Chinese Thinking

I was walking past a Local Union a while back and read a poster that said "Buy American, Support American Jobs, Don't Sell Out To The Chinese". And the same was emphasized by a recent broadcast by ABC World News anchor David Jason Muir.

I am Chinese American, an American with Chinese ancestors. These days I'm not sure which comes first. Being born in the United States says I am American or so I am told. Actually, the term "Anchor Baby" comes to mind as I heard in a politician's speech also fits in the definition where I am more Chinese patriotic rather than being American patriotic. I speak and write in English clearly, somewhat, from being schooled in America, but nothing changed heritage or genes. What do you think goes through my mind as I read that statement, the concept above? It's true in a partial concept, economics leads to believe that the writer of that message is correct, purchasing American goods leads to the circulation of jobs within America. That itself only speaks for a small part of the chain. In order for that concept to work, meaning using that concept to bring up America's economy it has to be a solid unbroken chain. That's not possible unless there is some type of strict code of conduct behind Americans dealing with Americans. Let me broaden racial trade in a smaller concept. I use to work for a Jewish employer and in a Jewish community and I notice a bit for Asians also, more so Koreans. Keep it in the community or in the broader trade philosophy: deal with your own and it keeps the economics of the community flowing. Concept one has been established and the notion does hold true and would help America's economy but it's trade discrimination.

I'm not a big fan of hearing "The Chinese". Sometimes I hear that and it's a context of hearing "every and all Chinese are the same." It's a term that sounds like if, specifically, China or a group of Chinese people does something it means every other Chinese person in the world does it like a robotic uniform military salute. China was or is currently in an slight economic growth but it doesn't mean that every Chinese person falls under this economic growth, not true. In further elaboration, just because the economy has shifted to growth in China, every Chinese person doesn't gets a piece of the pie. In further, further, elaboration, just because the economy has shifted to grow in China, every Chinese person is not sipping Dom Perignon like water and eating Osetra Caviar for breakfast.

China has been known for some sketchy production practiced. It's one of the worst reputations to be a shadow of. If a manufacture were to produce goods in a clean effort, that manufacture would still fall under the stereotype. What if a manufacture produced a decent product out of China as it equaled the quality of an American made product. The cost factor is the most important decision in buying now because both are equal in design and quality. There you have it, that is your answer. The buying factor is an important factor, cost versus quality, not where it's made and which supports your economy. On the business level, the manufacture owes it to the investors to make it as cheap as possible for the buyer and if the quality is equal or close to it, that's the reason for buying from "The Chinese". Concept two has been established.

Let's look at a family man working in one of the old GM manufacturing plants in Detroit sweating to install the new chassis for a truck. The same thing is being done by a Japanese/Chinese family man half way across the world in their own country. That man is not thinking about the economy, he just wants his salary to take home to feed their family, both do. That man counts on the decision of management and management owes their focus to investors and investors need buyers to buy their product. So, back to the topic: why not buy a product made by "The Chinese"? The question is what makes the same sweat and skill pushed off by the American a more higher leveled standard than a person doing the same work? Nothing, except American Pride and wanting a higher American Standard.

Before I go off further topic on what I wanted to elaborate on. I was thinking if I were an American manufacturer and I started making say tires that went on cars. I would need to buy equipment, hire a few workers, pay my taxes and craft the tires very well and that means higher cost material, correct? Yes. And what would I charge the car maker that I sell my tires to? Top dollars? Trying to get the most profit I can to make for my quality of work? The American Standard. That's the American way of thinking, making your business top profit, enough to pay off the equipment, taxes, employees that work so hard to make that quality. Let's look at China's thinking...there's cheap labor because Chinese workers in China are willing to accept less for China's living Standards. That offset allows for cheaper production. How far is this American Standard coming close to greed, wanting that top dollar? The answer is not straight forward. Employees want a good salary for their families. Business owners want top profit margins and to cut cost. The buyer doesn't want to pay more. It's cheaper to be made in China. The average person who works hard for their "Lower Income" or "Middle Class" salary will have cost foremost on their mind, not "The American Standard". Americans can complain and try to be a David Jason Muir campaigner but it doesn't change the buying and making factors. America needs to fix it's operational standards.

