Chinese Trump and Clinton Cake Joke from Mainland China

Ahoy from Amoy (historic Xiamen, China).

America's presidential campaign is getting pretty bad when even people on the streets of Mainland China are cracking jokes about it--but I do like this joke, which fairly well reflects both Hillary's and Donald's special skill sets. I attach the  Chinese joke below the English. [The joke originated in the U,S., of course, but everyone in China knows it as well, and they improve upon it].  Enjoy! Dr. Bill

After a TV debate Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were hungry so went to a bakery to grab something to eat, only to find that neither of them had any money.

Hillary hesitated but a moment, but as soon as the baker turned his back, she grabbed three cakes and stuffed them in her pocket. "See how smart I am?" she said to Trump. "The baker saw nothing, and I don't even need to lie. That's why I'll beat you in the Presidential election."

Trump laughed, "I can do better than that. I can eat three cakes right in front of the baker and not get in trouble!" And he said to the baker.  "I'm the Republican presidential candidate,"Donald Trump, and if you'll hand me those 3 pastries I'll do a magic trick." 

The curious baker handed him the 3 pastries, which Trump swallowed one after the other. The baker was getting angry. "When's the magic going to happen?"

Trump smirked and said, "Look in Hillary's pocket!"

讲个政治笑话。。特朗普和希拉里完成电视辩论后很晚了，

要吃点东西补充能量。他们一起进了一家面包店，可两人发现身上都没带钱。希拉里犹豫了一下，然后趁店员不注意，伸手取了3块糕点藏进口袋。 她小声对特朗普说：“你看我多聪明，店主什么都没看到，而我甚至都不需要撒谎，我一定会战胜你赢得美国总统宝座！” 

特朗普说：“为了达到目的，以欺骗和盗窃行事，难道这就是你的一贯作风吗？其实，用诚实的方式也能获得相同的结果。看我的！” 

于是特朗普对面包店老板说：“我是共和党总统候选人特朗普，我表演一个魔术给你看，拜托你帮个忙把这块糕点递给我。” 

店老板很好奇，立即按他吩咐给了他一块糕点。特朗普狼吞虎咽下去，并要求再来一块，也吞下肚。然后特朗普又要了第三块糕点，又一口顺到胃里。 

此时店主有些纳闷，就问特朗普到底魔术何时会出现。 特朗普答曰：“现在是见证奇迹的时刻了，刚才的三块蛋糕都在希拉里的口袋里。”

Enjoy Amoy!

Dr. Bill

School of Management, Xiamen University
Amazon eBook "Discover Xiamen"

www.amoymagic.com

Bill Brown Xiamen University www.amoymagic.com

Amazon China in English!

Ahoy from Amoy (historic Xiamen)

When we arrived in China in 1988, we could buy almost nothing from abroad. We searched all over Xiamen Island and used up our FEC--Foreigners Exchange Certificates, the money used only by foreigners,  which cost us twice the real exchange rate) on our quota of staples like toothpaste in the not-so-friendly Friendship Store. I searched everywhere for toilet paper that didn't burn one's buns like 3M sandpaper. And no cheese, or good bread (I made a 3-day trip to the countryside to lug back a 200 pound granite stone mill so I could pay my sons (yes, child labor) to grind wheat for my homemade bread).

Today, we can find just about anything we'd want in Xiamen, and Taobao (China's eBay) has great selections and prices (though it's hard to pay for stuff), and we have Amazon! But it is now almost impossible to use Amazon.

We used to be able to order things from Amazon back home, but the past year or two, China has required that you must show a Chinese ID card to clear customs. So in effect--only Chinese can use Amazon. But the good news is that China's Amazon site, though not as extensive as ours back home, does have a fairly good selection--and you can surf it in English now!

Here's the link for China Amazon in English.

But here's the bad news: just about everything I wanted on Amazon China was shipped in from Amazon US, with shipping and customs fees costing over half the price of the items themselves--and you still need a Chinese Residence card (in other words--foreigners not allowed). 

Oh well--if you can find it on Taobao, it's cheaper than Amazon anyway (but read the reviews to make sure you get a reputable dealer and a genuine product).

Enjoy Amoy!

Dr. Bill

School of Management, Xiamen University

Amazon eBook "Discover Xiamen"

www.amoymagic.com

Bill Brown Xiamen University www.amoymagic.com

Conservative Intelligence Briefing Scam (Trump Presidential Black Card )

Ahoy from Amoy (historic Xiamen)!

I get ridiculous pleas for donations from both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump's camp, but some are wild even by Clinton and Trump's standards and have to be Political Scams--such as the plea today from  Conservative Intelligence Briefing (conservativeintel.com). 

