Open Thread August 23, 2013 – Starting Aug. 1, the sale of energy inefficient lightbulbs was banned in the US.
A minimum standard for lightbulbs has been set at 45 lumens (brightness) per watt. Most traditional incandescent and halogen lightbulbs won’t make the cut. Switching over from older lightbulbs to newer LED bulbs will “conserve energy and help consumers save on their energy bills.” This according to the rule announced in April last year. Changing Energy Costs, Angry Bear
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/23/world/africa/zimbabwe-election-emmerson-mnangagwa.html
August 23, 2023
What to Know as Zimbabwe Elects a President
The country needs a free and fair election to escape Western sanctions. But voting got off to a rough start, with late openings at polling places and fliers spreading misinformation.
By Jeffrey Moyo, Tendai Marima and John Eligon
Zimbabwe’s presidential and parliamentary elections got off to a chaotic start Wednesday morning, with voters encountering frustrating delays. Many polling stations in the country’s largest urban centers opened hours late because ballots had not been delivered on time.
Lines stretched hundreds of people deep. Fliers suggesting, falsely, that the main opposition party did not want people to vote were scattered about the streets of the capital, Harare.
The ominous start to a voting process with high stakes for the nation, the region and the world seemed to bolster fears that Zimbabwe, a southern African nation of 16 million, was once again headed for an election that would be widely viewed as rigged.
“I am now doubting if these elections will produce credible results because if the start is this bad, it means nothing good will happen at the end,” said Samuel Mhlanga, standing in a line of more than 500 voters waiting for their polling station at a primary school in Harare to open.
Economic turmoil over the past two decades in Zimbabwe has left millions of people suffering and put a strain on neighboring countries as well.
Political instability has made Zimbabwe a pariah of the United States and other Western nations, which have imposed sanctions but are looking for ways to engage with the country because of its natural resources — and to offset the influence of Russia and China on the continent….
The Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) colonizing and abusing West, the slave trading West, is determined still to control Zimbabwe with sanctions against a people trying develop but somehow failing to live according to our “natural resource” focused wishes.
Seems to be old anecdote day: something I learned having built one and later remodeled it and another as an all-around-hand for an electrical contractor was/is WalMart, for all its’ failings, is the world’s leader in LED lighting research, development and application. Lowers their overhead, with the trickle-out to us ten year light bulbs that are actually less harmful for your eyes
Did people whine when switching over from candles … ?
Who knew?
Walmart Labs
Walmart Labs (formerly named Kosmix and @WalmartLabs) became part of Walmart Global Tech, the technology and business services organization within Walmart. …
Walmart Global Tech develops and manages the foundational technologies on which Walmart Inc.’s customer experiences are built, including cloud, data, enterprise architecture, DevOps, infrastructure and security. The tech organization powers Walmart Inc. and its business units, including Walmart U.S., Sam’s Cluband Walmart International. It is also an enterprise services organization that develops solutions to help 2.3 million Walmart and Sam’s Club associates work and live better. … (Wikipedia)
Thank you Fred, most people people just can’t conceive just how big WalMart is, what it takes to run something that big, and lower the bottom line, and that’s what WalMart is all about: lowering the bottom line. The money saved switching those mercury-vapor incandescent parking lot lights, the multi-tubed neons overhead out for LEDs trickles down to the consumer. Scale that out to ten acre parking lots, five acre stores around the world.
Seems like most of us here retired with business and economics backgrounds, so this should be preaching to the choir. When I was in late-life grad-school, twenty-five years ago, WalMart was one of the models I used in my effort to make databases easier to understand. They sell a million products at a million stores (maybe) and everyone of them is tracked from purchase to sale at data-centers that rival anything Apple or Facebook is running in sheer size and sophistication.
This isn’t necessarily a defense of WalMart, I think they deserve much of the reputation they’ve got, but … I also think the Dept of Defense wishes it were WalMart
Really nicely described.