-Just a thought

Originally Started: Late 2014 - Mid 2015
Published: July 2016

Amsterdam Again

---McDonalds and Albert Heijn are companies that show a small example of how organizations put forth even minuscule effort to reduce waste or gain capital.  McDonalds charges a 50 Euro Cent to use the restroom in every location.  McDonalds in Amsterdam also charges a 50 Euro Cent for a pack of ketchup, fortunate to have those little red packs free here.  While the Big Mac and french fries are the same, the coffee cup sizes are smaller, yet more expensive.  I only wonder if the potatoes, beans and beef are grown in the Netherlands or imported from the United States.  When you go shopping, in most places like the Albert Heijn supermarket, a grocery bag is not included, they charge 25 Euro Cent for the extra plastic bag, you're suppose to bring your own bag.  Again like my first blog on Amsterdam, the city is full of bicycles, once you exit Central Station there is a huge parking garage full of bicycles on the adjacent side.  I love bicycling.  If every car was replaced by a bicycle for local commuting, think of the pollution and need for fossil energy we would conserve.

---Oh! I did not know that the Cannibus Cup 2011 event was being held on the dates of my stay or I would have bought preregistration tickets.  I only fount out through a conversation with visitors who were also rooming in my hotel.  It's okay, I'm not a grower or a pothead.  I simply enjoyed a little Hash, Super Skunk and Amnesia while there.  Pre-rolled, meaning the shop rolls it for you is a bit more expensive than buying it by the gram in bags and you roll it yourself but enjoying it rolled "professionally" is in my opinion as "consumed" better.

Strain: "Amnesia"

---I still hate flying.  Eight hours in flight to and from Amsterdam cramped up in limited body positioning and limited resources in food or nutrition is not something I like.  My last two trips served an on board meal, no matter how small is a nice treat to keep bodily levels up, but this trip did not.  Even my domestic flights like on Jetblue serves a small meal.  I guess it depends on the flight and the airline.  Though the tension, comfort and feel of the people and airline was much better than the atmosphere on Delta and Aeroflot.  It's good to bring a little snack aboard.

The train system is very unorganized.  Each station have no big signs labelling which station you are at.  If you choose to use the Metro instead of a Tram or Taxi, my advise is to get there at least one hour before the anticipated departure because you should not expect to board the very first scheduled train.  For example, if the train expected to board is scheduled to arrive at 12:35, be prepared to board the one at 1:05 because for reasons like being full, complications or missing the station of intent.


---When my train arrived on the Metro station: Central Station from Schiphol Airport, the very first thing I had was a slice at a New York Pizza - The Original, a small pizza chain.  The pizza was pretty good compared to other "pizza" places in Amsterdam and EVEN in New York City.  I went to my hotel and slept a few hours before venturing out.

Naked and Jamba Juice are on my plus list or in the Netherlands: Innocent and Juicy Details are nice little treats for those like me that like my fruit or vegetables in one serving as a variety.  Instead of buying or eating a bag of oranges, green apples, carrots, mangoes individually and finding a way to incorporating ginger and beets in a recipe, I like the prior-like mentioned ways to get my fruit and vegetable portion of the pyramid.  Juicy Detail: 4.50 Euros for a small or a large 5.50 Euros my choice from the Balance menu was a energy and great tasting Mango Mania: lemon, apples, mangoes, and ginger.

This is not a food blog so I won't mention every food related item in Amsterdam.  Dam square was one of the few places I could get a 2.50 small hot dog or higher priced similar Euro priced American/German resembling home/comfort food.  I liked that the carts offered a variety of toppings (like a pickled mix or fried potatoes and whole chili peppers) new to me, including a curry sauce along side the mustard and ketchup.


---Occupy!  Oh My God!  This Occupy idiocy has reach the Netherlands as well, in Dam square there were hundreds of them.  Instead of "Occupy Wall Street", why don't you "ninety nine percent" of the population get dress shirts and ties then organize an event where potential employers might actually consider yourself useful or aim driven. Before doing that, bathe and shave first.


---Everything in Amsterdam is still expensive!


---The only reason there are photos here is because someone asked me to take pictures or I wouldn't have even brought the camera along (which was out for only one day).  I went for personal reasons not as a tourist.  There's more but...


---That's it for now

Light Up

Cigarettes made of gum was a neat little enticement for kids that saw real smokers and wondered what smoking was all about or to imitate smoking.  You would blow on one of the gum cigarettes and a puff of fake smoke would come out and that was it.  The fake smoke was probably a powder of starch, flour or sugar.  Then you would unwrap the paper and put the gum in your mouth and chew gum.  Those boxes of gum cigarettes resembled the the real thing so much.  I bought those once or twice as a kid for like a dollar or two at my local candy store.

