周五(1/3)1吃播?.2.超省錢法

聚會時間 晚上7:00-9:30

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


吃播?

WTF is Mukbang and Why Should You Watch these Viral Korean Videos? An Explainer

What is Mukbang??

If you’ve heard about or stumbled across a mukbang video, you may have several pressing questions on your mind. What does mukbang mean? How do you define mukbang? And why is it called “mukbang” in the first place?

Mukbang is usually defined as a live-streamed eating show where the host binge-eats. But it can be more than that. Sometimes, the host cooks the food on camera first, then eats it. Some videos feature noisy sound effects and descriptions of the food, while other videos show the host eating quietly. They almost always show the host throwing down food like it’s a food eating contest. But sometimes they only eat something small and delicious.

Mukbang are usually live-streamed on a Korean platform called AfreecaTV. Viewers can leave comments in real time and encourage the host to eat more or mix it with something else. But it’s since migrated to other video and streaming platforms, like YouTube. There you’ll find Mukbangers all over the world who have uploaded videos instead of sharing live.

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If this seems strange and confusing, it’s basically the food porn version of a “shopping haul” video. These types of videos have trended for years on YouTube where the vlogger pulls out all their shopping bags and shares their “haul.” They go through each item and why they bought it.

It’s also not that different from American cooking shows, and the enjoyment we get from those. The difference is, in America, the priority is on the process of cooking with only a little time at the end where the host actually tries the food. In South Korea, cooking shows actually spend much more time showing the host eating the food after cooking.

And thus, mukbang came into popularity, where the host shares their “food haul.” They’ll share where they got it, and then eat it while viewers watch on.

And their audiences do watch — for as long as an hour!

One of the biggest aspects of mukbang is the noise. They purposefully use exaggerated noises to capture the sounds of eating, drinking, biting, chewing, and more. While that can be uncomfortable for some (it is for me!), this is another growing genre of video trends: ASMR videos. ASMR stands for “autonomous sensory meridian response.” That’s a fancy way of saying you enjoy relaxing to the sounds of every life, from the sound of eating to the sound of brushing hair.

What’s interesting about Korean mukbang videos is they are funded by audience donations. YouTubers in America make their income through ad revenue and sponsorships. Korean BJs make most of their money while live-streaming and being sent “gifts” or donations of money.

And most of these hosts, especially native Koreans, are attractive and thin, which is part of the appeal. Since the BJs consume as many as 4,000+ calories in one sitting, many of the hosts go to extreme lengths to make up for it. One mukbang star, Banzz, has said he exercises up to 12 hours a day to keep his weight down.

Despite that, the trend keeps growing with more people who think mukbang is worth it for the followers.

How did Mukbang Originate?

What is the purpose of a mukbang and how did it originate? Mukbang originated on the live-streaming platform AfreecaTV in 2010.

It grew in popularity because it’s a stark contrast to Korean societal and gender norms, as well as food etiquette.

Food culture runs deep in Korea. And many people theorize mukbang began thanks to increasing loneliness of single Koreans in a digital age. In South Korea, eating out is mostly a social activity, and it’s rare to eat alone. But, with a growing number of Koreans living alone, they became lonely and turned to social media. So, this may be a reason why Mukbangers began to film themselves for others, and why viewers enjoy watching them eat. Especially live, where they can leave comments and interact.

 

超省錢法

How to Save Money - Simple Ways to Start Saving Money

bankofamerica.com

Sometimes the hardest thing about saving money is just getting started. This step-by-step guide for how to save money can help you develop a simple and realistic strategy, so you can save for all your short- and long-term savings goals.

1 Record your expenses

The first step to start saving money is to figure out how much you spend. Keep track of all your expenses—that means every coffee, household item and cash tip.

Once you have your data, organize the numbers by categories, such as gas, groceries and mortgage, and total each amount. Use your credit card and bank statements to make sure you’re accurate—and don’t forget any.

Tip: Look for a free spending tracker to help you get started. Choosing a digital program or app can help automate some of this work. Bank of America clients can use the Spending & Budgeting tool, which automatically categorizes your transactions for easier budgeting in the mobile app or online.

2 Budget for savings

Once you have an idea of what you spend in a month, you can begin to organize your recorded expenses into a workable budget. Your budget should outline how your expenses measure up to your income—so you can plan your spending and limit overspending. Be sure to factor in expenses that occur regularly but not every month, such as car maintenance.

Tip: Include a savings category—aim to save 10 to 15 percent of your income.

3 Find ways you can cut your spending

If your expenses are so high that you can’t save as much as you’d like, it might be time to cut back. Identify nonessentials that you can spend less on, such as entertainment and dining out. Look for ways to save on your fixed monthly expenses like television and your cell phone, too.

