周五(7/24)1.一袋鈔票--誠實度測試 2.不要再 死硬派

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

一袋鈔票--誠實度測試

What do you do if you find a bag of cash?

What would you do if you were renovating your newly purchased home, and found a bag containing $100,000 in $20 bills hidden above a ceiling panel in the bathroom?

Do you keep it and say nothing, turn it over to the police, or quietly sell the house and take the cash with you?

That was the problem faced last month by a couple in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec.

They purchased the house at 2620 Andr St. in June from a bank that had repossessed it when the mortgage went into default.

The former owner of the house was Marc-Andr Hinse, the alleged head of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang in Trois-Rivieres. Local police have been looking for Hinse since May 2004, when they carried out raids on members of the biker gang.

At the time, the police executed a search warrant on the house, but missed the plastic bag containing the money. After the police were finished, the bank took over and eventually sold the place.

After I heard about the discovery in Trois-Rivieres, I began to wonder who was entitled to the bathroom bounty. I hunted down a copy of Principles of Property Law, a popular text for first-year law students written by professor Bruce Ziff of the University of Alberta.

An entire chapter about lost objects begins with the comment, "The law of finding is not an area of pressing practical concern."

The statement, of course, is quite true unless you happen to find a bag full of money hidden in your house, and you don't know or don't want to know who it belongs to.

That's what happened to a Toronto lawyer back in 1988 while his contractors were renovating an 1880s Victorian house he had purchased. When nearly $50,000 came raining down on the contractors from the ceiling, everybody wanted the money the owner, the daughter of the former owner, and of course, the workers.

Sadly, the outcome remains a mystery, as the parties signed a non-disclosure agreement when the case was settled.

Although Quebec laws may differ, the law in Ontario is "finders keepers."

In other words, the finder of an item gets good title to it against the whole world except for the rightful owner. But the rule gets muddied when the article has been abandoned, or is the proceeds of crime.

If there is proof that the bathroom bounty came from criminal activity, it can be seized.

Was the Trois-Rivieres money abandoned by whoever put it in the ceiling? Can anyone prove it is the proceeds of crime?

What is the risk that an imposing gentleman in leather attire and driving a large two-wheeled vehicle would knock on the door one day and politely request the return of his missing property?

Meantime, the $100,000 has been turned over to the local police and its fate is awaiting a determination by the Quebec court.

The judge hearing the case will no doubt recall the 1969 British case of Moffat v. Kazana.

In that case, Kazana purchased a house in 1961 and three years later workers dislodged a biscuit tin containing almost 2,000 from the chimney. Kazana turned the money over to the police, who eventually gave it back to him.

Then the former owners, a couple named Russell, sued Kazana claiming ownership of the loot.

The court awarded the money and the tin to the Russells who were the "true owners," concluding that they simply forgot about it but never abandoned the intent to own it.

Another interesting finder's case occurred in 1949 when a 12-year old boy playing with his friends crawled under a pool-room in Fort Frances and discovered about $1,500 in a tin resting on the support beams of the building. At the time, $1,500 was a huge sum of money.

The police seized the cash but the Ontario High Court eventually awarded it to the youngster when no one came forward to claim it.

If you owned 2620 Andr St. in Trois-Rivieres, and discovered $100,000 in the ceiling of your bathroom, what would you do with the money?

I'd love to hear from you by fax or email. I'll report the results of the case when and more importantly, if they become available.

不要再 死硬派!

How to Stop Being Stubborn

Tasha Rube, LMSW

Have the words headstrong, obstinate and unwilling to change been used to describe you? Standing your ground is important, but so are compromise, cooperation, and collaboration. Your stubbornness may be the reason you aren’t being invited to events, and you may be losing friendships and even job prospects. If you put your foot down and refuse to budge on anything, then it is time for change. Taking charge of your stubbornness involves using practical techniques, developing negotiation skills and analyzing the reasons for your stubbornness.