Starbucks is much the same in terms of using technology. Advanced technology is what makes Starbucks work.
https://english.news.cn/20230530/f76cde2c4e024513bdf5c4efa14eb4bb/c.html
May 30, 2023
Starbucks says on track to meet 9,000-store goal on Chinese mainland
SHANGHAI — Starbucks’ new global CEO Laxman Narasimhan on Tuesday highlighted China’s huge market potential and suggested the company’s goal of opening 9,000 stores on the Chinese mainland by 2025 remained unchanged.
China’s per capita coffee consumption is increasing but still lags far behind Japan and the United States, thus leaving much room for business growth, Narasimhan said during his visit to Shanghai, home to more than 1,000 Starbucks stores, which is more than any other city in the world….
Mrs Fred & I were on a Caribbean cruise early this year. At one point our ship was moored next to a particularly elegant, spectacular megayacht for a day or two. We discovered it was owned by a Walmart heiress, originally built for an OPEC magnate. Aside from our visit to the Grand Tetons, that’s as close has we have been to America’s wealthiest family.
‘world’s leader in LED lighting research’
I was looking for where they were doing their research. Didn’t find anything. My former employer, after my previous one went under, was always on their IT folks to come up with new product ideas. When I asked if they had lab people to do that, the response was ‘Hunh?’ As in, ‘We don’t don’t need no stinkin’ lab people.’
The also went under, a few years later. Looks like Walmart is not going to let that happen.
My former employer, after my previous one went under, was always on their IT folks to come up with new product ideas. When I asked if they had lab people to do that, the response was ‘Hunh?’
[ We are soon going to find just how important lab people are with the emphasis on research being placed through Chinese industry, given the repeated and toughing sanctions placed on Chinese companies and products by the US.
The US is trying to undermine Chinese development, while the Chinese prefer not to have development through the country undermined.
This is a very, very serious matter. ]
WalMart, for all its’ failings, is the world’s leader in LED lighting research, development and application…
[ Interesting. ]
This is a big, big deal:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202308/23/WS64e5738da31035260b81dc1f.html
August 23, 2023
Chinese scientists synthesize sugar from carbon dioxide
By JIANG CHENGLONG
Chinese scientists have recently achieved precise total synthesis of sugar from carbon dioxide in the laboratory, marking a crucial step in artificial sugar synthesis.
The synthesis, which took more than two years to realize, was achieved by teams from the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology and the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Their research * was published on the renowned science journal Chinese Science Bulletin last week.
* https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2095927323005510
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-09-24/Chinese-scientists-synthesize-starch-from-CO2-in-global-first-13O9q0InKlG/index.html
September 24, 2021
Chinese scientists synthesize starch from CO2 in global first
Chinese scientists have become the first in the world to develop an artificial method of synthesizing starch from carbon dioxide (CO2).
The study, * published online in the journal Science on Friday, was conducted by the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Starch, a storage form of carbohydrate, is the major component of grain as well as an important industrial raw material.
At present, it is mainly produced by crops such as corn and rice by fixing CO2 through photosynthesis. The process involves about 60 biochemical reactions and complex physiological regulation, with an energy conversion efficiency of only about 2 percent in theory.
The new approach makes it possible to alter starch production from traditional agricultural planting to industrial manufacturing, and opens up a new technical route for synthesizing complex molecules from CO2, said Ma Yanhe, corresponding author of the study….
* https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abh4049
How Jackson Hole Became an Economic Obsession
NY Times – August 24
(Mrs Fred, the family & I were once there while the Conference was on, entirely by accident, enjoying the majestic scenery. Saw lots of guys wandering around in suits, not wearing cowboy hats, wondered what the heck was going on, eventually figured it out.)
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-08-24/China-and-South-Africa-partnership-remarkable-on-multiple-fronts-1mvCOjMVPR6/index.html
August 24, 2023
China and South Africa partnership ‘remarkable’ on multiple fronts
By Xin Ge
Prior to the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg on August 22-24, Chinese President Xi Jinping embarked on his state visit to South Africa and engaged in discussions with his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa regarding the future of China-South Africa partnerships.
This year commemorates the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Moreover, President Xi’s visit this week marks his sixth trip to the promising land of the “rainbow nation,” which is used to highlight cultural diversity in the country.