Trump (well, they write as if it is Trump, which I don't believe) asked for $35 to "join the highest ranks of the campaign" to activate my "Elite Membership" and get a "Presidential Black Card"--a Trump Card. He said over a million will be at his inauguration but only a select few will have the Presidential Black Card showing they were of the few who swept the campaign to victory--and all for just $35?

I looked up the site but found little.  I did find it partnered with Harper Polling in 2013 and is owned by Conservative Connector (which rents email lists, which is why when you donate in good faith to one, you get hundreds of pleas for money from everyone else). According to one site, David Freddoso, the site's editor, said they are independent and 'we have no donors or contributors....'

If that's true, why are they sending endless emails asking me for donations?  I doubt these so-called donations go to Trump or anyone else. If you want to support Trump or Clinton, you'd best send your pennies directly to a legitimate site. But regardless of whether we end up with Trump or Clintin, I think the Last Trump has sounded.

Below is the email asking for donations from the site that has no donors or contributors! [I changed all links so no does donate to this suspicious site. You can easily Google Trump's and Clinton's legitimate sites.]

You should get one of these, friend.
 
Contribute a one-time induction fee  of $35 to activate your Donald J. Trump Elite Membership now.

At my inauguration next year, there will be upwards of a million people there, but only a few will have Presidential Black Cards and the recognition as leading Trump supporters who really drove our campaign to victory.

This is the final round of Presidential Black Cards our campaign will be issuing so please respond before tomorrow at 9 AM to guarantee yours.
 

ACTIVATE YOUR MEMBERSHIP

Our effort to defeat Hillary Clinton and turn this country around is more than just a campaign, it is a movement.

In all 50 states, proud Americans are standing up and joining our movement by the millions. Many of them have never been involved in politics before. Until now, they’ve never had anyone speaking up for them, against the DC elites who have sold us out and rigged the economy against working families.

So while Hillary Clinton calls us “deplorables,” I am 100% PROUD of the people standing with us...patriotic people who see radical Islamic terrorism, out-of-control crime, jobs shipped overseas, Washington corruption and career politicians doing NOTHING about these problems.

And our people are going to kick the DC elites to the curb so I can bring real leadership to the White House.

I hope you will emerge as a leader of our movement to rescue America before it is too late, friend.

Please join the highest ranks of our campaign with a contribution of $35 to activate your Elite Membership now.

Thanks,

Donald J. Trump

ACTIVATE YOUR MEMBERSHIP

Enjoy Amoy!

Dr. Bill

Academic Director, XMU OneMBA
School of Management, Xiamen University

Amazon eBook "Discover Xiamen"

www.amoymagic.com

Bill Brown
Xiamen University

Top Email Scams: Free WalGreens Certificate, Home Depot, even Google!

Ahoy from Amoy!

I get lots of SPAM and Phishing Attempts but the last two weeks they've really gone through the roof--especially political scams like the one asking me to Donate $35 to Trump to get a Presidential Black Guard and be a member of the Elite. [For only $35!?]

Below is a screen capture of less 40+ scams (less than one day). The biggest scams these few days (I receive main variations, daily, of these) are
1. Fidelity Life Insurance: Rate Drop: Quarter of a Million Dollars Coverage for a  Buck Approved for you as ....
2. Change you life, get Lasik! (Give them your credit card info for appointment to get very cheap surgery).
3. Considered Senior Housing? Consider your options! (Seniors, sadly, are gullible and vulnerable).
4 Your name was selected for a $5 Walgreen's charge card (many each day).
5. Warning! Were you informed that your creditworthiness could have gone up beyond 580 points?
6. Order confirmation! Dear, your customer, Mr. Faisal.... (this works because those who are cheated are open to cheat the person whom they think got their email by mistake).
7. Heads up! Were you informed that your creditworthiness could have risen past 720 points this month?   In case that doesn't work, they follow it with...
8. NOTICE: Did you know that your ability to obtain credit could have dropped beyond 620 points...
9. Surprise voucher in the mail!
10. Walgreens, Fidelity, Lasik, CenterParcs, Nespresso, etc.....

The Screen Capture of my SPAM folder shows scams received just the past day!

I keep reporting the Phishing to Google but they're evidently ignoring it--just like the FTC has ignored my dutifully filed reports of phone scammers claiming to be Dell Computer and having noticed my computer is being attacked. It's pretty convincing; they know my name and my kind of computer, and I never received such calls until I bought a Dell Computer--and within a year I received over 600 fake Dell calls! (I contacted Dell and they said it was scamming--duh--but have obviously done nothing about it).

But many people are people fooled by such phone scams and email scams and phishing; if there wasn't a lot of money in it, it would stop.

