Caribbean cruises (from Brazil to Bahamas)
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Posted:Mar 26, 2023 2:23 am
Last Updated:Mar 27, 2024 1:13 pm 186420 Views
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I am considering a Caribbean cruises from Brazil to Bahamas for 22 days. I have been to many European countries but never been to South America.
Due to Russia has invaded Ukraine for over a year and don't see peace in sight, Europe is not in peace. So, I decided to see South America for a change.
I had a 36 days solo trip to Italy, in 2018, lots of walking. My Dutch female friend booked Rhine & Moselle rivers cruise and both of us paid in full in Nov 2018, a few days after I returned to the USA from Italy. The original river cruise was in July 2020. Then the pandemic spread to the world in January 2020. The travel agency postponed twice for the river trip. Finally, I traveled solo (the Dutch woman fell down) to 6 European countries. I felt cruise is good that I don't need to drag luggage to different hotels. My luggage stayed in my cabin, while we had less land sightseeing walking during the day. The breakfast, lunch and dinner all provided on the ship. It was an enjoyable experience eating the delicious French cuisine (Foie gras, Crème Brulee) and seeing beautiful scenery at same time.
With these two reasons, I am thinking to join Caribbean cruise (from Brazil to Bahamas). The weather is good there and people are very passionate. Brazil is famous in BBQ various meats. Brazilians speak Portuguese instead of Spanish.
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Bank crisis, not again
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Posted:Mar 19, 2023 2:31 am
Last Updated:Mar 27, 2024 12:50 pm 170941 Views
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You probably heard the recent "bank failure" from news. It took me for a while to figure out those banks problems. My bank CEO/Chairman passed away in January 2022 (a year ago), so I can't ask him the reasons for those banks failed.
Those banks included SVB (Silicon Valley Bank in Silicon Valley, Calif), Signature Bank, FRC (First Republic Bank in San Francisco) and CS (Credit Swisse a global investment bank in Switzerland).
We all knew that there were many banks bankrupted due to sub-prime loans in 2008 when I was in China for 8 days/6 nights, my banker friend emailed me from the USA said the banks were not leading loans. We witnessed the Lehman Brothers collapsed, Indymac Bank bankrupted on July 11, 2008, and many banks had to be bought by big banks. such as JP Morgan (JPM) bought Washington Mutual, Bank of America (BAC) bought Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo (WFC) bought Wachovia, Fannie Mac (FNM) & Freddie Mac (FRE) – de-listed on 6/17/2010, ..... In 2008, people couldn't pay monthly mortgage payments on time, so they dumped houses to the lender banks. The banks wanted the borrowers to pay payments but not to foreclose their houses. My banker friend told me to buy houses in cash. Lucky me that someone in Taiwan wanted to buy my mom's house in Taiwan. Because my mom was weak to walk (in wheelchair) due to arthritis. I got the "Power of Attorney" to represent her and went back to Taiwan to sell our family house in Taiwan. I wired back the sold proceeds to the USA in my mom account in 2011. I asked my banker friend how to invest. He said buy rental properties in Las Vegas, so I bought 5 properties with my mom sold proceeds in 2011. My mom passed in Sept 2013. I inherited her properties.
I am a pharmacist, don't know much about "Finance" but I remember my banker friend's advice. I have NEVER invested in Bond market, but I invest in stocks.
From recent news, I learned Silicon Valley Bank failed within 48 hours. I read the news said banks use the depositors money to invest. SVB bought lots of Bonds when the interest rate was very low. Recently SVB sold its stock and Bonds and lost of billions of money. Higher inflation often results in higher interest rates. Persistently elevated inflation altered the landscape for bond investors. If interest rates move higher, stock investors become more reluctant to bid up stock prices because the value of future earnings looks less. so, SVB had "double whammy"雙重災難；禍不單行;
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Axis of Evil 邪惡軸心國
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Posted:Feb 10, 2023 8:16 am
Last Updated:Mar 27, 2024 12:36 pm 173845 Views
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U.S. President George W. Bush and originally referred to Iran, Iraq, and North Korea. It was used in Bush's State of the Union address on January 29, 2002, less than 5 months after the 9/11 attacks, and often repeated throughout his presidency.
