Blather

China Report: Monthly wage for labor in Dongguan China is now at RMB 1,000. It was 800 last January. Anecdotal complaints that its easy to find office workers, but its getting hard to find basic workers. Steel prices just shot through the roof after the price of iron ore rose 70%, and I experience my first true "supply shock." Yeah, I was alive in 1973, but I don't remember much. I shall expand on this later perhaps.

Taiwan Election: I wonder who the NRA would support? Which candidate will arm the populace to repel the Mainland invasion of 2009? And will Michael Turton command the Abraham Lincoln Brigade? I imagine him wearing a floppy hat with a feather plume ala Civil War officers. But that's because I have been playing a Civil War game like mad. Anyways, sartorial suggestions for the A.L.B. of Taiwan...maybe like Wheat's Tigers? or the ever popular Zouaves? Or Taiwan night market chic of matching plum colored sweatsuits?

I hate not being able to access blogger and wikipedia in China, but it must help my productivity. Also, my iTunes wouldn't let me download "explicit" podcasts, i.e. those with swearwords. Is that a technical problem or censorship.

Taiwan Elections

I don't like the KMT or their candidate Ma that much.

That said, I'd have to endorse him for the following reasons:

1. Taiwan needs to open up to China. If Taiwanese incomes are stagnating at least let the Taiwanese consumer get cheaper products. Its depressing to see DPP ads about how the KMT will put the island's towel makers out of business. Seriously, keeping Taiwan's remaining 4 towel manufacturers in profit at the expense of 23 million Taiwanese consumers is not a good idea. Ammo factories? Maybe even basic foodstuffs, sure, I can see that, but towels?. Ironically, I just bought a new set of towels at Costco...made in the USA. Worry about China and the folks from Alabama sneak in the back door with their thick, absorbent towels made from American cotton. And a shout out to Jennifer who did the QC.

2. I support the use of economic benchmarks, and Ma's advertising his benchmarks as:

6% economic growth
3% unemployment
US$ 30,000 per capita income.

The first two are possible in the short term. The third one is not. Still, let's see if he can live up to these promises. If he does the first two via expanding government jobs, I will puke.

I'd prefer if politicians used even more specific benchmarks, promising an overall tax rate, government spending, debt, as % of GDP, etc., as they actually control that shit. Promising growth rates and unemployment seems stupid, but at least he's put his ass on the line.

BTW, some people talk about "holding their noses while voting." In Taiwan, the electoral choices involve gagging, vomiting, and some hard grimaces.

Note: All of the above based on watching a few minutes of advertising over the last couple of months and does not reflect any serious reflection on my part. I feel lucky that I can't vote.

I found my second career choice

"Mrs. Obama's compensation at the University of Chicago Hospital, where she is a vice president for community affairs, jumped from $121,910 in 2004, just before her husband was elected to the Senate, to $316,962 in 2005, just after he took office."

Okay, forget any political issues with that, but I need to get a job like that. I cannot imagine VP of community affairs is that hard of a job, and it pays 300k annually?

F.U.C.K.

No wonder healthcare costs are out of control.

Again, not political point scoring here - I'm sure there are a bunch of good old boys with these sinecures as well.

Also noted, Law Degree from Harvard or Yale or wherever she went isn't easy to get.