An Introduction to Cryptocurrency

(photo source: "So You Want to Get Started in Cryptocurrency." Popular Mechanics. By Alexander George. <https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/security/a18930173/start-bitcoin-cryptocurrency/>. This photo is taken intact from the aforementioned source and is therefore subject to immediate removal upon notice.)

Davide Demarchi*

     Since November 2017 following by a price surge, which reached 2000% (from 1.000$ to 20.000$) in late December, Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies dominated the headlines all across the world. Previously associated with black markets and the deep web, in the last 2 years, cryptocurrencies have attracted a huge amount of capitals, going from 7 billion USD of total market capitalization in 2015, to almost 17 billion in 2016, and touching the all-time-high of 830 billion in December 2017. This 8 years’ constant uptrend have generated a huge hype around this market, but what are cryptocurrencies?

     Bitcoin was first announced in 2008 and implemented in 2009 by someone, under a mysterious name of Satoshi Nakamoto. It was the first Peer-to-Peer electronic cash system. And the underlying technology, the blockchain, which is a distributed server in which every node (A.K.A. computer connected with the network) runs a full register of the transactions and the balances, updating in real-time. This system prevents the possibility of manipulations or being controlled by a single actor. This concept had flown under the radar of mainstream attention for 8 years, but it still created a fertile environment for programmers and developers to create new projects starting from the same ideas.

     Along with Bitcoin, which is the main cryptocurrency, mostly for the fame instead of its technological superiority, many other cryptocurrencies have popped out for the last of 2 years. In many cases, those cryptocurrencies use Initial Coin Offering (ICO) to gain capitals from investors. ICO is the crypto version of an Initial Public Offering, which stocks are substituted with newly created coins or tokens. With the ICO formula, new projects were able to collect 107 million in 2016 and 1.7 billion in 2017 for their development.

     But with great possibility comes great risk: as an unregulated market, any kind of behavior is possible: manipulation or pump-and-dump schemes happen every day. With over 1500 coins currently being developed, there are every kind of project: from legitimate ones like Ethereum, that rapidly became the second largest currency; to suspicious Ponzi schemes. Bitconnect is the most clamorous scheme which reached a market capitalization of almost 3 billion before it crumbled in front of 2 cease-and-desist orders from U.S. authorities and it is now facing various class actions from scammed investors.

     As many observers pointed out the situation in this particular market is similar to the early 2000’s Dot-com bubble. With dozens of new coins being created every month, in many cases without clear project beneath the coins, it is really easy for newcomers to be taken by the hype and end up with the pockets full of useless coins. At the same time, it is undeniable that we are facing a modern technology with many possibilities of usages. The blockchain is being experimented by many enterprises, institutions and even governments. For example, Sierra Leone held the first elections regulated by the blockchain this year. Most of the projects we see now are still embryonal, almost certainly, some of them will become trustworthy and well-established companies in the future.

    Investing in any market is risky and the possibilities to lose a part or all the investment is always there, so keep in mind the following two simple but effective recommendations: First, never invest more than what you can afford to lose; and second, do your own researches, you would not throw your money away, so do not put them into something you do not believe. And let’s hope to see you millionaires in the near future.

* Davide Demarchi is E-Power's Guest Correspondent of the Year (2018). Born in Imperia, Italy. Graduated from the University of Genoa in International Diplomatic Studies. Currently learning Chinese in National Chengchi University in Taipei. Interested in international relations, strategic studies and crypto currencies. Believes that pineapple on pizza is a blasphemy.

This is America: Sugarcoating Culture

 (photo source: "Childish Gambino's New 'This Is America' Video Mirrors the Powerful Imagery Found in Donald Glover's 'Atlanta'--Watch." IndieWire. By William Earl. <https://www.indiewire.com/2018/05/childish-gambino-this-is-america-video-donald-glover-1201960849/>. This photo is taken intact from the aforementioned source and is therefore subject to immediate removal upon notice.)

