週五(11/8)1.死刑遏止犯罪嗎?2.一無所有 如何過日子?

板區橋文化路一段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    PM 7:00--9:30

死刑遏止犯罪嗎?

Criminals given death sentence in Taiwan will be executed: Premier Su    Taiwan News

KMT lawmaker calls on government to proceed with executions, premier says law will be upheld

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) on Friday (Oct. 4) expressed his support for upholding the law to carry out the death penalty for certain criminal offenses.

Speaking at a Legislative Yuan hearing, Su said that under the current law, it is the state’s responsibility to carry out the sentence if a criminal is given the death penalty. He was responding to opposition Kuomintang lawmaker Shen Chih-hwei (沈智慧)'s question as to whether the Tsai administration would hesitate to carry out capital punishment.

Does the Death Penalty Deter Crime? - Death Penalty     deathpenalty.procon

PRO (yes)

"[O]ur recent research shows that each execution carried out is correlated with about 74 fewer murders the following year... The study examined the relationship between the number of executions and the number of murders in the U.S. for the 26-year period from 1979 to 2004, using data from publicly available FBI sources... There seems to be an obvious negative correlation in that when executions increase, murders decrease, and when executions decrease, murders increase...

In the early 1980s, the return of the death penalty was associated with a drop in the number of murders. In the mid-to-late 1980s, when the number of executions stabilized at about 20 per year, the number of murders increased. Throughout the 1990s, our society increased the number of executions, and the number of murders plummeted. Since 2001, there has been a decline in executions and an increase in murders.

It is possible that this correlated relationship could be mere coincidence, so we did a regression analysis on the 26-year relationship. The association was significant at the .00005 level, which meant the odds against the pattern being simply a random happening are about 18,000 to one. Further analysis revealed that each execution seems to be associated with 71 fewer murders in the year the execution took place...

We know that, for whatever reason, there is a simple but dramatic relationship between the number of executions carried out and a corresponding reduction in the number of murders."

Paul H. Rubin, PhD, Professor of Economics at Emory University, wrote in his Feb. 1, 2006 testimony "Statistical Evidence on Capital Punishment and the Deterrence of Homicide” before the US Senate Judiciary Committee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Property Rights, available at judiciary.senate.gov:

Cons

"[T]here is not the slightest credible statistical evidence that capital punishment reduces the rate of homicide. Whether one compares the similar movements of homicide in Canada and the US when only the latter restored the death penalty, or in American states that have abolished it versus those that retain it, or in Hong Kong and Singapore (the first abolishing the death penalty in the mid-1990s and the second greatly increasing its usage at the same), there is no detectable effect of capital punishment on crime. The best econometric studies reach the same conclusion…

[L]ast year roughly 14,000 murders were committed but only 35 executions took place. Since murderers typically expose themselves to far greater immediate risks, the likelihood is incredibly remote that some small chance of execution many years after committing a crime will influence the behaviour of a sociopathic deviant who would otherwise be willing to kill if his only penalty were life imprisonment. Any criminal who actually thought he would be caught would find the prospect of life without parole to be a monumental penalty. Any criminal who didn’t think he would be caught would be untroubled by any sanction."

"In my view deterrence plays no part whatsoever. Persons contemplating murder do not sit around the kitchen table and say I won't commit this murder if I face the death penalty, but I will do it if the penalty is life without parole. I do not believe persons contemplating or committing murder plan to get caught or weigh the consequences. Statistics demonstrate that states without the death penalty have consistently lower murder rates than states with it, but frankly I think those statistics are immaterial and coincidental. Fear of the death penalty may cause a few to hesitate, but certainly not enough to keep it in force."

 

一無所有 如何過日子?

How to Live on Practically Nothing      wikihow

      Follow a budget and be frugal. If you're already following a budget, check that it's working for you. If it isn't, it may be time to create some spending rules for yourself. You'll want to start thinking about each purchase, no matter how small, as it fits into your monthly budget. One of the easiest ways to do this is to use a budgeting app like Mint or Level Money. These apps track your spending for you and allow you to see exactly where your money is going and where you can make cuts.[2]

        Set aside the sense that a budget is a confining way to live. Following a budget is actually a very liberating way to live – it provides parameters, it helps to keep you in check when you feel reckless, and it can even help you to rein in bad habits such as spending to soothe yourself, buying take out instead of cooking a healthy meal, or letting someone else weed your veggie patch when the workout would do you good (and save you gym fees).

    Find ways to make more money or to trade your skills. If you don't have or don't want to have a job, be on the lookout for ways in which you can raise more cash by working for yourself. Or, trade your skills with others whose skills you need, bartering your way to get what you need rather than spending actual cash.

        Grow vegetables and sell them at the local farmer's market.