So just a reminder--if you receive an email even from a company you know offering to save you money or give you anything free-do not reply! If you are at all curious, look up the phone number from you records (or use the one on your credit card)--never use the phone number in the email--and phone to ask if it is legitimate. No reputable company will ever send an email or phone you out of the blue and ask for private information.

Just today, I received these amazing email offers!:

Congratulations! As a valued Walgreens customer, we have selected you for a $50 gift certificate! (I never received these until I started paying for my mother-in-laws medicine with a Visa at Walgreens; now I get a dozen a day. Walgreens insists of course there is no connection)


Click Here for a Free Credit Check! Of course, to get that check you give them your private information--everything from social security number to age, date of birth, height, weight and shoe size.

I've also received a dozen or more scam emails from some foreign site (Netherlands?) called CenterParcs, and many from Nespresso and Home Depot.

Home Depot Roofing Scam? Several emails a day from Home Depot saying the roofer needs to visit my home again. I've never had a roofer from anywhere to my home. And not surprisingly, I never received a Home Depot scam until after I opened an online Home Depot account. Is there a pattern here? Yes, they may have hacked my email to see what companies I work with, but I doubt that because I have 2-level email security (even I can't get in myself sometimes!).

Google Annual Promotion: I won £950,000.00! Even as I was writing this, I received this email:
Google is now the biggest search engine worldwide and in an effort to make sure that it remains the most widely used search engine, we ran an online e-mail beta draw which your email address won Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand Great British Pounds Sterling (£950,000.00).

Winning Notification! You have won the UK-Lotto Sweepstakes Lottery! Click Here for your millions... Immediate Line of Credit Guaranteed!!! (Never trust anyone, not even your mother, who uses multiple exclamation marks. Even on is bad enough!!!).

You are approved for XX Credit Card with a billion dollar credit limit!

You are the Beneficiary of a 50 million dollar estate! Greetings from Nigeria, our solicitor, John Whittlebottom Esq., has determined that you are the sole surviving relative of Edna Withersfork, the heiress of a vast diamond fortune in Swoozyland.

GREETINGS MY DEAR, in the Name of God (this does get some off guard but the use of "all capitals" is as much of a tip-off as the use of multiple exclamation marks!!! ). My husband, Monobutama Haseem a rocket scientist in Mobumbo, just passed away and I am asking good honest people like you to take part of his multi-million fortune, asking only that you donate the proceeds to worthwhile charities. You may, of course, keep a small percentage of the millions for your trouble. Please send me your name, address, bank information number, and the contact number for your psychiatrist because anyone stupid enough to believe this needs a shrink. (But this scam works--and it works because of people's greed and lust to get something for nothing. As Confucius might have said, "If a diamond ring only costs ten cents, it's probably only worth a dime."

Subject: Career Opportunity from Globalfinances Group! We are looking for reliable people like you to represent us... You can work from home... make thousands per month....

Subject: You won a cruise! You have just won a cruise for two in Europe. This cruise, valued at USD 8,730, is yours because...

The sheer creativeness and ingenuity is astonishing. If these people put their efforts and energy to worthwhile causes, they could earn a decent living, solve world hunger, end wars and usher in a new millennium. Okay, maybe just make a decent living, but that's not bad in this day and age when people are making less money but battered by media and unSocial media to keep up with the Kardashians (who are famous only for being famous). But modern marketing and Consumerism is a socially accepted scam worse than everything else. (How is it that no one minds that their role in life is to be nothing more than a mindless Consumer?).

I think legitimate business, marketers and media could teach Scammers and Phishers a thing or two.

And in that vein... if you think us consumers are dumb, well so are businesses. Billions have been lost the past year from the "Bogus Boss" scam! Someone sends an email to an employee claiming to be the boss and telling them to immediately transfer company funds to another account... "I'll explain later." The harried employee does it--and they lose their head.

And with that in mind, I'm going to click now on the exciting notification that I have just won millions of dollars from the Google Annual Promotion so I too can keep up with every other  Tom, Dick and Harry (or Tang, Ding and Hong, as the case may be here).

Just for fun, I'm going to jot down all of the Scams I receive in 24 hours and later I'll add them below. But I have to run because I just got an email from Susan Marie telling me to transfer half of our retirement account to an offshore account to pay her hairdresser.

Enjoy Amoy!

Dr. Bill

School of Management, Xiamen University
Amazon eBook "Discover Xiamen"

www.amoymagic.com

Bill Brown Xiamen University www.amoymagic.com

Solved: Missing or Grayed Out Network Icons in System Tray, Windows 10

Ahoy from Amoy! (Historic Xiamen).

