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"My name is Jeffy Tangwena I am 22 years old and a youth member of Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Association (ZCIEA). As a way of promoting democratic participation of Zimbabwean Citizens we as ZCIEA conducted voter education to the informal economy workers. Through our voter education informal economy workers managed to have a dialogue with the aspiring political candidates at Town hall meetings, unlike before where political candidates call for rallies and talk for hours without giving the participants chance to question or air their views.
Town hall meetings were conducted in five major cities i.e. Masvingo, Gweru, Mutare, Bulawayo and Harare. The objectives of the town hall meetings were for the informal economy workers to interview the aspiring candidates on what they would do to stop criminalization of informal economy and also to share their vision with regards to the informal economy. Town hall meeting also provided a chance for the informal economy to air views, or their needs as informal economy workers e.g. recognition of the informal economy, formalization of the informal economy, better working environment.
As we conducted our voter education we focused on three principles namely non-partisanship, objectivity and transparency. As ZCIEA we conducted voter education trainings in a neutral manner without favouring any of the contestants or political parties in the election. We provided education with factual and objective information without interpreting or making decision for the voter.
The purpose of our educational programs in democracy society was to instill the values of cooperation, fairness and justice into hearts of participants. Every citizen in country has a right to vote without discriminated on the basis of color, race, occupation, disability. I would argue that these values are essential to maintaining and improving a functioning democracy in any country. We present democracy as a system that is always happening by being involved in our communities and institutions. Voting every election is only one aspect of being an active democratic citizen and part of our responsibilities as citizens to work together collaboratively to accomplish shared goals and dreams. Any right or freedom that have been granted by politicians have rarely come independent citizen demanding them as a part of a larger social movement
The youths were also part of the informal economy workers who received voter education. There was a growing dissatisfaction among young people in the way politics work and economic developments. Young participants want to participate in politics because they request more information about politics and elections and consider specific institutional that could improve their participation and representation .Youths of today are considered as tomorrow's leaders so their voices must be heard.
Investing in the youths today is a way to foster peace, democracy, stability, security and sustainable development of the future. It also engaging in forming opinions and taking actions to bring positive change in society and participation is about having right, possibility the opportunity and the support to participate in and influence decisions and involved in actions and activities to help build a better society. They also feel that their priorities are under-addressed in the political debate and clear majority of young people ask for more opportunity to have a saying in the way their political systems are governed for example employment creation and infrastructure development.
Participation of young youths in representative democracy that is what we deserve, voting in elections, membership in political parties, promoting the involvement of organization or debate on youth issues opinion-shaping through youth radio stations or online discussions. We desired in seeking information and learning about democracy and attending, training school youth organizations .So we have many activities and resources through democratic participation that includes voter education ,free and fair elections and awareness of violence and also the right to vote .
We also participated through marching into the central business district to demand justice of in formal workers who were not recognized as workers or citizens in Zimbabwe. When we look at European youth participation in democratic life it has no boarders their participation is shared. There is also use of indicators or resources in the democracy and human rights that includes new family and anti-corruption laws adopted by parliament ,the rights of elderly given more attention and the minimum basic pension modestly raised ,conflict mitigation between major political parties made with good results .
They have to consider the ability of youth participation in the local elections and improved in transparency procedures. We also need to find non-excluding, fair and balanced way to make sure that all voters have access to the information required and better ways to limit the power of politicians especially in developing countries they should able to raise their salaries and legislate on their retirements above all they should not have power to lead their countries directly into financial ruin due to sheer ignorance of how the modern world works .Politics should not be full time job or even a career.
People from different walks of like would serve for a few years and then go back to their original lives .however, before being allowed to serve all candidates will have to pass a test to demonstrate basic proficiency in a number of subjects to their future work and voting should not be mandatory. Laws need to be shorter and simpler no laws should be allowed to go over 100 pages. The most important aspect of court decisions is that they are fair.
We also need to find innovative ways to curb the power of special interests ranging from the industrial-military complex to taxi driver unions to oligarchies .We can only expect elections to produce good governance if voters can make informed decisions about who best represents their interests, which is why we need to increase the level of voter education and the best way to do that is to raise the voting age, allowing youth to gain valuable life experience before casting their first ballot. The aspect of distrust between two parties, we urge the adoption of redistricting commissions with the bipartisan support of state legislatures and the electorate ,to avoid the single-party gerrymandering that has contributed to political polarization .In Europe they can say young youth are as diverse as adults . They have political interests and also have perceptions of how best to influence the lives of their political system .Diversity of civil society organization represented at parliamentary committee or joint commissions advocacy coalitions.
There are opportunities for youth to engage in governance and participate in political and decision making processes depend largely on the political ,social economic, and cultural contexts where socials norms in many parts of the world result in multiple forms of discriminations against young women ,Both formal and informal engagement can be understood as political participation and both are beneficial for a vivid and resilient democracy should be supported There is strong evidence that the participation of young people in formal ,institutional political processes is relatively low when compared to older citizen across the globe , however young participants face poverty barriers to education multiple forms of discrimination and limited employment prospects and opportunities .
In order to respond to the needs of young people and to guarantee that tier basic human rights are recognized and enforced, young people's active and meaningful participation in their societies and in democratic practices is important. Meaningful youth leadership require that young people-led organizations have opportunities and benefits from enabling environment and relevant evidence-based programs and all levels and be included in democratic processes and practices is also a vital to ensure the achievements of internationally agreed development goals and to refresh development agenda .
In a survey conducted by UN in August 2012, a majority of 13 000 respondents expressing their voices from 186 countries highlighted that the main challenge for youth were limited opportunities for effective participation in decision-making, young men and women feel excluded and marginalized in their societies and communities .UNDP recognizes that young people can engage peace, building, leading non –violent revolutions, using new technologies to mobilize societies to bring about change.
Young people have demonstrated the potential to build the bridges across communities ,working together , helping to manage the conflict and promote peace and young people are vital stakeholders in conflict and provide a foundation for rebuilding lives and communities, contributing to a more just and peaceful society. UNDP supports the youths on projects to inform public policy-making ,training youth as effective leaders ,extending access to justice ,opening space for youth empowerment and democratic governance and 37 proposal were accepted, out of which 9 in Africa ,8 in Arab ,5 in Asia ,8 in Central and Eastern Europe and 7 in United States of America .
Across the project activities include strengthening youth advocacy groups ,providing equality research to interact with public authorities and fostering the creation of national youth council and plans .This unique projects also helped to inform UNDP organizational lesson learning in terms of design and implementation of youth-centered initiatives , taking into particular consideration the development of appropriate and realistic youth indicators during the program design phase and partnership building, country examples are Nigeria. They participated in constitution-review process, Bangladesh UNDP supported the establishment of a national youth parliament to empower active citizens at both and national level and provide an opportunity for youth to contribute to the framing national policy through direct dialogue with parliamentarians and Jordan was trainings to increase youth political participation.
This UNDP supported project mobilizes and links diverse vulnerable groups for youth around access to justice and fundamental human rights in the line with national objectives for better social and economic opportunities for youth, justice and social inclusion. It builds on opportunities presented by the pending expansion of the state guaranteed legal aid into non-criminal areas. This project involves at least 10 advocacy groups of youth who are vulnerable including youth who are unemployed, living with HIV and AIDS have disabilities or migrants or refugees.
Youths learn strategic advocacy skills to apply to their concerns and are receiving support from project in making links to legal aid providers and support networks as well as national legal aid council which aims to develop capacities to support youth empowerment for disadvantaged youth. The project has developed recommendations for revising civil education to better appeal to youth and the importance of political participation it proposes various measures aimed at job creation, social inclusion and youth volunteerism; however there is no substantial activities targeting political participation. The data allows the analysis around political participation and support for democracy and perceptions of governance and corruption among young people .
These findings will provide important background for identifying national-level entry points for engaging young people in democratic governance activities. There are also measures to support youth empowerment that includes promotion of an enabling environment for young people's participation in a broad range of electoral and parliamentary processes and local governance, including in peace building environments at local, sub-national and national levels. It also promotes young people's skills and capacities to participate actively in democratic practices including in local, national and global processes for example leadership trainings and there is also the promotion of young women's participation and presence in political office and decision-making at all levels. Young men and women contribute to the identification and implementation of sustainable solutions.
In the end of the course we say that your vote is your right, your vote is your secret and voter mobilization is enhanced by active exposure to the to the campaign but it requires a strengthening image of the parliament in the mind of the citizens and through higher profile activity during inter-elections periods, an improvement in people's perceptions of the capacity of the parliament to look after the interests of the citizens.
As a voter through voter education my voice or concern can be heard through participation in consultative meetings and this is stating point of democracy processes through vital engagements.
As a voter I must participate in community activities and develop a sense of ownership in all community development initiatives and also to ask the candidates their plan to bring development and improve livelihoods in the community and the standard of living.
As a voter through voter education I must vote for change especially in our money crisis , no money in the banks , infrastructure development ,employment creation ,better health facilities ,respect workers and human rights ,better education facilities for example every citizen has the right or afford to acquire education and growth of economy .
There is the other aspect of transition from informal to formal economy and alleviating poverty through transforming informal economy activities into mainstream activities and also decent standards of living for all citizens in a stable economy."


