QQ International Version is dead: Learn Chinese or Use WeChat

If you are using QQ, the Chinese social media platform, on a PC and want multi-language capability, or at least a language other than Chinese, your days are numbered. The PC program was last updated in 2014 and has been slowly degrading in functionality. There is no foreseeable new version planned. The best you can do is to learn more Chinese and install the Chinese version, or use the Android international version on an Andriod smartphone.

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NoFrills in the Pandemic: Why I dislike shopping there

This is not NoFrills but an example of their line of cashiers. The single line queue for a cashier would start where the photographer is standing. This results in significant delays and increased risk to shoppers. This has discouraged me from shopping at NoFrills and going to other grocery chains, which offer similar prices and sales, more convenience and less risk of contracting the CoVid-19 virus.

This is not NoFrills but an example of their line of cashiers. The single line queue for a cashier would start where the photographer is standing. This results in significant delays and increased risk to shoppers. This has discouraged me from shopping at NoFrills and going to other grocery chains, which offer similar prices and sales, more convenience and less risk of contracting the CoVid-19 virus.

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Replacing the 4 Wire Phone Plug for a Smartphone Headset: Hints and Tips

Replacement 3.5mm 4 connector headphone jack, varnish, shrink wrap, new jack completed, Photo 05 by Don Tai.

Replacement 3.5mm 4 connector headphone jack, varnish, shrink wrap, new jack completed, Photo 05 by Don Tai.

After many years of careful use, the headset that came with a long gone Blackberry smartphone lost sound in the right ear. If I wiggled it “just so” the sound would reappear, but with any further movement the sound would again be gone. It was clear that the wire would need to be cut back and the 3.5mm phone plug would need to be replaced. Because I do like the feel and the quality of the headset and mic, this was worthwhile to repair.

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Puquio System for Water Management, Peru

These puquio holes in the area famous for Nasca lines, Peru, are interesting. With no written text to explain, someone, Rosa Lasaponara of the Institute of Methodologies for Environmental Analysis, in Italy, finally figured it out: They channel wind into underground tunnels, which brings ground water up to the surface for people to use. From a barren desert that can see no rain for years, to a livable habitat. This is brilliant.

The ancient Peruvian mystery solved from space Smart people.

The Puquios water system, Nasca region, Peru, used wind to push ground water to the surface, providing water for their people, and making a desert livable. Brilliant.

The Puquios water system, Nasca region, Peru, used wind to push ground water to the surface, providing water for their people, and making a desert livable. Brilliant.

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Sweden’s Herd Immunity Response to CoVid-19: Thoughts

For the CoVid-19 response, Dr Anders Tegnell, a Swedish epidemiologist, advised the Swedish government to remain open, and allow Swedes to auto-inoculate, what is called “herd immunity”. The resulting death toll would be much higher, but there would be more natural immunity in society. It was a bold step that countered the rest of the world, who locked down their societies.

Dr Tegnell is now saying that his response could have been better, with other politicians ready to criticize him. His response was a brave outlook in an experiment that has yet to end. Death rates aside, there is still as yet no vaccine.

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Japan is Unique, and not like China

I have spent significant time in both Japan and China. When people say that China will progress just like Japan, I find it startling. The two cultures are not even remotely close to each other. This NYT article Testing Is Key to Beating Coronavirus, Right? Japan Has Other Ideas highlights some of the unique characteristics of Japan. While it does not specifically outline the differences between Japan and China, if you have lived in China and think about it, some Japanese traits are simply mind boggling.

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Toronto CoVid-19 Map and Street Overlays

The City of Toronto has come out with a cool statistic of CoVid-19 infections as well as infections per 100,000 people. Unfortunately it has no street map labels nor other indicators, leaving you hunting for your area. The map also auto-refreshes, making you start over if you are too slow.

Here is the map, pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle, as well as a City of Toronto electoral divisions map, from Elections Canada. Map rotated -16.67 degrees.

Find your house or area on the Elections Canada electoral map. Point to it on the screen. Scroll upward until it matches up to the City of Toronto CoVid-19 map. There’s your house with the City of Toronto CoVid-19 infection statistics.

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Doom and Gloom, and a Decade of Depression

I found the article Why Our Economy May Be Headed for a Decade of Depression very enlightening on trying to explain the current buoyant stock market vs so much job loss, as well as shedding some light into the future of this pandemic. This is an interview with Nouriel Roubini, “Dr. Doom”, and another article Ten reasons why a ‘Greater Depression’ for the 2020s is inevitable. Dr Nouriel Roubini is a professor of economics at New York University’s Stern School of Business.

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qnreading from Chinese Social Media QQ: Unknown Protocol

I am a QQ user, which is part of Chinese social media. From Tencent 腾讯 in China, QQ is a simpler messaging and social media ecosystem than WeChat 微信. In the past couple of months I have been noticing more content is blocked to me here in Canada. More concerning is that China is beginning to use new protocols on the internet that are unique to China.

Geoblocking is regularly used by Chinese stores. I search for their products on Baidu, find images but cannot go to their web pages because they detect that I am not in China and block me. While this is annoying, at least I can understand the technical mechanism. They do not want Western eyes looking at their web pages, and that is their prorogative.

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Changes in Person to Person Relationships Due to a Virus

It is remarkable that within a three month period, that one of the base building blocks of person to person relationships would change. This change is so markedly clear, in that there is a “before” state, and event, and then an “after” state. We are in the “after” state of the effects of CoVid-19, the corona virus that originated from Wuhan, China.

Where once we could meet strangers, make conversation and become friends quickly, there is now a wall of suspicion, a hesitation to greet the stranger, an unwillingness to start a discussion. We all do not want to catch this virus, get sick, possibly hospitalized, and then die. We have no immunity whatsoever from this novel corona virus.

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