Hypocritically, when I see a girl smoking, I can tolerate it, but think it's a disgusting and dirty view on how she approaches her health concerns.  I bought my first pack of Newports in 1998.  Since 1998, I've switched to Marlboro Menthols.  I have always considered myself a light smoker.  It use to be that a pack would last me a few days to a week.  In between that time, I've cut down even more so because of the knowledge that cigarettes affect the health and especially the lungs in bad ways.  I would experience minor periods of coughing.  I noticed as I exercised or even went jogging it had effected my breathing when I use to smoke more frequently.  Since my smoking reduction, my breathing has improved dramatically.  I never even did what others say as two packs a day or even a week.  When I feel the urge, I'll grab a pack and it will last a month or two or I'll try to find a "loosey" when I don't feel like spending the $9.00 and up on a pack.

By 2005, I stopped smoking completely and wouldn't pick up on it until recently.  Back in 2004, when a bunch of friends went for Korean buffet in New Jersey, I was anticipating a new eating experience because I had never been to a Korean buffet before.  The experience was really good.  It was the first time I smelt like meat after leaving a place, disgustingly good.  A friend of mine lit up a cigarette in the restaurant and my reaction was "what is this guy doing?"  It would be that in New York City the smoking ban had been in full effect since 2003.  Restaurants, bars and in any other public indoor establishment, in New York City, no longer allowed smoking.  New Jerseyans did not have that ban yet.  It would seem residents of New Jersey would not have felt that ban until 2006.  Starting May of 2011, smoking will be banned in beaches, parks or other public outdoor areas.  You cannot smoke within 25 feet from any federal building.  You can still smoke on private property be it the owner allows it.  But even that ban has come into question if it can be allowed in private apartment buildings.  If the board votes or owner bans smoking in the lease, a smoker would not be allowed to smoke even in his or her private apartment.  And that is the simple outline without going into detail of which property, which tenants and will it involve lawyers (or how much the fine will be imposed).

I believe smokers have the right to experience the sensation of taking a whiff of death.

I was watching Cigarette Wars on CNBC the other day and the image of cigarette farming zoomed right into my television set.  I always knew that, yes, part of what goes into cigarettes are just leaves of "tobacco" with other fillers.  For the first time, CNBC brought a up close and detailed view on the foundation of the industry, ten months with the farmers came with seeding, harvesting, and curing until it was time to sell.  On Cigarette Wars it said that some of the top Kentucky growers have lost 25% of their harvest.  One reason is that top tobacco companies like Altria (the parent company of Philip Morris - Marlboro), Lorillard (Newport) and R.J. Reynolds (Camel, Kool and Winston) are buying from the farmers less due to slumping sales.  Why are sales slumping for major tobacco sellers?  In addition to all these bans, there are ads from www.thetruth.com showing the negative side of the smoking industry.  Michael Bloomberg who appeared on Cigarette Wars states that his reason for the bans and increase on sales tax: health cost.  In history class I learned that in war an embargo is a good way to defeat the enemy.  Bloomberg's and other cities government war on rising medical cost in part due to smoking is being fought with this embargo.  The anti smoking campaigns are helping also.  You can spread information, but there's nothing better than having power act on it.  A billion dollar industry versus it's health concerns.

I could have put the sequence of topics from the documentary in order as how it was broadcasted but this isn't describing Cigarette Wars, though I'll take a few interesting topics from the show and use it as a source.  The documentary illustrates the tough times of trying to raise and sell the  tobacco crop of the Furnish family.  They grow a type of tobacco called Burley which roughly can sell for approximately .60cents to 1.30dollars a pound.  An acre of land of soy or corn can profit $300 but tobacco four to five times that much.  Though like farming any other product, mother nature comes into play, employment depends on profit margins and of course demand.  One point noticed from the documentary was that on interviewing one of the tobacco farmers was that he was asked how he felt about planting a crop of death?  He answers that he separates that idea from feeding his family.  Bloomberg's response on that, is that they should be farming something else.  Thus part of the documentary showed that the family legacy of eating off the crop of death is that they had to diversify their farm.  The furnish family is not only diversifying but going international because in European countries smoking is not only a way of life but that market is good.  American grown tobacco is safer and better but not as cheap.  The 25% on average left over unsold at about 30 to 40 thousand pounds being auctioned for At .60cents to a dollar a pound won't bring in much profit margin to cover expense and labor.

