Clipmarks | BobbyDelray's 'china' clips

Measuring the China Earthquake’s Magnitude

Mon, 12 May 2008 19:37:55 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

A map of the earthquake-affected region, with red representing the greatest intensity. (Courtesy U.S. Geological Survey)

“Whether it’s a magnitude of 7.5, 7.6, 7.7 is not nearly as important as the fact that it’s near a population,” David Wald, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo.

The magnitude does, however, convey vital information about a quake. It indicates the size of the fault,

it indicates the amount of movement, called slip

These magnitude estimates are more properly called moment magnitude

To make its estimates, USGS relies on its stations and those from other countries that participate in the Global Seismographic Network.

“You could have a 6.8 magnitude earthquake in the wrong place and suffer extreme damage,” Dr. Wald said. “When you have a larger earthquake, though, you increase the odds [of significant damage].”

Engineering wonder, world's longest sea-crossing bridge (China)

Tue, 06 May 2008 04:04:16 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: Commute reduced from 4 hours to 2 hours. Impressive.

Clip Source: blogs.usatoday.com

The world's longest sea-crossing bridge opened in China just a few days ago, an engineering wonder designed to cut in half the travel time between Shanghai and the key port of Ningbo — from four hours to about two. But as with many/most traffic projects, planners just couldn't factor in the variables of one confounding element: humans.

Since the Hangzhou Bay Bridge opened Friday, traffic has doubled.

"I just wanted to drive a bit slowly and enjoy the sea breeze. Is that wrong?" one driver complained, according to Zhejiang Online

Clip Source: www.roadtraffic-technology.com

The 36km-long Hangzhou Bay Bridge is a six-lane highway bridge and the longest ocean-crossing bridge in the world.

The service island at the middle of the Hangzhou Bay Bridge serves as a sightseeing location for drivers and can also support rescue services.

"Designed for 100 years of service life, the bridge has speed limits of 100km/h for the main spans and 120km/h for land approaches."

Chinese researcher explains why humans love pandas

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:22:59 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: blogs.usatoday.com

When NPR visited the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China, the broadcaster asked one of the scientists why these black and white bears are so popular with humans.

"Because they make you smile!" Zhang Zhihe, a leading panda researcher, tells NPR.

Watch the video. Did you smile?

[Video]

Clip Source: blogs.usatoday.com

This photo of two newborn panda cubs was taken Monday at the China Panda Protection and Research Center by China Daily via Reuters.

Their mother, an 8-year-old giant panda named Huamei, was born in the United States. She has given birth to three sets of twins since she returned to China in 2004.

Emerging Market Oil Use Exceeds U.S. as Prices Rise

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:50:26 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: www.bloomberg.com

China, India, Russia and the Middle East for the first time will consume more crude oil than the U.S., burning 20.67 million barrels a day this year, an increase of 4.4 percent, according to the International Energy Agency in Paris. U.S. demand will contract 2 percent to 20.38 million barrels daily, the IEA says.

Economic growth of more than 8 percent in China and India, coupled with increasing car ownership among the countries' combined populations of 2.45 billion people, will more than compensate for falling U.S. demand

U.S. pump prices have followed crude oil higher. Regular gasoline, averaged nationwide, rose 2.7 cents to a record $3.445 on April 18, according to AAA, the nation's largest motorist organization. In the U.K. a gallon of gasoline cost $7.99 on average on March 31, according the Automotive Association.

Skype to sell unlimited international calls for $9.95/month

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 04:43:03 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: hosted.ap.org

Skype, the Internet calling subsidiary of eBay Inc., is introducing its first plan for unlimited calls to overseas phones on Monday.

The plan will allow unlimited calls to land-line phones in 34 countries for $9.95 per month, said Don Albert, vice president and general manager for Skype North America.

The countries encompassed include most of Europe, plus Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Malaysia.

Calls to domestic land lines and cell phones are included as well, as are calls to cell phones in Canada, China, Hong Kong and Singapore, but not cell phones in other countries.

Skype has already been selling unlimited calls to the U.S. and Canada for $3 a month.

Tags: skype

China Confirms It’s the Source of Heparin Contaminant

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:59:59 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: We really need to address this issues with China. Is profit worth what we are doing to our children and now adult population?