    Listen to the other side of the story. You may agree with some of the things you hear, and disagree with others. This gives you a chance to hear things you may not have heard before, and also increases your chances to reach an agreement. When both parties listen to each other, it makes things easier for everyone.[1]

        If you are filling your head with all the reasons to say “no” as the person is talking, you are not actively listening. If it is difficult for you to listen, say to the other person, “Okay, I’m listening to what you have to say.” This will force you to pause and focus on the person talking.

        Maintain good eye contact. This will help you stay focused and also will convey your interest in hearing what the other person has to say.

        Do not interrupt the person talking. Instead, wait until he is done to address the matter. Repeat back in similar wording what you heard him say. Each time you do this it builds your credibility as an active listener.[

        If the person talking is upset, happy, or passionate about what he is saying you can reply, “It sounds like you are really excited about this opportunity. I can see why this is so important to you.” People like to be heard and listened to. When you correctly repeat back to people what you heard, they know you have been listening.

    Remind yourself that you are not always right. While listening to someone talk, you may think everything he says is wrong because you know "the right way." There is a distinction between facts and opinions. Your opinion is not the only one that matters, nor is all your knowledge necessarily correct. You have to accept that you learn something new every day, even if it overwrites something you thought you already knew.

        You are entitled to have an opinion, but you cannot expect others to always agree with you. Repeating your opinion louder, or more often, or with judgmental slurs attached, will not convince anyone to agree with you. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

        No one likes a know-it-all. If maintaining relationships with family, friends and business is important, you must consider your likability.

      Keep an open mind by reserving judgement. Enter any discussion and situation with an open, neutral mindset, without prejudice, or judgement. Approach with the attitude that you are willing to hear what someone has to say so you can make a fair decision, rather than a rash decision. Considering everyone’s input prevents closing off the possibility for a positive outcome.

        Prevent yourself from jumping to a negative conclusion by using visualization techniques.[4] For example, close your eyes and envision a box filled with all the negative things you believe about the person or the event you are supposed to attend. Picture yourself closing the box and putting a lock on it and setting it to the side. Open your eyes and take a step forward symbolically moving away from your stubbornness. This should help you start the conversation with an open mind.

        Focus on the positive feeling that results from a good outcome and let that motivate you through the situation.

    Be humble. Don't always assign people less value than yourself. Think about everyone as being equal. It is okay to be confident and have healthy self-esteem, but over doing it can make you appear stubborn and closed-minded, not to mention snobby, self-centered and even mean.

        To be humble you need to approach every situation from the perspective that you are grateful for what you have. Don't boast about your accomplishments. Be appreciative for what you have and for the people in your life. If you never lose sight of this and uphold a high level of care for others, you will see your stubbornness decrease.

        Humility requires you to hold a modest opinion of yourself rather than an inflated one. For example, if you hold an advanced college degree, don’t think less of someone who doesn’t have one. There are all sorts of reasons why people don’t go to college, and many of these people might be more successful than you.

    Build rapport to lessen tension. Don’t use stubbornness to get what you want, instead learn the essentials of negotiation so you can compromise, cooperate and collaborate. You will get what you want in a more effective and professional manner. Building rapport is the first step. People tend to let down their guard with those who share common interests. If you put your stubbornness aside and relate to people, they will respond in a positive way.

        Find common ground with people by simply noticing a photograph or piece of art on the wall or on the person’s desk and say, “That is a great shot. It looks like a place I saw in New Mexico. Where did you take that?”

        To find common ground with people steer toward conversations about the weather, pets and children. People respond to people they can relate to. Find a subject matter the person can relate to and talk about it. Bringing the

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周五(7/17)1.幽默感 與異性緣 2.為什麼 愛看恐怖片

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

幽默感 與 異性緣

How Humor Can Change Your Relationship     

psychologytoday.

Volodymyr Tverdokhlib/Shutterstock

A sense of humor is an attractive trait. There is abundant cross cultural evidence that shows that being funny makes you more desirable as a mate, especially if you are a man. But once the initial flirting is over, and you are in a romantic relationship, how large a role does humor play?