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20 years later, the ‘Axis of Evil’ is bigger, bolder — and more evil that includes China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as the primary belligerents. China has by far the largest army in the world, 2 million personnel, roughly 50% more than the U.S. China also has the largest navy in the world, 777 vessels (as of 2020). Russia has 603 and the USA 490. The largest navy doesn’t mean the most powerful. The World Population Review points out that the U.S. Department of Defense counts the relevant vessels differently and claims China has 355 ships and the United States 293. But the United States still has more high-value ships, such as aircraft carriers, than China. Even so, one wonders why China needs the largest army and navy in the world if its intentions are peaceful.
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All above mentioned "Axis of Evil" countries possess Nuclear bombs. Those countries leaders are dictator 獨裁者.
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Chinese spy balloon flies over the United States sky
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Posted:Feb 4, 2023 1:19 am
Last Updated:Mar 27, 2024 2:55 pm 168708 Views
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A Chinese spy balloon has been flying over the USA for a couple of days, U.S. officials said on 2/2/2023, in what would be a brazen act just days ahead of a planned trip to Beijing by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Mr. Blinken has announced on 2/3/2023 that he will postpone his visit to China which originally scheduled to departure in the evening.
Fighter jets were mobilized, but military leaders advised President Joe Biden against shooting the balloon out of the sky for fear debris could pose a safety threat, advice Biden accepted, U.S. officials said.
The U.S. took "custody" of the balloon when it entered U.S. airspace and had observed it with piloted U.S. military aircraft, one of the officials told reporters on condition of anonymity.
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18 US Congressmen calling for Normalized ties w/ Taiwan
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Posted:Jan 27, 2023 4:01 am
Last Updated:Sep 8, 2024 10:44 am 170269 Views
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Congressmen Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry introduced a bill that called for the U.S. to abandon the "one China policy," resume formal relations with Taiwan, and begin negotiations on a U.S.-Taiwan free trade agreement. Over the past nine months, the bill has gained 16 additional cosponsors, all of whom are Republicans thus far.
In addition to Tiffany and Perry, the cosponsors include Doug LaMalfa, Debbie Lesko, Diana Harshbarger, Nicole Malliotakis, Scott DesJarlais, Gregory W. Steube, Ralph Norman, Lisa McClain, Glenn Grothman, Kat Cammack, Tracey Mann, Marry Miller, Ronny Jackson, Louie Gohmert, and Brian Babin. Tiffany's office on Monday (Dec. 6) notified Taiwan News that Representative Tom McClintock will also co-sponsor the bill.
Tiffany's spokesperson suggested that this shows "growing support for a change in U.S.-Taiwan policy on Capitol Hill." The congressman's representative said that Tiffany has been reaching out to members directly to gain support for the resolution.
He noted that all the cosponsors are currently Republicans but stressed that the congressman is seeking to reach out to Democrats with the hopes of making the effort bipartisan next year.
In a tweet posted on Dec. 3, Tiffany wrote that the "Carter-era 'one China policy' is dishonest and outdated." He said that it is time for the U.S. to lead by example and "recognize Taiwan as a free and independent nation."
He added that the U.S. does not need a "permission slip from China" to engage in normal relations with "our friends and allies."
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Sen. Young: ‘Every member of Congress should visit Taiwan’
KEVIN McCARTHY promised to retrace NANCY PELOSI’s steps and visit the island nation once he became speaker.
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Paxlovid - treatment for COVID-19
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Posted:Dec 28, 2022 11:45 pm
Last Updated:Feb 1, 2023 6:24 am 171702 Views
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As we all know from the news that CCP announced to reopen China on January 8, 2023 while China has severe COVID -19 spreading that worse than since 2020 for 3 years. I am a retired California licensed pharmacist, so I would like to introduce a new medicine called "Paxlovid".
Paxlovid is the latest COVID-19 treatment that’s been all over the news. The drug was granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December for anyone ages 12 and older who weighs at least 88 pounds, and is at high risk for severe disease.