Here are some ideas for trimming everyday expenses:

    Use resources such as community event listings to find free or low-cost events to reduce entertainment spending.

    Cancel subscriptions and memberships you don’t use—especially if they renew automatically.

    Commit to eating out only once a month and trying places that fall into the “cheap eats” category.

    Give yourself a “cooling off period”: When tempted by a nonessential purchase, wait a few days. You may be glad you passed—or ready to save up for it.

Tip: Set a small, achievable short-term goal for something fun and big enough that you aren’t likely to have the cash on hand to pay for it, such as a new smartphone or holiday gifts. Reaching smaller goals—and enjoying

4 Decide on your priorities

After your expenses and income, your goals are likely to have the biggest impact on how you allocate your savings. Be sure to remember long-term goals—it’s important that planning for retirement doesn’t take a back seat to shorter-term needs.

Tip: Learn how to prioritize your savings goals so you have a clear idea of where to start saving. For example, if you know you’re going to need to replace your car in the near future, you could start putting money away for one now.

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周六(12/28)1. 新年的新希望2.如何 排毒?

星期六 聚會時間 晚上7:00-9:30

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

新年的新希望

Top 10 Most Common New Year's Resolutions

Brad Zomick

Every year, millions of people make New Year’s resolutions, hoping to spark positive change. The recurring themes each year include a more active approach to health and fitness, improved finances, and learning new things for personal and professional development. Chances are, more than a couple of the top 10 most common resolutions will look familiar to you:

    Exercise more

    Lose weight

    Get organized

    Learn a new skill or hobby

    Live life to the fullest

    Save more money / spend less money

    Quit smoking

    Spend more time with family and friends

    Travel more

    Read more

However once the glow of a fresh new year wears off, many people struggle to make good on their plans. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, only 46% of people who made New Year’s resolutions were successful. That means over half of the people who set a goal for the new year will fail!

The study also involved non-resolvers, people who did not make a New Year’s resolution, but had a goal they wanted to achieve that year. Only 4% of non-resolvers were successful at achieving their goals, a far bleaker result than those who did make a New Year’s resolution.

Naturally, we don’t want to be in the camp of folks that fail to achieve their aspirations and dreams for 2020, so we’ve put together an exhaustive plan for following through on your resolution.

. Mentally prepare for change

Changing ingrained habits is no easy task, so before diving head-first into your New Year’s resolution, it is important to take a step back and get ready for that impending change.

The first breakthrough in change is taking a personal inventory. Being that it’s the end of one year and the beginning of the next; it’s perfect timing to take stock in the past year’s accomplishments. Think about the following:

    What did I set out to do in the past year?

    Where did I make progress?

    Where didn’t I see progress?

Naturally, your resolution may focus on areas that lack progress, but don’t forget to savor the progress made, and find some small way to celebrate. Those happy feelings are useful! If possible, try to associate them with an object or word related to your accomplishment.

You will want to keep upbeat with your new resolution, so you can use that positive association with last year’s accomplishments to remind you of those good feelings when you are feeling challenged.

As you start thinking about the changes you want to implement, make sure to do the following:

    Stay positive

    Try not to make big/quick changes

    Change should be gradual

    Build on smaller changes

    Allow a little room for error

. Set a goal that motivates you

You would be surprised how often people set goals that are not for themselves. These goals could be dictated or coerced by a manager, spouse, or parental / peer pressure.

While it’s nice to have some external support, if you don’t share the same passion, the resolution has a small chance of succeeding and could even be dead on arrival.

To do this, you need to make sure the goal you set is important to you and only you and that there is value or benefit for you in achieving the goal. It is these two things that will provide the reason and willingness to take action. This is also known as motivation!

Thus, it’s a safe bet if your resolutions align with the following:

    Your goals

    Your priorities

    Your dreams

    Your aspirations

 

如何 排毒?

6 Easy Ways to Detox Your Body in Just 24 Hours

By byrdie.com

While we reject the notion that indulging in champagne toasts and holiday cookies qualifies as "overdoing it," we also get it: After several weeks of merriment, it's easy to feel a little sluggish, bloated, and in need of a little detox.

1. Binge on sleep

"Giving yourself a good night's rest is one of the best ways to detox your body and reset," Asay says. "Sleep has been connected to weight loss, reduced cortisol levels and stress, and improved overall health." The best part about sleep is that it takes absolutely no effort—just make sure the temperature of your room is cool, and give yourself a 10-hour block to snooze.

