The Chinese stock market fell 9% in a day and when the US markets realised it, they did as expected and panicked. China watches and smiles as they see the US markets knee jerk and sell off. Why smile when their own market has tanked? Simple, in China they don't care because it was a short term plan to drum up some business for China! How so?

Outsourcing cures all economic ills

The US stock gurus read the wrong signals coming out of China and thought the world economy was on the way to hell. As a result, there is suddenly no value in any American business that was doing just fine yesterday. Manufacturers in America then think, "Shit, we really need to drop prices to counteract the impending drop in consumer confidence. What do we do? Oh yeah, outsource more jobs to China."

Bingo, China gets more orders and buys more cheap US stock with the proceeds and buys up more debt and so it goes on, eating into US sovereignty and eventually achieving world domination.

I thought stock broker/stock picker type persons had to wear a sober suit and be deadly serious about your profession. The photo I found on the blog of funny stock experts, Wallstreet Fighter, indicates that in Japan, that isn't so.

It's a laugh a minute over in Bucharest. You will need to sit down and place all drinks and breakable objects well out of harm's way, before reading this story about amnesia.

Last week, the drawling Texan doc with 30 years' experience in all manner of psychiatric disorders was interviewing a repentant flasher. Doctor Phil was up against a guy who was as quick on his feet with answers as he had been with exposing his privates in public. (It sounded like he'd had 50,000 episodes of exposure to his name, and they had resulted in thousands of sexual experiences and a few trips to court and jail. Now he has reformed and not even thought about showing his bits on a bus for 2 years. Quite incredible, but why not!)

He came across as a total exhibitionist, manipulating the conversation, not giving much credit for what seemed like important advances. Yes, Dr Phil was exposed as a one speed interviewer with an agenda for sensationalism, and in essence, he was exposed and outwitted by the ex-flasher.

The doc's only armor against a smart ass is a big aggressive stare and "Don't tell me what to do, say or think." That's right, that is the domain of his producer.

Last Christmas, a very lucid and clear thinking woman ran rings round Dr Phil with her attitude to not celebrating Christmas. She didn't think it was respectful to "celebrate" a religious festival that clearly had been hijacked by commercialism. Dr Phil is a family man who seems to be a god fearing guy. There was almost no room in his thinking for a different approach to Christmas and he stalled loads of times in the argument.

Not that this is the end of the world, but it is getting harder to watch the Dr Phil show and not spend the whole hour shaking your head and cringing at the ever more overt drama-generating program. Bring back Robin, we say. She has a bit more about her.

Presidents Day is no good to you if you have a garage full of rotting trash, you are expecting a big hand-out check in the post, you need a library book, or your dog license has expired. Frustrating, hey!

Fortunately the upside is, you can park at a meter and give it the finger without being ticketed, still let off steam with a round of golf on a municipal course. and if you have been embroiled in a long court process and your freedom is in the balance, you have another day of liberty till the judges get back to work tomorrow. Meanwhile, everyone else goes on as normal. Good leadership from the presidents!

According to a Washington Journal interview with health department representative, Dr John Agwunobi, this is the Year of the Heavy Fed. He should be congratulated on the move to encourage the majority of Government employees to shed some pounds, even hundredweights of excess body mass. For once, that sounds like a good idea, leading from the front. Well done.

How Feds lose tons of weight

The Government's push for losing lots of weight actually began back in 2003 - 363 tonnes of cash has been flown into Iraq and lost in the mayhem. The extreme gluttony of the people who got their hands on those $400k bricks is stomach-churning.

Two jags Prescott unhealthy hypocrisy

The average British civil servant is not quite as out-of-shape as their American counterparts - with a few exceptions. Years ago, John Prescott, the British Deputy Prime minister in the head banner above, was photographed cycling his fat ass into work. Spouting health and environment propoganda, his photo opportunity seemed to be inspirational. Maybe this rough and ready Northerner really could get in shape and make a good leader. Momentarily, people thought they could start to look up to a trim and healthy politician, rather than struggle to see around a corpulent frame financed by tax-payers' money.

And the greens were creaming too, especially as a bike is the leanest calorie consumer of all modes of transport. ie just 60 calories per mile of energy is needed to travel 1 mile, compared to 1600 to drive in a car. They thought they had a champion.

Unfortunately, it transpired later that day that as soon as the photographers ran out of film, his first of two Jaguars pulled up, a chauffeur threw the bike into the trunk, and off he drove to the office, 50 yards away. A hearty breakfast of three pork pies and a gallon of ale awaited him, and life continued as normal.

The Brits were heavily fed up with that sort of hypocrisy, and according to Skipper, weren't sorry to see Prescott squirm when caught for eating his secretary.

Looking through The Blog of Kev, an Englishman's ramblings on the state of his Union, it looks like democracy is fast going down the toilet. A million-strong petition is going to be ignored by a transport minister who knows best, and another politician called the idea of petitions on the Downing Street web site as an idea of a prat. Where's the Queen when you need her, to champion the rights of her people!!!!!