Slow Boat Brewery's Juniperus Pale Ale

Added on by C. Maoxian.

Another in the line of gimmicky flavors ... anise, coffee, coconut, vanilla ... they're all good, though the juniper (ABV 7.2%, IBU 28, SRM 12) was berry junipery, a bit too berry for me.  Lovely color!

From the brewery:

Juniperus Pale Ale
            (ABV 7.2%, IBU 28, SRM 12)
            Hops: Chinook and Wilamet
            Malts: New Zealand malt and Crystal Malt
TASTING NOTES:
This gloriously big-bodied amber ale is brewed with juniper berries for a touch of bitterness and a refreshing floral aroma. Perfect for the botanist beer drinker and Pale Ale lover alike. This beer is guaranteed to invoke a powerful “Kum ba yah” of the senses, balancing acidic pine notes with a lightly sweet crystal malt finish.

Ombre for Hombres

Added on by C. Maoxian.

I don't know what "ombre" means, but it's this faded color effect, I guess.  Anyway, I like the look of these shirts from Tommy Hilfiger.  Tommy's website is geotarded so you need a VPN to reach the US site. Search for "dip dye" once you get there.

For her

For him

Unfortunately marred by logo.

No logo but not as interesting a color combo.

Stagnant Sales of Luxury Goods in China

Added on by C. Maoxian.

From Deutsche Bank:

"... sales of luxury goods in China only grew 2% yoy in 2013, far slower than the 30% yoy growth in 2011 [ed.: what was it in 2012?]... As the China luxury market is shrinking, international luxury brands have slowed down their expansion in China. LV adjusted its strategy which a narrowed focus on Tier 1 cities and remained cautious about entering lower tier cities. GUCCI also announced a suspension of expansion plans in China. Meanwhile affordable luxury brands are raising share in the China market. Affordable luxury brands refer to goods with luxury designs and materials but affordable pricing, covering handbags, accessories, watches and other categories. For instance, Coach’s total sales growth in China was 35% in 1Q14 and was estimated to increase by at least 25% yoy for 2Q14."

Metal Financing Fraud

Added on by C. Maoxian.

From Reuters:

"News of a investigation into a metal financing fraud at Qingdao Port, where a third-party company is suspected of using single cargoes of metal multiple times to obtain financing, has rattled banks and trading houses and unsettled markets."
...
"Pledging commodities to a bank, often using a warehouse receipt as proof of ownership, has become a popular way of raising finance in China, often to skirt restrictions on raising credit and helping drive up stockpiles at some ports."

Not all warehouse receipts are created equal.

From UBS:

And then there's aluminum. Their estimate seems low. It's an old scam, right?  How many separate banks can you get on the hook and string along?

"In March, the bank [Goldman Sachs] estimated commodity finance deals in China were worth as much as $160 billion, or about 31 percent of the country's total short-term foreign exchange loans."

Citic Resources now says they're missing 123,446 metric tons of aluminum at the Qingdao Port:

Makes you wonder how much everyone else who stored metals there will be "unable to sequester."  You have to love the euphemism.

From the Qingdao Port prospectus:

Gratuitous Yowza

Added on by C. Maoxian.

On the old blog I had a feature called the Gratuitous Cute Chick Pic, which proved to drive more traffic than any of my brilliant stock picks.  Her name is Adrianne Ho.  She's Sandrine Holt's little sister; Sandrine caught my eye while playing Gillian Cole in House of Cards.