Penny Lai

     In the early May of 2018, musician Childish Gambino, the alter ego of actor Donald Glover, released a new song, "This is America," with an insightful and shocking music video on YouTube. This song and video instantly gained attention and was shared and discussed by millions of people. The song implies how America deals with gun control and racial issues. The chorus is a perfect match for the rap music it sings to; such a combination gives the song remarkable depth.
     Donald Glover is a versatile personality. He first started his acting life through making comedy videos on YouTube in the early 2000s. Although only being in his early 30's, Glover extends his talent into different areas including acting, stand-up comedy, song writing, music production, and even TV show writing and production. In the music and shows he produces, such as the number one hit, "Redbone" from Childish Gambino's last album "Awaken, My Love!," TV series "Atlanta," and his new single "This is America," Glover talks about racial issues in America. He tries to convey the message that although the racial problem is gaining attention over the years, the real problem is still unsolved, a lot of African Americans are still struggling with their identities and livelihoods. And the particular reason why this new single blew about only after a few hours of its release is mainly because of its graphic and insinuating video.

     The lyrics of the song is dark and purposeful and it flows in a joyful rhythm. The lyrics deals with how black community in America is influenced by popular culture, and its belief that being rich and having a good life is the number one priority for one's life. Therefore, for young African Americans, the fast way out of poverty is through selling drugs or other illegal acts, which further develops into gun control problems. Another issue being discussed herein is exactly the gun control issue. Easy access to guns in America has been a big controversy over the years. The problem of gun control also contributes to large-scale casualties when hate crimes are committed towards African Americans. Gun control, for some reason, seems surprisingly difficult for the U.S. government to deal with even though the solution seems pretty easy. The truth is, behind a ban on guns, benefits of gun manufacturers and their business associates are to be affected. This explains why gun control is difficult for the U.S. government and this reveals that the U.S. government values benefits for the few as a priority over the lives of many.

     In the music video, the artist dances with a group of young African Americans in uniform throughout the video. And behind them, the audience can see that there are always horrible things happening in the background. This can be taken as when dealing with serious issues, America uses entertainment to draw away the attention and to sugarcoat the facts. In the video, there are some scenes can be seen as the artist paying his tribute to some tragedies happened in the past years, such as the Charleston Church Shooting in 2015 and the Stephon Clark incident in the early 2018. Glover is not shy of acting out shooting and violence in the video, which makes the catchy and joyful rhythm seem very contradictory to what they promise. This also leaves the audiences with an even deeper impression.

     Some people are not pleased with how Glover portraits black culture in his lyrics and video. Because some think that Glover is accusing some black creators of enhancing the stereotypes of African Americans by having associations with drugs, guns, and violence. No matter what one might think this music video is trying to convey, there is no doubt that Glover forced the world to face this never-ending problem in America and rips open the ugly wound that no one wants to be reminded of with a mere four-minute video.

Sober (Writing Contest, Poetry, 1st Place)

新聞四乙 陳明憲

They said,
Being sober doesn't seem good as
It made me think of us
Once a bliss
And now turns to dirt and dust

They said,
Being sober doesn't seem good as
I realise how melancholic my life is
Once in its glories
And now turns to rust

I said,
Being sober do seem good as
it is an armour, a mask and claims
"I'm all fine. Thanks."
Concealing my emotions, in vast

They said,
I need to let go and move on as
this is part of our lives
But my incentive to move on is
the reminiscences of the past

Endless (Writing Contest, Poetry, 2nd Place)

英語二乙 周欣倫

You are my first eye

But I forget

As time goes by

All the complex memory

Stretch a key and open the box

Remind me that I’m your destiny

To leave

Or not to leave

I choose to live

To proof I’m braver than you

I promise I will guard your soul forever

Just like our mind well knowing long and last

YouTube: The New Window Shopping

(photo source: <https://www.youtube.com/yt/creators/>)

Penny Lai

      As social media becomes the most popularized form of communication and even entertainment, more and more Internet personalities have popped up. A YouTuber is a person who creates and distributes contents on the free video-sharing website, YouTube. A YouTuber can make money through partnering with the website and shares the revenue with YouTube by playing commercials embedded in his or her videos. If the YouTuber has certain number of subscribers and the viewer counts are stable, the revenue can be very impressive. Now in Taiwan, being a YouTuber is one of the top career choices for the young generation. Why are YouTubers so fascinating? What are the factors that make Internet personalities seems so glamorous?