        Make soap, cosmetics, jewelry, etc., and sell these at a local craft market.

        Offer your pruning, mowing, tutoring, cleaning, car-washing services to locals at decent prices.

        Look for items in thrift stores that you can flip online. Some people are so good at doing this that they make a living out of selling secondhand goods online.

Lowering Your Cost of Living

    Reduce your utilities bills. Lowering your electric and gas bills doesn't mean living in a dark and cold house. By making a few changes, you can still live comfortably while reducing your power and heat consumption and saving money on your bills. For example, try setting your thermostat as low as is comfortable in the colder months and wearing more clothing indoors to save money on heating costs.

        Never leave the thermostat on at all unless you are home. In addition, never leave energy-guzzling electronics like televisions plugged in when not in use.[3]

        In some cases, more drastic steps like investing in better windows and insulation for your home can save you a good amount of money each month.

    Reduce your water bill. You can lower your water bill by simply changing a few of your habits. For example, try only running dishwasher and washing machine when they are absolutely full. You can also practice taking "navy showers," where you only run the water to wet yourself and rinse, leaving the water off while you soap up and cleanse.

        You should also thoroughly inspect all of the pipes and fixtures in your house for leaks, no matter how small. Even a tiny leak can add up to a lot of lost water, and increased cost, over months or years.

        Additionally, you can invest in low-flow toilets and showers to save even more on water bills in the long run.

    Eat seasonally. Cutting food expenses doesn't require you to sacrifice your health. Eating Seasonal food will always be cheaper than food flown or shipped in from elsewhere because there is more of it available and it doesn't incur such high transportation costs. As an added bonus, it's also fresher.[7]

        Visit farmer's markets and supermarkets nearer closing time. You'll be able to find more bargains and even throwaway items when the sellers need to move their produce on. See how to save money at a farmers' market for more information.

        In supermarkets, check out the bakery, meat, and fruit and vegetable areas for nightly bargains. Many fresh pre-packaged products such as salads-to-go will be cheaper in the nights to make way for the next day's fresh produce.

        Grow your own if you have a permanent place for at least a season. Even using a community garden can be a great way to get fresh, cheap food and to meet new friends.

    Don't shop for groceries every week. Instead, only go shopping when your groceries have run right down to bare minimum. Replenish perishables such as milk and bread as needed but try to cope by eating down everything already in your cupboard, fridge, and home.

        Another way to do this is to not go shopping one week a month. During that week, you have to live off whatever is in your kitchen. Many people find this is a very creative time.

        Use coupons and discounts to reduce food costs. Start with the weekly sales flyer and spend some time working out the cheapest ways to eat.

        Drink tap water. Water is the healthiest drink and the cheapest. Put a filter on your tap if you're worried about contaminants; it's a health investment even on a frugal budget.

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周六(10/26)1.雙語的好處 你會幾種?2.為何糖對身體不好?

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

雙語的好處 你會幾種?

The Advantages of a Bilingual Brain | OpenMind bbvaopenmind

About half of the population speaks two languages ​​perfectly. In addition to the obvious advantages when travelling to other countries or looking for a job, bilingual people have better skills such as memory or attention. Recent research has also shown that their brains delay the symptoms of dementia and that they recover better after suffering a stroke.

In terms of our memory, mental calculations or understanding a text, we use what is called the working memory, which is related to the temporary storage of information and its processing. This ability develops during childhood.

According to research from the universities of York (Canada) and Granada (Spain), bilingual children between five and seven years old who participated in the study performed better than the monolingual ones on those tasks that involved using the working memory. In addition, this ability benefited the development of other executive functions, especially when these functions were interacting with each other.

Other studies have also analysed the development of these functions, but taking into account the family income level of the children participating.

Bilingual students have cognitive advantages compared to monolinguals. Credit: Hepingting.

Pascale Engel de Abreu, director of the Language and Cognitive Development group at the University of Luxembourg, participated in a study in which they compared the different cognitive abilities of 80 second-grade students, all from low-income families. Half of the children lived in Luxembourg and spoke both Luxembourgish and Portuguese, while the rest resided in Portugal and used only Portuguese.

As Engel de Abreu explains to OpenMind, bilingual students displayed cognitive advantages compared to monolinguals. These skills focused on executive functions, “especially tasks tapping into cognitive conflict resolution,” she adds.

Although those students who mastered two languages ​​knew fewer words than their monolingual peers, they performed the control tasks better, i.e. those that required selective attention and the elimination of interference.

Delay dementia

Along with better attention and memory, speaking two languages ​​also seems to offer benefits when developing dementia. “Symptoms of dementia are delayed in individuals who have been lifelong bilinguals,” says Ellen Bialystok, Research Professor of Psychology and Walter Gordon York Research Chair of Lifespan Cognitive Development at York University (Canada), in a conversation with OpenMind.

