週二(1/3)1.你看好台灣2017前景嗎?2.煙火迎接2017

板橋區文化路段421巷11弄1號 (陽光甜味咖啡館)
新埔捷運站1號出口 旁邊7-11巷子進入20公尺 看到夏朵美髮院  左轉     PM7:00--9:30

你看好台灣2017前景嗎?

2017 Forecast: Is Taiwan on the Road to Recovery?    by Jane Rickardson

Last year Taiwan posted the lowest GDP growth rate – 0.75% – since the global financial crisis. Taiwan also suffered three consecutive quarters of negative growth, from the second half of 2015 through the first quarter of 2016. Now, however, the economy is showing definite (if still not robust) improvement. The second quarter this year saw a return to positive territory with growth of 0.7% year-on-year and third-quarter results were even stronger at 2.06%, according to the government’s Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics. DGBAS is now forecasting growth of between 2% and 2.5% for the second half of this year, with GDP expanding by 1.22% for the year as a whole and 1.88% projected for 2017.

The forecasts of other financial and research institutions vary widely. Barclays, the British bank, puts GDP growth this year at 1.1%, based largely on what it sees as better-than-expected iPhone7 sales. For 2017, it expects GDP growth in Taiwan of 1.7%, helped along by a low baseline effect. The Chung-hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER), a government-sponsored think tank, forecasts GDP growth of 1.08% this year and 1.81% in 2017.

Still, uncertainties remain about the impact on Taiwan of the Chinese economy more generally, as the mainland seeks to rebalance and move towards a consumption-based services economy. China’s overheated property market and debt expansion are among the causes for concern. Phoo, however, says China’s economy can be expected to stabilize, and while Barclays predicts a moderate slowdown in China, it does not foresee a hard landing.

Economists also worry about China’s so-called “red supply chain” – an import-substitution strategy adopted by Beijing that makes it difficult for Taiwanese exporters to stay competitive in that market. TIER’s Sun says that China has largely caught up with Taiwan in the supply of petrochemicals and machinery, a main reason for sliding export numbers for Taiwan in those sectors, and only Taiwan’s ICT products are still global standouts. Taiwanese and Chinese companies once had a complementary relationship, with Taiwan taking orders from Western branded companies and doing the high-end manufacturing, while outsourcing the lower-end production to China. But now many Taiwanese and Chinese companies have become competitors.

 Q:

2017 forecast: is Taiwan on the road to recovery?   

What are the factors that could affect the national economy?

Do you think 2017 everything would turn as good to Taiwan?

Do you feel uncertainties for the future?

How can we increase economic growth in the future?

What are your hopes and dreams for the New Year?

Does china still matter to Taiwan’s economy?

煙火迎接2017

Enjoy 2017 New Years Eve in Taipei       newyearseveblog

NYE Fireworks in Taipei

Taipei – officially known as Taipei City – is the capital city and a special municipality of Taiwan. The city has recently been named among the top 10 choices to countdown into the New Year 2017 in Asia. Is is estimated that more than one million visitors will travel to Taipei this year for New Year’s Eve celebrations and parties.

Introduction to Taipei

Taipei city is in the northern part of the Taiwan island in a basin between the Yangming Mountains and the Central Mountains. It is the 4th biggest administrative area of Taiwan, after New Taipei, Kaohsiung and Taichung, with its population of 3 million inhabitants living in 12 districts.

Events and Parties

Taipei is well known for its amazing nightlife with various options of bars and nightclubs to suit any party goers. Taipei is even ranked higher than London, Paris, Tokyo or New York for the best place to welcome the New Year. Taipei puts on one hell of a New Year’s Eve party.  A large portion of the core downtown is blocked off to make room for a monster sized stage.  All of the biggest names in music and the big screen take a turn at entertaining the massive crowds.

NYE fireworks will be set off from the Taipei 101 building. There are many ideas places to see the midnight fireworks, including riverside parks and the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall. And below are some suggestions for your countdown parties:

    For those seeking a change from the club scene, hotel parties are the new rave. Liquid Lifestyle Group has teamed up with DJ Dominik Hooker and Taipei’s Paris Nights to organize a night of bling, bowties and boas at the Grand Hyatt.

    One of Taipei’s most famous nightclubs, Room 18 is throwing their annual New Year’s Eve rooftop party. The conveniently-located Xinyi club promises a night of indulgence and bubbly on a luxurious open-air patio with views of the  fireworks from Taipei 101.

