If you want on or off the ping list send me a FReepMail.
Thanks everyone for the well wishes. The leg is still red and a little tender but the swelling is way down and the pain when I first start to walk is gone. The only real pain I have to deal with is my back but that isn't going away and I have Percocet to take care of that. It works a lot better than the Norco I was on.
Item One:
It is reported that on October 27 Li Keqiang, the Premier of the PRC and the #2 man in the Politburo after Xi Jinping, died of a heart attack while swimming at a guest house for senior party members in Shanghai. Rumors are swirling about his death primarily because of the eight hour gap between when he supposedly died and when his death was announced. I wouldn't read too much into this because it was also reported that the rest of the Politburo went into and unscheduled, locked-down meeting. I think they were taken by surprise.
I think it is more important to watch how Xi and the rest of the Politburo handle his death. This is the third member of the eight person Politburo to die or be removed in a little over four months. It is highly unusual as the member of the CCP Politburo are generally considered some of the healthiest leaders in the world for their age based on the intensive medical care they receive.
Item Two:
Second Generation Red aristocrats are transferring wealth overseas at an ever increasing rate. Xi Jinping's anti-corruption programs have targeted this class like never before. The SG Reds are using very devious means to place their wealth where Xi can't get at it even if it means paying 'fees' over 50% of the initial amount.
Item Three:
A large number of high value depositors in Henan Province have had their accounts effectively frozen for over 600 days. Most of these individuals are private business owners. This is preventing many of them from paying their employees and creditors. More on this as it develops.
Item Four:
Multinational Investment Companies and Tech Enterprises are withdrawing from Hong Kong. I have reported before on this in other parts of China. Hong Kong is no longer seen as being different from other 'mainland' Chinese cities. Most of those leaving are relocating to Singapore in the case of financial institutions and Malaysia in the case of manufacturing. Companies are finding it difficult to recruit employees to work in China for fear of running afoul of PRC espionage and other arbitrary laws.
Item Five:
There is a new report that there was ONE survivor from the Type 093 nuclear submarine that was lost in August in the Yellow Sea after becoming snared in a trap built by the PLAN to snare British and American submarines. The survivor was a diver who was sent out side to try and cut away the obstruction. By the time he tried to return everyone else was dead. He surfaced and was immediately picked up by a PLAN frigate.
Evidently there were a long list of non-standard behavior associated with the submarine loss. Crew death was caused by hydrogen sulfide gas. How it got there and why a alarm wasn't present or didn't sound along with why there was only one diver are among the many questions yet unanswered.
WWG1WGA
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)