I second the sick fucks option haha
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I second the sick fucks option haha
Bump!
I think TIC is the right place for this oddball business story about how Chinese interests are not just buying up famous lots of French bordeaux wines, and driving their prices into quadruple digits in the process, but are starting to hoover up whole chateaux. Maybe that's what pink Lambo girl was doing at Carrefour -- laying in supplies of French wine.
:goodtime:
Quote:
Bloomberg BusinessWeek
EATING AND DRINKING February 8, 2011, 10:00AM EST
China Buys Bordeaux Chateaux, Wine as 2008 Vintage Hits Shelves
With the unreleased 2010 vintage looking to be a blockbuster, 2008 Bordeaux may be last price/quality buy for a while
By Elin McCoy
A blizzard threatened the New York arrival of nearly 100 Bordeaux chateau owners who were eager to show off their 2008 vintage, now bottled and soon to appear on retail shelves.
They, and the wines, made it and tales of hours on airport tarmacs mixed with wine talk as I sipped and spat the 100-plus reds and whites at the annual Union des Grands Crus tasting at New York's Metropolitan Pavilion just over a week ago.
Many owners are already touting the greatness of 2010 and suggest 2008 may be Bordeaux's last price/quality buy.
I've heard that about other vintages, but this time it just might be true — at least until the Chinese start hoovering up these wines. After all, 2008 Chateau Lafite, that country's favorite label, has skyrocketed from $600 to nearly $2,000 a bottle in the past year, riding Chinese demand.
Even in barrel, the 2008s were a surprise, much better than anyone expected.
"It was a cold vintage, and at the end of August we thought it was all over for the reds," said spiffily suited Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier as he splashed wine in my glass. "Luckily September and October were so nice we could wait for real ripeness before picking. I have never harvested so late."
What's tough for reds can be good for whites, and Domaine de Chevalier's rare white ($95) definitely deserves five stars.
While the reds are inconsistent, the best showed plenty of finesse and fruity charm, though not the concentration and ageability of the great 2005s and tannic 2009s.
Think of the 2008s as classic, medium-weight Bordeaux. (I kept writing the words 'appetizing,' 'balanced,' 'savory' in my notes.)
RIGHT PRICE
The prices are right with many wines, cheaper than any other good vintage on the market. Most of the still-in-barrel 2009s cost a third to half more, don't arrive until 2012, and won't be ready to drink for at least a decade.
The delicious Chateau Cantemerle is $25 while Domaine de Chevalier's very solid red is $50. From Saint-Emilion, I like lush, ripe Figeac ($90), a steal considering its '09 goes for $250. From Saint-Julien my picks are plummy, silky Lagrange ($35) and dark, rich, smooth Leoville Barton ($60). In Margaux, my favorite is fragrant, tender, elegant Rauzan-Segla ($70).
As usual, Pauillac's Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron ($80) has power and finesse, but the star of the tasting is the ripe, layered Pichon Lalande ($110).
As Gary Boom, managing director of London-based merchant Bordeaux Index puts it, "The '08s are the hottest ticket right now. You can get two cases of 2008 Pichon Lalande for the price of a decent handbag."
STAGGERING 2009S
The first growths, already soaring in price, and a few other top chateaux don't deign to pour in these group tastings.
When 2008 futures went on sale in summer 2009 in the middle of the recession, top names sold because they were very fairly priced, says Chris Adams, president of New York's Sherry- Lehmann.
There was a serious uptick last fall after the staggering 2009 futures prices were released, making the 2008s look positively cheap by comparison.
Now, the costs of 2008s vary widely, as much as $600 and more a case. That's thanks to currency fluctuations and the fact that each time retailers buy more, they pay a higher price. Paul Favale Jr., vice president of negociant and importer Joanne Bordeaux USA, points out that retail prices can be lower than wholesale, depending on when a retailer purchased the wine. Caveat emptor.
Asia largely stayed out of the 2008 futures game, with only a few top labels in demand, said Boom, whose company maintains an office in Hong Kong. Besides the first growths, a handful excite interest.
'DRAGON BOAT'
Chateau Angelus is known as 'kin chung,' the golden bell, after the symbol on the wine's label, an association that boosts its sales, explained co-owner Jean-Bernard Grenie.
Chateau Beychevelle is called 'dragon boat' because its label features a boat with a gryffon. Calon Segur, with a heart on its label, is often given as a token of affection.
Now that 2008 is being released in bottle "and the wine is physical," Boom thinks another 20 to 50 labels will sell in China, pushing prices higher. He reports sales to Asia of second growths like Pichon Baron went up 35 percent over the past year.
