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#1
Off the Record / Re: The EU thread
Last post by Jacob - Today at 03:48:12 PM
Quote from: HVC on Today at 03:45:24 PMThings like knockoff clothes are often made in the same factories and just siphoned off to the black market... or so I've been told by expats :lol:

It's probably both, by different people.

The people who run the production lines can keep them running a little longer and sell the extra output as high quality "knock-offs". But someone else can also make shoddy cheap imitations and sell those online, with nice looking pictures as marketing material.
#2
Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...
Last post by Jacob - Today at 03:45:48 PM
QuoteWorld-famous brewing institution leaving U.S. for Canada

A renowned American beer brewing school is heading north and getting ready to settle in at a new address in Montreal.

Since 1872, the famed Siebel Institute of Technology has taught generations of beer brewers the fine art and science of the craft in Chicago. But in a statement on social media, the school says it has chosen to relocate to Canada, pointing to policies enacted under the Trump administration for its decision.

"Recent regulatory changes in the U.S. have made it much more challenging for many of our international students, who have become the majority of our student body, to attend classes in person," John Hannafan, the institute's director of education, wrote. "This relocation of North America classroom operations to Montreal allows us to pivot without sacrificing the student experience."

The last call for Siebel in the U.S. will come in January 2026. After that, it will take residence in its new location in Montreal. The non-descript building is a few blocks from the original site of Molson's, the oldest operating brewery in North America.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/article/world-famous-brewing-institution-leaving-us-for-canada/
#3
Off the Record / Re: The EU thread
Last post by HVC - Today at 03:45:24 PM
Quote from: Josquius on Today at 03:32:28 PMI've certainly seen fake football tops direct from China are quite the big thing.
I have seen some in the flesh and they often are quite indistinguishable - quite the dice role though, sometimes they're awful and smell like death
I guess that's the thing with western brand manufacturing in China vs just Chinese brand. You trust the western brand to have western standard quality controls in place.

Things like knockoff clothes are often made in the same factories and just siphoned off to the black market... or so I've been told by expats :lol:

Where QC falls off is more complex stuff like electronics or cars. Chinese manufacturing with western QC seems fine enough. It Chinese manufacturing with Chinese QC is where the cracks appear. Sometime literally in the case of infrastructure .
#4
Off the Record / Re: The EU thread
Last post by Sheilbh - Today at 03:39:04 PM
I don't think there's a significant difference now in things like cars, phones etc (in part because of the JVs functioned by Western companies - which also mean that even if it's, say, VW manfacturing for export in China 50% goes to the Chinese partner).

That difference may still exist at the lower end stuff but increasingly I think it's a fairly out of date stereotype.
#5
Off the Record / Re: The EU thread
Last post by Josquius - Today at 03:32:28 PM
I've certainly seen fake football tops direct from China are quite the big thing.
I have seen some in the flesh and they often are quite indistinguishable - quite the dice role though, sometimes they're awful and smell like death
I guess that's the thing with western brand manufacturing in China vs just Chinese brand. You trust the western brand to have western standard quality controls in place.
#6
Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...
Last post by Josquius - Today at 03:25:53 PM
Quote from: grumbler on November 25, 2025, 07:14:39 PM
Quote from: Jacob on November 25, 2025, 03:34:13 PMDangerous for the US and dangerous for the world.

That's not a bug, that's a feature. RFK Jr is an ambulance-chaser and knows the value of discrediting truth.

All of the Trump cabinet appointees were appointed to effectively destroy their respective departments.

A disturbing thought. He knew they were shit, not just believing the same craziness he does but actually shit, and that's why he appointed them...
#7
Off the Record / Re: The China Thread
Last post by Sheilbh - Today at 03:09:29 PM
Very early but from what I've seen people saying it might be the bamboo scaffolding (or at least that could be how the fire spread).
#8
Off the Record / Re: The China Thread
Last post by DGuller - Today at 03:03:59 PM
Woah!  How can this happen to modern construction?  HK doesn't seem to be the place that would have negotiable enforcement of building code.
#9
Off the Record / Re: The China Thread
Last post by Jacob - Today at 02:13:59 PM
That looks bad :(
#10
Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...
Last post by citizen k - Today at 02:05:02 PM
What's the land swap going to look like? Belgorod and Kursk Oblasts for Luhansk and Donetsk?  ;)