Nobel Economic Laureate: For those who invent unpaid furlough

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/editorial/2011/10/31/321493/Calling-out.htm


http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2011/11/02/2003517274


http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2011/11/03/2003517358

1. As an empployee, what do you think about unpaid furlough? Do you think it is a wise measure when the business of your company gets worse?

2. Some high-tech company owners spoke to support the furlough. From their standpoints, taking furlough is better than laying off labors. What is your opinion?

3. If you were forced to take a long upaid furlough (maybe 2~3 weeks or longer), what will you do? How do you spend your time during this kind of unexpected "vacation?"

4. The President election will be held next year. Do you have any expectation on those candidates? Or if you were the President, what will you do to protect employee's right while keeping economy prosperous?

LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) Pride Parade

Today, we are going to discuss something about gay/lesbian issues in Taiwan or around the world generally.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2011/10/30/321372/LGBT-Pride.htm

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you have friends who are LGBT?

2. What do you think how open the Taiwanese society is toward LGBT? (Think of the rating 1 to 5 with rate 1 the less open and rate 5 the most open)

3. Are LGBT being treated the same or differently? Are there any discrimination? Share some of your or your friends' experience with us if there are any.

4. Do you support same-sex marriage? Why?

5. If you are an important person (such as President) in Taiwan who has power to make things happen or make dreams come true, what right will you advocate to prevent or improve LGBT discrimination?

Anyone wants to take over 10!23 discussion?

New rules

According our discussion on Sept. 18, we reached a consensus in two new rules:

1. Make sure to inform the host two days before the discussion if you cannot attend. The one who absents without notifying in advance will be the host on next Sunday.

2. The host can defer the discussion to next week if less than three people (<3) can participate in discussion. Of course, the host have to announce it on our blog to inform everyone.

control your impulsive purchase

http://moneyland.time.com/2011/09/26/want-to-stop-spending-try-thinking-about-cash/

In this article, it teaches people several tactics to prevent themselves
from buying implusively. But in our daily life, impulsive purchase more or less is
happening every single day. Therefore, living in such a poor era it has become a very huge issue in our life. I am here wondering,

1. Do you buy something impulsively often? how often?
2. Do you think the way in this article does work? why? why not?
3. Do you have some skills can teach us not to buy impulsively?Give us some examples.
4. Is saving money one of the ways to earn money? Or you may have the other better
advices.

Cancel the meeting on Oct. 9

Since it's a long weekend, and most of us have plans, we suggest to cancel the meeting. Next host will be Vincent, please note you will host the meeting on Oct. 16. Thanks~

Illegal Housekeepers

Not long ago, the celebrity Mr. Li-zen, Li was accused of counterfeiting documents in order to hire an illegal housekeeper. Her wife, also a famous anchorwoman, Ms. Tao, said to the press, with tears in her eyes, that it's because of the hard time when two elders in their family were sick, but still, they admitted the fact they are wrong. Today I would like to talk about the legalization of hiring a foreign housekeeper. While this is a common phenomenon in our society, why our government regards it as an illegal action? Let's discuss the following questions:

1. Does your family hire a foreign housekeeper or nurse? What are their duties? Are they hired illegally?

2. Some other celebrities were accused of having their home nurse do chores such as grocery shopping, doing laundry, and even walking the dog. Do you think it's reasonable forbidding people hiring foreign women to assist chores?

3. As one of government's concern to forbid hiring foreign housekeeper is to protect job opportunities for domestic employee, share your opinion on this aspect.

4. I heard lots of stories about the foreign housekeepers stealing or doing something bad, how can we avoid things like that happening?

5. More and more facilities hire foreign labors, do you think it should be abandoned, too?

Should there be more question you can bring up during our discussion.