Besides embracing the wine, the Chinese are snapping up Bordeaux estates. UK wine magazine Decanter reported last week that Cofco, a Beijing-based grain and food company owned by the government, has just bought Chateau Viaud, a small property in Lalande-de-Pomerol, as part of a bigger business deal.
That's the third Chinese chateau purchase in the past two years, and more are said to be in the works.
After 2008 and 2009, will any buyers invest in the 2010s, supposedly another 'vintage of the century?' I'll report on whether the buzz on quality is justified in April, after the annual en primeur tastings.
"I always prefer to have the problem of how to sell really great wine," said Sherry-Lehmann's Adams.
We'll see.
Elin McCoy writes on wine and spirits for Muse, the arts and leisure section of Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are her own.
Speaking of Lamborghinis, am I the only one who missed this little story from Qingdao back in March?
http://content.topgear.com/sledge.jpg
Yes, to voice his anger at the poor service performance of his Lambo Gallardo, this mental midget f*ckwit hired a bunch of 97-pound weaklings to destroy it. Watch the video (if your grandma-buster permits), and you'll see the little Lambo is pretty f*cking tough. I know some guys with grinders who'd have had that car looking like macaroni within minutes...
Oh, and this was done to mark World Consumer Day. Should have been World Bloody F*cking Moron Day.
(Just happened to see this on the topgear page that Jape posted.)
cheers
This person bought the car for status…then destroyed it to again gain status by treating it as disposable. It’s all very decadent and I would say not all people would see that….80% does not see it for what it is 20% does. It’s the 80/20 rule and things go horribly wrong when the 80% get either wealth and or power. The Chinese died to overcome decadence and it has come back around.
The only people that should own a Lamborghini are people that have a passion for them, if they have that then they deal with all the trial and tribulations. I wonder if the car choked on the poor oil and gasoline offered in china? I wonder if it failed do to the unenthusiastic Chinese mechanics or maybe they intentionally screwed with the mans car because he was so childish and demanding?
The only lesson is what for consumer day? How to be an overtly demanding delusional childish consumer? The attempt to make Lamborghini look bad bounced right back into the owners face I would say, he made himself or herself look like total ass hole.
This video was great! Super Mario Bros working on Lamborghini xDDDDD
MJH, couldn't have been commented any better as you did +1Quote:
Originally Posted by MJH
TIC. Ride safe! Pal
Sperm collecting machine: Chinese innovation at its best.....
I have no doubt that Chinese inventors will soon rule the world. Don't believe me? Some wonderful company in Jiangsu has apparently invented a sperm collecting machine. Great! With this machine, now sperm banks around the world no longer need to get donors to "do it yourself". The machine boasts of a cylinder pump which they say feels like a vajayjay inside. Like it tighter? Looser? Faster? Slower? All of that, and the height of the pump itself is adjustable. There's also a screen that can play you your favourite porn in a wide variety of file formats while the machine pumps the baby batter out of you. This machine is supposedly great for sufferers of premature ejaculation because it helps to desensitise the penis. Any PE patients out there? Get one from their Alibaba store http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/21...Collector.html for the great price of US$2,800 and tell me if it works!
Video: http://you.video.sina.com.cn/api/sin...+cvwk0Rs/s.swf
OK - that machine is just weird.
Question - how did you find it? Were you searching for something in particular? Heh heh
Well done, they've invented the fleshlight only they made it expensive.
Say, Felix. What's a fleshlight?
It's a vagina that doesn't talk back.
This website is quite educational - I am always learning something new!Quote:
Originally Posted by felix
Dear ChinaV,
You don't happen to have a red T-shirt and roller skates, do you?
http://www.chinasmack.com/wp-content...-guangzhou.jpg
Full ChinaSmack coverage here.Quote:
This laowai truly is daring, stopping a military car for violating traffic regulations in busy downtown Guangzhou
Military vehicles in China using their special privileges to drive as they please can be said to be a common sight, but recently in Guangzhou on Taojin North Road appeared a male foreign national (pictured) who boldly blocked such a car on the street and even criticized the military driver on the scene for violating traffic regulations. After the incident was captured on camera by a city resident and uploaded onto the internet, it immediately caused a sensation.
That day, a car with the license plate “广 J” [Guangzhou military prefix], believed by netizens as being a General Staff Contact Department special privileges car, attempted to enter the public bus only lane. When the male foreign national saw this, he bravely stepped forth to stop the car, criticized the car’s driver to his face, and stopping him from violating regulations. According to reports, this male foreign national took the initiative upon himself to maintain traffic order while on his inline skates starting about half a year ago, but no know knows his details. He is always stopping cars and drivers who are breaking the law, even asking drivers if they know how to read the Chinese text on the road signs. With regards to the male foreign nationals conduct, nearby city residents all express support, strongly praising him “He is a good person”, while a netizen has bemoaned: “Chinese people have long lost the ability to control the things that happen in China.”
