fei
Senior Member
Posts: 604
Likes: 876
|
Post by fei on Apr 7, 2017 19:23:01 GMT 10
As I mentioned in the shoutbox -- I'm wondering how much the timing has to do with China's president meeting with Trump this week? Was it a coincidence that just after Trump told the world the US would unilaterally act against North Korea if China didn't do something just a couple of days ago, that he now orders a missile strike without yet having actually confirmed what the chemical was and who used it?
|
|
fei
Senior Member
Posts: 604
Likes: 876
|
Post by fei on Apr 7, 2017 19:13:33 GMT 10
Yes, although I note he has only ordered the troops to permanently stay on islands they already patrol, rather than those the Chinese have been illegally occupying. I hear from an acquaintance who was on vacation in the Philippines last week that the daily newspapers were full of criticism of Duterte for not standing up to the Chinese, so it looks like all his voters have finally seen through his use of populist issues (ie. killing drug users) and are now wanting him to do his actual job.
|
|
fei
Senior Member
Posts: 604
Likes: 876
|
Post by fei on Apr 5, 2017 15:56:42 GMT 10
I don't find it surprising that a lot of the complaints are coming from the Chinese-owned Daydream Island. Two decades of experience in China tells me that I wouldn't trust most Chinese-owned or managed businesses with anything, let alone to look after their clientele during an emergency. Its not just the clientele either - many of the staff have apparently been sacked due to the resort having to close down for repairs.
|
|
fei
Senior Member
Posts: 604
Likes: 876
|
Post by fei on Apr 5, 2017 15:09:41 GMT 10
... Imagine you have an accounting error or the bank introduces some scam, suddenly your account is empty, there is no back up plan, no recourse it is your word against the banks and you can join the other bleeding hearts with no money ... I have two PayPal accounts, a couple of years ago there was a few $1000 in one and $0 in the other. One day, for whatever reason, I logged into the wrong one and saw a zero balance when I expected to see about $6k. That is not a huge amount, just pocket money really, but what if it had been my life's savings in the bank? Even at that amount I had a massive feeling of dread, there was nothing I could do, nobody to ring AFAIK and even if there is what if they just say "sorry, you took it out yesterday", or "sorry, we were hacked". You are totally screwed. At least in the old days the bad guys had to take a huge risk and use guns to rob a bank, and there was a good chance you could catch them and exact your revenge with a rope and the nearest tree. These days it's a swipe of a mouse from a room in the Cayman islands and there's nothing you can do. I've been in this prepping game for a long time and don't really need this stuff pointed out, but this little PayPal boo boo certainly drove it home. I've mentioned before that cash is pretty well gone the way of the dodo in the biggest cities in China. Just last week there was a story about a couple of guys who tried to rob 3 convenience stores, but just got away with a handful of change from each, as most people pay using phone apps nowadays. I'm probably about the only person in my office who carries cash -- have been out to dinner a few times when the internet or power has been down, and people have turned to me to pay, as they never carry money anymore. When I mention the idea that carrying a few hundred cash would be a good insurance policy, they inevitably just say that the off chance of a power blackout or the system going down doesn't warrant it.
|
|
fei
Senior Member
Posts: 604
Likes: 876
|
Post by fei on Apr 5, 2017 14:50:56 GMT 10
I also wonder if they can get to the bunkers on time?? Thats the critical point. Regardless of whether its a bunker, fort or plain BOL, its not much good if you don't have enough warning to get there in time before all hell breaks loose. There was an article in the NZ news recently that mentioned a lot of rich yanks buying up land there in case of war. One of the commenters was right on the money though -- those guys have to fly to the other side of the world, then get from the airport to their bunkers, all before anyone else catches on that something is going down and doesn't get there first. Even when they do get to the bunkers, they will need to be pretty well stocked, as growing food pretty much depends on access to water and power (for light) when you're stuck undrground. Regardless of what happens, eventually they would need to have stuff delivered and / or come out get more supplies; leaving their facilities open to attack in the long run (unless they can co-opt the locals, like the old-time dukes etc did with their castles and fortified towns).