Paxlovid (the brand name for the drug, which is made up of two generic medications—Nirmatrelvir and Ritonavir) isn’t the only pill available to treat COVID-19. Paxlovid developed by Pfizer, has a lot of positives: It had an 89% reduction in the risk of hospitalization and death in unvaccinated people in the clinical trial that supported the EUA, a number that was high enough to prompt the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to prioritize it over other COVID-19 treatments.
Paxlovid consists of two separate medications packaged together. When you take your three-pill dose, two of those pills will be Nirmatrelvir, which inhibits a key enzyme that the COVID virus requires in order to make functional virus particles. After Nirmatrelvir treatment, the COVID virus that is released from the cells is no longer able to enter uninfected cells in the body, which, in turn, stops the infection.
The other is Ritonavir, a drug that was once used to treat HIV/AIDS but is now used to boost levels of antiviral medicines. As a COVID-19 treatment, Ritonavir essentially shuts down Nirmatrelvir’s metabolism in the liver, so that it doesn’t move out of your body as quickly, which means it can work longer—giving it a boost to help fight the infection.
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Coup d'etat (政變)
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Posted:Nov 28, 2022 6:45 pm
Last Updated:Jan 27, 2023 4:15 am 177880 Views
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There are four dictators in 4 countries that possess "Nuclear Bombs". They threatened the world. Russia invaded Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022, it has been 9 months. I hardly could watch the buildings, people, in many cities in Ukraine have been destroyed. I can't understand why Putin wants to have more lands more atrocities. Putin has threatened Europe to cut their Natural Gas, Crude Oil, and agricultural products. Putin wants to become USSR and the world's largest country again. Everyone thought Russia was the 2nd largest military in the world, but for the past 9 months, we all witnessed Russia's military force is very old and weak.
As China, Xi pipe dream to be the emperor of the world because China became the 2nd largest economy country. Little does he knows, it is the USA made them rich because U.S. former president Jimmy Carter wanted use Chinese cheap labor and vast population (1.4 billion people). At that time Mao just passed away and Mao made China poverty from 3 years "Great Famine" and a decade of "Cultural Revolution". Let alone the Tienanmen Square Massacre in Beijing in 1989, Only one policy, and Hong Kong suppression of protestors in 2019.
Xi was elementary school graduated and due to the Cultural Revolution, he moved with his father to remote area worked as farmer. There were no school opened during a decade, so Xi didn't have Jr. High or High school education. When Deng became the successor of Mao, Deng made education level lower that anyone who at the ages of college could enter college or University. That's why Xi could go to Beijing University without Jr. High/High school education. That's why Xi couldn't speak English and wants the whole world speak Chinese when he becomes an emperor.
Xi was lucky in 2012 to become a Chinese leader for a decade (2 terms). In China, they don't have Presidential Election by the Chinese citizen over 18 yrs old. They have a system that a meeting with 2340 CCP members to raise their hands to pass the election (it is not an anonymous vote). Xi changed the system that he can have 3rd term after two terms, he even can have 4th, 5th, ... till he dies. Wow,
In January of 2020, a Coronavirus started in Wuhan City and spread to the world, millions people died. However, in Western world especially in the USA, we have mRNA vaccine by Pfizer and Moderna that prevented majority of U.S. citizens from the pandemic. I have had two vaccines and one booster shot by Pfizer. However, China is proud not to use foreign country vaccine and have the Chinese people drink some kind of herbal medicine which is not working. Xi ordered to have "Lockdown", "Zero-tolerance", and Nucleic Acid amplification testing. They control the people's cellular phone # with Red, Yellow and Green colors. They weld people's doors to prevent them to go out. They built thousands of "Mobile cabin hospitals but without doctors or nurses to take care of sick people. So, the negative and positive people locked and mix together. Many tragedies happened, people starve to dead, jumped out the tall buildings, emergency cases couldn't go to hospitals or pregnant woman delivered her babies outside of hospital. The prices of food become sky-high that people can't afford them. Many ridiculous things such as goats have to wear masks, Covid test for vegetable, fish, even car engine.