2. Drink a big glass of water right after you wake up

…and right before you go to sleep. And throughout the day. "When you think about it, while our bodies are asleep, we go seven or more hours without any hydration," Asay says. "By providing your body with hydration upon waking, it refreshes and energizes our cells."

3. Take a lot of stretch breaks

"Take a break once an hour, even if only for five minutes, to stretch and move around!" Asay encourages. "This will decrease fatigue, get your blood flowing through the muscles, and get your heart rate up, burning calories." (Plus, a quick stretch break is probably one of the most enjoyable ways to detox your body, no?)

4. Reach for bloat-busting beverages

At the top of the list of nutritionist-approved drinks: herbal teas, mineral broths, and (you guessed it) good old H2O. (You can find more ideas here.)

5. And avoid alcohol while you're at it

Sadly, that "hair of the dog" mimosa is not detox-friendly. "To our bodies, alcohol is a toxin, which means when we ingest it, our bodies will work to metabolize the alcohol before other sources of energy," Asay says. In other words, while your body is busy working on the alcohol, the other calories in your food or drink will store as fat.

Alcohol will dehydrate and fatigue you. If you're serious about detoxing quickly, lay off the stuff and drink more water.

6. But don't deprive yourself

When your body feels gross, your gut reaction (no pun intended) might be to swear off everything but green juice and water. But Asay says this type of thinking can be a mistake. "No single food or drink should be considered off-limits," she says. Instead, picture the foods you love on a spectrum, from those you should eat a lot of to those you should eat more sparingly.

"Some examples of items to consume sparingly would be deep-fried items, sugary beverages, unfulfilling snacks like candy or chips, and highly processed meats such as hot dogs or bologna," Asay says. But if 7 p.m. strikes and you find yourself desperately craving chocolate, don't stress. You can still have a few squares of the stuff or a handful of chips. As long as your choices are mindful, your detox will still work.

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周五(12/27)1.碰瓷 2.寫今年回顧

聚會時間 晚上7:00-9:30

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

碰瓷

Fake traffic accidents               martalivesinchina

In China, many cars have installed a camera that records what happens in front of the vehicle during the time since the car is started until it is turned off.

This trend started a couple of years ago. Why did it start? Is it to have some proof in case of accidents, so insurance companies don’t have any excuse to not pay? Or is it so the guilty part in an accident doesn’t try to manipulate the truth? In part, yes, but there is also another reason which is quite dark and shameful… the fake accidents!

Fake accidents usually happen between a pedestrian or a biker and a car. The pedestrian/biker hits the car on purpose, starts crying in pain (real or not) and demands money from the car driver to go to the hospital. This might sound strange, but it is a relatively common event in China. There is no social security here, like we have in Europe, and every time you go to the hospital you have to pay from your own pocket. The “fake accident scam” works in most cases because the car driver (the victim) will most probably be very nervous, will not want to waste all day waiting for the police to arrive and make a decision, and will not want to spend all day accompanying the supposedly run over person to the hospital. Giving him/her the demanded money and getting out of there seems like the best option.

In China this scam is called 碰瓷 pengci, which literally means “crashing ceramics”. It is called with this rather curious name because in its origins (which, according to Baidu, are in the Qing dynasty), the pedestrian who crashed into a vehicle (in those times, it must have been a rickshaw!) would be carrying a vase in his hands. The vase would break in the fall and the scammer would then say that that vase was a very expensive relic from such and such dynasty and demand compensation accordingly.

Nowadays the scam has evolved and the scammer directly jumps on top of the car or lies down in front of it, without even touching it, when the car is stopped, and then starts screaming of (fake) pain. Every few months the news report some new especially stupid try, like one scammer that, seeing that the driver was not even reacting at his fall, grabbed the windshield wipers of the car and threatened to pull them out if the driver didn’t give him 500 RMB. There was also a very famous case in Beijing in which a foreigner run over a middle-aged lady (well, it was not clear if he had really run her over or if she was pretending), she asked him for money, he refused, she grabbed at his clothes and didn’t let him go until the police came. Then the police found out he was working illegally and he was expelled from China.

Chinese people have a good sense of humour and many of them make jokes with this scam now. Check this video where you can see a ranking with the 10 funniest scam attempts (if you understand Chinese, the host’s comments are hilarious!). By the way, this scam not only happens in China, as some of the cases in that video happened in Hong Kong and South Korea, and I have seen others from Taiwan.

So, if you drive in China… be aware of this scam! It seems the probability is higher if you drive an expensive car: the scammers will head for you because they think they’ll get more money! If this happened to me I’m not really sure how I would react… maybe I would have a fit of rage and start kicking the scammer, so at least he had some real pain to scream about!