For dating couples, the use of positive humor (for example, using humor to cheer up your date) can positively contribute to relationship satisfaction. The use of aggressive humor, on the other hand (teasing and making fun of your partner) has the opposite effect. These feelings can fluctuate on a day-to-day basis, depending on each partner’s use of humor.

For long-term relationships, such as in marriages, couples generally share a similar sense of humor — although similarities in sense of humor are not associated with greater marital satisfaction, nor with longer marriages. Perhaps not surprisingly, the research that resulted in this finding also found that couples with fewer children laugh more, compared to couples with a larger number of children.

In another study, conducted with 3,000 married couples from five countries, both husbands and wives were found to be happier with a humorous partner, but this trait was reported to be more important for the marital satisfaction of the wives than the husbands. Interestingly, both husbands and wives thought that the husband was humorous more often. Regardless, married couples overwhelmingly say that humor has a positive impact on their marriages.

Conflict resolution

But what happens when things aren’t going so well? Humor is a great icebreaker and a social lubricant, but can it also help resolve conflict in marriages? In one study, researchers observed 60 newlywed couples when they discussed a problem in their marriage. They coded how much humor was used in the conversation. The couples also completed a measure of life stress. What researchers found when they followed up 18 months later was quite surprising. In couples that reported high stress, the more the husband used humor, the greater the chance the couple would separate or divorce.

By contrast, in a similar study with 130 married couples, a wife’s use of humor predicted greater marital stability over six years, but only if the humor led to a decrease in their husband’s heart rate. In other words, if the humor calms the husbands, then it might be beneficial to their marriages.

These two studies show the disparate function of humor for men and women. For men, humor might serve as a way to distract from dealing with problems in the relationship, perhaps in an attempt to reduce their own anxiety. Women, on the other hand, may use humor to create a more relaxed atmosphere that can facilitate reconciliation.

Laughing at you, not with you

In recent years, there has been much research on the topics of gelotophobia (the fear of being laughed at), gelotophilia (the joy of being laughed at), and katagelasticism (the joy of laughing at others). One study with a sample of 154 heterosexual young couples, who had been together an average of six years, examined whether any of these dispositions had a bearing on relationship satisfaction. You might expect that a person who likes being laughed at would be a good match with a partner that likes laughing at others, and this is indeed what the researchers found, though the correlation was not very strong. Overall, partners in romantic relationships tended to have similar preferences — they both liked being laughed at or to laugh at others at similar levels.

Looking at relationship satisfaction, people who scored high on gelotophobia reported the lowest satisfaction in their relationships, and felt less physically attractive and less sexually satisfied, compared to low gelotophobians. This makes sense, as being in an intimate relationship requires opening up and being more vulnerable, something that may feel uncomfortable for a person fearing being judged and laughed at.

An interesting finding was that for men, having a gelotophobic partner reduced their own sexual satisfaction in relationships, probably because their partner’s insecurities make them less appealing. In contrast, women who loved being laughed at (gelotophilians) were more attracted to and enjoyed higher sexual satisfaction with their partner. No such effect was found with men. Also interesting was the finding that joy of laughing at others did not correlate with relationship satisfaction.

Humor and sex

Looking deeper into the issue of sexual satisfaction, women appear to have the edge. Women who have humorous partners enjoy more and stronger orgasms, compared to women who have less funny partners. Women with funnier partners also initiated sex more often and had more sex in general (indeed, for very good reasons). Such effects have not been found in women with higher humor production (the ability to come up with funny ideas on the spot), perhaps because it requires less effort to satisfy the sexual desire of men.

This result may highlight sex differences in light of sexual selection, where higher reproduction costs for women (being pregnant, breastfeeding, shorter reproductive window) make them choosier than men. In contrast, men with good senses of humor may signal their intelligence, creativity, warmth, and how friendly they are — traits that are important in any relationship, especially romantic ones, and are more valuable for women.

為什麼 愛看恐怖片

Why do we like watching horror films?

Sigrun Dancke Skaare

"The first of the three main reasons we like watching horror films is quite elementary," says film scholar Søren Birkvad of Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences: "Horror films entertain us".