In a study in which the professor and her team reviewed neuroimaging and behavioural studies that analysed bilingualism in adulthood, the scientists concluded that mastering two languages ​​protects against cognitive deterioration by improving the cognitive reserve.

This concept refers to the protective effect of mental and physical activity carried out throughout life in the face of healthy aging. According to some studies, bilingualism can delay the onset of symptoms in people suffering from dementia by just over four years.

“These are activities we can engage in to keep our brains and minds healthy (music, social groups, exercise, etc.). Bilingualism is one such experience,” says Bialystok.

However, the researcher emphasizes that mastering several languages ​​does not prevent dementia but, apparently, bilingual people live with the disease longer before the symptoms become evident and interfere with their independence.

Improve the recovery from a stroke

Bilingualism also seems to be beneficial when a person suffers a stroke. People who speak several languages ​​are twice as likely to recover their normal cognitive functions after an attack of this type compared to those who speak only one.

Transparent brains showing the left and right hemispheres. The functional and structural data indicate that neural correlates of bilingualism are observed in the frontal lobes.

 

為何糖對身體不好?

Reasons Why Too Much Sugar Is Bad for You

healthline.com

Rates of obesity are rising worldwide and added sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened beverages, is thought to be one of the main culprits.

Sugar-sweetened drinks like sodas, juices and sweet teas are loaded with fructose, a type of simple sugar.

Consuming fructose increases your hunger and desire for food more than glucose, the main type of sugar found in starchy foods (3Trusted Source).

Additionally, excessive fructose consumption may cause resistance to leptin, an important hormone that regulates hunger and tells your body to stop eating (4Trusted Source).

In other words, sugary beverages don’t curb your hunger, making it easy to quickly consume a high number of liquid calories. This can lead to weight gain.

Research has consistently shown that people who drink sugary beverages, such as soda and juice, weigh more than people who don’t (5Trusted Source).

Also, drinking a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages is linked to an increased amount of visceral fat, a kind of deep belly fat associated with conditions like diabetes and heart disease (6Trusted Source).

    Summary Consuming too much added sugar, especially from sugary beverages, increases your risk of weight gain and can lead to visceral fat accumulation.

High-sugar diets have been associated with an increased risk of many diseases, including heart disease, the number one cause of death worldwide (7Trusted Source).

Evidence suggests that high-sugar diets can lead to obesity, inflammation and high triglyceride, blood sugar and blood pressure levels — all risk factors for heart disease (8Trusted Source).

Additionally, consuming too much sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened drinks, has been linked to atherosclerosis, a disease characterized by fatty, artery-clogging deposits (9Trusted Source).

A study in over 30,000 people found that those who consumed 17–21% of calories from added sugar had a 38% greater risk of dying from heart disease, compared to those consuming only 8% of calories from added sugar (10Trusted Source).

Just one 16-ounce (473-ml) can of soda contains 52 grams of sugar, which equates to more than 10% of your daily calorie consumption, based on a 2,000-calorie diet (11).

This means that one sugary drink a day can already put you over the recommended daily limit for added sugar.

    Summary Consuming too much added sugar increases heart disease risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure and inflammation. High-sugar diets have been linked to an increased risk of dying from heart disease.

A diet high in refined carbs, including sugary foods and drinks, has been associated with a higher risk of developing acne.

Foods with a high glycemic index, such as processed sweets, raise your blood sugar more rapidly than foods with a lower glycemic index.

Sugary foods quickly spike blood sugar and insulin levels, causing increased androgen secretion, oil production and inflammation, all of which play a role in acne development (12Trusted Source).

Studies have shown that low-glycemic diets are associated with a reduced acne risk, while high-glycemic diets are linked to a greater risk (13Trusted Source).

For example, a study in 2,300 teens demonstrated that those who frequently consumed added sugar had a 30% greater risk of developing acne (14Trusted Source).

Also, many population studies have shown that rural communities that consume traditional, non-processed foods have almost non-existent rates of acne, compared to more urban, high-income areas (15Trusted Source).

These findings coincide with the theory that diets high in processed, sugar-laden foods contribute to the development of acne.

    Summary High-sugar diets can increase androgen secretion, oil production and inflammation, all of which can raise your risk of developing acne.

The worldwide prevalence of diabetes has more than doubled over the past 30 years (16Trusted Source).

Though there are many reasons for this, there is a clear link between excessive sugar consumption and diabetes risk.

Obesity, which is often caused by consuming too much sugar, is considered the strongest risk factor for diabetes (17Trusted Source).

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週五(10/25)1. 開擴人脈成功術 2.不吃早餐 可能死得早!

板區橋文化路一段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    PM 7:00--9:30

開擴人脈成功術

Successful Networking Tips     Kangan institute

Networking. Everyone does it but how do you do it well?