寫今年回顧

How To Conduct Your Personal Annual Year End Review     sidsavara

    “The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same.

    Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.”

    – Don Williams Jr.

As another year draws to a close, let’s take a look back to see how far you’ve come – and what you’ve learned along the way.

Today I’ll show you the exact process I use for taking stock of the past year

Don’t just read it though – I encourage you to join me and complete this short, 10 minute exercise with me.

Let’s take a look at where you’ve come, what you’ve accomplished – and use that to help plan where you want to go next year.

Conducting Your Year End Review

I like to do reviews based on what really happened this year.  It’s great to ask yourself how your year has been and how you feel – but we should also look at what really made a difference in your life this year.

Get ready to make some lists. You can write them by hand, or type them out.

I like to get three sheets of paper, and divide the first two sheets into 3×4 grids – one block per month.

Section 1: Your Accomplishments

Question #1: What obstacles have you overcome, and what have you accomplished?

Take your first sheet of paper, and look at the 4×3 Grid. At the top of the page, write “My Accomplishments” (and the year, if you like).

Think over your whole year – start in January, and consider month by month:

    What you did

    What you overcame

    What real results you achieved in your life.

The reason I ask you to consider all these questions together is because frequently you may not realize how significant your accomplishments really are.

It’s not just about what you’ve done – it’s just as important to consider your life and how you got there.

And if you have accomplished something, or created something – you deserve to recognize it and give yourself credit for it.

Look over your list, and consider also:

    What’s the most important item on this list?

    What are the top 3?

    What really sums up your year?

I like to mark the most important ones, the ones that stand out, with either a star or by circling them.

Section 2: What You Learned

Question #2: What did you learn, and how have you changed?

Take your second sheet of paper, and look at the 4×3 Grid. At the top of the page, write “My Lessons” (and the year, if you like).

Again, start in January and work forward.

This question seems to surprise me every year – and it might surprise you too.

While it sometimes feels like time has gone by so fast, and that perhaps you haven’t changed at all….when you take a moment to reflect on it you’ll realize you have learned and grown in ways you could have never imagined when the year began.

We are always aware of the big changes, or sudden lessons we learn from major life experiences – but think back to the small interactions you’ve had, and the small changes and tweaks you’ve made in your life based on the little lessons you’ve learned over time.

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周六(12/21)1. 日本流行 卒婚. 2.別浪費錢 吃維他命!

星期六 聚會時間 晚上7:00-9:30

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

日本流行 卒婚

Can someone stay married yet divorced at same time? Yes, in Japan, that\'s possible

christiantoday.com

For Christians, marriage is a sacred vow between a man and a woman in the eyes of God and the public. This holy union was sanctified by God in the story of Creation, as told in Genesis 2:23-24 of the Holy Bible.

This Bible verse on marriage reads: "The man said, 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called "woman," for she was taken out of man.' For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh."

In the modern day and age, however, more and more people are choosing to set aside marriage, and choosing divorce instead. Interestingly, some Japanese couples have found a way to live apart to fulfill their lifelong dreams, while staying married.

This practice called "sotsukon" is becoming more and more popular in Japan, which has an ageing population.

According to a report on CNN, "sotsukon" is for couples who are still in love with each other but have decided to live apart to achieve their dreams separately.

The idea was first raised in 2004 by Japanese author Yumiko Sugiyama in her book "Sotsukon no Susume—Recommending the Graduation from Marriage."

For instance, 66-year-old Yuriko Nishi chose to live separately with her husband to pursue her lifelong goal of becoming a fashion designer. The couple nevertheless stayed married, for the sake of their three grown-up sons.

"We started wondering what path we should be walking on," Nishi told CNN. "We told our children it was a good chance to evolve our family."

Her husband, a former cameraman, meanwhile chose to go back to his home town and became a rice farmer.

"He visits me once a month. I visit him for a week at a time, too... Our marriage is in good shape," she said.

Graduating from marriage in Japan   CNN

    Couples in Japan are "graduating from marriage" -- sotsukon -- to fulfill their individual dreams in retirement

    Due to a declining birth rate and long life expectancy, the longest period in a woman's life is now after her children have left home

    The trend reflects a growing individualization of the family in Japan

(CNN)When Yuriko Nishi's three grown-up sons left home, she asked her husband of 36 years an unusual question: Was there any dream married life had prevented him from fulfilling?

"We started wondering what path should we be walking on," says Nishi, 66. "We told our children it was a good chance to evolve our family."

Like many others in Japan, the couple decided to graduate from marriage -- or "sotsukon."

This was not divorce.

Sotsukon is for couples still in love, who decide to "live apart together" in their sunset years to achieve their separate dreams.

