Review on KIMOJI

We all know that Kim Kardashian has just released her very own "KIMOJI" and I have just downloaded the app from Google Play after reading a related article on MTV Snapchat.

This app is worth 15.99 HKD which is normal for a standard "sticker app". After opening the app, I was directed to the keyboard setting page of my phone. Swipe right to enable the KIMOJI keyboard. And let's try!

The two main KIMOJIS are the emojis (gray-haired Kim icon) and the GIFs (Kim's twerking icon). As you can see here, both emoji and GIF were sent as "files" on Facebook Messenger, .pnglarge and .giflarge respectively.

If we try on Wechat, we get the same result as we do on Facebook Messenger.

On Between, whatsapp and Snapchat, emojis and GIFs appear to be just "huge pictures".

Seriously? I feel like that I am just spamming my friends with files with random names and non-meme pictures. The emojis are just too enormous and the GIFs won't move at all. Whoever that created these "KIMOJIS" should just skill up and write better codes.

FINA3030 Management of Financial Institutions

Course Code: FINA3030
Course Title: Management of Financial Institutions
Date: January 7th

This is the second class of this semester and the first major course. In addition, since the lecturer of this course covers a variety of topics, I decided to record this lecture and listen to it later back in the dorm. So here we go:

Before going into the core of this course, to understand the history of financial institutions, Elena introduced us to this website:
http://www.federalreservehistory.org

Also, Glass Steagall Act was stressed as a critical charter of the banking history:
Glass Steagall Act
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/glass_steagall_act.asp
It is established in 1933 to ban commercial banks from involving investment banks business. It is abolished in 1999 for it is not possible for commercial bank to simply take deposits without investing.


Chapter 1: Why Are Financial Institutions Special?
Functions And Special Role In Financial System
Economies of scale (reduces information costs)
More liquidity
Less price risk
Functions: Brokers and Asset Transformers
Regulation
Protect ultimate sources and users of savings
How:
Diversification
Minimum Capital Requirements (TARP, Capital Purchase Program)
Guaranty Funds (DIF, SIPC)
Monitoring and Surveillance
Specialness
Monetary Policy Regulation: Reserve requirements facilitate transmission of monetary policy
Credit Allocation Regulation: Supports socially important sectors (QTL, Usury Laws, Regulation Q)
Consumer Protection (CRA, HMDA, Consumer Financial Protection Agency)
Investor Protection (Securities Acts of 1933, 1934, Investment Company Act of 1940)
Crisis
Background:
Decline in share of depository institutions and insurance companies, increases in investment companies, net regulatory burden imposed on depository financial institutions (Financial Service Modernisation Act), Financial services holding companies, housing bubble
Financial Crisis:
AIG bailout
Citigroup needed government support
Chrysler and GM declared bankruptcy
Unemployment in excess of 10%
Bear Stearns funds filed for bankruptcy
Lehman Brothers failure
Solutions:
Federal Reserve infused 180 billion
700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program
827 billion stimulus program

Regulators of the U.S. financial institutions:

FDIC: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Insuring deposits, examining and supervising financial institutions for safety and soundness and consumer protection and managing receiverships.
https://www.fdic.gov/

SIPC: Securities Investor Protection Corporation
SIPC protects customers if their brokerage firm that are members of SIPC fails.
http://www.sipc.org/

OCC: Office Of The Comptroller Of The Currency
An independent bureau within the United States Department of the Treasury serving to charter, regulate, and supervise all national banks and thrift institutions and the federal branches and agencies of foreign banks in the United States.
http://www.occ.gov/

FFIEC: Federal Financial Institution Examination Council
Formal interagency body of the United States government made up of FRB, FDIC, NCUA,OCC and CFOB empowered to prescribe uniform principles, standards and report forms.
http://www.ffiec.gov/

SEC: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation
http://www.sec.gov/

CCAN4423 Cantonese Colloquialisms

Course Code: CCAN4423
Course Title: Cantonese Colloquialisms
Date: January 7th

Ok. So this is my first time using Blogger. I just finished my first class of this semester and now i would like to revise what was taught in class by reorganising my notes.

Mr. Chang is the lecturer of this class and I am happy to take another of his class this semester. Last time I took CCAN4413 Cantonese in Professional Settings with Jan and this time I have Stephan and Chris as my classmates. I didn't go to the first class on Monday because I went to the airport to pick up Fatty Bear. Today I went to the class late because I woke up at 8:45 and took a shower. The class is at Wong Fu Yuan Building which is located in the freaking far-away CC. I was 15 minutes late for class. When I got into the class, Mr. Chang recognised me and called me Claire. I am so happy to take his class again and I am ready to learn more Cantonese from him :)

A piece of story is given to us. It is about a woman complaining about her husband cheating on him to another man who is her husbands co-worker. Throughout the story, the woman kept complaining about her miserable life and the man kept on comforting her while being a little bit annoyed. To everyone's surprise, the "third person" is actually this man!

Here are some of the vocabulary that can be used to describe a "mistress":
情婦 chihnˋfuhˊ Mistress
第三者 daihsaamjeˊ The third person
小三 siuˊsaam Little Three
By the way, to say that a person is having a mistress outside of the marriage, we say:
包二奶 baauyinaai
If directly translate it to English, it has the meaning of "keeping a second pair of boobs".

Other new vocabulary that I learned today are:
俗語 juhkyuˊ Colloquilisms
嚇親 haakchan
Mr. Chang asked us if we know the word for getting shocked and surprised, I replied 驚 geng. However, this word means scared instead. I have learned some colloquilisms for sure today!

Some colloquilisms from the story:
Gam suhk sinˋ gongˊ I say this to you since we know each other so well
重槌 chuhngˊ cheuihˋ Pay out a lot
落重槌 lohk chuhngˊ cheuihˋ
重槌出擊 chuhngˊ cheuihˋ cheut gik
至低限度 ji daiˋ haahn douh At the very least
頃天光 king tinˋ gwongˋ Talk overnight