Many people believe that networking during a job search means calling everyone and asking them for a job. People associate networking with being pushy and overbearing. Some people tend to hide away from networking because they don’t want to be labeled as this type of person. Networking is a two way street, it is a way of getting to know someone better and finding ways they might be able to help you and how you can help them in return. Click here to see full list of TAFE courses.

A professional networking event is a great opportunity to present yourself, make new connections and even find yourself a new job. Current research shows that a large number of jobs are filled through networking. Successful networkers display a sincere interest in their networking contacts and work hard to develop a relationship, establish their credibility and share their information and knowledge. To become a successful networker, you should follow the belief that everyone has something to learn and gain.

Networking is an ongoing process, it requires persistence, attention, organisation and good will. Incorporate the art of networking into your job search and you will gain opportunities and build relationships that will last a lifetime. Demonstrate your value to potential clients and employers with these simple successful networking tips:

1. Meet People Through Other People

The best and easiest way to meet people is through referrals. Stick around with the people you already know and who know the people you are looking to meet. Being introduced through them or joining in with their conversations you will very likely receive a warm welcome and introduction to the person you wanted an introduction to. This is a similar effect to LinkedIn through their online introduction tool, or even through joining the right circle at an event with somebody you know.

2. Leverage Social Media

Social media is an effective way to get to know important contacts better and without the pressure of a face to face meeting that you may not be prepared for. Seek out like-minded or key contacts you would like to know better within your LinkedIn profile, Google Plus, Twitter and more. Try commenting on a link they post or responding to a comment they make, start a conversation with them and offer them value in return. When you have the opportunity to meet them in person it will be easier to reference previous communications with them.

3. Don’t Ask For A Job

Networking is not asking everyone you know for a job, in fact, when you network you should never ask someone for a job. You should ask people for information that will assist you in your job search. Your main networking goal should be to build a relationship and establish rapport so when a potential opportunity may arise in the future, your contact may be willing to refer you.

4. Use Your Resume as a Tool for Advice

Another easy yet highly effective way to network during a job search is to ask others who you have established a relationship with to review your resume and give you feedback on how to improve it. Using this technique is valuable for a number of reasons. When reviewing your resume they will discover your work history, your previous titles, your objectives and many things they may not yet know about you. They may remember a company or a connection that your background may be perfectly suited to.

5. Don’t Take Up Too Much Time

Before you start networking, be sure to have an agenda and keep the meeting on track. Time is money and people are never happy with someone that takes up too much of their time. By planning out your meeting ahead of time, you establish your professionalism, you gain credibility and cover all the critical topics you wanted to cover. .

6. Let The Other Person Speak

When networking, be sure that you don’t do all the talking. The key to being a good conversationalist is being a good listener. If you have asked another person for advice or their opinion, make sure they have the opportunity to offer it and tell you. Or perhaps they are looking for you to add value to their work. If you do all the talking, the person may feel you are uninterested in what they have to say and unsure what action to take with the information you have supplied.

  

不吃早餐 可能死得早!

New Study Says Skipping Breakfast Can Significantly Shorten Your Lifespan

Diana Bruk 

There’s a reason why your parents used to tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. According to a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, when it comes to heart health, skipping breakfast has disastrous effects.

Researchers from the University of Iowa collected data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey on 6,550 adults between the ages of 40 to 75. The data they used spanned 1988 to 1994, with an average follow-up of 18 years. Among those observed, 59 percent ate breakfast every day, 25 percent ate breakfast some days, 11 percent rarely ate breakfast, and 5 percent never did. The researchers found that those who skipped breakfast altogether had an 87 percent greater risk of death from cardiovascular disease than those who started their day off with a meal.

“Breakfast is traditionally believed as the most or at least one of the most important meals of the day, but there [is] not much data available to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to this belief. Our paper is among the ones that provide evidence to support long-term benefits,” Dr. Wei Bao, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Iowa and lead author of the study, told CNN.

In a press release, Bao noted that skipping breakfast was associated with elevated blood pressure and changes in appetite, causing a person to not feel full and overeat later in the day. This leads to multiple cardiovascular risk factors, according to Bao, including diabetes, hypertension, and lipid disorders. “Our findings are in line with and supported by previous studies that consistently showed that skipping breakfast is related to those strong risk factors for cardiovascular death,” he told CNN.

The University of Iowa study does have some limitations, most notably that it only establishes an association between skipping breakfast and death from cardiovascular disease, rather than proving that one causes the other. It also doesn’t specify what any of the participants actually ate for breakfast, which is significant, given that a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries or a vegetable omelet with a side of avocado is much more heart-healthy than fried chicken and waffles, for example. But, of course, you didn’t need a study to tell you that!

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