In a nation with an aging population, the idea has taken root.

Living apart together

Yoshihide Ito, 63, after working for decades as a cameraman in Tokyo, told his wife he wanted to escape city life and return to his home prefecture of Mie, in southern Japan, to become a rice farmer.

Yuriko Nishi and her husband Yoshihide Ito with their children before sotsukon.

Yuriko Nishi and her husband Yoshihide Ito with their children before sotsukon.

Nishi wished to continue her career as a fashion stylist in the capital.

"He visits me once a month. I visit him for a week at a time, too," Nishi says.

Distance, she explains, helps the couple to miss and appreciate each other; they now plan date nights for the time they spend together.

"Our marriage is in good shape. We share two totally different lifestyles."

 

別浪費錢 吃維他命!

Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin Supplements

Brady Hartman  longevityfacts

Summary:  A panel of physicians says vitamin supplements and multivitamins are generally a waste of money for the average, healthy person, and some vitamin supplements can be unhealthy.   [Author: Brady Hartman. This article first appeared on the LongevityFacts.com website. ]

Advice on vitamins frequently changes, with one report contradicting the next. In 2013, a group of physicians decided to answer the question “are multivitamins necessary?” and put an end to the controversy. After reviewing the mounting evidence against multivitamins and vitamin supplements, the group published their conclusions in the Annals of Internal Medicine (AIM), a top medical journal. In an editorial titled “Enough is Enough – Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin & Mineral Supplements,” the physicians declared that supplement usage was usually ineffective and sometimes harmful.

Article In A Nutshell

In case you are short of time, here’s a short summary of this article.

    After analyzing studies of nearly 500,000 people, the AIM editorial concluded that daily use multivitamin and other vitamin supplements don’t help well-nourished people with healthy diets. Taking multivitamins, minerals or vitamin supplements didn’t reduce heart disease, cancer or the risk of death.

    The authors of the AIM editorial didn’t analyze the benefits of vitamins on people with vitamin deficiencies or at-risk of deficiencies. They mainly focused on people who were already well-nourished and also taking vitamin supplements.

    The AIM study authors said that some vitamins shortened lives when consumed in excess.

Americans Can’t Seem To Get Enough Multivitamins

Americans have been taking multivitamin and mineral supplements since the products arrived on the market in the early 1940s. Multivitamin and mineral supplements, called multivitamins for short, are popular supplements taken by approximately one-third of all Americans. Multivitamins comprise 40% of all supplement sales.

Researchers have had a difficult time studying the effects of multivitamin consumption because no there is no standard definition as to what actually constitutes a multivitamin supplement. No definition declares what product must contain nor at what levels. Therefore, the term multivitamin refers to ‘multivitamin /multimineral products with widely varying compositions’.

The AIM Review of Vitamin Supplements

For the general population, the AIM panel concluded that taking vitamin and mineral supplements was a hazard to some and a waste of money to most.  The panel of physicians, led by Edgar Miller, M.D., a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University (JHU), analyzed over 40 long-term clinical studies on vitamins and supplements with a combined total of around 500,000 study participants.

The AIM panel conducted a study of studies, called a systematic review, in which they systematically analyzed all the published evidence on vitamins and supplements, and then pooled the results. Systematic reviews are among the strongest forms of evidence because they average the results of large numbers of research reports with different conclusions.

The AIM Study Conclusion

The AIM panel got the bulk of their evidence from an earlier investigation on supplements performed by Fortmann and colleagues for the USPTF, which had reviewed the supplementation trials of 400,000 participants. The AIM panel summarized their conclusions in a short paragraph, stating:

    The message is simple: Most supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death, their use is not justified, and they should be avoided.  [emphasis mine]. This message is especially true for the general population with no clear evidence of micronutrient deficiencies, who represent most supplement users in the United States and in other countries  [emphasis mine]

The panel members concluded the editorial declaring that supranormal doses of vitamin E, beta-carotene, and vitamin A supplements are harmful to one’s health, stating: “In conclusion: beta-carotene [supplements], vitamin E [supplements], and possibly high doses of vitamin A supplements are harmful.”  The authors added that other common vitamin supplements, such as “other antioxidants, folic acid and B vitamins, and multivitamin and mineral supplements” are ineffective when used by the general population for the purposes of improving health, living a longer life, or preventing chronic diseases.

The AIM panel said that while there may be exceptions for vitamin and supplement usage by certain small subgroups of the population, their conclusion was:

    “supplementing the diet of well-nourished adults with (most) mineral or vitamin supplements has no clear benefit and might even be harmful. These vitamins should not be used for chronic disease prevention. Enough is enough.”

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