And this report from South China Morning Post.
Quote:
Rollerman: the military's foe and Guangzhou hero
Ivan Zhai
Updated on May 07, 2011
Everyone needs heroes - people who can accomplish the impossible. The ancient Greeks had Heracles and modern Americans have Superman.
Now Guangzhou has a hero of its own - Rollerman - a foreigner on roller skates who has taken to challenging military vehicles that violate traffic rules in the city centre.
In photos posted on the internet by Guangzhou residents, Rollerman looks to be in his 30s. Wearing a red T-shirt, black shorts and sunglasses, he stands in the middle of an intersection, right in front of a grey seven-seat van with military plates. His right hand points to a traffic sign indicating that the van is going the wrong way.
Witnesses told local newspapers Rollerman asked the military van not to enter the lane - in Chinese, "zhe li bu zhun zou, bu ke yi de" (it's not allowed to go this way, no way).
Some who live nearby said they had seen Rollerman appear at the same spot frequently in the past year and stop military vehicles from violating traffic rules. They would see him during weekday rush hours and on holidays, standing at the spot for at least 10 minutes while paying attention to transgressions that traffic police ignored.
His actions have won praise from tens of thousands of Guangzhou residents. One online posting says Rollerman is a hero for doing what Chinese would not dare to do. Others say it is a shame that only a foreigner is willing to help correct poor behaviour on the mainland.
It is no surprise that Rollerman has been hailed for merely standing in front of a military vehicle. Most mainlanders, and foreigners who know a little about the mainland's political power structure, know how bold he is. Among the social strata, the military is arguably at the top of the privilege pyramid.
It is a commonly held view across the mainland that vehicles with military plates belong to a world outside the law. They often run red lights, park in restricted areas and flout one-way restrictions for their own convenience.
Interestingly, traffic police seem to think the same way and just wink at the violations, preferring to let things pass quietly. They are not authorised to pull over the drivers of military cars breaching traffic rules.
Rollerman does not appear to have resurfaced in the past few weeks and so has not been available for interviews. The mysteries of where he comes from, what he is doing in Guangzhou and what his motives are have yet to be solved.
But the reaction to his actions shows the public's antipathy to those with a privileged background. Angry but not daring to speak out, ordinary people welcome anyone willing to perform righteous acts.
It all raises one important question - or reveals one little secret about Chinese society if you like to see it that way. Why is it that when people within the system, such as residents and traffic policemen, are unable to or dare not correct some mistakes, only outsiders can make even tiny changes?
Guangzhou is working hard to become a "China Civilised City" - a model city with better social development - and it is good to see foreigners helping it reduce improper behaviour.
And that leaves at least one big problem for local government to solve: without relying on bold foreigners, what can it do to deal with such cars in the future?
It's a big question for mainland governments at all levels and it will be a continuing shame if officials do nothing or fail to create a system that can cultivate Chinese heroes.
It's raining iPhones in Shenzhen! I would not want to get beaned by one of these.
from iClarified
Quote:
Hundreds of Fake iPhones Thrown From 18th Floor Window During Police Raid
Saturday, 14th May 2011, 09:05 pm
This entry needs translation. To help us and submit a translation please click here
Hundreds of iPhones were thrown from an 18th floor window as knockoff dealers attempted to rid themselves of evidence during a police raid.
According to M.I.C. Gadget, local authorities received a tip about an unlicensed cellphone in the Huaqiangbei district of Shenzhen.
So, the officers visit the workshop and knock the doors. No one answers so they bashed in. Four men were burning papers and documents in the apartment at that time. The officers then found ten thousands of Nokia phone stickers and not-yet-burned customers database. The database is awesome, includes all provinces of mainland China, except Tibet. However, the most surprising discovery is that four big boxes of shanzhai cellphones were thrown out of the windows before the officers bashed in. About a thousand cellphones were thrown, and that includes 656 fake iPhones with 140 cases, 284 Nokia phones with 460 cases, 69 Sony Ericsson phones.
No one was hurt by the falling phones; however, they smashed cars and fences below.
Police are reportedly cracking down on knockoff dealers since the World University Summer Games will be held in Shenzhen this August. Authorities don't want foreigners to come across these knockoff products which could affect the image of the city.
Take a look at the video below for more information...
Read More [via Allan]
I've tried to embed the youtube video, but don't think I succeeded. It's worth a look.
cheers
Strange MC news from China ...