We like watching horror films simply because it's entertaining. It acts as a means to fend off boredom.

Personality tests reveal that those who are bored easily often score higher than others on a trait called “sensation seeking.” Several studies show that those who score high in regard to this trait, show an increased liking of horror films.

Thus, some people jump off mountains with parachutes, while others go to amusement parks to enjoy roller coaster rides. Horror film enthusiasts watch films.

Explaining evil

Another reason we are drawn to the darkest of film darkness is that the horror film is a way of unravelling evil.

"Formerly religious explanations of evil are nowadays given a diagnosis. One subjects the evil actions to scientific or psychotherapeutic explanatory models," says Birkvad.

We are familiar with the diagnoses from, for example, forensic psychiatry where different psychoses or personality disorders are assessed from a psychological and social perspective.

In society as a whole, little or no discussion revolves around evil anymore. We simply do not believe in the demonic as a force in itself, perhaps with the exception of some extremely religious environments, Birkvad points out.

However, in popular culture – and especially in the world of film – evil is presented as an independent phenomenon through the horror genre.

"Evil is reserved for this genre of popular culture because we no longer believe in the compelling explanatory models that the local priest once gave us," says Birkvad.

Ideas and myths like Frankenstein provide us with, for example, an explanation for human technological arrogance, where the man-made monster turns on its own creator.

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde shows us the human divide of good and bad, while more or less Freud-inspired films and TV series such as "Psycho" and "Twin Peaks" revolve around our notions of dangerous sexuality.

Testing limits within safe surroundings

A third and last reason, which Søren Birkvad addresses, is what he calls the anthropological and therapeutic utility of horror film; It teaches us to deal with our own anxiety.

This occurs partly through the familiar frameworks that are found in every proper genre film – including the horror film – and partly through the rituals we build around the viewing experience.

"We see it in the way teenage boys occasionally use horror films as part of a kind of manhood test where it's about keeping one’s composure as much as possible," says Birkvad.

In this perspective, the horror film becomes a way to test our personal and collective limits in a safe environment.

If it gets too scary, you can just cover your ears, put your hands in front of your eyes, ease the tension with an amusing quip, or turn to your popcorn bowl for comfort.

Psychologist Svein Åge Kjøs Johnsen adds:

"In psychology we call this activation of a feeling “emotional regulation.” By watching horror films one can have a sense of control over both the situation, or the viewing experience, and over the feeling of fear. Watching a scary film may possibly also function as a distraction from other feelings."

Sigmund Freud provides us with three possible explanations for why we experience things that behave abnormally as intimidating:

1. We nowadays live in an enlightened time, but thoughts like "what if there actually are ghosts" create excitement. As such, seeking this kind of experiences may be a kind of logical reality-check.

2. Such experiences may evoke different types of repressed complexes or ideas that we may wish to process.

3. Freud claims that most people are never completely freed from "infantile anxiety," that is, fear of darkness, loneliness and silence. He provides no direct explanation as to why we would wish to seek out something that reminds us of such infantile anxiety, but it could be related to curiosity.

Roots in mythical narratives

"The horror film is one of three basic genres in film. These consist of comedy, melodrama, and thriller – or horror film," says film scholar Birkvad.

All of the above appeal to basic feelings in us like humour, empathy, discomfort or excitement. In addition, there are porn films, which aim to evoke sexual arousal.

The horror film has its roots in mythical performances and presentations, but also in the Gothic horror literature of the 1800s with its relatively modern myths such as Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde,” and Bram Stoker's vampire tale “Dracula.”

Driven by unknown forces

Psychologist Kjøs Johnsen also notes Sigmund Freud's term "Das Unheimliche," the uncanny, as a common theme for horror films.

The term refers to how everyday situations, or objects, suddenly seem to be ruled by unknown forces. Frightening.

"In several films by David Lynch, and in the "Twin Peaks" series, it seems that this principle has been used almost directly," says Kjøs Johnsen.

Scary measures

The horror film is one of the oldest film genres. Dating back to the silent film period of the previous turn of the century, we have been dreadfully delighted with this particular type of film.