In a signed article * entitled “Sailing the giant ship of China-South Africa friendship and cooperation toward greater success,” which was published on Monday by South African media, President Xi reflected upon the remarkable progress in bilateral ties, which is now evolving into a comprehensive strategic partnership. Notably, President Xi asserted that this relationship represents one of the most dynamic bilateral associations within the developing world whilst remarking about its entrance into a “golden era” imbued with immense potential and a promising trajectory for the future….
* https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-08-21/Full-text-of-Xi-s-signed-article-in-South-African-media-1mrUEfgbxjq/index.html
The BRICS meeting in South Africa has made it decisively clear that China will not be contained, and Africa in particular will make sure that China will not be contained. This in spite of persistent American efforts to undermine China-Africa relations.
Trump suggests in Carlson interview that US could see more political violence
WS Journal – August 23
What is interesting is that Paul Krugman is attacking Trump for the same sort of trade policies that Biden is employing, and Biden has indeed been using Trump administration trade policies.
Krugman:
Biden kept Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports.
NPR – June 27
Fred Dobbs:
My former employer, after my previous one went under, was always on their IT folks to come up with new product ideas. When I asked if they had lab people to do that, the response was ‘Hunh?’
[ This reminds me of the comment by a past CEO of Intel, that “only the paranoid survive.” We are going to find whether that applies presently, since Chinese research investment is being disparaged by the likes of Paul Krugman while I think the investment is critically important right now. ]
As much as we are dependent on China for an awful lot of manufactured goods, we are still arch rivals. Ultimately, we have to get along. It won’t be easy.
My comment about expecting ‘line’ employees being expected to come up with new products has nothing to do with China. That China is doing first class research is probaably a concern though. The US government seems to expect that corps will do that, mostly, and the corps do not necessarily want to invest in doing so. Pharmaceuticals and semi-conductors being major exceptions, it seems.
As for me, I was kept quite busy doing support work, and had little left over to dream up new products. As were most of my colleagues.
I suppose that in recent years, ‘management’ decided that they could motivate employees by urging them to think hard about ‘inventing new products’, maybe get themselves promoted out of ‘drudgery’. Didn’t cost them much to do this.
My comment about expecting ‘line’ employees being expected to come up with new products has nothing to do with China….
[ Sorry; I expressed myself poorly, as I often do.
Actually, this has much to do with China since research in Chinese companies, public and private, is conducted by smallish teams always comprised of line employees and theorists. University theorists look to line employees on projects.
Your comment was excellent. ]
It is interesting to see that the US is trying a careful balancing act with China, maybe too hard, or maybe not hard enough.
Far different than how we are dealing with Russia, as it should be.
As much as we are dependent on China for an awful lot of manufactured goods, we are still arch rivals. Ultimately, we have to get along. It won’t be easy….
[ There was no significant “rivalry” from 1972 to 2011 and the Wolf Amendment. There is no reason for rivalry now, but Congress and the Administration sadly wish to make it so. We are looking at a legacy of prejudice against China that extends from the Chinese Exclusion Act on.]
Commerce secretary Raimondo Heads to China to Both Promote Trade, and Restrict It
NY Times – August 26
The commerce secretary’s trip may be the clearest demonstration yet of the balancing act the Biden administration is trying to pull off in its relations with China.
Recently there was a post about how bad decisions in military aircraft design meant that armor was not placed where it needed to be, around engines. I opined that it really needed to be placed around pilots as well, because as most pilots know, they are more valuable than the planes they fly. Now, as AI gets further into the picture, this changes. Less need for (unboard) pilots in coming years.
A.I. Brings the Robot Wingman to Aerial Combat
NY Times – August 27
Hmmm. Perhaps our adversaries will be building such A.I. drones also.
Let’s hope if there’s an A.I. drone gap, it’s in our favor.
… Kratos, the builder of the Valkyrie, is already preparing to bid on any future contract, as are other major companies such as General Atomics … and Boeing, which has its own experimental autonomous fighter jet prototype, the MQ-28 Ghost Bat.