While Windows 10 is certainly better than Windows 8 (though I loved Windows 7), I've had lots of the Blue Screens of Death with Windows 10 (Windows 7 never had them). And after almost every major update, I have lots of glitches and issues I have to fix. One of the most frustrating is that the Network or Internet icons disappear from the system tray and they are grayed out in settings so I cannot turn them on. This has happened several times on both my computer and my wife's (Dell and Toshiba).

In early September, I explained an easy way to usually restore missing system tray internet or wifi icons-but it did not always work. Now I've found a surefire guaranteed fix for missing internet or wifi icons in the System Tray, even when they're grayed out in the settings: delete their values in the registry files and reboot.  This has fixed the problem in both our Dell and Toshiba computers.

Though I'm hesitant to edit Windows Registry Files, this operation is painless and foolproof.

1. Open "Run" window: at the same time, hold both the Windows Key and the “R” key.
2. Open "Registry Edit": Type “regedit“ and hit “OK“.
3. Step by step, go through the registry until you reach the last step: Tray Notify

1. HKEY_CURRENT_USER]
2. Classes
3. Local Settings
4. Software
5. Microsoft
6. Windows
7. CurrentVersion
8. TrayNotify

            Find both Iconstreams and PastIconStream
            Right-click and Delete each of them.
            Close the registry editor and reboot. 

The computer will restore new, uncorrupted entries for Tray Notify and the Internet Wifi icons will have magically reappeared in your Systray (Taskbar Notification Area).

Enjoy Amoy!

Dr. Bill

School of Management, Xiamen University
Amazon eBook "Discover Xiamen"

www.amoymagic.com

Bill Brown Xiamen University www.amoymagic.com

Ancient Roman coins unearthed in old Japanese Castle!

Ahoy from Amoy (historic Xiamen, China).

A few days ago, I wrote about the discovery of 2000-year-old Chinese skeletons in ancient Londonium (Roman London). And now they've discovered ancient Roman coins at an old Japanese castle! Ancient Japanese coin collector?

History just gets more exciting as we discover more about our past (thanks in part to new technology that has allowed us to read even ancient scrolls that have completely unburned; absolutely incredible to me).

I've collected coins since I was a child, and my favorite is a Roman "Widow's mite"--a Roman lepton, which was minted long before Christ lived but because it was the lowest denomination coin, was likely the two coins the poor widow gave at the temple. Her offering may have been a joke to the wealthy Jews who ostentatiously gave small fortunes, but Jesus said she gave more than all the others because she gave all she had.

Each time I hold the Widow's mite in my hand, I am reminded that life is short, and that we all need to give all we have--perhaps not money (if we don't have it!), but at leave give all of our self to whatever we are called to do in this brief life.

When my wife and I gave up a six-figure income to teach at Xiamen University for $90 a month (almost exactly 100 times less than we made in business), we felt like we'd given up everything, but we ended up with a much richer and fulfilling life than we could have imagined as we have witnessed firsthand (and even helped in miniscule ways) China's development. Of course, what excites me about China's development is not the changes in the country but the changes in the people--individual Chinese whom we have seen rise from abject poverty to, at the least, fairly comfortable lives, and some have become multimillionaires, even billionaires, but it's the farmers' stories that I love, perhaps because farming was my passion as a child. (I was in Future Farmer's of America--FFA--for 4 years, including positions as Chaplain and President, and captained Florida's state-winning forestry team in high school--so it was fun to lecture at Fujian's School of Agriculture and Forestry in Fuzhou!)

But though I love agriculture, in my next life I want to be an archaeologist: Indiana Bill!

Enjoy Amoy!

Dr. Bill

School of Management, Xiamen University
Amazon eBook "Discover Xiamen"

www.amoymagic.com

Bill Brown Xiamen University www.amoymagic.com

Chinese Lived in Roman London 2000 Years ago?!

Ahoy from Amoy (historic Xiamen, China),

Unearthing Ancient Roman Chinese!

Archaeologists just found 2000-year-old Chinese skeletons in a Londonium (Roman London) cemetery on Lant street, according to the Sept. 24th Daily Mail. While this has surprised lots of folks, I'm not surprised at all. If anything, I've long expected scientists to find that Chinese were everywhere on the planet much earlier than we expected. [Sept. 30 2016 update: even weirder, ancient Roman coins were just discovered in an ancient Japanese castle! Scroll to bottom].

We know Chinese have engaged in global trade for at least 4,000 years or so because they've found 3,800-year-old Caucasian Mummies on N,W, China's ancient silk road. One 6' 6" "Celtic" mummy had blue eyes and blond-hair and wore "Austrian" salt-miner twill. And I've visited 2,000-year-old underground tombs in Gansu that have colored paintings of foreigners with their light hair and hooked noses.