The German silent film "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" from 1920, is considered a milestone in cinematic history.

The film utilized previously unknown visual techniques where shadows were highlighted to create an uncertain and disoriented atmosphere. Many of the shadows in the film were painted directly on the set, which helped highlight the unnatural and creepy mood.

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周五(7/10)1.塔羅牌 咒語歷史 2. 3000元 振興劵

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

塔羅牌 咒語歷史

The Spellbinding History of Tarot Cards, From a Mainstream Card Game to a Magical Ritual

By Kelly Richman-Abdou on April 19, 2020

The History of Tarot Cards

Photo: Stock Photos from Aekotography/Shutterstock

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You don’t need the gift of clairvoyance to get a glimpse of tarot cards‘ popularity. For centuries, the illustrated cards have captivated people all over the world, first as a fun game and later as a fortune-telling tradition.

Want to learn more about the magic of tarot cards? Here, we take a closer look at the unique practice, including its fascinating etymology, spellbinding history, and contemporary ritual.

Etymology

The term tarot derives from tarocchi, an Italian word whose root—taroch—translates to “foolishness.”

The word taroch was used in the 15th century, when trionfi, a 70-card game inspired by the theatrical festivals popular during the Italian Renaissance known as trionfo emerged.

Trionfi cards typically featured gilded decorations and hand-painted illustrations of personified and allegorical motifs. In the 16th century, “the fool” joined this cast of characters, and trionfi game became known as tarocho in Italy and taraux—a term that eventually evolved into tarot—in France.

Enchanting Evolution

Fun and Games

When trionfi cards emerged in Italy, they were used solely as entertainment. Each deck featured four suits—Swords, Batons, Coins, and Cups—as well as trumps, cards that outranked all others. The trump motifs varied from deck to deck, with classical themes as popular choices.

The earliest known glimpse of the game’s rules is in a manuscript from the early 15th century. Written by Martiano da Tortona, a chancellor and secretary to Milanese duke Filippo Maria Visconti, this text describes a deck with 60 cards: 44 featuring images of birds (the eagle, turtle dove, dove, and phoenix), and 16 adorned with portraits of Roman gods (Jupiter, Apollo, Mercury, Hercules, Juno, Neptune, Mars, Aeolus, Pallas, Diana, Vesta, Daphne, Venus, Bacchus, Ceres, and Cupid). As Tortona noted that “every one of the gods, however, is above all the orders of birds and the ranks of kings,” it is crystal clear that these 16 cards are the trumps.

With the deck, players would carry out a series of tricks, or rounds, in which a card is dealt. Players would then either offer a card of the same suit or a trump card, as Tortona described: “But the gods are held to this law among themselves: that who will be first designated below, he should lead all the others following in sequence.” At the end of each trick, points would be tallied based on the designated value of the cards played.

While the number, aesthetic, and rankings of cards can vary from deck to deck (something that’s been in effect since Tortona’s time), these rules remain in use today—though, in the 18th century, the cards took on an occult life of their own.

Magical Transformation

According to a manuscript written by an unknown source in 1750, the 62-card Tarocco Bolognese from the 15th-century was among the first decks to be used as a means of fortune-telling. By the 1780s, people in France were assigning divine meanings to their decks as well, predominantly with the Tarot of Marseilles, then the country’s most popular playing cards.

This movement was led by French occultist Jean-Baptiste Alliette, or Etteilla, whose book Etteilla, ou manière de se récréer avec un jeu de cartes (“Etteilla, or a Way to Entertain Yourself With a Deck of Cards”) unreliably linked the tarot to ancient Egyptian texts.

In 1789, Alliette produced a new deck of tarot cards intended solely for supernatural use. This deck comprises 78 cards organized into two categories: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.

The Major Arcana features 22 cards, each denoting an allegorical figure (The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, The Emperor, The Hierophant or Pope, The Hermit, The Hanged Man, The Lovers, The Devil, and The Fool) or personification of an object (The Wheel of Fortune, The Chariot, The Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, and The World) or abstract concept (Strength, Justice, Judgment, Temperance, and Death). These cards are believed to hold the “big secrets” of spiritual self-awareness.

