June 29

When I talked to my wife yesterday, her wisdom tooth she had removed hurt. It was from the hot 'n spicy food her friend likes to eat.

Also, she complained that her brother doesn't talk to her much as opposed to the other family members. He used to talk to her a lot. He's in university for something computer related.

I like Bob Rae

from here concerning that dude Abousfian Abdelrazik that slept on a cot for 14 months lifting weights at the Canadian embassy in Sudan

"It's almost as if there are two classes of citizens, one that the government likes (and) ones that the government doesn't like," Rae told CTV News Channel from Toronto Sunday.

"That's something that gives me a lot of concern as a Canadian."

I would agree with this.

big mac attack!!!

don't know why but I love going to Mickey D's in China, but man, look at this dude. Is he serious or what? Defend the border? no. Defend McDonald's? Yes! Maybe he wants McDonald's as a sovereign state. Someone invite him for tea in Boston.

Stolen

link -> Not an Accounting Error

The Conservative government has instructed the Royal Canadian Mint to withhold all executive bonuses, as a reaction to a report released on Monday which showed $15.3 million worth of missing gold at the Crown corporation cannot be attributed to an accounting error.
Government

LOL hey Harper, looks like they've already taken their bonuses!!

Government officials are not all stupid. Why tax the people when you can just steal from them? On my way out of Van to HK last month I was asked by an officer when I was boarding the plane "Do you have any money?" Actually, gold is not currently money but I bet he would have been extremely interested in me if I told him so.

And speaking of bullsh!t the immigration officials always want you to produce receipts. No using common sense, like taking my mother 1000 miles inland in China for a wedding. Now I see this. You'd be surprised how many front page pictures in newspapers are photochopped.

forgot to send you these

more pictures from Thamuthafunkin'Zhōngguó

真人靓过上镜

真人靓过上镜 - Zhen ren jing guo shang jing "real person face is better (on top of) than mirror (tv)

This is a compliment you give someone like a movie star when you meet them face to face, to tell them they are more handsome or pretty than on TV. I get it but I don't give a crap for movie stars.

pictures for Grandmama

I have to send pictures of my wedding to my Grandma. I have a book with the glamour photos, and I'll send these too. I'm wearing my Grandfather's shoes in the 'soldier' shot. The date was October 26, gawd did I have an awful hangover October 25.

Jun 28 - lost in the translation

My wife can't speak English. Her BF's husband can't speak Chinese. But he wants to know where his wife is, but her phone ran out of juice. So he asks my wife on MSN. So she asks me to translate, and give her an answer back. So I tell him directly.

June 28 - back

The wifey is back at her place, but has her hands full with Hurricane aka Little Lightning Brandon. She wanted to MSN tomorrow.

I play some of the MSN winks for him. He dances along and copies them. It's a lot of fun.

June 27 - at Hurricane Brandon's

My wife is at her BF's today. Her BF's cousin is there visiting from I don't know where. Jiangxi??

I told my wife to learn some more English while she's waiting for her Guangdong ID. She learns better when I teach her she told me. "LIAR!!!" (no accent) "ac-cusz" (excuse) "Mikael Jackshun" :)

She's wearing those silver earrings I bought her in Thailand again...

I call Bullsh!t

from theStar.com (guess what b!tchez, comments ARE NOT closed, and NOT moderated)
______________

Lesley Ciarula Taylor
Immigration Reporter

Nannies, strippers and farm workers threatened with exploitation in their jobs in Canada would be stopped from coming here at all by legislation introduced by the Conservative government.

The bill, which revives legislation that died when the federal election was called, would give immigration officers the power to say no to people they think are en route to jobs where they will be "at risk or vulnerable,"

Helena Guergis, minister of state for the status of women, said at a news conference in downtown Toronto this morning. The law would give visa officers overseas and immigration officers here the authority to say, "No, you cannot come to work as this person," said Guergis. "We have very skilled immigration officers. There are certain things they can identify" that tip them off when someone asking for a temporary work permit is going to a risky job.

In her role, she said, she knows many of those at risk for exploitation are women.

Guergis described strippers and nannies as among those the law is specifically designed to help. When the bill was originally introduced in 2007, by then-minister Diane Finley who said strippers were the main target.

______________

This is HORSESH!T. Concentrating more power into the hands of one overseer (officer) to adversely affect your life will only make their opportunities to make mistakes and intentional malice greater. Giving more power in decision making to one overseer will only lead to corruption. I've already been told to bribe the immigration officer. (no thanks).

death and taxes

from a blog I read

Death and Taxes

A Sloper pointed out this story from Bloomberg this morning - - former IBM chairman Lou Gerstner is suggesting an 80% tax on short-term trading gains.