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Trailing 26-21, the NASA Aliens finally unleash Panther and their new Moonsault Formation. Shin watches eagerly as he
realizes a new speedster could threaten his reign, but will either team manage to win the wager, and what will happen if both lose?
Get the latest updates on show information, news, and more.

subset: commoncrawl


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English language
Color touch tablet with a cheerful farm
is a great toy to learn English.
The child will know the number,
names of animals, fruits and vegetables.
Fun animals, bright colors,
joyful melodies and sounds
to encourage learning fun.
The function of toy:
- Learning English
- Toy "greets and says goodbye"
- The science of numbers from 1 to 20
- The names of animals and their sounds
- The names of fruits and vegetables -
toy gives their number
- Happy song - locating animals in song
- Toy ask questions and riddles
- Toy when not in use encourages you to play
- Two-stage volume control
Product details:
length - 39 cm, width - 26 cm, thickness - 3 cm
Toy powered by batteries:
3 x 1.5V AA - not included
The toy is packed in an aesthetic package.
The product is intended for children from 24 months.


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Public Group
active 4 days, 1 hour ago
Welcome! Please sign-in to your account. Thank you!
We are a private Facebook community of horsewomen. We ride the trails, long and short. We measure our distance and our progress in miles and smiles. Join us and compete with your Haggy Sisters for the End of Year Distance Prizes;. First place TEAM of Rider & her Equine(s) will win a $50.00 gift certificate from Hags with Nags Swag. The Second place TEAM will win a choice of a HwN tee shirt or ballcap. (You MUST be a member of Hags with Nags to compete in this challenge.)


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Barcelona sign Nelson Semedo for €30 million from Benfica
Benfica right-back Nelson Semedo has completed his €30 million move to Barcelona following a successful medical on Friday.
Keita pleads for Liverpool move
The 23-year-old became a priority target for Barcelona this month after it became clear they couldn't get Arsenal's Hector Bellerin.
Barca announced on Thursday that they had reached a deal for Semedo , after their transfer chief flew to Lisbon to negotiate them down from their steep €50m valuation .
Goal understands the Catalunya club will pay €30m up front with €5m bonuses across a five-year contract.
Semedo, who has six caps for Portugal, is now in Barcelona and will join up with his team-mates for Friday evening's training session.
He's new coach Ernesto Valverde's third signing of the transfer window, following the return of Gerard Deulofeu and arrival of young centre-back Marlon.
Bonucci is steal of the century for Milan
President Josep Maria Bartomeu stated this week that they hope to complete "two or three" deals before the window closes next month.
Last season's La Liga runners-up have also been linked with Brazilian midfielder Paulinho and Manchester United's Ander Herrera .
Barcelona face the first match of the new season on June 22 when they play Juventus in the International Champions Cup, a pre-season tournament taking place across the globe.


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Range Rover Rental in Dubai By Sanarac
Dubai has a lavish style of outdoors that is hardly irresistible for any age group. Though there are a number of things to do in Dubai, hiring luxurious cars in Dubai could give you that spellbound feeling. When you are all set to hire super lavish cars in Dubai; we give you contented solutions under one roof. When we talk about supermodel cars, rent Range Rover Vogue Dubai is worth not to be missed for the following reasons:-
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Range Rover Vogue has a classy, swan feeling to it. The internal is perfectly sewed with top-of-the-line tools and perfect stitching. On the outside, it has a craggy SUV feel but gazes extremely modern and expensive. We provide best of range rover rental Dubai and free delivery anywhere in Dubai.
Outstanding At Off-Road:
The Range Rover is a highly-proficient off-roader. The SUV acquires adequately of ground consent and has a deferral that is flawlessly altered for getting over uneven roadsides. When you wish to have services in Dubai or UAE, we cover you with best of facilities and seamless services. When you count on us to rent range rover Vogue Dubai
Extremely Customizable:
When you rent Range Rover Vogue Dubai you are assured to get cars with the best of technical facilities. There are six different trim planes to select from and numerous engine choices. Moreover, there is an apparently endless select of color patterns. You don't need to worry even if you are new to the streets of Dubai; as modern tugged in GPRS systems will guide you well with the routes. We are seamless solution providers even if you are in Dubai for corporate or leisure needs. In order to offer extended solutions to our potential customers, we offer you long rentals and chauffeur driven rentals. In the easiest and quickest way, you can book your car with us.
The Long Wheelbase Models:
If you need some additional legroom for your travelers, this is an essential, as it spreads rear seat legroom by a plentiful 7.3 inches. Range Rover rental Dubai is perfect to fulfill your ultra-luxurious needs.
A Diesel Engine Choice:
The diesel engine undoubtedly the choice to make if you desire power yet also need something that won't guzzle up fuel.
Swift Hastening:
The Land Rover Range is gifted to rapidly get up to rapidity on any engine.
Consistent Brakes:
The brakes on the Range Rover vogue feel consistent and robust despite the dive the vehicle proceeds during a fright stop.
Excellent Perceptibility:
Perceptibility on the Range Rover is excellent from the façade, side, and back. The eminent seating, squat beltline, and wide quantities of glass make for one imposing allround vision.


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I'm always looking for great self defense information that the average person can really use, and this week I found a bunch of great articles! First, a look at training to use a defensive firearm even if the user has some infirmities; a real-life reason why you should have a "get home bag"; don't call unwanted attention to your car; a look at some realities of police shootings that have important lessons in the private sector; the 12-gauge shotgun, properly configured for home defense; using non-gun weapons against an gun-wielding attacker; and how to proper grasp a double action revolver. Remember to share the Hump Day Reading List with your friends and family!
Defensive shooting with disabilities
I'm hearing these questions with increasing frequency: "how can I hope to use a gun with my infirmity? How am I ever going to get the training I need?" The best answer is to find a self defense instructor (note that I didn't say a "shooting instructor") who understands not only the condition involved, but more importantly how to tailor his/her doctrine to fit the limitations. Believe it or not this isn't a common trait with instructors; I've known more than a few who simply couldn't conceive of modifying their information or techniques to fit the student! One instructor who can and does is Joshua Gideon, who ran across just such a student recently — and came up with solutions that worked. He details the student and the solution in this great article at Personal Defense Network, and it's one I recommend that you share with anyone who is having trouble getting relevant defensive training!
What if you were caught in this flood? Could you get home unscathed?
Self defense, the preservation of your life and well-being, isn't just limited to shooting at bad guys! It also means being prepared for non-criminal events which could plausibly threaten your health and safety — and a flood is most certainly such an event! Watch this video from the recent flooding in Texas; if you were caught in this freeway flood, forced to abandon your car, could you make it home on your own? Do you have a "get home bag" in your car with the necessary survival items to enable you to walk home, if necessary, even if home is 25 miles away? Things like route maps, first aid supplies, a way to carry fresh water, and perhaps some energy snacks — along with comfortable walking shoes — could be what gets you home to your family quickly and in good health. Floods, hurricanes, winter storms, or even earthquakes are all possibilities in some part of the country, and having a "get home bag" is simply part of being prepared for everyday life!
Your car should be gray, and I don't mean the color.
You've read my recommendations on being the "gray man" (or woman), the person who doesn't call undue attention to him/herself. Part of that should be paying a little attention to the car you drive, or more specifically what's ON the car you drive. Police in Hampton, Virginia are cautioning residents that thieves are apparently picking out gun owners for thefts by, among other things, gun and shooting logos on their vehicles. This is not the first time this has happened, either, as I can recall several such police warnings in various parts of the country over the last few years. Do you really need that Glock or NRA sticker on your window?
Sometimes what the police learn is something we can use.
I don't normally share police-centric items on my blog, not because I'm anti-police but simply because the things they do aren't often appropriate in the context of private sector self defense. In this case, however, I'm making an exception because there are some things in this article from Greg Ellifritz that can be useful to us. The article consists of his notes from a class he took a while back called "Dynamics of Police Shootings", and there are some good tidbits in there. For instance, the reality that looking for cover (rather than dealing with the threat) can give a bad guy the chance to fire several shots at you; the two most reliable methods for detecting a sociopath, which I think is critical to avoiding dangerous people; and the idea that you need to practice skills at the rate you'll actually use them (which I've been preaching for years, but it's nice to get some support!) It's a long article but well worth reading.
Some good thoughts about the 12 gauge shotgun as a home defense weapon.
One of my favorite bloggers is Sherman House, a dentist with a good deal of training in defensive shooting and self defense in general. He possesses a mindset that is very much like mine: he looks at self defense for the average person, not the tactical training enthusiast or military wannabe. He's been absent from the blogging world for a year or so, but he's back with a great article on how to set up a shotgun for home defense, and most importantly why. It's a refreshing change from the typical "tactical 12-gauge" articles the permeate the gun magazines! (My only criticism is that I would personally recommend a 20-gauge shotgun instead: easier to shoot and just as effective on the receiving end!)
How do you defend yourself against a gun if you don't have one yourself?
This is an interview by the Armed Citizen's Legal Defense Network with noted knife expert Michael Janich. It's an interesting read covering the use of non-gun weapons, both carried and improvised, against an armed attacker. Yes, a gun would be a better choice — but what if you don't have one with you? The interview isn't so much about specific recommendations as it is getting you thinking of possibilities beyond just pulling a trigger.
The revolver grasp, explained.
I've long recommended that people grasp a revolver differently than they do an autoloader; they're different tools with completely different operating characteristics, after all, and it makes little sense to shoehorn either into a grasp designed for efficiency with the other! Tiger McKee is of the same opinion, and this is his short article dealing with what he sees as the important parts of a good revolver grasp. I agree with almost everything he says!
– Grant Cunningham
Opening photo: "Camelus dromedarius at Tierpark Berlin" by Agadez – Own work. Licensed under CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons


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Pelvic pain in pregnancy: How to relieve it and when to be concerned
Am I pregnant? Early signs and symptoms of pregnancy
Here are the early pregnancy signs to look out for...
Home births, hospital births and birthing centres: Your options explained
Many women assume that they'll give birth at their local hospital. But your midwife should discuss all the available options with you, regardless of whether this is your first baby or what sort of birth you've previously had.
When will I ovulate? Find out with our ovulation calculator
Try our free and easy ovulation calculator to find out your most fertile days and boost your chances of getting pregnant
How to soothe heartburn during pregnancy
Heartburn is a real pain whenever it decides to appear, but unfortunately it's even more likely to rear its ugly head during pregnancy.
When to get pregnant: the best time of year for a baby
Did you know the season your child is born in can affect its health, as well as making a big impact on you and your health too?
Water birth pros and cons: Should you have a water birth?
Are you thinking about having a water birth? Independent midwife, Eleanor May Johnson explains the pros and cons of giving birth in water
What is ovulation? Everything you need to know about ovulation
Do you know how ovulation works? Getting pregnant should be easy, but it isn't always. So, read all about ovulation here, find out when you're most fertile and try our ovulation date calculator
Due date calculator
Ready to find out when your little one is due? We've got you covered...
Old wives' tales for determining the sex of your baby
Our favourite? The drain cleaner test...
Nub theory
Some people believe you can tell if your baby is a boy or girl by looking at your 12-week ultrasound picture - we investigate the nub theory to find out if it's true...
Linea nigra
We've got all the info you need to know about that dark line - the linea nigra - on your pregnant belly, which affects around 75 per cent of pregnant women.
Gestational diabetes in pregnancy: what does it mean for you and your baby?
Diabetes during pregnancy can cause complications, but it's easy to manage when you know how
Pre-eclampsia: what are the signs of pre-eclampsia and what are the risks?
Pre-eclampsia affects 1 in 10 pregnancies. Our in-depth guide will help you recognise the signs and know how and when to get help
Foods to avoid eating when you're pregnant
Knowing what you can and can't eat when you're pregnant can be a bit of a minefield. We give you the low-down on foods to enjoy... and avoid
How to cure morning sickness
If you're desperate to find some morning sickness cures that will banish that awful nauseous feeling, then try some of these remedies, from ginger to lemonade, to sniffing lemons...
Pregnancy exercises: How to make exercising during pregnancy safe
The experts have their say...
How to get pregnant: How can I get pregnant?
Wondering how to get pregnant or are in the midst of trying? This Morning's fertility expert Dr Larisa Corda shares her top tips for boosting your chances of conceiving.
How to increase fertility: 45 ways to boost fertility
Have you been trying to get pregnant for a while? Take a look at some of the best ways to boost your fertility and increase your chances of getting pregnant here
From seaweed to Guinness: your pregnancy cravings explained
Pregnancy cravings affects 90% of women - some are normal and some are a little more unusual...
Having a caesarean: the most common questions about C sections explained
Midwife Anne Richley explains the different types of Caesarean, the procedure, recovery, scarring, and what the risks are...
What it's really like to live with postpartum psychosis
As EastEnders character Stacey Slater experiences postpartum psychosis, we take a look at what it's really like to live with the condition
Prenatal depression: How to spot depression in pregnancy
Prenatal depression, or antenatal depression, is far more common than you may think...
10 pregnancy myths you've always wanted the answer to
Revealed: The 20 ways to have an easy labour (according to a midwife!)
We've teamed up with midwife Anne Richley to share 20 ways to help you be as prepared as possible for labour...


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Help needed for summer drive which supports Sidmouth's most deprived families
PUBLISHED: 12:01 01 August 2018
A drive which helps struggling families to feed their children during the school holidays needs the help of the Sidmouth community.
Sid Valley Food Bank is running the scheme which gives parents with children that normally have free school dinners, lunches throughout the summer, helping them to make ends meet.
Andie Miles, foodbank co-ordinator, said they had run the scheme for the past five years, supporting 20 clients and 46 children every year.
Last year it cost around £1,500 to run.
She added: "We are the only food bank that does this.
"We will be helping children who have free school meals.
"Suddenly, for six weeks, parents have to find extra meals in the holidays.
"If you have three children – it is an extra 15 meals a week that you need to find, which is a lot with no support.
"We would like to appeal to the community to donate the needed ingredients, money or time volunteering, so that we can continue to run this scheme this year."
Among the items on the shopping list are tinned tuna and sweetcorn, baked beans, spaghetti hoops and tinned macaroni cheese, tinned pineapple rings and packets of crisps as well as small jars of mayonnaise, spreadable butter, tinned peaches and fruit, custard and rice pudding.
On the list of fresh items needed are baked potatoes, ham, cheese, pizza, bread, fresh fruit, yogurts and all types of milks
Andie said it was a really important scheme which helped the area's most deprived families and appealed to anyone that could help the scheme run for the next six weeks.
She added: "We would also like to remind families who are struggling that the Salvation Army provides lunch on Thursdays at the youth centre, in Manstone Lane."
Contact Angie Carney through facebook.com/sidmouthsalvos for more information about this.
Contact Andie on the food bank's Facebook page at facebook.com/SidValleyFoodBank for more details on donating food or becoming a volunteer at the food bank.
Andie said she would like to thank Dukes, the organisers of the Dogtastic charity event in Sidmouth and an anonymous benefactor who donated two weeks of Tesco delivers, worth £250.
If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the Sidmouth Herald. Click the link in the orange box above for details.


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O Hospital Unimed-Rio (HUR) acaba de receber o título de Acreditado Pleno da Organização Nacional de Acreditação (ONA).
Portal Saúde Business23 de janeiro de 2017
Portal Saúde Business is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC
This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.


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new Song: Walk in the Rain
A first electronic, ambient track recorded with my new Waldorf Blofeld with a little help from the Moog Mother32 and the Novation MiniNova.
Oh! And did I mention? I got a new Synthesizer... :-)
read more ...
guess who got some new macro-lenses
hmmmm - I think ... - Oh! Yes! Thats meeeee :-) expect some macro photos
read more ...
Processing and Blender Sound Visualizer for Magical Dreams
I finally managed to finish a project where I could combine most of the tools I love and use. I created a processing sketch to visualize the stereo correlation of my song "Magical Dreams", exported the frames and used blender to create an animated highfield based on the brightness of the images. Then I rendered these frames and combined them to a video with the original track exported from bitwig.
Hmmm ... maybe a bit more complicated than needed, but that's one of advantage of a hobby project - you don't have to justify yourself for inefficient processes and toy around as long as you want to :-)
read more ...
new Song: Still Awake
I finally found the time to sit down and arrange and mix one of the song fragments that are waiting on my harddisk. I'm currenly very tired after a week full of nightshifts, overtime and bughunting but I'm still awake ... (ok not the best song title ever, but my thoughts are still a bit fuzzy - did I mention sleep deprivation?)
read more ...
How to modulate Midi-CC values in Bitwig Studio
to make a synth line played on a hardware synth more interesting you can modulate some parameters like filter cutoff, decay time, etc using a midi cc value. This can be done using bitwig studio by either using a automation lane sending the cc value or by using the cc device.
To use an automation lane simply click on the "Show automation lane" icon and select the controller value you want to send in the "midi" section
then draw the cc values in the lane you just created. I used this technique in my latest song to create the filter cutoff of the highpass filter on my moog mother32 for example
The second version uses the "Midi CC" device. With this device you can use bitwig's brilliant modulation sources to create the cc you want do send. You could combine several modulation sources like lfos step sequencers etc to influence your sounds.read more ...
blender denoiser experiment: subsurface shader
I made a new Blender Experiment to explore the possibilities and limits of the new blender denoise function. This time I tested the denoiser on a material using a subsurface shader node in combination with a pretty low sample number, because the subsurface node in a material creates very noisy images and increases render time a lot
you can download the blend file here
For this experiment I creatd a simple is-sphere and added a voronoi texture as the displacement texture to make the object a bit more interesting. The material was created using the new cycles Principled BSDF node.read more ...
microdisplacement denoise test
I wanted to test the limits of the new blender denoise function so I used a very detailed texture with lots of sharp edges for microdisplacement.
you can download the blend file here
read more ...
SonicPI + Volca Jam - Behind the Scenes
This weekend I posted a video of a SonicPi and Volca livecoding jam where I used the new midi functions of SonicPi 3 to control my synths. In this post I describe the setup I used and explain the code a little bit.
read more ...
SonicPI + Volca Jam
I recorded a SonicPI live jam exploring the new midi functionality. I used my Volca Keys, Volca Bass and Volca Sample for the recording.
read more ...
blender 2.79 denoise test
I used this render to test the new denoise function in blender - I rendered the animation with 24 samples.
you can download the blend file here - to run it you have to use a blender 2.79 build, the denoiser is not available in 2.78.
read more ...