---By 1970 there was already a ban on advertising cigarettes on television or radio.  Movies and print still gleamed it as an appealing thing to do.

---Smoking cigarettes is a good starting point leading into other things like cigars, chewing snuff, bidis, hookahs and once you tap into a drug like marijuana then what else is there?  Cigarettes do not have to necessarily have to be purchased already in boxes for you.  This girl I knew showed me that bags of tobacco can be bought without additives or flavors (more natural) then go get some cigarette paper and roll your own.

---In psychological perspective, smoking was a recreational or ceremonial activity that lead it to being more of a chewing gum or watching baseball past-time.  Just something to do, like during war or the image of being cool in the 1960s when the cool or bad boy image was in style, along with the sleek hair and flashy cars.  The physiological side is that cigarettes contain much more than just tobacco.  The additives to cigarettes cause other health risks.  Smoking thins your blood vessels (as well as arteries) and damages your lungs.  I've heard of people that smoke to relax and it calms them, why, I don't know because smoking makes your heart work faster and reduces the oxygen in the blood.  But in the long run thinning the tubes that move your blood can cause a heart attack and stroke, not to mention possible risk of inhaling carcinogens that can cause cancer.  Is the risk of leisure and image worth the effects, I think choice to do so is worth the risk.

This photo is the first image on my blog self taken that I did not Google.
It's four packs of unused matches from my collection.

My Executive's Addiction

Well not really, but this title sounds catchier to read.  I had a brief discussion with the Vice President of Operations of the company I work for on the addictive effects of video games on today's youth.  My input into the conversation was that video games, in my youth, helped me develop some of my motor skills, like driving.  I am an excellent driver, not a professional or an expert, but good enough to be attentive and responsive in terms of maneuvering around the objects in the speed I accelerate without any accidents, ever, maybe a bump or two.  I don't believe my motor skills or other balancing of visual responses were totally attributed to video games but using that remote to control the objects on the screen on my Nintendo could have helped in development.  There's a notion going around in the media that today's youth are addicted to media like video games.  I mean when I was a kid all I wanted to do was go home after school and watch television or play video games.  Why would I want to pay attention to the topics of my teacher and come home to do homework or study some more?  Of course every kid wants to come home and relax to some leisure of video games.  A family member, which I will not identify relation, not my dad or mom because they were busy working, who was a part time guardian, limited my television watching to two hours a day after school.  So what is there to do after school instead of television or video games, well how about socializing or other activities using your brain or sports?

There's a quote from the movie Lord of War that goes something or precisely like this: "I never understood what separated recreational drug users from habitual".  Well, my view is now you have to balance the two, leisure and hard work-stress.  In addition, the limit of stress on an individual from studying too much, meaning over strain from studying too hard can cause withdrawal symptoms because if the pressure is too great then the person will dislike and withdrawal.  It's a chemical brain function thing.

The Vice President of Operations states it just doesn't apply to teenagers, it applies to us as adults as well; look at the way we text and drive which can lead to accidents and is now a law against texting and driving.  It's true; my perspective on it is if there is no chemical addiction to it like marijuana, then it shouldn't be too hard to keep off right?  But it's a joy sensation left on the memory taste buds that lingers in the brain that says that whatever/specific addiction, like to video games or media, something that brings us leisure pleasure, an escape from homework or work stress.  Like chocolate, I already tasted how pleasurable, or whatever benefits chocolate provides, the sensation is in my brain from the first time I tasted it, so can I ever really lay off chocolate?  I probably can but in my brain, I crave it.  The issue I guess chocolate does not give my brain a chemical imbalance of being a downer and or upper with a stronger sensational crave as narcotics.  The problem the Vice President of Operation states is "parents should have more control."  I guess that law against texting while driving is the control.  I totally agree, because I have texted in the past while driving and my focus is on getting a letter in to the phone and not the road.  The law and fine for driving while texting is a good path on control, let's keep and enforce it in every state.  In the bigger battle against a stronger addiction like narcotics instead of media, the topic is we in America do not have the budget (it's so large already) to fight the stronger force of usage (demand for the product).  How do we create a program that will increase the budget to fight narcotics which will not take away from government health care or schools?  Addiction affects America's economy.