Wow, thanks, Lou! Now that he's made his fortune, he doesn't have any problem taxing your hard work, does he?

There seems to be an impression that traders simply stroll out into the market, grab a bunch of cash, and stroll right out. People don't realize how difficult making a buck in a hyper-competitive trading market can be. I would also point out, Lou, that between California's 10% income tax and the Federal rate of about 40%, I'm already giving 50% of my own gains to people who had absolutely nothing to do with it. So, thanks, Lou, but I think 50% is highway robbery enough.

Yep, my taxes pay for that officer that denied my wife, that I never voted for, and the social programs used by other immigrants here that I have nothing to do with.

June 26

talked to my wife at work at 11:00 ish. She was just finishing cleaning. She likes to clean once a week like me, but she takes 5 hours or so. I'm not sure why.

Then we MSN'd last night, (dunno where the screen shot went) and she was asking about the people I went out with from Muay Thai. I told her I was the oldest one there (by a good three years), she thought that was really funny.

I have to call her soon but she might be going to her BF's today. I hate the term BFF. Sounds so empty, contemporary and fake. Nothing stays.

June 25 - June twenty-fif-in'

Called the wifey today. It was raining like here in TO. I told her I have to go back to China to check some production. Last time I was there I took some pictures of her with me at my job, since apparently she doesn't know enough. It's kind of boring to her though.

The earrings she's wearing in the pictures are silver, I bought them for her in Thailand.

June 24

Talked to the wifey. Her sister/father have returned to Guizhou. I told her about why I'm always lurking (offline mode) in MSN. Because people always want to talk to me when I least want to talk. Then when I'm bored, everyone's offline. I explained to her some people want to practice English with me, so of course she asked "Are there girls????" I told her there is one guy I think is a 同志 tóng zhì. Just in time for Pride Week in TO!

Then she taught me how to say bored "无聊" wú liáo. Like when you are bored of a person.

Dominating the News Cycle

Get your War On

Can't find the "dominating the news cycle" video. I wonder if my comments on newspaper X get "moderated..."

June 23

talked to the wifey today, she was getting her father/sister ready to return to Guizhou. She wants to MSN, but on account of Muay Thai today I told her we could tomorrow. MT makes me tired.

random Thailand picture #1

Phucket

June 22

talked to my wife today, only briefly, 4:22 when I looked at my phone. Usually it's ~20 minutes. She was busy with something, and her father/sister are returning to Guizhou by bus tomorrow. They have too much stuff to go by train, and the bus goes directly to Xingqiao (sp?) their hometown.

June 21 - How many fingers?

My wife showed my some coins her father was saving. Supposedly they are rare or something. I don't think collectibles are a good idea. But I gave him some silver bullion (that's right police officers in PVR, I exported money a while ago) so I guess he thinks they are a good idea. Robert Prechter says collectibles are basically a waste of money.

We were having problems with the camera, so I held up fingers for my wife. This always riles her in some way.

She is excited to her Guangzhou id, so she can start her own business with her friend. Something she's wanted to do for a while.

June 19, 20

The father in law is in town. I went to the consultant yesterday and dropped off the list of all the 'men' at the wedding. 264 (284 I forget) men at the wedding. Not including women and children. Her expression was a Chinese 'woah' then she asked for a receipt for the reception, it made me think 'woah! imagine if it was a white wedding.'

My wife likes to bring up 'couple subjects' for discussion in front of her parents. I think it's a Chinese culture thing where you shame the person and supposedly it makes the relationship stronger So I bring up things she doesn't want her parents to know :)

June 16 late (17)

We were supposed to be on at 11. I slept too much. We argued. I don't want to talk about it, but if the f**king Canadian government didn't f**k up the program and she was here by now I guess we could have argued about something else, or maybe nothing at all.

June 17 - Argument!

She wants me to keep my phone near my bed when I'm sleeping. Like her. In China I do, but only so I can check the f**king time!!! I tried to explain to her that I have a clock beside my bed. But I'll have to show her a picture tonight on MSN.

She tried to argue that if she was in trouble and needed to talk to me I must have it near my bed. I told her if she had a big problem call China's 911 (311?) and that my phone is for my convenience, I pay for it, I'll use it how I wish.

June 16

talked to my wife, she did not want to talk long. She got her 'yá' wisdom teeth pulled, from what I can tell.

She wants to MSN but I told her I was going to Muay Thai tonight

June 13 14 weekender

My wife said she could not see my image, so I fixed my webcam and then asked her "how many fingers???" Then for some reason this made her made and she replied "How many fingers?" holding up her middle finger. lol