Dragon, there are several statements in your post that I take issue with. First Ding Xinoping has simply toned down the anti capitalist rhetoric and suggested a few token human rights changes.Unions are not permitted, news is rigidly censored, anyone complaining about working conditions gets a quick trip to a reeducation work camp. Chairman Mao is still regarded as a God like figure in China, his philosophy is widley taught, required in all universities. If you go over a list of the governing body you will find that Maoist hold a large percetage of the high decision making positions and their agenda for Communist world domination has not changed, only toned down a bit. Next Chinese made electronic devices are not purchased because other nations are too lazy to produce them, they are purchased because of Chinese ultra cheap labor and a devalued currency system that allows production for a fraction of the cost else where. Copy right and patent laws are ignored, there is no pollution control, safety and working conditions rival 19th century sweat shops. To, put it simply no way can free independent labor in any western country compete with an endless supply of labor working under forced conditions for slave wages and an unrealistic devalued currency system. China has an endless supply of manpower and it is being used to build up the nations treasury. Huge amounts of foreign bonds and holding are being amassed. Human sweat, horibble working conditions, low wages and a devalued currency are being used to produce super cheap products, to dump on the world market and bring in cash for communist expansion.Tell 1800 workers from a South Carolina furniture plant who lost jobs when their company moved plant to China, that they were lazy and did not want to work. The company owner admitted plant was moved to China because even though their workers were effecient, loyal, the plant could not compete with cheap Chinese products being imported by competitors. Despite concessions by the union, maximum efficency from the work force, tax abatement from the local and state governments the company had to move to China or go broke. 1800 workers, many with years of loyal service were out of a job. Not because they were lazy, or put out an inferior product, or demand exhorbitant wages, but because they could not compete with products made jn plants where skilled craftsman are paid $60 per month.. The other statement I take issue with is one about illegal alien workers in the US. A great myth is being circulated about these people only taking jobs not wanted by any one else. Nothing is further from the truth. While some do work in low paying cleaning and agricltural jobs, many others are hired in skilled good paying crafts such as painting, roofing , carpentry and plumbing. They are hired in these jobs for one reason, greed. They can be paid less, paid in cash off the books, not carried on workman's compensation insurance policies. no retirement money need be contributed. OSHA and EPA safety regulations can be ignored, plus they are worked overtime and paid at the regular rate,or not at all. These workers can't complain to any one because they are illegal and fear deportation. I don't claim to have all the answers, however, we better wake up and do something, All is not sweetness and light where China s concerned, the Chinese have simply toned down their anti capitalist rhetoric, achieving Mao,s goal of communizing the world is still on the agenda. Just easier to do it economically than by force. I also agree no country is perfect, but some are much higher on the scale than others.

Sorry Frieda, I didn't mean to digress from the main topic! 'Love' was too strong a word. I really like the Victorian era, but I like a great many other time periods too. Anything not of my own time I like; I find escape in books from other places and times. The oversentimentality is what really estranges me from Dickens work. I am, unfortunantly, not one of those people who can 'look on the bright side' of things. I haven't read a great deal by him (only on my fourth now), but I do seem to prefer his later/darker work (said to be produced in his 'maturity'). Much of that dreadful optimisim seems to have cooked out of him by that time. That is why I liked Bleak House too; it was darker. Little Dorrit seems, so far, to have some of those same qualities about it, which I so like. ;-) It also bothers me how he keeps repeating themes and in his books. It's like he found a pattern that turned out to be popular so he kept repeating it, with just small changes made from book to book. And his characters are sometimes absurdly unrealistic. They seem to be more like personifications than real persons, if you get my meaning. re: 'Feeble and Vapid Females': I have to wonder if they (like most of his characters) were all based on a person Dickens knew? I don't think he meant to make all the women seem so empty. I think I read somewhere that these sort of characters were based on his sister-in-law, with whom he had a close relationship. I don't mind feeble and vapid females at all. Maybe because I know one and am close with her (at least she is not headless, lol!). "Actually, the more I know about Dickens the man, the less I want to reread his works -- sometimes ignorance is bliss." Why exactly? I think I know what you mean. I recently found out that he was paid by the section for his serialized stories. So he wasn't just long-winded? He wrote because of the money? It saddens and annoys me when I hear an author is only in it for the money and doesn't really want to contribute to literature or create any legacy/history for posterity. CMK

Stockpile? Who me?? Little story. As some of you know I collect laundry detergent. ..US or foreign and discontinued, vintage..it makes no difference. Most of my stash was given to me as gifts. Well I was thinking one day a few years back about the space and how I'm out of space..lol. I thought about the big walk in closet in the back hall that hubs ( Mike) uses to store his......old bowling balls, poly leisure suits in every color imaginable, western hat, blue suede shoes, stuff he hasn't worn or used in 40 years and never again because I won't be seen with him in a red white and blue striped polyester leisure suit...or his tee shirt saying **its not a bald spot, its a solar panel for a love machine** Anyway I had a great idea....LOL. I packed it all up in black garbage bags while he was at work and than I had him drive and drop it off at the thrift store. He never questioned what was in the bags. So I have a empty closet but it needed something...shelves and that ment Mike would have to install them...it also ment I was going to have to confess my sin to him. I clearly remember that day...I cooked his favorate dinner chicken-a-la-king and made his favorate fluffy tapioca pudding for dessert. During after dinner coffee I said Mike how hard would it be to put shelves in a closet...he said...depends....I said the walk in in the hall....I than explained it would be a great place to store my detergent....his eyes got that look that questioning look that made me squirm with guilt..haha. I suppose my eyes reflected my guilt because he went straight to the closet...CHERYL WHERE IS MY STUFF...I took a few deep breaths reminding myself I know how to handle this man. Well to make a longer story short...the shelves worked out great, my detergent is in a safe, dry area, and I have room for even more. Mike calmed down and agreed he really had no need for his old stuff and even considered getting rid of it himself. Don't worry he did get even with me....he decided to prune my rose bush...in December. LOL.

I've been watching this show again on DABL, but it is now called "Selling Houses with Amanda Lamb." I also sometimes watch it on YouTube. They are still doing feature walls with bad wallpaper, and often the clients/sellers will refuse to use the paper that Amanda picks out (she has particularly bad taste) and pick a better wallpaper themselves or just paint. I do not like Amanda at all because she can be overbearing and arrogant, but I do like the sellers and buyers. The buyers still often pick none of the three options they are given - much like "Escape to the Country" (which has much better realtors), but there is a prize (I think) for the seller that the buyer likes best, even if they do not buy. Amanda Lamb is 5'-11½" (1.81 meters) tall and often towers over others in the show, especially if she wears heels, but she often wears flats. A show I like better is The Unsellables, with Sofie Allsopp, who is much better put together than Amanda Lamb. I believe it started in Toronto and then moved to England. Sofie is 5'-8", and so she is rather tall also, and she almost always wears extremely high heel - which I like. I always notice her shoes in the shoes, and they are always very nice. Sofie gets a lot of criticism on YouTube, but I mostly disagree with it.