Ancient Roman Chinese Does Look Familiar

It's generally thought the world came to China but China never went far beyond its own borders but after the discovery of 2000-year-old Chinese skeletons in ancient Roman London, we know that's not true. And it stands to reason the Chinese traveled the world. In 800 B.C., they were trading in gold and jade, and in 130 B.C., the Han Dynasty sent 10 embassies each year to central Asia (Chinese liked their horses). In 126 B.C., Zhangqian 张骞, an official, described Western nations. Most telling to me is that archaeologists have found silk in Egyptian tombs dating from 1070 BC. It's not likely anyone but Chinese made silk that early because it wasn't until 522 AD that a Nestorian monk stole the secret and Byzantium began silk production. [That's another interesting point. It's said the first Nestorian monks came to China in 635 AD with Alopen, but a monk stole silkworm eggs in 522 AD? I suspect Christians came to China in the first or 2nd century AD. St. Thomas is said to have started the church in India and afterwards went to China. Historic references from the 700s suggest Nestorian Christians were in Tibet as early as the Tibetans].

In 43 A.D., Pomponius Mela wrote that the Seres [Chinese} of Serica were "a race eminent for integrity, and well known for the trade..." (Many think that the name Serica comes from the Chinese word for silk, Si 丝.

We may never know just how early and how far Chinese traveled, but thanks to new technology like that used to identify "foreign" skeletons in ancient Londonium (Roman London), we may get a better picture.

On Sept. 28, 2016 National Public Radio reported the discovery of ancient Roman coins in an old Japanese Castle! (I have an actual Roman "widow's mite"--my most prized coin. Just holding it is an experience, knowing that it was  used by contemporaries of Christ).

I love history. In my next life I'll be an archaeologist! Indiana Bill?

Enjoy Amoy!

Dr. Bill 

School of Management, Xiamen University
Amazon eBook "Discover Xiamen"

www.amoymagic.com

Bill Brown Xiamen University www.amoymagic.com

Ancient UFOs in China 古代中国飞车

Ahoy from Amoy (historic Xiamen, China)!

Shen Kuo, 1031-1095, saw "pearl" UFO

I've been interested in tales of UFOs since my time as a Special Agent of the Air Force OSI (AFOSI), which handled the Air Force's Project Bluebook (now declassified and available online). I'm convinced I did see a UFO once. I saw a bright light hover above a field perhaps half a mile away for half a minute, after which it shot straight up at a rapid speed and vanished. I can't imagine a weather balloon or the planet Venus doing that. But while about 700 of Project Bluebook UFO reports remain unexplained, most were easily explained, and many were outright fraud.

But I'm surprised at how many Chinese report seeing UFOs, and believe that ancient aliens visited China in UFOs. Lots of these stories, supposedly dating back centuries, are actually traceable to Western frauds like Erich von Daniken--farfetched tales like the Dopa Stones on the border of China and Tibet. There supposedly were hundreds of round, flat grooved discs that a Chinese deciphered to reveal the story of little aliens with big heads who had landed in China and were killed by the ignorant locals. Shades of E.T.! First--why would aliens with that kind of technology use stone disks? At the least, vinyl, like Pink Floyd used for their spacey compositions. Just Google Dopa Stones and you'll find several sites clearly refuting every aspect of them--though nothing is enough to deter True Believers--or True Frauds like Erich von Daniken, who wrote about them knowing the tales were false.

But, interestingly enough, ancient Chinese did write about unidentified flying objects--but that is not surprising because the ancient Chinese wrote about everything, and they watched the skies so closely for so long that NASA was able to use 3,200 year old Chinese observations to calculate how much the earth's rotation had slowed down! For the record, the earth now turns 47,1000 of a second slower than it did 3,200 years ago; so reset your watch.

But given that Chinese not only observed and wrote about everything but also invented everything, it may well have been some of the things the ancients saw were some strange flying invention. After all, 2,000 years ago they experimented with manned kites to spy on the enemy. It wasn't very safe, and the pilots of these kites were often people being punished: "Either lose your head on the ground, 100% or take your chances at going up and coming down alive. Up to you."

The ancient Chinese invented parachutes, hot air balloons (even today, on holidays they fill the air and look very alien as they glow and sputter--and sometimes move quite fast or erratically as they're buffeted by high winds).

So who knows if ancient Chinese UFO sightings were really extraterrestrial or actually from China (which to me is much like another planet in the first place; my masters was in Cross-Cultural Studies but I increasingly think Inter-planetary studies could have been just as appropriate).

One researcher claimed that over the centuries preceding 1918, Chinese had recorded over 700 UFO sightings. One was recorded in the Astronomical Record II, April 13, 905 AD.