Economy Shift - Part One

There's a small diner around my way, Greek, that I seldom eat in.  The reason I seldom eat there is because it's one block down from my house.  The diner is so close, why not just go home and cook my meals if I am close to home.  I like supporting things that are worthwhile.  I won't go into the theory of where I spend my money in this post.  It's worthwhile for me to eat there occasionally because I want that business alive in my neighborhood.  My neighborhood is semi-residential and semi-industrial.  My neighborhood is a good percent businesses and a good percent homes.  I will mention just one basic item on the menu: pizza.  The word connoisseur means: a person who has fine or detailed knowledge of a subject matter; the word originally was given to a person who is knowledgeable of a specific art, fine art.  I've made pizza at home before because I like pizza.  I use to consider myself a pizza connoisseur.  I've been to Europe and have tasted the breads in markets that bake them on the spot every morning and sell them much cheaper, they are way better compared to the pre baked confections in the United States.  I have tasted all types and forms of cheeses, especially of those not intended to be massed produced, stored and shipped for the stands of markets to be sold at economic prices.  I can taste what a good crust texture should be like, the sweet or tartness of the sauce and flavor of mozzarella.  Each of the basic three ingredients is not expensive at all for a pizzeria to purchase or produce.  I remember when my dad, if I was lucky enough to see him once a week because he did not work locally, managed to treat me after school in the fifth or sixth grade to a slice of pizza.  The pizza was actually made by someone who actually just immigrated from Italy.  So, I had the privilege to have tasted, at a young age what a good pizza should be like.  It was a time when the price for a slice had just shifted from one dollar to a dollar and twenty five cents, outrageous!  Right now, you're lucky if a slice of pizza cost two dollars, two dollars and how many cents?  Robbery!

I understand business owners have to manage the rent or property taxes, gas bill, electric bill, water bill, wages (in which this Diner had two cooks and three wait staff), insurance, the cost to make back the cost of equipment, supplies and miscellaneous expenses, which have all gone up.  My property taxes have increased three percent and gas bill increased another smidgen of a percent, but still a slight noticeable difference.  That's why sometimes you see a business open for a year or two and then you come by that business in a year or two to see it's closed and another is there trying stay alive.  These expenses are what any average home owner has to deal with.  I know these things because I don't rent, I have had the understanding weight of managing both of the prior mentioned, and I like anyone else who likes walls and warmth, still have to manage the latter mentioned.  The ironic thing, is I don't even make "middle class".  I can afford things because I am a minimalist spender.  I do have some luxury items like my nicer Hugo Boss suits and a few other items but when it comes to buying junk or unnecessary items, I just don't.  I was riding the subway, something I am accustomed to, but for the past two and a half years, I've been driving everywhere, even two streets down to my supermarket.  On the subway, there are two main types of riders: the one's that mind their own business by reading, sleeping or just droning out and the inquisitive ones that look around or do things, the more active riders.  I am the latter subway rider.  I look around and wonder who these people are, do they make more money than me, do they live in nicer places than me?  I assume both, some better paid and some not.  I was shopping at Trader Joe's today and wondered how much the cashier made or how much the stock boy made.  Researching, it turns out, those unexperienced make anywhere from ten to twelve dollars an hour and those promoted to managers can make forty thousand and up to six figures a year.  I'm looking at nine out of the ten subway riders in nice designer clothing.  How can this country say it is in a recession?  How can people be homeless, without a place to live?  How can someone spend a hundred somewhat on a pair of shoes or six hundred on a pair of Hugo Boss designer shoes, I mean five hundred eighty nine, plus tax, I checked, on shoes.  The headline is in bold "Recession" with a picture of a person in rags begging for money, while the body reads "Designer", "Still".  It's the same old story, those struggling will still struggle to be "Designer" and those on top will just say sorry less of you can be "Designer" because we are in a "Recession".  We are actually in "Excess", it's that we are also not so much greedy but capitalist with the reason: ---bold---I earned it, why should I share with someone who did not.  I'd rather buy "Designer" rather than putting the money I earned into a program that usually is mismanaged beyond intent.  In that we don't know how to disperse the economy properly, it won't ever change much.  The freedom to be over populated and live comfortably if privileged, that is the real democracy, but so much better than corrupted controlled dictatorship.

The idealist part of me use to strive, donate and support actively, the realist part of me just strives.