       As viewers scroll through channels on YouTube, they can see various kinds of channels, from daily vloggers to educational channels. However, most of them have a similar feature—the flawless lifestyle they present to their audiences. This phenomenon occurs mostly among vlogging channels. Vloggers are creators who record pieces of moments in their daily life and compose them into videos as their diaries. It is easy for viewers to get tired of the vloggers’ content if they live a normal everyday-life just as everyone else. Therefore creators have to up their games constantly, either with exciting activities or expensive belongings.

     It seems that the more a vlogger “flexes,” the more subscribers he gets. Expensive clothing, first-class traveling and mansions are the necessities for a popular content. What’s more, the creators often build the image that they are only ordinary people who work hard on their dreams so they get to have the expensive things. It is like the new window shopping for the young generation: looking at things one does not have but covet and dreaming about living a “perfect life” one day. This scenario could mean more than mere materialism; it is more like a modern version of the “American Dream.” Everyone wishes for an expensive life and assumes that luxurious things amount to success. Consequently, social media users, out of envy, tend to follow Internet personalities that seem to have a perfect life.

     However, viewers should keep in mind that most of the images the Internet celebrities create are not real. The images are mostly presented by the celebrities by design and on purpose because they know exactly what they need to sell in order to get attention. It is nice to encourage viewers to pursue their dreams and live a better life, but people should also know that being successful is usually not about the things you own and the personal image you create for the public.

Go Green––The Tea-Carrier Trend

Shan Chien

     With the rising of eco-friendly awareness, environmental protection becomes a lifestyle. Recently, people have started to use reusable products such as stainless-steel straws and cloth tea carriers.

    In 2018, Taiwan has legislated against shops providing free plastic bags, which also leads to the tea carrier boom, which causes a variety of tea carriers to pop up in shops or night markets. The materials used to make the tea carriers can be leather, wool or cloth, like those we usually see on the street. Furthermore, some people use coffee cup sleeves and shoelaces to make a DIY tea carrier. Also, the patterns are various, such as dogs, flowers… etc. You can choose or make one you like.
  
    Tea carrier is a good-looking, practical, and eco-friendly product. It puts the spirit of environmental protection into practice in our daily life. By using it, we can reduce the environmental pollution by plastic products. Moreover, it is portable and a delight to look at. However, there are still people who prefer to pay a little money for plastic bags instead of using tea carriers.

    European Union proposes a bill of banning the use of non-reusable plastic products. Thus, we know that the reduction of using plastic products is important for not only the Taiwanese people but everyone in this world. We all have to do something to save our world even when it takes only a small gesture of replacing plastic bags with tea carriers.

First 3D Printed Human Cornea Pops Up On The World

Shan Chien

   You may know the 3D printed gun. However, have you ever heard of the 3D printed human cornea?

   Newcastle University biomedical scientists have published their research about the success of making human corneas by a 3D printer. They use the stem cells from human cornea to culture cells and mix them with a gel, a mixture of alginate and collagen that produces the necessary bio-ink. This bio-ink is the most essential part of the 3D printed human cornea with which the scientists can find a way to keep the stem cells alive.

    Eyes are important for human beings for they are “windows to the soul.” With this advanced skill, people who suffer from corneal blindness and corneal scarring can be healed. Although we have the skill of corneal transplant, available corneas are far from enough for people who need them. 3D printing can solve the problem of the shortage of corneas.

    The 3D printed human cornea is quick and comparatively lower-cost, and the most important thing is that it can be tailor-made by scanning the patient’s eye so that the dimension, shape, and radian can fit the patient perfectly. As for the stem cells, they would be extracted from the patient so that the problem of rejection will not happen.