A separate set of software-first companies — tech start-ups such as Shield AI and Anduril that are funded by hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital — are vying for the right to sell the Pentagon the artificial intelligence algorithms that will handle mission decisions.
The list of hurdles that must be cleared is long.
The Pentagon has a miserable record on building advanced software and trying to start its own artificial intelligence program. …
Tucked away here where few will find it…
Trump open to Vivek Ramaswamy as vice president
Former President Trump showered Vivek Ramaswamy with praise when asked in an interview if he’d considered the 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur for vice president.
Why it matters: It’s the most Trump has weighed in on Ramaswamy’s presidential candidacy, revealing his openness to a significantly younger and arguably more radical anti-Washington unknown.
Driving the news: Trump called Ramaswamy “smart” and “young” and “full of talent” when asked by conservative talk show host Glenn Beck what he thinks of a “Vice President Ramaswamy.”
Ramaswamy on VP slot: ‘I’m not interested’ …
Republican Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said he would turn down an offer of the vice presidency if he doesn’t win the GOP presidential nomination for 2024.
“I’m not interested in a different position in the government,” he said in a Fox News interview … “Frankly, I’d drive change through the private sector sooner than becoming a number 2 or a number 3 in the federal government.” …
Trump open to Vivek Ramaswamy as vice president
Former President Trump showered Vivek Ramaswamy with praise when asked in an interview if he’d considered the 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur for vice president.
Why it matters: It’s the most Trump has weighed in on Ramaswamy’s presidential candidacy, revealing his openness to a significantly younger and arguably more radical anti-Washington unknown.
Driving the news: Trump called Ramaswamy “smart” and “young” and “full of talent” when asked by conservative talk show host Glenn Beck what he thinks of a “Vice President Ramaswamy.”
Ramaswamy on VP slot: ‘I’m not interested’ …
Republican Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said he would turn down an offer of the vice presidency if he doesn’t win the GOP presidential nomination for 2024.
“I’m not interested in a different position in the government,” he said in a Fox News interview … “Frankly, I’d drive change through the private sector sooner than becoming a number 2 or a number 3 in the federal government.” …
“Donald Trump and I share something in common and that is that neither of us would do well in a number 2 position,” he added. …
The Ohio businessman has shot up in the polls since entering the field as a political unknown. He has placed second in some state polls and is third among a crowded group of candidates according to national polling averages.
He has even drawn shots from rival candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) whose super PAC debate prep memo said the Florida governor should take a “sledgehammer” to Ramaswamy from the stage at the first GOP debate next week.
Ramaswamy, however, said the GOP candidates have been too focused on attacking each other and on attacking Democrats, and should instead prioritize communicating a consistent party platform and idea.
“I think we have to as a party stop talking less about the who, and more about the what and the why. What do we stand for and why do we stand for it,” he said. “Even with respect to criticizing Biden and the left, I depart from the Republican Party on this. I don’t think that’s the winning strategy.”
“I’m bored of talking about Joe Biden. I think the American people are too. That’s why the 2022 so-called ‘Red Wave’ never came. It’s not going to be good enough to criticize even Biden. We have to offer an agenda and an affirmative vision of our own,” he continued. …
“If we resort back to talking points from the Republican Party that make us sound like a bunch of partisan hacks, I think we’re going to have the same disappointing result in 2024 that we did in 2022,” he said.
Hmmm. Dems may want consider doing some strategic voting for Ramaswamy in upcoming primaries.
Vivek Ramaswamy hints at joining Donald Trump as his running mate in next year’s presidential polls
Hindustan Times – August 26
Vivek Ramaswamy … has hinted that he may run on a joint ticket with former president Donald Trump as his running mate if he does not win the Republican nomination, according to a media report.
The remarks by Ramaswamy came days after the 38-year-old multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur-turned-politician said he was “not interested” in any job other than president.
Ramaswamy said he believed he could only “reunite this country” as president, but did not rule out running with 77-year-old Trump as vice president if the former president and frontrunner wins the nomination for a third time. …