    Not to be outdone by Room18, Luxy is hosting their own party with a rooftop view to catch the fireworks at Taipei 101 building. Swedish DJ duo DubVision will be spinning techno-house music and there’s an open bar until midnight.

Q:

How do you celebrate 2017 New Year?      

What do you think of the New Year fireworks in Taipei?

Where the best places to view the fireworks

Do you like join the countdown parties?

What are your hopes for the new year?

What are your opinion about Taipei nightlife?

Are you a party goer? Why or why not?

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周六(12/31) 1.做個有愛心的人2.社群網讓人更寂寞? 下午 4:00pm--6:00pm

板橋區文化路一段421巷11弄1號 (陽光甜味咖啡館)

新埔捷運站1號出口 旁邊7-11巷子進入20公尺 看到夏朵美髮

左轉       聚會時間下午4:00pm--6:00pm

做個有愛心的人

How to Be Kind                wikihow

Care for others genuinely. At its most basic, kindness is about caring genuinely for others around you, wanting the best for them, and recognizing in them the same wants, needs, aspirations, and even fears that you have too. Kindness is warm, resilient, patient, trusting, loyal, and grateful.

Do one kind thing for someone every day. Make a conscious decision at the beginning of the day what that kind act will be and make time to do it during the day.

Be kind, friendly, and compassionate when you interact with someone, and even more so where that person normally makes you angry, stressed, or bothered. Use kindness as your strength.

Be kind to everyone, not just people "in need". Expand your circle of kindness. It can be very easy to be kind when we're unconsciously doing what Stephanie Dowrick terms "patronizing kindness". This refers to kindness given to those people we feel are truly in need (the sick, the poor, the vulnerable, and those who align with our own ideals). Being kind to people close to us, emotionally (like family or friends) or in other ways (from the same country, of the same color, gender etc.), is also easier than being kind to those the philosopher Hegel called "the other". It can be more difficult to be kind to people we may consider our equals, but it will be worth it.

Minimize judgment. If you really want to be kind, then you have to kick your judgment to the curb. Instead of spending your time being critical of other people, work on being positive and compassionate. If you tend to think poorly of others, wish other people could step up their game, or feel like the people around you are needy or clueless, then you'll never learn true kindness. Stop judging people and realize that you'll never fully understand where they're coming from unless you walk a day in their shoes. Focus on wanting to help others instead of judging them for not being better than they are.

Be present. The greatest gift of kindness to another person is to be in the moment in their presence, to be listening with care, and to be genuinely attentive to them. Schedule your day differently, and stop being known as the person who always rushes off. Being present means being available.

Be optimistic. Happiness, joy, and gratitude rest at the heart of kindness, allowing you to see the good in others and the world, enabling you to press through the challenges, despair, and cruelty you witness and experience, continuously restoring your sense of faith in humanity.

Be polite. Although being polite is not an indication of kindness in itself, genuine politeness demonstrates your respect for those you're interacting with. Being polite is the kind way of getting people's attention and putting your point across.

Be grateful. People who are truly kind are easily able to express gratitude. They don't take anything for granted and always thank people for helping them out. They know how to say "thank you" and really mean it, they write thank-you cards, and they are comfortable with acknowledging when they have been helped. People who are grateful also thank people just because, for things like making their days brighter, instead of only thanking them for completing specific tasks. If you make a habit of being more grateful to the people around you, you'll see that your capacity for kinds will increase.

Share. People who are kind are happy to share with others. You can share your favorite sweater, half of your delicious enchilada, or even words of career advice to someone younger than you. The important thing is that you're sharing something that you actually care about, instead of giving away something you don't really need. Sharing with people will make you more generous and thus, more inclined towards kindness.

Smile more. Smiling is a simple act of kindness that can go a long way. Make a habit of smiling at strangers, or at your friends or acquaintances. Though you don't have to walk around with a smile plastered on your face, smiling at people will make them smile back, and will bring even a modicum of joy to their days. What's more, smiling can actually trick your mind into feeling happier than it previously was. Everybody wins when you smile, and your capacity for kindness will grow in the process.

Ask for nothing in return. The greatest kindness expects nothing, comes with no strings attached, and places no conditions on anything done or said.

Q;

How to be kind?            

How to do one kind thing for someone every day?