The Major Arcana features four suits (the Suit of Swords, the Suit of Batons, the Suit of Coins, and the Suit of Cups) of 14 cards each. Each suit, in turn, comprises ten numbered cards and four court cards: the King, Queen, Knight, and Jack. These cards are believed to hold the “small secrets” of everyday life.

By the turn of the 20th century, tarot cards—particularly the Tarot of Marseilles—were so entwined with the occult that the Tarot Nouveau, a deck used solely for playing rather than predicting, was created.

Reading Tarot Cards

Today, the tarot continues to serve as both an ordinary card game and an occult ritual. While there are many ways to “read” tarot cards to tell one’s fortune, a common approach is the three-card spread.

There are numerous variations of this method, including an easy technique that helps unlock and explain your past, present, and future.

 

3000元 振興劵

Taiwan mulls ‘spend NT$1,000, get NT$3,000’ stimulus measure | Taiwan News

Spending incentive aimed to boost economic activity amid coronavirus fallout

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The head of Taiwan’s top policy-making body on Monday (May 25) hinted at plans to implement a spending incentive that will see consumers given NT$3,000 (US$100) for spending NT$1,000.

National Development Council (NDC) Minister Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said on a radio show that the government is mulling distributing “stimulus vouchers” to encourage consumption in a bid to boost an economy hit by the coronavirus (COVID-19), reported Liberty Times.

While details are still being hammered out, the proposal to “pay NT$1,000, earn NT$3,000” is under serious consideration, he said. Everyone will be entitled to the incentive, regardless of financial status, he added.

The stimulus voucher will be doled out in the form of hard copies, electronic tickets, mobile payments, or credit card payments. Citizens will be able to select whichever method suits them starting in July, when the incentive is likely to be implemented, wrote CNA.

The official stressed that the measure favors vouchers as a means to help revive the economy since people may not be as willing to spend cash handouts. The vouchers would be redeemable at brick-and-mortar retailers and night markets and could also be used to pay transportation fares, such as taxi and train services.

Kung assured disadvantaged individuals and low-income families, who may find paying NT$1,000 to be a burden, that other stimulus options will be forthcoming.

---

Pre-orders for Taiwan's stimulus vouchers start today | Taiwan News

Taiwan News

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Pre-orders for Taiwan's stimulus vouchers started at 9 a.m. on Wednesday morning (July 1), with the vouchers to become valid starting on July 15.

This month, Taiwan is launching its "Triple Stimulus Voucher" program to help stimulate Taiwan's sagging economy amid the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The program allows Taiwanese citizens as well as foreign spouses to purchase vouchers worth NT$3,000 (US$101) for the price of NT$1,000.

Beginning on Wednesday (July 1) pre-orders of the vouchers can be placed on the official Triple Stimulus Voucher website or at kiosks in Taiwan's four major convenience store chains. The vouchers will be distributed at all post offices and designated convenience stores on July 15, and foreign spouses can use their National Health Insurance (NHI) cards or Alien Residence Certificates (ARC) as identification when pre-ordering and purchasing the coupons.

Those who spend NT$3,000 (US$100) with their credit cards will receive a NT$2,000 deduction from the next month's bill, while users of contactless smartcards and mobile payment apps who spend NT$3,000 will see NT$2,000 worth of credit deposited into their accounts, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs website. Those who opt for one of the digital payment methods, spend NT$3,000, and receive notice of eligibility can use one of nearly 40 different types of bank cards issued by one of three banks at an ATM to receive a NT$2,000 cash reimbursement.

The vouchers can be used to make purchases at all stores as well as at art exhibitions, sporting events, travel activities, and government-approved e-commerce platforms. The cash vouchers cannot be used to pay taxes, utility fees, traffic tickets, credit card bills, National Health Insurance fees, or administrative fees or to buy cigarette products, stocks, gift cards, electronic tickets, fitness center points, food coupons, video game points, or InComm gift cards.

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