Brands v.s. Counterfeits

We can not deny the fact that we are living in a brand-obsessed world. In most of cases, brand represents quality and tasty, but it also means more expensive. Sadly, we are manipulated by the allure of brand in different way. Some get in debt or even bankrupt because cannot resist desire, on the other hand, some choose to buy cheaper substitutes. In order to meet the latter consumer demand for owing brand product in low price, counterfeits has skyrocketed in the past decade. Today we're going to talk about these two relative topics.

Question:
1. Have you bought a counterfeit product before? What did you buy and how did you feel about the quality of the product? Why did you choose it over a real product?
2. When you make a buying decision does brand matter to you? Why?
3. What is your favorite brand? Why do you love their products over other products?
4. Some people think that counterfeiting market helps stimulate the economy, while others think it would damage the economy. What's your opinion and Why?

3/11 Is Genius Born or Can It Be Learned?

Have you ever wondered why someone is successful and others are not? Or have you ever wondered can you be a Steve Jobs one day in the future if you work hard (not dead of course, I mean the achievements he did and personal influences to the world)? I believe success does not come without reasons and it definitely takes time to make it happen. However, what are these factors to success?

Links for reading materials:

http://www.forbes.com/2009/02/27/genius-innovation-oreilly-technology-breakthroughs_genius.html

http://www.businesswings.co.uk/articles/Genius-Born-Or-Made

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12140064

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1879593,00.html

Questions:

1. Have you ever met someone who is really talented (in music, painting, sports, etc.)? What distinctive characteristics did they have?

2. Do you have friends who were not exceptionally excellent at school but are successful when they grow up? Or the other way round? Share your stories with us.

3. In your opinion, do you think genius is born or can it be learned?

4. What kind of education do you think is best fitted with geniuses? (Invent one if it does exist in the real life)

5. If your life can be restarted, do you want to be a genius? Why?

Lean-Sanity: US Beef Controversy Raises Again

Recently, the issue on importation of US beef with Paylean stimulates
extensive discussions. People for lifting bans of US beef with Paylean
additive claim that no evidence shows eating animal meat with Paylean
(a kind of ractopamine) residue under normal dosage will cause harm to
human health. Others have different opinions. They think we cannot
come to such a positive and solid conclusion since the cited report
only investigates a small-size of samples.

So far, no conclusion was drawn in three official cross-department
meetings. It seems the new lean-sanity will continue.

For more information about the debate on ractopamine additive of US
beef, please see following links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1xaphN2SBI

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2012/03/04/2003526943/1

http://www.fda.gov.tw/files/list/%E8%90%8A%E5%85%8B%E5%A4%9A%E5%B7%B4%E8%83%BA_Ractopamine_%E9%A2%A8%E9%9A%AA%E8%A9%95%E4%BC%B0%E5%A0%B1%E5%91%8A_%E5%B0%88%E6%A5%AD%E7%89%88__1010220%E4%BF%AE%E8%A8%82.pdf

1. Without considering other political or trade issues, most Taiwanese
consumers may refuse to eat US beef with ractopamine. However, we don't
know what we will pay for keeping the ban. In your opinion, do you
think the government should open the door to welcome US beef? Why?

2. Between yes or no, do you have any good idea to reach a win-win
solution(You win some, I win some)?

3. If the government finally decides to agree importation of US beef
(or pork) with Paylean, what will you react or just do nothing?

Apple & Global Economy

Apple has become an enormous economy trigger nowadays. Not only the products like iMac, iPod, iPhone, create big fortunes, but also the image and success of this company make millions of ideas invented and to make money. Even the founder, Steve Jobs's death, created profits for people like publisher, book sellers, I believe there will be a movie of the great man soon and that will be another hit.

As everything related to Apple looks so attractive and such a money maker, there are worrying issues need to be concerned. Please check below two links, one is from New York Times and another is a Chinese article, and find the questions as below:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/business/apple-america-and-a-squeezed-middle-class.html?_r=4&smid=tw-nytimes&seid=auto&pagewanted=all

http://tw.news.yahoo.com/%E8%A1%80%E6%B1%97%E5%B7%A5%E5%BB%A0-%E7%BE%8E%E5%AA%92%E8%BD%9F%E8%98%8B%E6%9E%9C%E6%89%8D%E6%98%AF%E5%85%83%E5%87%B6-213000737.html

1. After reading these two articles, what is your opinion and impression to Apple if you were an American?

2. It mentioned the flexibility and cost efficiency of Chinese factory in the first article, and these are exactly the advantages of China to be the fastest growing economy in global market, but in the another one, it mentioned the negative status which caused in China. Do you think there is a balance between them? What is your opinion regarding the situation?