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Issue: One important benefit gained by the millions of Americans with health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is protection from high out-of-pocket health spending. While Medicaid unambiguously reduces out-of-pocket premium and medical costs for low-income people, it is less certain that marketplace coverage and other types of insurance purchased to comply with the law's individual mandate also protect from high health spending. Goal: To compare out-of-pocket spending in 2014 to spending in 2013; assess how this spending changed in states where many people enrolled in the marketplaces relative to states where few people enrolled; and project the decline in the percentage of people paying high amounts out-of-pocket. Methods: Linear regression models were used to estimate whether people under age 65 spent above certain thresholds. Key findings and conclusions: The probability of incurring high out-of-pocket costs and premium expenses declined as marketplace enrollment increased. The percentage reductions were greatest among those with incomes between 250 percent and 399 percent of poverty, those who were eligible for premium subsidies, and those who previously were uninsured or had very limited nongroup coverage. These effects appear largely attributable to marketplace enrollment rather than to other ACA provisions or to economic trends.
High out-of-pocket health costs have long been a widespread problem in the United States, for the uninsured and insured alike.1 About 53 percent of Americans without health coverage have trouble paying their medical bills, while another 20 percent of those with coverage also struggle to meet health costs.2 Regardless of insurance status, an estimated 20 percent of individuals under age 65 have trouble with medical bills.3
Since 2014, when the Affordable Care Act's health insurance marketplaces opened and states were able to expand Medicaid eligibility under the law, the rate of growth in out-of-pocket spending has slowed and the share of Americans reporting medical bill problems and cost-related delays has declined.4 As of March 2016, nearly 28 million Americans had purchased health coverage through the marketplaces or obtained Medicaid coverage as a result of the expansion.5
Prior studies have shown that Medicaid expansions reduce out-of-pocket spending. That is likely because Medicaid requires no cost-sharing or premium payments for individuals with household incomes below 133 percent of the federal poverty level. For people with household incomes between 133 percent and 250 percent of the poverty level, the ACA offers cost-sharing subsidies for private plans purchased through the marketplaces. People with incomes between 133 percent and 400 percent of poverty, meanwhile, are able to get subsidies for marketplace plans.
The ACA's insurance regulations may also have contributed to the lower out-of-pocket spending seen since the coverage expansions, both for the newly insured and for people who shifted from their prior individual market coverage to marketplace plans. Under the ACA, health plans may no longer increase rates based on health status or gender, and new "rate bands"6 reduce premiums for older people. Coverage can no longer exclude preexisting conditions. Plans are required to offer preventive benefits, and they cannot impose cost-sharing on these benefits (including contraceptive coverage, which has lowered out-of-pocket spending for many newly insured women). Many plans sold in the marketplaces also offer a small number of primary care visits without cost-sharing. In fact, more than half of the plans offered in the individual market prior to the introduction of the marketplaces offered fewer benefits or imposed more cost-sharing than the plans allowed by the ACA.7
Still, some observers—pointing to the ACA's individual mandate, high cost-sharing in ACA standard (silver-level) plans, modest premium subsidies for higher-income people, and higher premiums for young, healthy people previously enrolled in nongroup coverage—have speculated that out-of-pocket spending on health care services or insurance premiums would, on average, increase.8
In this brief, we assess how out-of-pocket cost-sharing expenses and out-of-pocket spending on premiums changed between 2013 and 2014, as the ACA coverage expansions were implemented, for people with incomes above the Medicaid eligibility threshold.9 We also compare the magnitude of change in out-of-pocket spending in states where many people enrolled in the marketplaces relative to states where few people enrolled. (Because of the troubled rollout of the marketplaces, enrollment rates have differed by state and over time: in 2014, enrollment in marketplace coverage across the states varied from 0.2 percent to 6.1 percent.) Finally, we use these estimates, together with variation in marketplace enrollment across states, to project the decline by state in the percentage of people paying high amounts out-of-pocket.
Our analysis focuses on the experiences of three income groups: 1) people living between 133 percent and 249 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), who are eligible for cost-sharing reductions and premium subsidies in the marketplaces; 2) those between 250 percent and 399 percent of FPL, who are eligible for premium subsidies but not cost-sharing reductions; and 3) those at 400 percent of FPL and above, who are ineligible for cost-sharing reductions and premium subsidies. Our analyses controlled for the Medicaid expansion set forth by the ACA as well as for other factors that might affect spending, including year and state of residence. (See How This Study Was Conducted.)
Overall Effects of ACA Coverage Expansions on Out-of-Pocket Expenses
In any given year, health care spending is concentrated among a small number of people; most people spend very little on care. Consistent with this pattern, in 2013, prior to the launch of the ACA marketplaces, about 31 percent of Americans with incomes above 133 percent FPL spent $500 or more on out-of-pocket cost-sharing expenses in 2013, while relatively few people—less than 3 percent in any income group—incurred out-of-pocket cost-sharing expenses as high as $5,000 (Exhibit 1). As shown in the exhibit, between 2013 and 2014, the share of Americans with incomes above 133 percent of FPL who spent more than $500 out-of-pocket on cost-sharing expenses declined by about 2.3 points; the share who spent more than $2,000 declined by 0.3 points, with this decline concentrated among those with lower incomes; and the share who spent more than $5,000 decreased by 0.2 percentage points.
Although most people use very few services, those with private insurance nonetheless have to pay premiums. Thus, a far larger share of Americans spent above these thresholds on the combination of premium and out-of-pocket cost-sharing payments (Exhibit 2). In 2013, about half of those with incomes above Medicaid-eligibility levels spent more than $500 on premiums and out-of-pocket expenses combined, and about 10 percent spent more than $5,000 on these combined expenses. Between 2013 and 2014, the share spending more than $500 or $2,000 on combined cost-sharing and premium expenses did not change significantly. The share spending more than $5,000 increased by about 0.1 percent, with the increase concentrated among those with incomes above 250 percent FPL.
Effect of Increased ACA Marketplace Enrollment on Out-of-Pocket Expenses
We found the likelihood that people with incomes above 133 percent FPL spent above the out-of-pocket cost-sharing thresholds generally decreased as marketplace enrollment increased (Exhibit 3). By mid-2014, about 2.6 percent of the adult population under age 65 was enrolled in a marketplace plan. This rise in enrollment (from zero in 2013) was associated with about a two-percentage-point decline in the share of Americans spending more than $500 on out-of-pocket expenses, a one-point decline in the share spending more than $2,000, and a 0.4-point decline in the share spending more than $5000. These reductions are large relative to the baseline rates: they are equal to 7 percent, 9 percent, and 17 percent, respectively, of the share of individuals who had out-of-pocket costs exceeding these thresholds in 2013.
While higher-income groups—those most likely to spend more out-of-pocket in 2013—saw the largest reductions in terms of dollars spent, the reductions in percentage terms are greatest among those with incomes between 250 percent and 399 percent FPL. This group, which was eligible for premium subsidies in the marketplaces, may have shifted from being uninsured or from having limited nongroup coverage (which may have included high deductibles or conditions exclusions) to having better coverage through the marketplaces.
The pattern for combined premiums and out-of-pocket spending was similar (Exhibit 4). The increase in marketplace enrollment was associated with about a 1.7-percentage-point reduction in the probability of spending over $500 or $2,000 on combined premiums and out-of-pocket costs, and a 1.1-percentage-point reduction in the probability of spending over $5,000 on these costs. These declines are 3 percent, 6 percent, and 11 percent, respectively, of the share of individuals who had out-of-pocket-plus-premium costs exceeding these thresholds in 2013. The relationship between marketplace enrollment and combined out-of-pocket and premium spending is likely attributable to: 1) the availability of subsidies, which may attract those who were previously uninsured, some of whom may have had much higher cost-sharing expenses; 2) the opportunity for those with existing nongroup coverage to switch to subsidized marketplace coverage, providing them with relief from both high cost-sharing and high premium expenses; and 3) the existence of regulated coverage options in the marketplaces that may have offered more protections from cost-sharing and premium expenses to older, sicker, higher-income enrollees.
Effects of ACA Regulations and Changes in Addition to Enrollment in Marketplace Plans
The rollout of the marketplaces occurred as many other ACA reforms were being implemented and as the nation was recovering from the economic recession. Analyses which control for marketplace enrollment rates and state Medicaid expansion status to account for these effects, however, do not show large or statistically significant changes between 2013 and 2014 in the probability of spending above out-of-pocket (excluding premiums) cost-sharing thresholds (Appendix Tables 1 and 2).
By contrast, spending on premiums-plus-out-of-pocket-spending generally rose between 2013 and 2014, after controlling for enrollment effects (Exhibit 5). After removing the estimated effects of marketplace enrollment, we find that the share of Americans spending over $500 on combined premiums and out-of-pocket expenses rose by about one percentage point, the share spending over $2,000 rose by two percentage points, and the share spending over $5,000 rose by one percentage point. In separate analyses, we found that these effects were largely driven by people who had employer-sponsored coverage at some point in 2014 (Appendix Table 5). This is consistent with data from the Kaiser Family Foundation's Employer Health Benefits survey that shows a modest increase in premiums (3%) between 2013 and 2014 for families covered by employer insurance plans, and a 7 percent increase in employer plan deductibles over this period.
State Effects
Our estimates suggest that declines in out-of-pocket spending were greatest in states that had the largest increases in enrollment in their respective marketplaces (Exhibit 6). In 2014, marketplace enrollment, as a share of the adult population, was greatest in Florida, Idaho, and Vermont. In these states, our simulation estimates suggest, the share of state residents with out-of-pocket spending exceeding $2,000 fell by more than 1.5 percent. By contrast, the states with the smallest declines in out-of-pocket spending were those in which few residents purchased marketplace plans. In Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Minnesota, where the state marketplace rollouts were particularly unsuccessful, and in Iowa, Ohio, and West Virginia, where enrollment was low, declines in out-of-spending were smaller. Our estimates suggest the share of these states' residents with more than $2,000 in out-of-pocket spending fell by less than 0.5 percent.
Prior research shows that expansions of coverage through the ACA increased the proportion of Americans with health insurance. We find that residents of states where marketplace enrollment increased most also saw significant reductions in their combined out-of-pocket-and-premium costs relative to the pre-ACA period. While more Americans are insured, and hence are paying premiums for insurance, the net effect of subsidies, cost-sharing reductions, out-of-pocket protections, and rating changes has been to reduce the number of people facing substantial costs.
Despite this good news, it is important to note that many Americans continue to find that premiums and cost-sharing impose a large burden that makes it difficult to access care. Prior analyses that have looked at the ratio of expenses to incomes continue to find that many people are incurring health expenses that exceed 10 percent of their income. Nearly 11 percent of those in our sample incurred total out-of-pocket expenses exceeding $5,000, about 10 percent of income for the median U.S. family.
The design of marketplace subsidies is such that individuals who receive subsidies are largely protected from increases in overall health care costs. The majority of Americans, however, are insured through employers; for them, increases in health care costs lead to rising spending, particularly on premiums. Containing overall health care costs is therefore critical to maintaining both access to care and protection against high out-of-pocket spending.
We drew demographic and health spending data on people under age 65 from the U.S. Current Population Survey CPS annual (March) Social and Economic Supplements, 2010–2014. Marketplace enrollment rates for each state were drawn from the weekly Private QHP (Qualified Health Plan) Spreadsheets created by Charles Gaba, which draw enrollment data from monthly reports released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Estimates come from the "Private Exchange Plans" column for the last week of June (week 24). Medicaid expansion status was set to zero for months before 2014 for most states, and set to one when any states expanded either early (California, Connecticut, Colorado, District of Columbia, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Washington) or in 2014. The 2013 CPS data is taken from the redesigned portion, for consistency with 2014 CPS medical spending data.
Marketplace enrollment varied across states in 2014 from 0.2 percent to 6.1 percent, and this variation was used to assess effects on rates of spending above thresholds. On average, across the country, about 2.6 percent of the adult, nonelderly population was enrolled in a marketplace plan in mid-2014.
We fit robust linear regression models to see whether an individual spent above out-of-pocket as well as premium plus out-of-pocket thresholds. The models include the marketplace enrollment rate (the number of individuals enrolled divided by the total adult population) and control for other factors that might have changed the probability that state residents exceeded our spending thresholds. We report coefficients on marketplace enrollment rates (Exhibit 3 and Exhibit 4) and on the 2014 year dummy (Exhibit 5). The appendix tables report both robust standard errors and standard errors clustered at the state by year level.
We controlled for the Medicaid expansion status of the Respondent's state to ensure that we estimated marketplace enrollment effects separately from other ACA provisions.
To further separate marketplace enrollment effects from broad economic trends, year and state dummies are also included. Regression analyses also control for age, work status, gender, education level, and marital status. The product of coefficients on marketplace enrollment rates from these regressions are multiplied by the average marketplace enrollment rate (2.6%) and summed with baseline rates (percent spending above thresholds in 2013) to provide regression-adjusted probabilities of spending above thresholds in 2014 (Exhibit 3 and Exhibit 4). State-level regression-adjusted reduction in probabilities of spending above thresholds (Exhibit 5) are constructed by applying the coefficient on marketplace enrollment rate (in regressions on meeting or exceeding out-of-pocket health spending thresholds) to each state's marketplace enrollment rate.
1 Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Financial Condition and Health Care Burdens of People in Deep Poverty, ASPE Issue Brief (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, July 16, 2015).
2 L. Hamel, M. Norton, K. Pollitz et al., The Burden of Medical Debt: Results from the Kaiser Family Foundation/New York Times Medical Bills Survey (Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Jan. 5, 2016).
3 Ibid.; and M. Sanger-Katz, "Even Insured Can Face Crushing Medical Debt, Study Finds," New York Times, Jan. 5, 2016.
4 A. B. Martin, M. Hartman, J. Benson et al., "National Health Spending in 2014: Faster Growth Driven by Coverage Expansion and Prescription Drug Spending," Health Affairs, Jan. 2016 35(1):150–60; S. R. Collins and D. Blumenthal, "New Federal Survey Shows Gains in Private Health Coverage and Fewer Cost-Related Problems Getting Care," To the Point, The Commonwealth Fund, Feb. 24, 2016; and S. R. Collins and D. Blumenthal, "New U.S. Health Care Spending Estimates Reflect ACA Coverage Expansions and Higher Drug Costs," To the Point, The Commonwealth Fund, Dec. 4, 2015.
5 S. R. Collins, M. Z. Gunja, P. W. Rasmussen, M. M. Doty, and S. Beutel, Are Marketplace Plans Affordable? Consumer Perspectives from the Commonwealth Fund Affordable Care Act Tracking Survey, March–May 2015 (The Commonwealth Fund, Sept. 2015); and Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Health Insurance Marketplaces 2016 Open Enrollment Period: Final Enrollment Report, ASPE Issue Brief (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, March 11, 2016).
6 The ACA includes a requirement that health premiums may not vary with age by more than 3:1 for people over age 21. This means that premiums for a 64-year-old person cannot be more than three times as high as those for a 21-year-old person.
7 The ACA legislation set the Medicaid threshold at 133 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), but also changed the methodology for calculating income, so that the new threshold is closer to 138 percent FPL. See http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacares-medicaid-expansion; and J. R. Gabel, R. Lore, R. D. McDevitt et al., "More Than Half of Individual Health Plans Offer Coverage That Falls Short of What Can Be Sold Through Exchanges as of 2014," Health Affairs Web First, published online May 23, 2012.
8 M. Pauly, A. Leive, and S. Harrington, The Price of Responsibility: The Impact of Health Reform on Non-Poor Uninsureds, NBER Working Paper #21565 (National Bureau of Economic Research, Sept. 2015).
9 It is important to note that while implementation of the ACA was the biggest change that occurred in the health insurance market between 2013 and 2014, health care costs also have changed, continuing to rise, albeit moderately. Data from the Kaiser Family Foundation's Employer Health Benefits survey shows a modest increase in premiums (3%) between 2013 and 2014 for families covered by employer insurance plans, and a 7 percent increase in employer plan deductibles over this period. See G. Claxton, M. Rae, N. Panchal et al., Employer Health Benefits 2014 Annual Survey (Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research & Educational Trust, 2014).