ATGATT now includes hazmat suits
Bar extensions
Was your new China-bike delivered without some parts?
A bit extreme
Not really China-related, but useful info ...
I hate this sh*t
From the same site, did you see this one : http://www.visordown.com/snippets/ch...ers/11601.html ?
Nasty... Those thiefs deserved to be arrested, kudos for the people around to get involved and not look the other way, but not lynched like this...
I really hate this kind of mob, hitting people when they are already down. Easy to kick someone when you're 20 against 1...
Whoa - I've heard about these mobs but never seen one in action. Scary stuff. In the "feeding frenzy", the mob could probably turn on anyone, including innocent bystanders.
I suppose this fits under the TIC thread, yesterday I had a meeting cancelled and as I had some free time I rode around on my new "scooter style" e-bike, I wanted to get it washed and there happened to be a car wash in the neighborhood I was in, so I pulled in and asked them to give it a wash
洗不了 (we can't wash it) they said, I asked why? They said it's too small... they have a high pressure hose there and the foam machine etc... I asked them again, I even said I don't mind paying the RMB20 asking price for cars.. they said "we can't wash that", I even called the manager out who also said, "we can't wash that sort of thing"... I even explained to them how pointing the hose and spraying it down with water works, but they simply did the "not interested" wave.. so I rode around the corner where there was another car wash who washed it for me no questions asked for RMB5... what idiots, they simply couldn't deal with the fact that it was something other than a car.. (and it wasn't a fancy place, just your normal side of the road car wash)...
That's really scary sh*t. Any of those people could have been that guy who walked past the guys stealing the bike in the movie thread and did nothing but with safety in numbers he's vicious.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred
Serpenteza I actually have a similar story:
Me and my friend were looking for a massage late at night when the massage parlours were closed. So where did we go? To a whorehouse of course. We found 10 pretty girls sitting around chatting and asked how much for a massage. Sorry we don't do massages, sex only. We haggled them down to 120 an hour for sex then said right well give you that for a one hour massage. They refused, sex only they say. Unbelievable. How much easier is it to massage someone's shoulders that to take a big length of them. Especially from a foreigner...
Two examples of typical 死脑筋 Norther. I'm pround being 100% Souther.
http://bbs.big-bit.com/UploadFile/20...1521881500.jpg
Regional Maps :naughty: http://han.bbs.house.sina.com.cn/thr...html?retcode=0
Most of their customer finishes quick, they could just lay down and do littler than massage.Quote:
Originally Posted by corporal_clegg
120 in Shanghai? That's what I would call it unbelievable.
I'd love one of these! And if I'd just got it and wasn't very confident parking it I'd definitly get Clegg to park it for me (kinda decadent aswell)! At least she's not reckless with it, appriciating it's worth.... And I'd most def have nice high heels (pumps... platforms...any cool shoe would do) in the car I could slip into before getting out of my pink pink pink machine so I'd look great!Quote:
Originally Posted by euphonius
Okay, she could feed a shit ton of peeps with the worth of that pink sled, but he.... if you have money to burn, you won't burn it all on others no matter how hungry they are (I know you won't so don't think it's egotistical!)
Hilarious story clegg. I think TD is right though, probably easier to lie on your back for two minutes than to actually massaging them for an hour...Quote:
Originally Posted by corporal_clegg
Is this a great thread or what?
td if you're in shanghai PM me for the address :naughty: although I imagine you get what you pay for. Like have you ever gone for a back massage and they have all different prices for the same length of time? If you chose the cheapest one they just give you a sh*t massage. It's a form of blackmail, same time, same materials you just pay more to not have your shoulder muscles ripped from your frame.
Liza also made a fair point about that car when we were playing devil's advocate with each other:
If you were a real car lover and you had this car how often would you take it out. Car lovers I have known will drive a car like this ten times a year and spend the rest of the time polishing it. She even takes it to the shops god bless. Conclusion she, mileage wise, probably gets her moneys worth.
So right! Rather actually drive it than have it sitting in the garage all year waiting for nice weather!
Clegg, wasn't that massage refusal in Jingshan? Anyway, I'd do the massage, even though its more work!
True about the car, fair play to the lady driving that shit to the shops. Makes her cooler than all these harley and bmw guys who put 120km a year on their bikes.
Clegg, if you came to me asking for a massage i'd probably offer you sex too.
can I watch?
twisted minds indeed.. back to the TIC thread..
No good deed goes unpunished. Well, you can stretch that a bit more. Read this>> http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-0...am-minter.html
I've heard stories before, but reading this was a shock.