Michelle Topham

Hahahaha, sorry for the long reply. My brain is obsessed with data, and how countries compare to each other.

BTW, I'm not "America is the best country in the world". I'm a naturalized American citizen, not born and bred. But many people have an incorrect idea of what the real America is, and it's nowhere near what the news media portrays it as.

America has been very good to me and my parents (my retired parents would be struggling in the UK now, but they're living large in the U.S. as my dad had the opportunity to work his ass off and reap the benefits), so I do appreciate what it offers, Although I do see its negatives as well.

BTW, I'm currently looking at moving to China, so fascinated by the CCP's amazing economic successes. I think their middle class will eventually surpass America's if the CCP keeps doing what they're doing.

Thrilled to see Yu Yu hit it off with the photographer. And Dr Gu's FACE... hahahaha.

Much lower than the first episode of its 2nd season though, so it will be interesting to see where it ends up.

https://baozibuns.com/taxi-driver-3-ep-1-grabs-superb-ratings-although-substantially-lower-than-season-2s-first-episode/

Far wider in China though. Even though the CCP has done an incredible job lifting hundreds of millions of people into the middle class, the poor in America are largely MUCH better off than the poor in China. (I've traveled all over Asia, although admittedly only briefly in China/Hong Kong, and the poor you see in any Asian country are horrendously poor compared to most lower income people in the U.S. - was once in a hill tribe hut in the Thai jungle where the walls were papered with newspaper just to keep the wind out)

And don't believe everything the news media tells you about America. :) About 52% of Americans are middle class and VERY well off compared to most of the rest of the world - although most of them don't think so as 50% of Americans have never left America :). (China's middle class is 40%, btw)

I'm currently living in Austria, for instance, and, while I love Vienna, and I'm classified as 'middle class', my lifestyle is FAR worse than it ever was in the U.S. I live like I lived in the U.S. back in the 1990s, with none of the luxuries I took for granted then. I feel like I'm in the lap of luxury when I go back to visit my parents ;)

And no, Austria doesn't have the extreme poverty of Asian countries, but it's middle class is not really middle class compared to the U.S. or, I would venture a guess, China, as salaries are quite low compared to the U.S. and taxes are so high, you have far less disposable income left. (You're probably the same in Germany, as salaries in the two countries are comparable).

Meanwhile, I have a Thai friend who lives in Shanghai, and she makes about what I do, but her lifestyle is crazy high compared to mine. And we're both just classified as 'middle class' :)

I've used MDL ratings a LOT in the past in articles I write , but I"ve always warned the site is a breeding ground for trolls. Recently though, I've just stopped including MDL or IMDB ratings in most things I write. Both sites are populated by a huge number of trolls and both apparently run by an administration that doesn't seem to care. Makes the entire site look disreputable, IMO. Which is a shame, as it includes some excellent information and has a huge library of content.

Because they're idiots with pathetic lives who hate themselves. Only explanation for being this ugly and stupid.

I see the trolls are out in force with the rating. Honestly, HOW do you go through life being this ignorant and stupid? And apparently be proud of it. Amazing :)

Crazy, eh? :) There's a LOT of money in China though, and apparently they sell exceptionally well.

Ah thanks. Added it. I'm up for any contemporary drama that looks good and is under 20 episodes at this point :)

It's a Yangwang U8 (technically a BYD Auto car) - an electric luxury brand in China (has U8 on the number plate in one scene -- although, IMO, they didn't do a particularly good job showing off its emblem, IMO - made it a bit difficult to see). Beautiful car, though, isn't it? And supposed to be a dream to drive.

EDIT: Just checked the cost out of curiosity :) Back in September 2023 when the first one was released, its Premium Edition was selling for $155,000-plus. Not cheap :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbAB0ICj1Mc

Speed?

Ooh, thanks for that Fake It or Make It recommendation. Just added it to my watch list. Looks like my cup of tea :)

A fair number surprisingly. It was mandatory when I went to high school in the UK (for ages 11 thru 16), as it was thought to both help develop our brains and teach logical thought. Which it actually does as it's a very logical language, and quite simple once you learn the rules. So most of us were able to hold conversations and could read a book by the time we graduated. Can't say I remember anywhere near as much as I should. Too long ago :)

Many English words (French, Spanish, Italian etc) are also based on Latin so you learn other languages much easier once you've a grounding in Latin. (Understanding Latin cases has helped me with German (currently live in Austria). That's why some linguists are fluent in Latin, as are many historians whose emphasis is on Ancient Rome or that time period.

I also know a couple of high school kids who go to a Catholic school in the UK, and they are fluent in conversational Latin. Not sure how common that is though?

in foramine terrae habitabat *hobbitus: nec foedum, sordidum madidumque foramen, nec extremis lumbricorumatque odore caenoso impletum, nec etiam foramen aridum, inane, harenosum, in quo nihil erat ad considendum aut
edendum aptum; immo foramen-hobbitum, ergo commodum.

Hahahaha, I just checked out the first page to see how much I remembered from 5 years of Latin decades ago. Ye Gods, some of that must have stuck as I could understand a fair amount of the first page.

And NO, I have no plans to read it :)

Plus, I write about Cdramas, K-dramas, anime etc for a living. So there's not a CHANCE I can finish a huge percentage of shows I start watching as I'm writing about them. I'd never sleep :)

9,000 percent agree. Honestly, getting very tired of 30-plus episode dramas. They have to be exceptionally well-written/acted to hold my interest nowadays.

That's why I have so many wuxia and historical dramas that I'm nowhere near finishing as my interest just ran out of steam after about Episode 25 :)

Plan on watching more contemporary C-dramas with fewer episodes going forward -- or short dramas with 15-38 minute episodes (there are actually some good ones), as their scripts are usually tighter written without all the extraneous b.s. we have to struggle through with a 40 episode historical drama.

EDIT: Oh and I read somewhere that around 60% of Chinese viewers don't finish a huge number of dramas they start watching (so it's not just us :). They're just too long. You'd think these production companies would have learned by now and shortened them in response. But no. It's all about making as many episodes as possible to milk advertisers for more cash.

Ooh don't share your opinion. If it goes against the herd mentality, you'll become a leper. :)

Glad to see it hasn't changed. Dropped it at the start of Ep 2, as it looked like that's exactly where it was heading (nothing in it remotely new - just the same tropes with different actors).

Yep. Still makes no sense. But the website owners will do what they will do. ROTFL.

Actually studied Latin for 5 years in high school (mandatory in high school in the UK at that time).

5 YEARS, and all I remember is Amo, Amas, Amat, Amamus, Amatis, Amant - Conjugation of the verb 'To Love'.

Been sooooooooooo helpful in my adult life. :) And no, wouldn't recommend reading Tolkien in Latin - ROTFL.

Love these little touches in the drama though. I think so many people don't realize that many of the Chinese know as much about western culture as we do, and admire so much of it. Sadly, most westerners aren't the same about Chinese culture.