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What a crazy 24 hours it has been in the NFL.
There was plenty of buzz following trade announcements coming from one team, the Cleveland Browns.
Yes, the Cleveland Browns. The same team that has gone 4-44 in the last three seasons. They have made offseason noise in the past, but this season was the loudest of the last several years.
Coming into the offseason, Cleveland entered the week with a league-high $114.4 million in salary cap space and a league-high 12 selections in the upcoming NFL Draft.
The Trades
The first big announcement was the Browns trade with the Miami Dolphins for recently franchised-tagged wide receiver Jarvis Landry. The Browns will send a fourth-round selection this year as well as a seventh-round pick in 2019. The two sides immediately began the ground work on signing Landry long term.
About an hour later, Cleveland made another big move, trading for Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor. In return, Cleveland will send Buffalo a third-round pick. In three seasons as the quarterback, Taylor went 22-20, throwing for 8,857 yards, 1,575 rushing yards and 65 total touchdowns.
The Browns ended their Friday with a trade with the Green Bay Packers. Cleveland will receive cornerback Damarious Randall while Green Bay receives DeShone Kizer. The two teams will also swap fourth and fifth-round selections.
The Browns ended their slew of trades on Saturday with the New England Patriots. The reigning AFC Champions will receive defensive tackle Danny Shelton and the Browns receive a conditional draft pick.
What Now?
Following their trade with the Dolphins, the Browns receiving core immediately improved. Josh Gordon has tremendous talent. Now that he has gotten over his off-field issues, Cleveland will see what they have in former second-round pick. Landry gives the Browns another dimension in their offense. While Gordon goes deep down field, Landry will take some attention away at the line of scrimmage.
Tyrod Taylor gives the Browns their first legitimate quarterback in a really long time. Taylor can make plays happen with his arm and his legs. In his seven-year career, Taylor has thrown just 18 interceptions and fumbled just 17 times. Even if he is bridge quarterback, he is a solid option to carry the offense.
The next step for the Browns is to draft well. A big plus about all of these trades is Cleveland did not trade the number one or number four picks in the draft. Though their draft plans have been on the down low, Saquon Barkley could take the pressure off of Taylor in his first year. Cleveland could still draft Sam Darnold or any other of the top quarterbacks with the fourth pick.
It has been so long since the Browns had a winning season. Though they have been a laughing stock in the league, they have been turning heads with the whole league buzzing about their moves.
It is still uncertain if they have enough talent to go up against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals for the division. With the struggle of the Baltimore Ravens, the Browns could finally escape the cellar of the AFC North.
Only time will tell how else the team upgrades their team.