How to minimize judgment?

How to be optimistic?

How to be grateful?

社群網讓人更寂寞?

Why Social Makes Us Even More Lonely      socialmediaweek.org

Social Media Week is a leading news platform and worldwide conference that curates and shares the best ideas and insights into social media and technology's impact on business, society, and culture.

60 days until 20,000+ global leaders come together for SMW February Conference. Learn more.

Social media has to be one of the greatest developments of human history. It has connected humanity like never before. It has changed the way that people do business, with companies maintaining their own social media accounts to interact in real time with customers. We can quickly see what’s going on in our communities and around the world. It is also fitting that the social media revolution would even affect how people learn about social issues and even organize protests and revolutions.

It also has made it easier to maintain relationships. There was a time not too long ago that as people grew up, they’d drift apart from friends and family as a natural consequence of moving on in life. With social media, we never have to be out of the loop as it were.  We can share our lives with people thousands of miles away with pictures, statuses and the highlights of our lives. With the ability to stay connected to our loved ones, it seems like our quality of life would be on the rise.

However, there are studies that strongly suggest that with all the benefits that we get through social media, it’s also the cause of some serious mental health issues.  Despite being constantly connected, people are still feeling alone. So what gives? With the ability to keep in touch with all our loved ones, why are people lonelier than ever?

“The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.”— STEVEN FURTICK

The problem with social media is the fact that people only share the good things about their lives. This constant barrage of good news causes a vicious cycle in which people post the great things that are happening, which causes their friends to only share the good things that happen in order to keep up. This kills any sense of vulnerability, of genuine shared experiences that were so crucial to emotional closeness between friends. Allowing someone to see you embarrassed/vulnerable actually makes people like you; but with that being a social media no-no, how will people ever connect?

The reality is that there are many people who purposefully craft an image of themselves that they want the world to see. This can cause a rift in relationships as the lack of openness can lead to bonds not being fully formed, as the pressure to keep up the façade prevents people from truly getting to know each other. This kind of posturing often leads to FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) that can cause anxiety over the need to be on the “cutting edge” for fear of becoming irrelevant.

The solution then would be to reduce the feelings of alienation that permeate social media and eliminate the atmosphere of one-upmanship that breeds cyberbullying. How to go about this is a question that is difficult for researchers to answer, as it’s only natural to celebrate the good things in one’s life and to shift focus away from the bad or unfortunate events. The traditional remedy to loneliness – to make more friends – seems to exacerbate the problem. While social media helps alleviate loneliness in seniors, the benefits are far from uniform. Despite the social connectivity that social media provides, some people can still feel socially isolated.

Q:

Why social makes us even more lonely?

Pros and cons of social media?

Is social media help people to maintain relationships?

How to overcome loneliness?

How to entertain yourself?

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週四 (12/29)1.無知國家 台灣排第三名2.舌如刀鋒

板橋區文化路段421巷11弄1號 (陽光甜味咖啡館)
新埔捷運站1號出口 旁邊7-11巷子進入20公尺 看到夏朵美髮院  左轉     PM7:00--9:30

無知國家 台灣排第三名

Taiwan third 'most ignorant' country in the world: survey   CNA

Taiwan has been ranked the third "most ignorant" country in the world in an "Index of Ignorance" survey that asks respondents from 40 countries questions about their own country.

The index was part of the Ipsos MORI Perils of Perception Survey conducted by Ipsos MORI, a market research company based in the United Kingdom, from Sept. 22 to Nov. 6. The survey polled more than 27,000 respondents aged 16-64 from 40 countries, including approximately 500 adults in Taiwan.

The index was calculated based on how accurate the respondents answered five factual questions about their country's population, percentage of Muslim population, healthcare spending and home ownership.

According to survey results, India topped the "Index of Ignorance," followed by China, Taiwan, South Africa and the United States. Ranked 6-10 were Brazil, Thailand, Singapore, Turkey and Indonesia.

In contrast, the Netherlands was the most informed country, followed by Great Britain, South Korea, Czech Republic and Malaysia, according to the survey.

Asked the size of their country's current population, the average answer in Taiwan was 25 million, when the actual number is 23.5 million.

When asked what percentage of people in Taiwan are Muslim, respondents gave an average answer of 7 percent, when there is less than 1 percent.

