User Comments - RJ

Posted on: Party Dues

Any Chinese who has reached the age of 18, accepts the Party's Program and Constitution and is willing to join and work actively in one of the Party organizations, carry out the Party's decisions and pay membership dues regularly, may apply for membership of the CPC.

http://www.chinatoday.com/org/cpc/

Posted on: Restaurants with Entertainment

Freddie that is. no edit function yet.

Posted on: Restaurants with Entertainment

do they like Freddy Mercury? An amazing voice, the pavoratti of rock and roll.

Posted on: The Colors of Money

bodawei,

I dont disagree with anything you have said. I was thinking more along the lines of when I turn them back in to go home, although prices in places like Shanghai are often on par with the west. I too have had issues with vendors not wanting 100 rmb notes but this has a lot to do with where you are (a fruit stand needs small bills to make change) and the fact that 100 RMB notes are often counterfeit is now burned into the Chinese Psyche. Large bills may be more attractive to counterfeiters but the most famous case in the US was "Mr 880" who made only $1 bills and it took them 10 years to catch him. They even made a movie about it starring Burt Lancaster. Anyway my comments regarding the eventual need for larger bills presupposes that the global economy will equilibrate to some degree and costs will rise. I once witnessed a Cuban musician pay his hotel bill for him and his band in cash in Shanghai. He carried his money in a small suitcase with wheels that he pulled around and the payment was a stack of 100RMB notes about 12 inches high. In the US we get an envelope at the bank. In China they have white shopping bags for customers cashing large checks or withdrawing large amounts of money. I have seen this. Not very discrete. Your comments about living well in China do start me thinking once again however.

Posted on: The Colors of Money

The US went more high tech starting with the introduction of common high quality color printer/copiers. Now money contains watermarks, microprint, holograms, tiny security strips made of plastic, and ink that appears to change color as the currency is viewed at an angle.

Also, copy machines now contain software that detects currency and will create copies slightly larger than actual size, and if you try to copy both sides it wont allow it. So I'm told. I wonder how many beers were purchased with office copies in dark bars, until one technology caught up with the other.

In China, Mao's collar is raised and there are water marks, an embedded strip, and numbers that show only from a certain angle. So there is some protective technology going on already. Watch any cab driver when you give him a 100 RMB note. They know what to look and feel for.

Posted on: The Colors of Money

I can remember the $1000 and $500 bills. I had one of each that I tried to save after they were taken out of circulation in 1969 but unfortunately there came a day when I really needed the money. Today they are worth much more than face value to collectors. One reason they will not consider re-introducing large bills is that it makes it much easier to transport drug money and other illicit funds across borders. Drugs come up from Mexico and cash goes back. It would be much easier to conceal large quantities of cash using $1000 bills. $1000,000 is a stack of $100 bills 43 inches high. Using $1000 bills the stack would only be 4.3 inches high. Nice.

The US actually had a $100,000 bill for a short time but it was only used to transfer money between federal banks. $5000 and $10,000 bills were the largest ever in public circulation but these were taken out of circulation long before the $500 and $1000 bill.

Posted on: Chinese Graded Readers and ACTFL

baba,

this kindle app you put me on to does have a Chinese - English, English to Chinese and Chinese to Chinese dictionary. The Chinese to English doesnt give pinyin apparently, just the english meaning but you might like the stratight Chinese version. Just highlight a word and choose "more" , dictionary and there is this cogwheel, it will be obvious. They have French too.

Posted on: The Colors of Money

Yea but when you think about it, this is like having a $15 bill as the largest bill in the US. Larger bills must happen eventually. They will just have to go high tech to foil counterfeiting. US bills are pretty tough to copy now. When Im in China I feel rich with a stack of 100's, then I remember they are only worth $15.

Posted on: Alcoholic Attitudes

that was my take on it too but its only a man's sport. I also noticed that some of the younger educated Chinese tend to frown on heavy drinking. At least the ones I have met. There also are regional and occupational differences.

Posted on: Chinese Graded Readers and ACTFL

ah yes the ipad. I never bought one since it seems to me to be just a giant itouch. The kindle app info is good to know. Certainly easier but a roll over dictionary would be ideal. After once or twice through the goal would be to get to where one could read seamlessly. Thanks for the input.