Clip Source: blogs.wsj.com

China’s State Food and Drug Agency has confirmed that the contaminant in Baxter’s heparin was introduced in China, Bloomberg reports.

What’s more, the contaminant — called over-sulfated chondroitin sulfate — probably entered the drug pretty far up the supply chain. Scientific Protein Laboratories said the modified chondroitin was in the raw heparin they bought in China, then processed into the active pharmaceutical ingredient to sell to Baxter. The chondroitin probably didn’t come from pigs, and may have been used to meet production targets when more than 250,000 Chinese pigs were hit by a runaway infection, the Chicago Tribune reports. It wasn’t detected by SPL’s tests.

Chondroitin sulfate is “abundant and cheap,” according to an FDA official quoted by the WSJ. It typically comes from animal cartilage.

The modified chondroitin would clump together with real heparin in a way that would make the contaminant tough to spot in typical screening tests

Baxter’s heparin, now off the market

Tags: china, heparin, baxter, chondroitin

The Water Cube Unveiled (China)

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 04:55:37 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: Looks awesome.

Clip Source: news.xinhuanet.com

Photo taken on Jan. 28, 2008 shows the exterior view of the National Aquatics Center also known as "Water Cube" in Beijing. The National Aquatic Center was delivered for use on Monday after four years of construction. (Xinhua Photo/Luo Xiaoguang)

Clip Source: www.chinadaily.com.cn

Clip Source: www.plasticsnews.com

Clip Source: www.tropolism.com

Wacky in a way only state-sponsored architecture can be is the National Swimming Center in Beijing, going up right next to another of H&DM's stadiums (no, not this one). The center is enclosed by what appears to be a wall whose structure is an irregular spaceframe (made to resemble the cellular pattern of soap bubbles) and is clad in what appears to be a frosted or patterened glass. All of this from a wonderful photo gallery at Structurae. The building was conceived by Australian-based PTW Architects. Structural design by Arup, of course.

Clip Source: www.sportsvenue-technology.com

Clip Source: images.google.com

Tags: china, water cube, olympics, national aquatics center

Oil Hits $100 a Barrel for the First Time

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 18:17:24 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: $102 equals all time inflation adjusted price.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Oil prices rose above the symbolic level of $100 a barrel for the first time on Wednesday, a long-awaited milestone in an era of rapidly escalating energy demand.

The rise in oil prices in recent years has been driven by an unprecedented surge in demand from the United States, China and other Asian and Middle Eastern countries. Booming economies have led to more consumption of oil-derived products such as gasoline, jet-fuel and diesel. Meanwhile, new oil supplies have struggled to catch up.

Oil is now within reach of its historic inflation-adjusted high reached in April 1980 in the aftermath of the Iranian revolution when oil prices jumped to the equivalent of $102 a barrel in today’s money.

Unlike the oil shocks of the 1970s and 1980s, which were caused by sudden interruptions in oil supplies from the Middle East, today’s surge is fundamentally different.

Prices have risen steadily over several years because of a rise in demand for oil and gasoline

Tags: oil, price, record, inflation

Dumbest Business of 2007

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:57:18 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: See this one, Jessica Simpson and others by following the link.

Clip Source: money.aol.com

Made (Badly) in China

Grand Prize Winner

During 2007, Mattel recalls almost 20 million items made in China because of lead paint and tiny magnets. Pet food makers recall more than 360 million cans of tainted food from China. Chinese-made lunch boxes given away to promote healthy eating among children are found to contain lead. And so on ... and so on ... and so on.

· See More China Messes

Tags: toys, china, mattel, lunch boxes

Clinton digs in on toxic toys after China's 'slander' charge

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 16:41:39 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: afp.google.com

Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton Friday slammed China for calling her criticism of made-in-China toys "slander," and urged Washington to take "immediate, decisive steps" to protect US children.

"This is the same government that just this month revoked the licenses of more than 750 of its toy companies because of quality control problems and ordered another 690 to renovate or improve their facilities, even as it asserted that 99 percent of toy exports met quality standards," Clinton said in her statement.