Make long story short. The last Straw that broke the camel's back is a fire in a building in Wulumuiqi Road in Xinjiang burned from 15th floor to 21st floor that caused 10 death and 9 injured (according to CCP official said, but local people said 44 people died) that triggered people's anger that they have been lock-downed for over 100 days. The fire engine couldn't reached to the location. Those cars parked on streets, engines have been frozen and couldn't started. The local citizen's doors have been locked from outside and couldn't opened so people have been burned to dead.
People couldn't tolerate the Xi's "Zero Tolerance policy", lock-down for months. There are many providences from 103 colleges and universities students raised blank white paper up in the air to protest CCP.. People are outrageous shouting "Down with CCP" and "Xi Jin-Ping step down". 反清零抗議行動, 白紙革命, 不要核酸要自由!, 解封全国, 要民主法治, 習近平下台, 共產黨下台,烏魯木齊一場大火燒出中國人民對習近平的不滿 反封控示威活動遍地開花高喊:不要核酸要自由!
Photo 1. Blank White Paper protest
Photo 2. Beijing banner protester lauded as China's new Tank Man, or 'Bridge Man'
Photo 3. Chairman Xi Jinping 习近平 and Premier Li Keqiang 李克强, left, look on as former president Hu Jintao 胡锦涛, is escorted away.
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My best friend, a bank CEO/Chairman passed away
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Posted:Sep 28, 2022 10:23 pm
Last Updated:Mar 27, 2024 2:34 pm 188089 Views
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I have known to a Caucasian banker CEO/Chairman from Yahoo Personals (that online dating site closed long time ago) since late May 2006. He was a Real Estate mogul that he own houses in San Marino, in Brentwood (the city O.J. Simpson murdered his ex-wife and a waiter) and 2 houses in Santa Monica. His divorce in 1997, his ex-wife got the Brentwood house that almost 1 acre (with swimming pool and tennis court) and one house in Santa Monica. He was like Trump, very good in Real Estate investment, he didn't believe in "Global Warming, Climate Change". I don't like Trump's personality and attitude.
On the first date in June 2006, he told me his story. He got married to his High-School Sweetheart on a day after high school graduation. Both of them were 18 in Washington DC. I said "you were too young". He smiled and said "I thought I could concur the world". On the 3rd date, he invited me to dinner. He told me he had two biological daughters, but the 3rd is adopted. He met a Mexican couple with ten at church, the 9th was 18 months old but couldn't speak a word, such as Papa, or Mama. They couldn't afford to take the baby to see doctor. So, my banker friend took the baby to see doctors and the diagnosis was "Autism". The banker officially adopted the baby to live with his family. The Autism girl became normal as they treated her as their own. His story touched my heart.
For the old bloggers on Chinese FriendFinder know that I mentioned this banker CEO many times. I don't believe that he passed away in January this year. I lost my best friend for 16 years. He was 74 years old. He and I exchanged more than 10 thousand emails, hundred of phone calls, text messages. The last email he wrote to me was January 10, 2022 when the TV discussed about Trump encouraged his followers went to Capitol Hills and had a riot (insurrection). It's hard for me to know he passed away 2 days later.
I was wondering he didn't email me for the past 8 months. I Googled his name and city he lived and found out from "Obituary" online that my banker friend passed away. I am sad.
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Summary of my Rhine and Moselle rivers cruise
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Posted:Jun 1, 2022 10:08 am
Last Updated:Nov 8, 2022 2:42 pm 219902 Views
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I have waited for 3.5 years finally got on board. All others also waited about 3 years because nobody predicted the pandemic spread to Europe in 2020 that kept this trip postponed. The travel agency arranged my air ticket from LAX to Amsterdam, Netherlands airport and waited for 3 hrs then went on another smaller plane to Basel, Switzerland for an hour on air. Basel is where the company's ship moored. All 143 passengers are from the USA that originally 166 people (some died). I travel solo, the Dutch woman fell down a week before Thanksgiving, so I cooked turkey dinner and delivered to her apartment. She couldn't go to this trip. I have been arranged in a single cabin.
