarta to New York City itself – and not one of these cities has the same feel of promise, the small-city charm, the modern “je ne sais quoi” with hipster neighborhoods and farmers markets and eclectic nightlife and legalized gay marriage as Des Moines.

So Time Inc. employees, my condolences on your recent failed merger – guess you’ll never get to see what you’re missing here. (Rosemary-infused cucumber lemonade, anyone?)

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* – Technically, it’s pronounced “dey mwah’n,” French for “the monks,” referring to the groups who first** inhabited the area.

** – Technically, the first inhabitants were members of the Ioway tribe. Who were probably not monks.

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06

Mar

“Follow the examples of comrade Lei Feng”

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Today is no ordinary Tuesday in early March. Today is “Learn from Lei Feng Day” (学雷锋日). And you know what that means: Chinese newspaper editorials, take it away!

“Whatever one does should never be at the expense of another, extending a helping hand to the needy and helping others are expected in a civilized society. To be a good citizen is the prerequisite for learning from Lei Feng.”

This, from Xinhua, reminds us how much of a good Samaritan the possibly concocted enigma really was. In concluding, the editorial states, “with an increasing number of people becoming too concerned with money and materialistic gains to spare a thought for others, the promotion of the Lei Feng spirit may function as a reminder that the pursuit of materialistic gains alone is not enough in life.” Hear, hear! Who can argue with that?

Until we remember that Mr. Lei is an altruistic, loyal, and kindhearted Chinese Communist Party hero (concocted or not). Surely one day out of the year to remember the original system of governing is enough to make up for 364 days of unbridled “capitalism with Chinese characteristics?” Pff, semantics! Let’s see what else the editorial boards had to say:

“Lei has gradually become a universal role model as political overtones surrounding him fade. Those who object to glorifying Lei’s spirit are intent on trampling morality for the sake of political point scoring…. A poll conducted by the Global Times last year showed that most Chinese have a positive perception of Lei, with nearly 90 percent of respondents voicing disdain toward those skeptical of the good Samaritan soldier.”

Daaayumn! Though I never met a single person in Hunan that fully believed the LF back-story, there sure are a lot of people who are apparently ready to defend his posthumous reputation. Perhaps it’s neither the story nor the soldier that people like to cling to for hope; it’s the notion that doing good in this world for something other than monetary or political gain is still worthy of praise. In certain places around the world, maybe this has become something of a foreign concept (eyes on you, U.S.).

And speaking of America, what did our papers have to say on this momentous occasion?

“In photos of suspiciously good quality and quantity, Lei Feng smiles as he polishes his army truck or darns his comrades’ socks at their platoon. He never went to bed without first reading Chairman Mao’s works, the Chinese are told. The same truck killed him in 1962 at age 21 when a laundry pole flattened by another driver sprang back and struck Lei in the head.”

USA Today offered this vignette, along with a skeptical yet hopeful story about Xi Jinping’s well-timed sign-off to his nation’s people. He – along with former Premier Wen Jiabao, whose remarks today noted that China’s leadership “should unwaveringly combat corruption … and ensure that officials are honest, government is clean and political affairs are handled with integrity” – are clearly exemplary of the Lei Feng spirit. *cough*

But talk is cheap. And so are good deeds:

“A majority of people questioned Tuesday said they did not realize it was ‘Learn from Lei Feng Day,’ and had not done any good deeds on purpose. … But although 70 percent admitted they did not know Tuesday was Lei Feng Day, most respondents said that dedicating March 5 to Lei Feng is meaningful as it promotes a healthy social atmosphere.”

It’s almost like “Pay it Forward” day, but with more meaningful propagandizing. Apparently the Global Times wasn’t looking to hop on the bandwagon with their editorial, quoting a handful of older residents who basically called B.S. on the whole thing (and one 13-year-old student who claimed, “he must be real, otherwise where do those Lei Feng’s diary we learnt from our text books come from?”) Oh, you poor, poor thing. (And copy editors, for shame!)

While it’s easy to criticize another nation’s folk hero, especially on his Big Day, it’s worth remembering that all our selfless, altruistic, died-too-young protagonists are probably too good to be true as well. And maybe it’s worth taking one day out of the year to help that old lady cross the street, toss some change in the beggar’s cup, or to perform some unrequited act of kindness in the name of do-gooding.

Maybe we can learn from “Lei Feng,” after all.

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(Get ’em while they’re young. Image courtesy of http://www.iisg.nl/today/images/e13-416.jpg)

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04

Mar

Title optional

This is the first post. I feel a bit put on the spot, really. I just wanted to make the blog, not actually write anything…yet. I was ill-prepared for this momentous occasion.

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These are some dumplings I made once. Because food porn sells. And it was the only picture on my desktop, and I’m lazy.

There should be some sort of thought-provoking quote here, some indication of what this blog might be about, an introduction of sorts…but alas, nothing.

Might I suggest you scroll on back to some of the more recent posts? Surely there will be something of interest there.

And on that note, welcome to K. Jacobsen’s Newly Revised Eclectic Primer, Vol. II! Thanks for reading.  

– KJ

11 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

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