|
|
fei
Senior Member
Posts: 604
Likes: 876
|
Post by fei on Mar 30, 2017 11:11:26 GMT 10
I'm waiting to see what happens to that island about 200km off the Philippines (but several times that distance from China) that the Chinese have been surveying recently, even though they agreed to leave and not build there after the Philippino government started kissing China's arse last year. If Duterte sits back and lets them do it, meanwhile still slagging off the US at every chance, I think that will be the last straw and he'll be removed in a military coup before long.
I'm also interested to see where China's fishing fleet pops up this year. The last few years they have appeared in the EEZs of various Asian countries (and had conflicts with their navies), but they've also had run-ins with powers in South American waters in recent years too. Hopefully if they appear off Australia, then Customs / Coastwatch will deal with them the same way as they do the swedish and Indonesians.
|
|
fei
Senior Member
Posts: 604
Likes: 876
|
Post by fei on Mar 29, 2017 18:18:48 GMT 10
Also those @#$%ing and moaning on the islands are the people who refused to evacuate ahead of the storm when told to do so, now they are paying the price for staying. I saw one woman moaning that she hadn't seen any information about the cyclone before getting up to the reef, and that by the time they got there, it was too late to leave. If someone like me in another country several thousand miles away (and without easy access to google etc websites) could see warnings abouth the storm days in advance, how does someone who is flying up to the likely disaster zone not realise it may not be a good idea? (I'm guessing it won't be long before people start saying they expect a full refund and extra payment for mental anguish caused)
|
|
fei
Senior Member
Posts: 604
Likes: 876
|
Post by fei on Mar 29, 2017 13:41:04 GMT 10
Yes, thats why I asked. Basically, there are two levels - one with everyday stuff and another covering national / transnational events.
Transnational does apply for me too, as I plan on getting out of China well before anything big kicks off. Even if there is a localised confrontation not directly affecting me, you can bet that the Chinese government will either be rounding all foreigners up and jailing or deporting us at short notice (either before or after confiscating our assets), or at the very least whipping up anti-foreigner hysteria that will make living here dangerous -- the state-owned media has been full of anti-Korean stuff lately due to the South Koreans installing a missile system that supposedly allows spying on China, meaning that the Koreans we know here have been getting calls and visits from the cops at all hours + their kids have been threatened at school etc etc. Basically stuff that I want to avoid if at all possible.
|
|
fei
Senior Member
Posts: 604
Likes: 876
|
Post by fei on Mar 27, 2017 11:39:42 GMT 10
Yes, Turkey is a mess. Ataturk (the general defending Gallipoli in WW1 who then established the democratic secular state) would be rolling in his grave to see the Islamic dictatorship now in place.
|
|
fei
Senior Member
Posts: 604
Likes: 876
|
Post by fei on Mar 24, 2017 20:54:58 GMT 10
In light of the fact that I'm located in northeast Asia, in a part of the world that has two potential flashpoints for war (North Korea, South China Sea), I like to make sure that I'm as aware of current events and possible flare-ups as I can. Meanwhile, I'm also one of those seemingly few people under 50 years of age who doesn't walk around with my face glued to my phone all the time, and try to watch out what is going on around me.
I guess both of these points are types of situational awareness. However, the point of this post is to ask what other types of things people are looking out for, or have noticed and made some interpretations about, that indicate something may be about to happen in the near future?
One example - I have noticed over the past 6 months or so that my office campus, the campus next door and my apartment complex have all beefed up their security arrangements. So, more CCTV cameras everywhere, barbed wire and sensors on existing fences, extra locks on our doors requiring ID cards etc. While no-one else seems to think much of it, I'm guessing that the managers / risk teams of these companies are either reacting to or foreseeing more theiving due to the continued economic downturn.