One might suspect these night watchers had sipped too much rice wine or saki, but some of the men who reported UFOs 飞车 were outright geniuses--people like Shen Kuo 沈括 (1031-1095), who in his "Dream Pool Essays" 《夢溪筆談》  , "Strange Happenings," 《異事》, gave an amazing description of a UFO. Of course, the internet is full of supposed "ancient Chinese accounts of UFOs" but most of these are as fake as the Dopa Stones--they're not really in ancient Chinese records (of course, Marco Polo isn't in them either--which leads me to agree with Mark Twain--that he was never there, but just compiled his fanciful tales from stories told by jailmates).

Shen Kuo, 1031-1095, saw Yanghou "pearl" UFO

Shen Kuo, however, was real, he did see a UFO, and he was a genius: Just look at his accomplishments and you'll see why his claim to have seen a UFO is not easily dismissed. Shen Kuo was a head of the astronomy bureau, he observed that climates change naturally over time and suggested techniques to avoid deforestation, he developed a pinhole camera (1000 years ago!), made raised-relief maps and two atlases, used predator insects for insect control, he determines that rainbows were light refracted through water droplets, he was an art critic, etc. His fields of study and research included: Geology, Astronomy, Archaeology, Mathematics, Pharmacology, Magnetics, Optics, Hydraulics, Metaphysics, Meteorology, Climatology, Geography, Cartography, Botany, Zoology, Architecture, Agriculture, Economics, Military strategy, Ethnography, Music and Divination.

So if Shen Kuo says he saw something, I believe him! He wrote that a bright object like a pearl hovered over the city of Yangzhou 扬州 , and that it's door opened and blinding light appeared from within, after which it shot into the lake. Ancient Chinese weather balloon? No idea, but I'd believe Shen Kuo before I believed Erich von Daniken.

Do I believe in UFOs? Well, if they exist, why haven't one of the billion people around the world with cell phones photographed one? And I mean a photo that was not clearly photoshopped (like recent Chinese reports of cities appearing in the sky; a fata morgana does not appear that high above the horizon, as far as I know).

Oh well, still fun to read about, though. I myself am quite certain that this universe is too large for just us, but I don't think aliens capable of crossing interstellar space would be playing games with us. They'd have the technology to either remain invisible altogether or to make their debut once and for all.

 Enjoy Amoy!

Dr. Bill
School of Management, Xiamen University

​

School of Management, Xiamen University
Amazon eBook "Discover Xiamen"
www.amoymagic.com

Bill Brown Xiamen University www.amoymagic.com

Wifi Device to Detect Emotions for Advertisers!

Ahoy from Amoy (historic Xiamen, China).

Credit: CSAIL/MIT

I thought life in China was Off the Wall, but my disOriented life doesn't hold a candle to what's happening back home--such as a new device from MIT that will allow advertisers to use Wifi to detect your emotions and target products straight to your heart, bypassing your brain. It's not in use yet, but you and I both know that what can be done--and makes money--will be done.

According to Forbes, Sept. 20th 2016 (link to article at bottom), researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed a device that detects your emotions by sending wireless signals that measure your heartbeat by bouncing off your body. They claim the device is 87% accurate and can recognize happiness, sadness anger and how you react to stress. It's like an electrocardiogram that doesn't have to come in contact with your body!

I can see the good in this; it could be used like biofeedback to help us monitor and control stress, blood pressure, etc. The scary thing, however, is the articles closing statement:

"They say it could one day be used by advertising agencies to gauge audience reaction or in health care to diagnose depression or anxiety."

If it can be, it will be. Happy Thought. I remember reading, as a child, a science fiction story about a future society in which people went to great measures to avoid hi-tech advertising that bombarded them 24/7--including shrill flying robots batting against the window and screaming marketing slogans. But not even the author of that story could have imagined this scenario.

Well, I'm signing off because I have a sudden urge for a Big Mac, KFC and Pizza, followed by a trip to Xiamen's new Mall to pick up a 5,000 Rolex and whatever new incarnation of iPhone or Galaxy Note now lines the shelves. I think my new Chinese wireless router is acting up again.

Enjoy Amoy!

Dr. Bill
Click Here to read original Forbes

Academic Director, XMU OneMBA

School of Management, Xiamen University
Amazon eBook "Discover Xiamen"

www.amoymagic.com
Bill Brown Xiamen University www.amoymagic.com

Extend your razor use: how to use over 1000 times!

Ahoy from Amoy (historic Xiamen, China)! Today, I share how to greatly extend the use of your razor--and without using expensive shaving cream.