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Four-Stage Theory of the Republic of China
|Four-Stage Theory of the Republic of China
|Traditional Chinese
|Simplified Chinese
The Four-Stage Theory of the Republic of China or the Theory of the Four Stages of the Republic of China is a viewpoint proposed by Chen Shui-bian, the President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008, in 2005. It is a viewpoint regarding the political status of the Republic of China, whose government retreated to the island of Taiwan after the Chinese Civil War in 1949. The main idea of the theory is that the time line for the development of the Republic of China can be classified into four stages, which are:
- The Republic of China on the mainland (中華民國在大陸; Zhōnghuá Mínguó zài Dàlù), 1912–1949
- The Republic of China arrival to Taiwan (中華民國來臺灣; Zhōnghuá Mínguó lái Táiwān), 1949–1988, before Lee Teng-hui's presidency
- The Republic of China on Taiwan (中華民國在臺灣; Zhōnghuá Mínguó zài Táiwān), 1988–2000, during Lee Teng-hui's presidency
- The Republic of China is Taiwan (中華民國是臺灣; Zhōnghuá Mínguó shì Táiwān), 2000–2008, during Chen Shui-bian's presidency[1][2][3]
By this theory, Chen pointed out that the Republic of China was at the 4th stage after the first ruling party rotation of the central government in 2000. That is, Taiwan, with the official name called the "Republic of China", is already an independent sovereign state separate from People's Republic of China. This theory is welcomed by the mainstream of the Pan-Green coalition (led by the Democratic Progressive Party) in Taiwan, which supports eventual de jure Taiwan independence; but is not welcomed by most members of the Pan-Blue coalition (Kuomintang), which supports the eventual reunification of Taiwan with mainland China as part of a single "Chinese nation". Some members of the more strongly pro-independence Taiwan Solidarity Union also oppose this view since they deem the ROC to be an illegitimate foreign and colonial regime that should be replaced by the proposed "Republic of Taiwan". The Pan-Blue Coalition agrees with the first three stages, but disagrees with the fourth stage, and prefers to maintain the distinction between the "Republic of China" (the polity) and "Taiwan" (part of the territory the polity governs). The government of the People's Republic of China has also voiced opposition against the fourth stage on the grounds that such an interpretation is a step closer to de jure Taiwan independence. (Officially, the PRC claims the existence of the ROC only until 1949.)[2][3][4]
Both the Free China Journal and the Free China Weekly often referred to the polity as the "Republic of China on Taiwan" prior to Lee Teng-hui taking office as the first Taiwan-born president of the Republic of China.[5][6][7][8][9] During Lee's administration, the term remained in use,[10][11][12][13][14] and he used the term in his speech at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States in June 1995.[15][16] It was used to identify the Republic of China with its remaining major component – the island of Taiwan, as opposed to its decades-long claim to all China since losing the civil war in 1949. Prior to this speech, the government officials used "Republic of China" when the name of the state was used. Lee's usage is considered as a departure from the convention, as this usage can be interpreted in the sense that the Republic of China's sovereignty does not extend to mainland China, which the People's Republic of China controls.[4]
The Democratic Progressive Party's 1999 Resolution on Taiwan's Future, which is accorded equivalent status as the Party charter, serves as the baseline of debates toward the "status quo". According to the 1999 Resolution: "Taiwan is a sovereign and independent state and that its national title is the ROC." In other words, "Taiwan is the ROC".[17]
During the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration under Chen Shui-bian, he directed that all government publications and websites to use the form "Republic of China (Taiwan)." These two variations have been used under their respective administrations for the ROC/Taiwan petition to join the United Nations. Unlike the Cold War era when the KMT-controlled ROC competed with the PRC as the legitimate representative of China (including Taiwan), during Chen Shui-bian's presidency, the ROC did not seek to be the representative of China (i.e. it does not seek the PRC's seat on the Security Council or its ouster) and stresses in its petitions that it was only seeking to represent the people of the land under its effective control (i.e. UN's principle of universality).[4]
On October 8, 2011, the eve of the centennial celebration of the founding of the Republic of China on October 10, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen and the presidential candidate for the 2012 Taiwan presidential election explained her stance on the existence of the Republic of China on Taiwan as "...the Republic of China has lost the land on which it was originally established. It only exists in Taiwan. It has merged into the land and people of Taiwan. Today, the majority of the people in Taiwan can agree that Taiwan is the Republic of China, and the Republic of China is Taiwan.", "Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country", and "...after we began directly electing our president, the current Republic of China government is no longer a foreign government. It is now the government of Taiwan."[18][19][17]
Chen Yi-shen (陳儀深), an associate researcher at the Institute of Modern History at Academia Sinica, said "many are aware that the ROC and Taiwan are two faces of the same coin" and Tsai's ROC was an extension of the ROC from former presidents Lee Teng-hui and Chen Shui-bian. While some understood "elections have their own languages", many Taiwanese, including former DPP Chairman and former president of the Examination Yuan Yao Chia-wen, are absolutely against the ROC and insist "we need to promote the rectification our nation's name to the Republic of Taiwan".[19]
Tsai won the 2016 Taiwan presidential election and sworn in as first female President of Taiwan on May 20.
See also[edit]
- ^ Mainland Policy and Work - August 2, 2005, Mainland Affairs Council, 2005
- ^ a b Chen says name variance is simply an expedient, Taipei Times, 2005/8/3
- ^ a b Chen urges unity to deal with China, Taipei Times, 2005/8/3
- ^ a b c International Business Publications, USA, Position of the Republic of China (ROC), Taiwan Country Study Guide: Strategic Information and Developments, 2012/3/3, p45
- ^ "Democracy's coming of age". Free China Journal/Taiwan Today. 1 December 1981. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ "Helping hands for reconstruction". Free China Journal/Taiwan Today. 1 September 1980. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ "Double Tenth of confidence". Free China Journal/Taiwan Today. 1 November 1977. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ "The Month in Free China". Free China Journal/Taiwan Today. 1 June 1967. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ "Documents". Free China Journal/Taiwan Today. 1 August 1958. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ "Reaping Ideas And Criticism". Free China Journal/Taiwan Today. 1 October 1988. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ "'Please call me Mr. Ching-kuo'". Free China Journal/Taiwan Today. 1 February 1989. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ "Perceptions And Realities". Free China Journal/Taiwan Today. 1 May 1989. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ "Redefining Social Order". Free China Journal/Taiwan Today. 1 October 1988. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ "Taiwan Review". Free China Journal/Taiwan Today. 1 February 1990. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ Text of Lee's Cornell address Archived 2016-10-30 at the Wayback Machine, TAIWAN INFO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1995-6-16
- ^ a b DPP's Cross-Strait Policy Consistent with "Status Quo", Jamestown Foundation, 2011/12/20
- ^ Tsai presents "ROC is Taiwan" stance on eve of centenary, Formosa News, 2011/10/09
- ^ a b Tsai affirms recognition of the ROC, Taipei Times, 2011/10/10
- Peter Kien-Hong Yu, Chapter 5: The LEE Teng-hui March: A Zig-Zag Line / Chapter 6: The CHEN Shui-bian March: A Forced, Untrodden Split Line with Sideroads, The Second Long March: Struggling Against the Chinese Communists Under the Republic of China (Taiwan) Constitution, 2011/11/3


text:
Antonio Conte will reportedly have to accept defeat in his pursuit of West Ham star Michail Antonio.
The Sun report that Antonio's good performances in a Hammers shirt have captured Conte's attention, with the Italian thought to be keen to draft him into his squad. The tabloid note that Antonio was expected to leave the London Stadium in the summer window, but has made an unexpected U-turn on his future.
According to The Sun, Antonio has now put pen-to-paper on a contract extension with West Ham. The tabloid report that Antonio, who is now in the England set-up, has signed a four-year deal, which will keep him in East London until 2021.
We will perhaps never know what Conte planned to do with Antonio, whether he would use him on the wing or at wing-back, but he will have to look elsewhere in his attempts to strengthen his squad for life in the Champions League.