Most of time the ship moved at night and we can go on land for city visit (museums, churches, cathedral, winery, shopping, ....). Europe streets, roads, are cobblestone paved, so you need to prepare a soft but thick pad shoes. I had blisters on my toes, ouch! it hurts. I didn't go on shore twice because my painful knee and hurting blisters. For these 15 days, no Chinese could be seen either airport, city streets, ships, ... because the lockdown and ban Chinese to travel. It is unlike I went to Australia and New Zealand in 2015 and Italy in 2018, plenty of Chinese could be seen.
Let me tell you my most enjoyment on ship is "French cuisine". Every time you sat at the table, the waiters will bring the Red wine (Pinot noir), White wine, or Pink wine for your choice. You also can ask for coffee, Coke, Diet-Coke, orange juice for your beverage. For breakfast, you can walk to the salad bar to get what you want that includes Salmon fish, a chef can prepare your egg cooking as you wish, Omelet, Sunny side up, Easy cook, vegetable, fruit, cereal, juice, milk, ... etc.
Lunch has 4 courses. Help yourself to get Salad as 1st course. The 2nd course is crab Consommé 【法】清燉肉湯 (soup) of your choice, 3rd is main course - beef, Veal loin 小牛外腰肉, pork, chicken, duck meat, Trout, Salmon, Halibut, ... The chef cook precisely tender meat. Although the quantity is small but the quality is excellent. Yummy in my tummy. If you are vegetarian, there are choice without meat. The 4 course is desert: Strawberry ice cream is always on the list but there are famous French desert Crème Brulee, can be on the list. Some boring Americans had various cheese of their choice as dessert.
Dinner has up to 6 courses. I am in heaven with dinner. Once you got the wine, the waiter will bring you Amuse-Bouche as 1st course. The 2nd is Appetizer - sometimes has Salmon Tatar/Avocado/Onions/Capers/Caviar Cream. Delicious!! The 3rd course is Intermediate Course -Truffle Risotto/Pan Seared Sea Scallops/Parsley oil. It is out of this world. The 4th course is Sherbet - Lemon Sherbet/Sparkling wine or Grape Sherbet. The 5th course is Main Course - sometimes is Foie gras, or slice of Double cut Striploin Steak/ Sause Perigord carve vegetables/port wine Shallots/ Potato macaire. The 6th course is Dessert: Sometimes can be famous Italian dessert: Tiramisu. Baked Alaska "River Splendor" Chocolate sauce/ Fruit coulis.
There are soup chef, main course chef, dessert chef, ... for their specialties.
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Rhine and Moselle rivers cruise for 15 days
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Posted:May 6, 2022 8:21 am
Last Updated:Jul 12, 2022 3:35 pm 221713 Views
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My Rhine and Moselle rivers cruise will start from May 15 to May 30 that includes 6 countries (Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Luxembourg, France and Belgium).
I have paid in full in Nov 2018 just when I returned from Italy. A Dutch woman who loves to travel booked this cruise trip for July 2020 Oberammergau Passion play that in every decade, such as 2010, 2020, 2030, .... This Dutch woman is very Catholic religious 84 y/o now. When she invited me to book this cruise in Nov 2018, I was still in "jet lag" from 36 days Italy trip. I didn't understand what she said on phone "Oberammergau", but I said Okay to go on the trip with her. Then Covid-19 pandemic spread to Europe, USA and to the whole world in 2020. We cancelled the trip for a year because the travel agency won't refund but only postpone the trip or give future credit voucher. By May 2021, we both received emails that travel agency postponed again to May 2022. This Dutch woman fell down a week before Thanksgiving day in 2021. She decided not to go in 2022 with me and got her travel voucher.
She called the travel agency with three-way phone conversation. I decided to go solo in 2022 and she stays in the USA for future trip.
Reminder: European countries operate on a 220 standard voltage supply, there are two associated plug types: C and F. On board our ship, there are 110 V outlets, but when traveling or staying in hotels, you will need an adapter. Please bring one with you. It has 2 round pins. Europe socket adapter is different from U.S. or Australia/New Zealand.
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