What other stuff have people noticed?
|
|
fei
Senior Member
Posts: 604
Likes: 876
|
Post by fei on Mar 23, 2017 14:14:04 GMT 10
I think the problem would be more with storage and distribution rather than ramping up production.
Not sure about pipelines now in use, but imagine if everything went to domestic use, then it would mostly need to be distributed via trains and a fleet of trucks? Regardless if the capacity is there, there would have to be a lot of rationing in the short-term while these problems were worked out.
|
|
fei
Senior Member
Posts: 604
Likes: 876
|
Post by fei on Mar 22, 2017 20:58:32 GMT 10
Were any public-use bunkers built in Australia post-WW2? I'm sure there were special secret ones for the government, but what about for the general public? All new multi-storey buildings in China are required to have bunkers, so its pretty common to be walking through the underground carpark in an office block or shopping centre, take a wrong turn, and end up outside a massive heavy door like you see on vaults in the bank heist movies. There doesn't seem to be any rules about usage capacity though - pretty much every bunker I've seen would be less than 20sqm, and has no equipment, visible water supply etc.
|
|
fei
Senior Member
Posts: 604
Likes: 876
|
Post by fei on Mar 17, 2017 22:42:16 GMT 10
Not sure about this subject, but when I saw the title of your post, I thought it was going to be the need for enforced sterilization of a certain portion of the population.
|
|
fei
Senior Member
Posts: 604
Likes: 876
|
Post by fei on Mar 17, 2017 20:04:33 GMT 10
Fei, sounds like an awesome plan!! I found a copy of the book for $1.00 many years ago too! Classic movie, it has the best quotes. 'What can you set your watch by Harry?' Yep. What can you set your watch by Harry?' "This f@#%en rain" We get something akin to monsoon rains where I live, so I've been known to say something along the line of "you can set your watch by this f@#%en rain" when it starts pissing down most afternoons in early summer. I doubt anyone but a select group of Aussies would have a clue where I got the quote from though.
|
|
fei
Senior Member
Posts: 604
Likes: 876
|
Post by fei on Mar 17, 2017 12:46:15 GMT 10
Fei, Possibly from 'The Odd Angry Shot'. I remember Graeme Kennedy telling a joke where the punch line was 'To be sure, to be sure, to be sure'. That sounds about right. Will have to jump the block on Youtube in the office today and see if I can find the clip. Actually, even better, dig out the Odd Angry Shot DVD boxset I have at home somewhere and watch the whole movie with a few beers over the weekend.
|
|
fei
Senior Member
Posts: 604
Likes: 876
|
Post by fei on Mar 16, 2017 15:46:59 GMT 10
One in keeping with tomorrow's green beer day:
Why did Paddy insist on using three condoms? To be sure, to be sure, to be sure.
(Can't remember which movie I lifted this from. Anyone have any ideas?)
|
|
fei
Senior Member
Posts: 604
Likes: 876
|
Post by fei on Mar 2, 2017 19:13:44 GMT 10
Our kitchen is tiny, with not much in the way of storage, so a lot of our food preps are stored around the apartment. We have had visitors express surprise that the spare bedroom has so many boxes of stuff (UHT milk, tissues, TP and other bulky preps), but then again, practically every place I've been to in China is jampacked with stuff in every nook and cranny, so shouldn't surprise people too much.
|
|
fei
Senior Member
Posts: 604
Likes: 876
|
Post by fei on Mar 2, 2017 19:07:04 GMT 10
Was thinking about this movie just the other day after seeing it advertised on the local (legal) streaming movie app. I watched the movie when it first came out, then bought the book it was based on a few years later. Didn't think much of the book tbh, but have recommended my colleagues take a look at the movie.
|
|
fei
Senior Member
Posts: 604
Likes: 876
|
Post by fei on Mar 2, 2017 18:49:08 GMT 10
I'm lower left, although as it looks like I got the same score as Gandhi, I call BS. After all, he was all for passive resistance etc, while I answered in the affirmative for an eye for an eye and capital punishment.
|
|