When we first came to Xiamen in 1988, I quite by accident stumbled on to how to reuse a normal quality shaving razor (Schick, Gillette--take your pick--but not a cheap hotel freebie) for years! I've used the cheap Schick razor in the photo for about 3 years, so about 1,000 times. I've used it so much that the handle just broke, but I'm repairing the handle because the blade is still fine, even after 1,000 uses.

Here's how I discovered the Everlasting Amoy Shaving Razor trick (and how to sharpen the blade if it dulls).

When we first came to Xiamen University back in 1988, it never occurred to me we'd not be able to buy quality razors in China, so I had to make my razor and 3 disposable blades last for 9 months. In desperation, I actually tried using a pyramid to sharpen the razor. Remember that craze? Way back in 1949, a Czechoslovakian named Karel Drbal tried to patent the Pharaoh's Shaving Device, which he claimed could sharpen razor blades if they were place in the pyramid in alignment with the earth's magnetic field. People believed this claim for decades. I scoffed at it until I ended up in Amoy without enough razors. I build my pyramid, carefully aligned the pyramid and razor blades--and I was rewarded with what you usually get with a pyramid scheme--nothing. That hasn't stopped others from building pyramid houses (for health and longevity; I wonder if residents call their mother's "mummy"/), to improve wine or to win hockey games. Read about Pyramid Power on Wikipedia; it's a riot!). In 2005, Mythbusters proved there was nothing to Pyramid Power--but that of course has not deterred the True Believers.

But, as it turned out, I was so careful with my meager store of razor blades that, even without a pyramid, I used just 1 blade for the entire 9 months!

And I do have a full beard. I've grown it long on many occasions when I played foreigners in historic Chinese TV miniseries. And my beard grows fast. I can shave in the morning and by evening it's rough. So what's the trick?

First--consider this. My dad shaved with a straight razor, which he whacked every morning on a broad leather strop. It was sharp enough to split a blonde hair--but do you think that those razors were any sharper than the almost microscopically thin edges on modern blades? I doubt it.

Of course, modern razors dull as you use them, but I've found that they work fine if you're careful with the razors (clean and dry them after use) and prepare your beard properly. [It must be a good razor to start with--not those freebies from hotels].  It seems that once the razor dulls a bit, it reaches a point where it keeps about the same edge for as long as you're careful with it (as I said, I've used the one in the photo about 1,000 times). 

And no shaving cream! I love shaving cream but when I can't get it, wetting the beard with hot water and lathering well with good soap (creamy soap) is enough to do the job.

There's also a trick to how you hold the razor. I keep it back at a sharp angle to the skin (experiment).

And you need to be careful to clean and dry the razor after every use so it does not rust.

Once you've shaved this way for awhile, you get used to it (and, perhaps, your face gets used to it as well).

I of course like a really sharp blade, and shaving cream is a luxury, but if you really want to stop throwing money in the deep pockets of Gillette, Schick, etc.--just try my Amoy Everlasting Shaving Razor trick!

By the way, to sharpen the blade, just rub it 15 or 20 times against flat jeans (making sure the top of the razor is facing the direction you're rubbing). This will smooth out tiny nicks and actually sharpen the razor a bit--though I've not even done this little bit of maintenance with the razor I've used for 3 years.

Enjoy Amoy!
And learn more about our beautiful little island with the Amazon eBook, Discover Xiamen.

Dr. Bill
Academic Director, XMU OneMBA

School of Management, Xiamen University
Amazon eBook "Discover Xiamen"

www.amoymagic.com
 Bill Brown
Xiamen University
www.amoymagic.com

Free Electronic Whiteboard in Windows 7 to 10!

Ahoy from Amoy! (historic Xiamen, China.

Most people don't know that Windows has long had a built-in free software that turns your computer into one giant electronic Whiteboard--Windows Journal, which has been around since 1999.

Unfortunately, Windows is deleting Windows Journal in its new big update. Fortunately, I'll show you below how to get it back;

Microsoft is deleting Windows Journal because of security vulnerabilities in Journal--and there have been many. But if Microsoft can securely force all of their BloatWare on us (xBox, Microsoft Money, Cortana, Bing Health & Fitness, etc.), why can't they just fix Journal, which is an extremely simple but simple program that has changed little since its introduction in 1999?

Two--Journal: my Electronic Whiteboard! During my MBA lectures at Xiamen University School of Management, I don't use a whiteboard or blackboard. I simply open a blank page (no lines) in Windows Journal and Presto! Instant screen-sized whiteboard! With a finger or my stylus, I can handwrite or draw anything I need, and save the notes when I come up with something memorable or brilliant (sadly, a rare occurence).

Happily for lovers of MS Journal, Microsoft has shown a little heart and provided a way to keep Journal. Or, more accurately--you can't keep it, but you can get it back after they (or you) have deleted it.