3. Do you think the disappearance of the middle class is the pinnacle of the Capitalism?

4. As we all aware, employees in Asia compared to the ones in Europe and the U.S.A. are more hardworking and less freedom and rights. Some say this is all about culture, what do you think? Do you think we can be like employees in overseas?


As there are lots of issues worth discussing in these two articles, I'll just leave only 4 questions here. Please feel free to raise any topic you would like to talk about.




1/

Bad Driving Habits

Most drivers think that they are good drivers; safe, respectful and in compliance with the rules of the road. But there are a lot of bad habits ingrained in drivers that are quite common and hardly given a thought – until they result in a ticket or an accident.

See the article link below and think over the following questions.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Driving-Us-Mad---The-Ten-Worst-Driving-Habits-Exposed&id=41522

1. What bad driving habits have you ever observed? Try to rate the top three annoying ones.

2. Name some terrible accidents resulted from bad driving habits. Do you have personal experience of traffic accidents?

3. Imagine you are road users (e.x. pedestrians, scooter drivers, car drivers, truck drivers), what road etiquette would you expect people to follow?

4. Please try to propose three solutions to improve the traffic safety.

Voting for the first lady or president? Taiwanese election culture

Finally, the result of our next president came out smoothly and peacefully. Some may feel relaxed and happy; while some may feel frustrated and angry. No mater what, at least, we can get rid of those election news and go back to our normal lives.

"Man is by nature a political animal" said by Aristotle. Based my observation, I found that Taiwanese become really irrational and frenzied when it comes to politics, especially the biggest election of the country, the presidential election. In this campaign, our first lady, Chow Mei-Ching, was seen as a trump card by KMT. My mom canvassed me to vote for Ma because she is a big fan of Chow. Moreover, the famous poet, Yu Kuang-chung (余光中), asked "Does the public really want a new first lady?" I think this is a very interesting phenomenon, but it seems like a successful strategy. Today let's discuss the special election culture in Taiwan.


Reading Material:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2011/12/19/2003521079

Discussing Questions:
1. In general, voters could be separated into three categories: the first group is the advocates of KMT, the second group is the advocates of DPP and the last group is the median voters. Which group do you fall into? Why?
2. Do you think the behavior of first family really matter? Does that influence your decision?
3. Have you seen any other weird election phenomenons? Please share with us.
4. What the pros and cons of the democracy? If you have a chance to choose, would you like to live in a democratic or a communist country? Why?

1/8 Training, Retaining, and Recruiting: Taiwan’s Talent Problem

Welcome back to our "Skype Study Group" discussion. Hope you all have a wonderful christmas and new year.

At today's discussion, we can first take turns to briefly share our life in the past two weeks or simply talk about new year resolutions if you have any.

Our topic for discussion this week is "Training, Retaining and Recruiting Taiwan's Talents". The website link is as below: http://www.sinorama.com.tw/en/show_issue.php?id=201210101006E.TXT&table=3&year=2012&month=1

In recent years, we can hear or read news such as a distinguished scholar in a top university in Taiwan leaves for a position in countries like Mainland, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore that offers better salaries and benefits from time to time. It is a clear fact that we are losing these talented scholars and losing competitiveness in other words. If the government does not do anything to retain talents, the situation might get worse when talents retire in the near future and not enough young talents to fill this gap due to low birth rate. Since this is a big issue, the questions I pose below have no right and wrong answers. Please answer with your own experiences and thoughts.

Questions:

1. In your days for pursuing undergraduate or graduate degree, have you ever encountered good professors that not only offer you the fish but teach you how to get the fish? (Or think about some good professors you met in your school life.)

2. For people who once pursued their degrees abroad, are there any learning or teaching differences between east and west? For people who intend to study abroad in the near future, what will you expect to learn abroad?

3. Are there any differences between scholars from abroad and local scholars in terms of their research qualities or others? (If you have no ideas on answering this question, just think about examples from work. For example, is it better to hire a foreigner to fill the position than a local one?)

4. Nowadays, there are more and more distinguished scholars and highly-skilled employees who leave Taiwan to work for countries like Mainland, Hong Kong, Singapore due to tempting incentives. If you are in these people shoes, will you consider to work abroad? Why?

5. Can you think of any solutions to brain drain issue in Taiwan? Any changes in foreigner law or others?