text: Who can believe ten years have passed since since Billy Elliot fouettéd his way onto the stage of the Victoria Palace Theatre? Back in 2005, three incredible young actors created the stage role of Billy and wey aye man, they've grown up. In writing this post, I seem to have unearthed a wiki-leak…the curious case of the two George Maguires. But more of that later… Read more


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How have crypto markets in Asia evolved in comparison to those in the US and Europe? And will these markets look more or less different in the future? Galen Stops takes a look.
Taking a glance at the biggest crypto exchanges by volume and a clear pattern emerges: according to data from coinmarketcap.com, a website that tracks crypto trading volumes, at least seven of the top 10 ranked exchanges are based in the APAC region.
By contrast, some of the more better known US-based exchanges are found much further down the list. For example, at the time of writing, Kraken is ranked at number 33, Coinbase Pro is apparently the 35th largest by volume and the Winklevoss-owned Gemini exchange is down at 64.
One explanation for this is simply that more of the crypto trading volume in APAC is retail driven and takes place on exchanges, compared to the US and Europe where a comparatively higher proportion of trading takes place in the OTC markets.
"Asian risk markets generally see higher levels of retail participation vs global peers, and crypto is no different," says Michael Ng, a senior trader at Kinetic and former director of e-FX trading at Natixis in Hong Kong.
He adds: "Given the vast amount of retail trading happens on crypto exchanges, it's understandable that exchanges account for a larger portion of overall volumes in Asia compared to the rest of the world. As the space institutionalises and client demographics shift towards institutional players, we expect this proportion to shift but would still expect retail to be a dominant force in Asia."
Ng says that the "institutionalising" of crypto trading is about establishing best practices, infrastructure, processes and products that in turn develop the formality and structure which enable traditional investors to allocate capital to this space. This has been a big focus in the US during 2018, and Jason Fang, a managing partner at Sora Ventures, a crypto-backed venture capital firm dedicated to blockchain and digital currency investments, claims that this is also the case in Asia.
"I definitely think we're already on the path to this market becoming more institutionalised and that the next boom will be highly dependent on institutions like large banks and financial services firms," he says.
In particular, Fang highlights the attempts to launch a bitcoin ETF in the US as a significant milestone in the development of the institutional crypto trading market, pointing out that when the first gold ETF was launched, it led to a massive increase in the trading of that asset.
A member of the BitMEX research team agrees that firms in Asia are interested in the potential product launches taking place in the US and Europe because they realise that they're likely to have an impact on the price action in the crypto space.
"The crypto community overall probably cares about similar issues. People care about a bitcoin ETF because there's a view that if there's an ETF then the price of bitcoin will go up, meaning that all the day traders will get in," they say.
More Imagination Needed
However, Jack Liu, head of Asia trading at Circle, is not so convinced that an ETF is necessarily the next big step forward in the development of crypto trading in Asia. The reason for this is that he sees a very different mentality emerging around crypto trading in the region compared to more developed capital markets in the West.
Liu explains that, because financial markets in the US and Europe are already so well developed and capitalised, a lot of the banks and major financial institutions there tend to only think about cryptoassets within the framework of their existing businesses. He says that even the entrepreneurs in these markets look at the technology underlying cryptoassets as effectively an upgrade to the existing financial technology and infrastructure, whereas in Asia the focus is very much on how to use this technology to build an entirely different financial ecosystem.
"In the West the narrative is that crypto is a new asset class, and one that isn't correlated to other asset classes, and so they want to put it on a screen next to FX and bonds and other products and make an ETF for people to buy, just like a new gold. But in Asia no one is thinking of crypto as an asset class and no one is waiting for an ETF, they're trying to reimagine the financial ecosystem based on decentralised blockchain and ICO technology," says Liu.
He continues: "Yes, the gold ETF helped gold because gold cannot actually be used, it can't be divided or easily transported. By contrast, bitcoin can purposely be divided and transported, so why would you want an instrument that sits on an ETF that only trades Monday to Friday between 9-4pm? So this definition of crypto as an asset class is really not what this technology was imagined for, and maybe that description worked in 2017 to help drive home what these products are, but going forward I think we need to have more imagination." Another area of divergence between the US and the Asian crypto markets, according to the BitMEX researcher, is amongst the exchanges themselves and the client base that they're targeting.
"I think there is a bifurcation in the crypto exchange industry," they say, noting that there is one group of platforms that are predominantly Asia-focused, such as BitMEX, Bitfinex, Binance, OKEx and Huobi and another that is US-focused with more of a Silicon Valley culture, such as Coinbase Pro, Gemini and Bittrex.
"Whereas the Silicon Valley group is more focused on growth, the Asian ones are more financial focused – a lot of the people at these exchanges are from investment banks originally and for them the target is to build reliable platforms that institutions can use. That's the bifurcation," says the researcher.
They add: "Our perspective and how we think about this space at BitMEX is perhaps different compared to American companies. Coinbase and these other exchanges in the US are thinking that firms like Fidelity, Vanguard, etc, will eventually allocate part of their portfolio to bitcoin or ethereum and that as exchanges they will be able to provide them with custody solutions and a venue to make long-term investments. By contrast, we're looking to attract hedge funds that maybe manage in the region of one or two billion, either existing funds that want to start trading crypto or crypto-specific spins offs from some of the largest hedge funds in the world. Those are the types of institutions that we're targeting."
Another difference on the exchange side in Asia is that crypto firms are increasingly looking at potential IPOs, particularly in Hong Kong. In particular, there are mining companies that sources say are interested in listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX), which –as the BitMEX researcher observes – would certainly be an interesting development because it would mean that more public information about these firms would become available and they would have to publish quarterly results.
One challenge that some Asian exchanges have had to grapple with though is the changing regulatory environment with regards to crypto trading in China. In September last year, the Chinese authorities banned ICOs and bitcoin exchanges operating on the mainland. This, however, does not seem to have stopped Chinese citizens from trading cryptoassets.
What happened after the ban was announced was that a number of the exchanges moved offshore, only offering crypto-to-crypto trading rather than fiat so that none of the activity can be constituted as a "Chinese" trade. Indeed, one source in the region says that they don't think that the percentage of trading by Chinese people compared to the US, Japan or Korea since the ban has changed at all, it has just moved offshore.
ICOs and Regulation
Still, the spectre of further crackdowns looms large for a number of firms.
"Over the past couple of months there's been a lot of negativity in China regarding crypto and I think that will continue until the end of the year," says one Shanghaibased source.
They add that the best indicator of when the Chinese government might be gearing up for some serious action against crypto firms is when people from the industry suddenly leave the country and start showing up in places like Tokyo or San Francisco.
"That's often the biggest signal on WeChat, you can see that these people are trying to dodge that bullet so to speak," the source says.
While China might have banned ICOs last year, the rest of the world was gripped by a mania around these cryptoassets, and however popular ICOs were in the US, it was APAC that was very much the epicentre of the hype.
That being said, it seems that the plummet in the value of the major cryptocurrencies this year has also seen some of the excitement regarding ICOs scale back.
"The recent pullback in overall crypto assets has caused investors to be more selective towards ICO involvement, which is ultimately a net positive. Security token offerings (STOs) are now front and centre; the pitch of conversation about security tokens has grown exponentially in the past months, and interest in associated platforms like Sharespost has followed similarly. Given their security-like nature, regulators will likely take a more proactive approach towards establishing a regulatory framework for these vs utility tokens," says Ng.
Thus far, however, many regulators in Asia appear to have taken a more "hands off" approach with regards to the regulation of crypto assets in comparison to their US counterparts.
Liu says that although the regulatory environment in the US is very open to crypto business in some regards and they have built a legal path towards doing business there, it is an expensive process to go through and the fact that regulators there characterise cryptoassets within a very narrow box means that the companies doing business there tend to be fairly homogenous.
"In Asia, the regulatory environment is more of a grey zone, there's less startup capital required to set up a company, which is why there's hundreds of exchanges in Asia. And if you look at the mining companies, part of the reason why some of them are in places like Mongolia is because the electricity is cheap there. So what we're seeing is an ecosystem where crypto firms are not restrained by the Silicon Valley model whereby they need to get funding from VCs, they can get funding instead from ICOs and as a result the projects tend to be based where there are more engineers and cheaper costs," he adds.
Mere Speculation?
One question that still overhangs the development of cryptoassets is what their underlying value will prove to be. While in the US and Europe they are mainly traded as speculative assets, in some less developed markets they do function more as a means of transferring value for individuals that for various reasons lack access to traditional banking systems. So what about in Asia?
"This is a divisive topic, but, whether you believe that this technology can be used by criminals or by companies to reduce IT costs, the fact is the dominant use case of these systems right now is financial use cases and day trading. That is far more prevalent than any other use cases, which are insignificant in my view compared to this huge volume of speculation and trading that is occurring right now," says the BitMEX researcher.
Ng agrees with this assessment that crypto trading in Asia has thus far been driven by speculation, but suggests that this is beginning to change.
"Though much of the Asia-domiciled retail activity in crypto trading has been short-term speculative in nature, we see growing interest from 'stickier' long term money who see crypto as a potential addition/tool for their overall asset allocation," he says.
Ng also observes: "While Asia hasn't seen the same political and economic turmoil that exists in parts of Latam or EMEA that causes people to lose faith in the local fiat monetary system and turn to crypto, countries with restrictive currency regimes and capital controls do account for higher participation in crypto trading."
For Fang, much of the longer-term value in the crypto space will derive from the potential applications of the underlying blockchain technology, and not necessarily from the cryptocurrencies that are the most popular now. Although he says that bitcoin is unlikely to lose its dominant place in this market within the next five years, he says that he is unsure about whether this cryptocurrency will still be around in five to 20 years' time.
"Any new technology can initially seem problematic to work with because there's often inefficiencies associated with it," says Fang. "But we're seeing more developers flocking towards blockchain more than any other industry in the world right now, so we're assuming that there's going to be huge improvements in the technology over the next two to three years, improvements in terms of scalability, in terms of security, in terms of user interface, etc. And when people see these improvements, we I think they'll start to re-evaluate the real value of blockchain."
Ultimately, it might be too early to say with any degree of certainty whether crypto markets in the West and East are likely to diverge or converge in terms of their evolution, given that there are various factors pulling in either direction.
For example, many of the institutional players that are active in these markets have already established a global presence so that they can provide 24/5.5 or 24/7 coverage of them. While these firms obviously have to adapt their approach to each market, the very fact that globally active players are emerging will naturally provide a nudge towards standardisation across various regions. By contrast, if regulators in Asia end up taking significantly disparate views and approaches towards crypto trading compared to their counterparts in the US and Europe, this could potentially send these markets moving in very different directions.
What is clear though, is that distinct characteristics are coming to the fore in both the Eastern and the Western crypto markets, and these are unlikely to disappear any time soon.