"And the Chinese government's watchdog agency reported earlier this year that 20 percent of the toys made and sold in China pose safety risks. That is unacceptable."

Clinton also took up China's claim that the majority of problems with Chinese toy exports were due to "design faults by (foreign) importers and designers."

China is the world's top toy exporter, selling 22 billion toys overseas last year, or 60 percent of the globe's total.

Tags: clinton, toxic toys, china 'slander' charge

China not fighting off e-waste nightmare

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 03:51:30 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

The air smells acrid from the squat gas burners that sit outside homes, melting wires to recover copper and cooking computer motherboards to release gold. Migrant workers in filthy clothes smash picture tubes by hand to recover glass and electronic parts, releasing as much as 6.5 pounds of lead dust.

For five years, environmentalists and the media have highlighted the danger to Chinese workers who dismantle much of the world's junked electronics. Yet a visit to this southeastern Chinese town regarded as the heartland of "e-waste" disposal shows little has improved. In fact, the problem is growing worse because of China's own contribution.

China now produces more than 1 million tons of e-waste each year

"Most e-waste in China comes from overseas, but the amount of domestic e-waste is on the rise," he said.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, it is ten times cheaper to export e-waste than to dispose of it at home.

Tags: e waste, china, environment, junked electronics

What's in Ned's Head

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:55:26 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: Two questions. Would you buy this game as a gift? Would you check first to see if it was manufactured in China?

Clip Source: www.drugstore.com

It's the wacky, silly, icky, sticky game of gross-out fun.

Each player is dealt a card with a picture of a really gross item on it and they must find it by sticking their hands into Ned's head and feeling around for it without looking.

Will you have to find Ned's lab rat or his used cotton swab full of ear wax? How about the giant ant or the slimy visiting alien? Whatever it is, if you pick the right item, you win that round, if you don't, it's back into Ned's head you go.

Tags: gross, ned's, head, game, toy, china, smart, clips, poll

Dalai Lama and Debakey Get Congressional Gold Medal.

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 16:38:30 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: blogs.usatoday.com

USA TODAY's David Jackson reports that President Bush will welcome the Dalai Lama to the White House this afternoon, and China is not happy about it.

China has protested the meeting and is threatening to walk out on talks about new sanctions against Iran. (Here's a story from today's paper about the controversy.)

Fratto said, "we understand the concerns of the Chinese." But he also said the secrecy of today's meeting is not a response to Chinese criticism, noting that Bush will attend the ceremony on Wednesday at which the Dalai Lama receives the Congressional Gold Medal.

Update at 10:30 a.m. ET: USA TODAY's Catalina Camia tells us that Bush just signed legislation that bestows the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor on Dr. Michael Ellis Debakey, a physician who specializes in cardiovascular surgery and helped develop the Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals that saved thousands of lives and provided a premise for the M.A.S.H. television show.

Tags: debakey, dalai lama, congressional gold medal., bush, chinese

Man dead after three-day Internet gaming binge

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:56:04 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: blogs.usatoday.com

State-run media report that a man died Saturday after three days of non-stop gaming at an Internet cafe in Guangzhou, China.

"Paramedics tried to revive him but failed and he was declared dead at the cafe," Beijing News says, according to the Associated Press. The Chinese paper theorizes that the 30-year-old man "died from exhaustion brought on by too many hours on the Internet."

Tags: internet, gaming, binge

China Continues to Export Inflation

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 16:19:27 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: Is this going to lead to an inflation tsunami down the road. My vote? Yes.

Clip Source: blogs.wsj.com

Prices of U.S. imports from China rose 0.3% in August, the fourth consecutive monthly rise of at least that magnitude, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this morning. Before May, they had never risen by more than 0.2% in one month since publication of the data began in December, 2003. The increase came in a month when total import prices fell 0.3%, or 0.1% excluding oil.

China’s shift from source of deflation to source of inflation appears to reflect a strengthening Chinese currency, upward pressures on wages and other costs there, and rising prices of energy and commodities used to make many Chinese goods.

Prices of imports from China are up 1.1% from a year earlier, the BLS said. Total import prices are up 1.9%,or 1.5% excluding oil. – Greg Ip

Tags: china, export, import, inflation, labor statistics, deflation, currency, wages, costs