If you've not had the update that deletes Journal, you can download that individual update, let it delete journal, and then download and install a new modified Journal that works just like the old one.

To Rescue Windows Journal from Oblivion:
Read more about the issue on Microsoft's site by clicking here, or go straight to the steps below.

1. Delete Windows Journal (just temporarily, and only if it has not been already deleted by the Windows normal updates--if anyone can all their new updates normal) by installing the Microsoft Update Catalog and downloading the Journal Removal update.

2. Download & install the new Windows Journal file:

Be sure to download the correct file, depending on whether your computer system is 32-bit or 64-bit. Click here for instructions.

Download x86-based (32-bit) Windows Journal by clicking here. (4 Mb; file name journal_en-us_x86.msi; version 10.0.73, published Sept. 14, 2016).

Download x64-based Windows Journal by clicking here. (4.4 Mb; file name Journal_en-us_x64.msi; version 10.0.73; published Sept. 14, 2016).

Install the file and you now have Windows Journal that should, in theory, survive future updates from Microsoft.

Enjoy Amoy!

Dr. Bill
Academic Director, XMU OneMBA

School of Management, Xiamen University
Amazon eBook "Discover Xiamen"

www.amoymagic.com
Bill Brown Xiamen University www.amoymagic.com

Why Kindle Beats Smartphones for eBook Reading

Ahoy from Amoy (Historic Xiamen, China).

I used to laugh at folks who'd fork over $100 for a Kindle that was good for nothing but reading books. I much preferred reading on my Smartphone with either the free Amazon Kindle App or the great MoonReader Pro app that works with many formats. And smartphones let me see the book covers or illustrations and maps in color; Kindle is boring black and white. But here are 7 reasons why I switched from Smarphone eBook reading apps to Kindle Paperwhite --and I think you should to.

7 Reasons I Switched to Kindle Paperwhite from Smarphones

1. Kindle Paperwhite is only for books and documents. Once a big negative for me, this is now a great Plus!+  With a phone, I'm always tempted to check my email, surf the net, play games, etc.  With my Kindle Paperwhite, I only read books, and that helps cut the eClutter that swamps us from dawn to dusk (and in our dreams as well). If I read a Kindle Paperwhite at bedtime, I just read, and I don't get caught up in email or work. So I sleep better. I also sleep better with Kindle Paperwhite because it is indeed Paperwhite but no bluelight.

2. No Blue Light in Kindle! Smarphone Screens have blue light, which affects melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone. Reading a phone before bedtime is a surefire prescription for insomnia. Having said that, I do still use a phone to read at times, but I use an excellent, free Android app called "Bluelight Filter for Eye Care" by Hardy--Infinity. 4.3% of reviewers give it a 5-star, and rightly so.

3. Kindle Paperwhite is really is ePaper--so easy to read in the brightest sun! This is what really sells me. Even on a blinding white beach outside of Xiamen University, I can read my Kindle Paperwhite with no strain at all. I can view my Smartphone screen, however, only in deep shade or from the bottom of a well.

4. Integrated dictionary and Wikipedia. I love looking up words, synonyms, etymology, etc. So convenient.

5. Notes, underlining, highlighting. It's easier than marking up real books because, later, I can easily search through my notes and copy them off on to my PC, phone, etc.

6. Amazon Kindle-owner lending library, book specials, etc. Amazon offers all kinds of specials, free books, etc. for Kindle Owners.

7. Send to Kindle app for Windows. You do not have to always obtain your Kindle books from Amazon! You can download literally millions of free books from numerous sites (Gutenberg, internet archives, etc.) and with "Send to Kindle" installed, just find the book in Windows Explorer, right click, select Send to Kindle--and it will be on your Kindle ASAP! You can also use this to send documents. Download Send to Kindle for Firefox or Google Chrome and you can also send news articles to your Kindle.  Send to Kindle helped me create a Kindle library of thousands of eBooks, most of which were free (and legal!) or purchased cheaply from various sites.

So that's why I switched from Smartphones eBook software readers to Kindle Paperwhite. I still read on my Android phone because I don't always have my Kindle PaperWhite with me (though they're so light I almost always keep one in my computer bag). But given a choice--especially at bedtime--Kindle PaperWhite has become my favorite.

Whether you use your Smartphone or Kindle, learn more about my adopted home of Amoy (Xiamen) by reading my Amazon eBook, Discover Xiamen!

Enjoy Amoy!

Dr. Bill
Academic Director, XMU OneMBA

School of Management, Xiamen University
Amazon eBook "Discover Xiamen"

Bill Brown
 
Xiamen University

www.amoymagic.com