The average respondent in Taiwan also thought that 22 percent of total gross domestic product (GDP) is spent on health care each year, when the actual level is 7 percent.

Meanwhile, when asked what percentage of households in Taiwan own the home in which they live the average answer was 50 percent, when in fact it is 84 percent.

Finally, when asked what percentage of Taiwan's total household wealth is owned by the least wealthy 70 percent, the average response was 39 percent, when the real answer is 17 percent.

Other countries that participated in the survey include Canada (12), Russia (14), the Philippines (16), France (21), Vietnam (22), Spain (24) and Japan (27).

Q:

What do you think the news reported that Taiwan third 'most ignorant' country in the world?

What do you think causes people to be ignorant?

What are the reasons why many people don’t really care about international news?

Do Taiwanese care about the rest of the world?

Do we talk too much gossip?

How avoiding the news makes you stupid?

舌如刀鋒

The Tongue Like a Sharp Knife    zendirt

“The tongue like a sharp knife… Kills without drawing blood.”

It is said that a dull knife is far more dangerous than a sharp one.  The idea being that a dull jagged blade will cut with tearing and great mess, whereas a sharp edge will cut with surgical precision and no tearing.  Using this metaphor with the tongue, which of course forms our words, sends a powerful message.  It is saying that words can be very powerful, and can do great damage, can even kill, but without drawing actual blood.

Words can be used to command an army to kill a large number of people, destroy cities, and execute innocent people.  They can also be used to hurt people around us, those we don’t know, and even people we love.  If we are mindful of our words, and respect their great power, like a sword, we will know to hesitate before drawing this deadly weapon.  When we get angry, we may speak horrible, deadly words without thinking, and without intending the maliciousness that they will be perceived as.

We must keep our words sheathed, ready but knowing that unless we want to do damage, we should wait to speak until we know how to control the words that come out.

Q:

What do you think the saying that “the tongue like a sharp knife”?

How to avoid hurting others' feelings with our words?

How to show respect when making conversation?

Is being sarcastic good or bad?

How to communicate your opinion peacefully?

How to block out negative comments?

2016全球最無知國家排行榜　台灣排第三名

國際市場研究機構益普索（Ipsos）日前公布2016全球最無知的國家排行榜，總共走訪40個國家、2萬7250位16歲至64歲的受訪者，並詢問幾道問題，像是國民快樂指數、該國人口數、預計2050年該國人口數、川普和希拉蕊誰會當選美國總統、同性戀結婚等。

報告結果顯示，在40個國家中，第一名由印度奪冠，第二名則是中國大陸，第三名則由台灣拿下。益普索認為，台灣對於自己國家的認知度不太準確，像是2050年預知台灣人口會比現在多或少，多數人認為會更多，但根據聯合國資料顯示，台灣人口數將比現在更少，落差高達32%。新加坡排名第八、馬來西亞排第三十六。

益普索社會研究所董事總經理表示，調查可以更了解人們的認知和印象差距。

以下為無知國家排行榜前十名

一、 印度

二、 大陸

三、 台灣

四、 南非

五、 美國

六、 巴西

七、 泰國

八、 新加坡

九、 土耳其

十、 印尼

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週二(12/27)1.新年新希望!2.與機器人結婚/機器人性伴侶

板橋區文化路段421巷11弄1號 (陽光甜味咖啡館)
新埔捷運站1號出口 旁邊7-11巷子進入20公尺 看到夏朵美髮院  左轉     PM7:00--9:30

新年新希望!

New Year’s Resolution Ideas And How To Achieve Each Of Them    Ivan Dimitrijevic  lifehack

The New Year is slowly nearing, and with the holiday season already upon us many people are indulging in retrospection and reevaluating some of their life choices. New Year’s resolutions are the perfect opportunity for all those who have failed to start making the changes that they said they would make next week, next month, or perhaps when winter starts.

    1. Get in shape: Losing weight is the top resolution for Americans, and combined with “exercise more” and “stay fit and healthy” it is something that over a third of the population wishes to achieve. It’s easy enough to start an exercise and diet program, but the trick is to find a decent one that will give you steady results and will be easy to stick to in the long run. Have a look at these tricks, hacks, exercises and mistakes to avoid to make the best our of your resolution.