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Arch of Titus (Rome, 1st century)
The Arch of Triumph was built at the entrance of the Forum Romanum, to commemorate Emperor Titus' victory in the Siege of Jerusalem.
Titus, triumphal arch, Arch of Titus, Roman Emperor, First Jewish–Roman War, monument, Roman, Roman Forum, Via Sacra, Rome, edifice, relief, art, architecture, emperor, antiquity, 1st century, Római Birodalom, imperial period, triumphal march
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Even though size does(n't) matter, there are times when you need to know what you are working with. Buying condoms is one of those times.
While the video of a condom being stretched over someone's head is impressive, and does rather invalidate the statement "I'm too big for condoms," it doesn't really take into account friction. While a condom might happily stretch over any penis, when you add in the rather important in and out of sex, just being able to get the condom on doesn't cover it.
If an ultra-thin condom is stretched over a very girthy penis (think past the 5.3" upper end of standard), it means that the material is thinner and friction of sex makes it more likely to break.
Normal condoms may still be a trick to get on someone especially large, but they won't break. So if you are stocking up on condoms before really knowing the size of your partner, head down to the Tang Center and pick up 10 Trojan ENZ for $2.
Trojan ENZ are my favorite general-use condom because, comparatively speaking, they are very stretchy. That means that, if needed, you can wrestle the thing onto any penis.
If you know that normal condoms will be more than a little snug, the Tang Center also has Trojan Magnums and Kimono Maxx for $2.50 for a bag of 10. The extra $0.50 may save some headache.
As far as sizing in the other direction, the less girthy will likely appreciate ultra-thin condoms. Putting less stretch on the latex means that you aren't thinning it out all that much, so starting with less material adds more sensation. The Kimono Ultra-thins, $2.00 for 10, at the Tang Center should fit the bill.
If you have issues with condoms slipping off, the Kimono condoms are often said to have a snugger fit than Trojans. If problems with slipping still occur, there are several online retailers that have samplers for snugger fit condoms. Added benefit: not all of them say snugger fit, so you don't have to advertise.
Another consideration for condoms has nothing to do with size. Latex allergies do exist, but so do condoms that are as effective as latex. Unfortunately, the Tang Center may not be the best place to buy them. At $9.00 for 6, it is definitely pricier than latex.
If you know you have a latex allergy, online retailers have several brands to choose from, many cheaper per condom than Tang Center.
Milk allergies can also be aggravated by condoms. If your problems with milk only occur with ingestion, you are fine to use normal condoms. If you have a contact allergy to milk, then normal condoms could aggravate that. Latex is produced using the milk protein casein, which makes them both non-vegan and a possible irritant to anyone with milk allergies. Good Vibes, on San Pablo Avenue and Dwight Way, offers vegan condoms if you want a local source. Several online retailers also offer several vegan brands of condoms to try if you want to avoid casein due to philosophy or physical irritation.
In general, if you are stocking up before you know your partner's penis, get Trojan ENZ. But if you are already familiar with the penis the condom is going on, know it and buy accordingly.
Image Source: Erica Chase


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So the main reason I went to New York this past weekend was that deathxangel needed a photographer for her Fairies project.
Thankfully the weather was beautiful (although freezing) on Sunday in Central Park here's a few shots from the shoot.
(Left to right) Sheryl (Model), Mel (Designer), Donna (Makeup Artist/Hair Stylist), Eri (Model), James (Handler - Not Shown, but there in spirit!)
Keep in mind this is winter in New York. It was snowing just a few days ago, so I commend all the models romping around Central Park half naked in the freezing cold. X-O
My only regret is that we didn't have more time to shoot. I caught my flight with only 10 min to spare before the check-in cut off, so we literally shot up to the last second before I had to go. :(
Thank you EVERYONE for hosting me, showing me a blast in NY and for the fantastic photo shoot! :D
I'll post about the non-photo shooty things later. But I have to say one thing, WHY MUST YOU TRY AND GET ME DRUNK EVERY TIME I SEE YOU MELANY!!!!! %-/


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Professional book editor and proofreader, with a love of all things fantasy, horror, and sci-fi! Your hard work deserves to shine!
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M M Wedin
After twenty summers of peace in the small land of Ordea, a land divided by mages in the south, and warriors in the north, the silence is broken. The King of the south finally plans to bring the north under his rule. With invasion from the south imminent, the King of Dragonhold sends a highly trusted commander to forge an alliance with the elves in Myalis. Uncertainty and terror fill the resid... read more
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"A fast paced roller coaster of a thriller. Grabs a hold of the reader and doesn't let go" - a smashwords review.He told her to leave and never look back. That's exactly what Brooke Clarke did. Her only possessions being the clothes on her back and an old Ford, she arrives in the city of Whitestead. Hoping she can slowly build a new life for herself, she soon realises she's not out of danger. ... read more
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A well needed week away from the mainland sounded like a great idea. But this innocent trip to a private island won't end as well as it began. Tracy finds herself in a situation she could never have imagined as she gets to know the secrets of her love – Ryan Bailey. The question is: when love turns to fear, how will you survive?
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I Am Demon. And God. The Last Of My Kind. Read My Story At Your Own Peril... a memoir of secrets revealed. Relentless, painfully honest, thrillingly intimate and a true account of anguish and immortality told by an author in hiding who after 1000 years might still walk amongst us. A stunning tale unlike any other in the genre, for the author, promises to dispel every lie, myth and fable told i... read more
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In the blink of an eye... her life changed forever. Now she's the only thing standing between an organization threatening to ruin everything she loves, and a world unknowing the danger lurking in the distance...Bombs explode in the distance. Gunfire can be heard for miles. Blood lines the streets, bodies strewn across the lawn, and yet it's just another day for Elena Rodriquez.A soldier for th... read more
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This month we've found lots of Easter surprises for kids to create.
We'll have painting adventures & wonderful things to make from nature. Weather permitting we'll be doing a Nature based Easter Hunt in the gardens with lots of surprises.
Suitable for ages 5 and above and all children to be accompanied by an adult.
Gayle & Sharni our wonderful volunteers will be running the Easter surprises & Painting adventures for Kids