    2. Start eating healthier food, and less food overall: This is usually an extension of the previous resolution. Switching to a healthier diet can be incredibly tricky when we are surrounded by cheap junk food. However, with a good amount of determination and some basic tips you can slowly develop healthier eating habits. Learn to control emotional eating, be aware of reasons for diets to fail, make use of these tricks and have a look at these awesome and healthy recipes.

    3. Improve your concentration and mental skills: People have been trying to find ways to improve their focus and cognitive capacities for thousands of years, and most ancient civilizations had some combination of mental exercise and herbal medicine to help them reach this goal. Today we can use anything from apps to ancient meditation techniques to boost concentration and hone our mental skills. If you go through with this, you will be able to control your mood, learn faster and have an easier time solving problems.

    5. Meet new people: When we get stuck in a rut, we usually end up staying at home most of the time, missing out on a lot of interesting opportunities for networking and having fun. Meeting new people can be beneficial to your mental well-being and help your career, so don’t be afraid to get out there and make some friends. Overcome your shyness, get some knowledge and go and get to know new and interesting people.

   

   6. Learn to be happier with your life: Even those that are in decent shape, make a good living and have stress under control can still be unhappy. It takes time and patience to learn how to find joy in the little things and not to let problems bring you down.

   7. Find a significant other: We all need someone to hold at night, talk to and share our deepest secrets with, but finding the right person is a matter of trial and error. We need to go out and get to know a bunch of potential partners before we can find the one that we can get along with really well. Get inspired on your way towards love by these tips on the best places to meet people, asking someone out, and having an amazing and original first date.

    8. Start saving money: Once you have your debt under control, it’s time to start putting some money aside. A rainy day fund and some extra money that can go towards traveling abroad, fixing up the house or buying a new car are a welcome change of pace. Make use of these hacks and apps to save money efficiently.

 9. Learn a new language: Not only will learning a new language help improve your communication skills, it will also look great on your resume and possibly open up some doors for you. These days there are plenty of resources that allow you to learn a language for free and in your spare time.

Q:

What are your new year’s resolution ideas?   

How to get in a good shape?

How to learn to be happier with your life?

How to improve your concentration and mental skills?

How to meet new people? How to find a significant other?

How to save money?

Do you think is important to learn a new language?

與機器人結婚/機器人性伴侶

The first robot-human marriage will take place before 2050, as droids become more attractive than humans

By Abigail Beall For Mailonline

Humans will marry robots in the next 35 years, according to a sex robot expert. Not only this, but sex with robots will become more enjoyable than with other humans, because of the advancement of artificial intelligence.

'The first marriage will be before, not after 2050,' best-selling author and robot expert Dr David Levy said during the Love and Sex with Robots conference at Goldsmiths University, London.

While the claims may seem ridiculous to some, 'sex and love with robots at a human level may appear to be a long way off, but the future has a way of laughing at you,' he said.

The conference, held this week, has attracted experts from across the world to provide a vision of how sex with robots will look in the future, but it is not all good.

Nearly half of men could see themselves buying a sex robot in the near future but, if they are not careful, the tireless robots could push their human lovers over the edge.

The findings come from two key presentations at the conference that suggest robots will become an increasingly popular companion in the bedroom, warranting a system of ethics for their development and use.

"Sexbots" Partners

"Sex with robots is just around the corner, with the first sexbots coming... some time next year," artificial intelligence expert David Levy told the International Congress on Love and Sex with Robots at Goldsmiths, University of London.

US California-based company Abyss Creations next year will start marketing sex robots that are billed as life-like, with the ability to talk and move like humans.

Ultimately, Levy said, people should entertain the thought of marriage with robots as early as 2050.

The conference in London showcased some of the latest developments in robotic sex toys, such as gadgets which allow couples to kiss, no matter how far apart they are.

The "Kissenger", which attaches to your mobile phone, contains sensors to detect the pressure of a kiss and transmit it to your partner's device in real time. It has been under development for several years.

Now students at Tokyo's Keio University are developing the "Teletongue", aimed at providing "remote oral interaction" and designed to be "kinky", according to co-creator Dolhathai Kaewsermwong.

It allows couples to send licking sounds and sensations through cyberspace using a "lollipop", creating an "immersive experience", she explained.

Q:

What do you think that robot-human marriage?

Would you like to get a robot partner?

Will robots take over the world?

What do you think that "sex with robots”?

What are your opinion about the kissing machine "kissenger"?

Human-robot relations: why we should worry?

Pros and cons of new technology?

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