    After all, the 3D printed human corneas is a new skill; it will take a few more years for further tests and adjustments to make sure it is safe to use.

Alexander McQueen

(photo source: "RIP.....Iconic British Fashion Designer Alexander Mcqueen Dies." Nick Verreos: Where Style Happens. by Nick Verreos. <http://nickverrreos.blogspot.com/2010/02/iconic-british-fashion-designer.html>. This photo is taken intact from the aforementioned source and is therefore subject to immediate removal upon notice.)

Cindy Hsieh

   
   In an enormous glass case, one after another veiled models walked out from the backstage. Some of them wandered at the center of the catwalk, despising the audience. Others looked panicky, ripping off part of their dresses. At the end of the fashion show, a dark glass case in the middle of the stage was opened. Maybe “open” is not correct. You could see the glass walls fall smashed and all the moths in the case fly out. A woman who wore a gas mask laid down in the middle of the case, imitating the work of photography, Sanitarium (1983), by Joel-Peter Witkin.

     Entitled “VOSS” in Autumn/Winter 2001, this is one of the iconic fashion shows of Alexander McQueen’s. This British luxury brand is founded by the designer Lee Alexander McQueen (1969-2010), who brought low-rise “bumster” trousers to a peak development. His works could be summed up in two words: “savage beauty.” He wanted people to feel repulsed or exhilarated while watching his fashion show. “If you leave without emotion then I’m not doing my job properly,” McQueen said, “I don’t want you to walk out feeling like you’ve just had Sunday lunch.” Every time I watch his show, I feel that he gouged out the darkness from his deep heart and transformed it into sensuous haute couture works. Those models who wore Alexander McQueen’s design were just like a group of beasts ran out from McQueen’s mind. Undoubtedly, his design was aggressive, but elegant.

     At the age of forty, McQueen committed suicide by hanging himself at home. To clarify the cause of McQueen’s death, lots of people trace back to his bipolar disorder, substance overdose problem, and even his miserable childhood. However, just like the announcement published on Alexander McQueen’s official website, “At this stage it is inappropriate to comment on this tragic news.” All we can do is to appreciate his devotion to fashion design and art. Although there are several fashion designers who make haute couture like art works, such as Viktor & Rolf, and Iris Van Herpen, none can ever create savage fashion design or hold fashion shows as Alexander McQueen did. Now, there is a good chance to get to know Alexander McQueen better with the help of the archive of this irreplaceable designer’s documentaries.

The 499 Chaos

(photo source: 自由時報 screen capture from video <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8bE9DgSPCo>) 

 

Florence Huang

    Chunghwa Telecom offers several contract deals priced respectively at NT$ 399, 499, and 599 per month, each with a contract period of 30 months. However, last month, the NT$ 499 deal (henceforth referred to as the 499 deal) attracted a great number of people. The deal promises not only 180 minutes of free phone calls, but also unlimited access to the Internet. This special deal causes lots of people to give up their original telecom service and would rather pay a compensation for breaking the original contracts in order to change to Chunghwa Telecom for the 499 deal.

     Chunghwa Telecom lunches the 499 NT deal to undercut its competitors, FarEastOne and Taiwan Mobile, who want to attract more clients and make them enter into a long-term binding contract. This was the reason why there was a long line of people waiting in front of every Chunghwa Telecom store. Besides, too many people wanted the 499 deal, the Chunghwa Telecom staff were forced to work over time. Most of them were exhausted, and there was even one who collapsed during the chaos. However, the other two telecom companies were afraid that they would keep on losing their clients to Chunghwa Telecom, so both began to offer deals similar to the 499 deal.

     Seeing the chaos gets wilder and wilder, someone finally stepped in. National Communications Commission (NCC) fined Chunghwa Telecom NT$ 2,000,000 for inappropriate business operation, over working its employees, and impairing consumer rights. In addition, FarEastOne and Taiwan Mobile also got fined.

     In fact, a similar situation where people swarmed in for something happened in February this year—the tissue paper panic. There was a rumor that the tissue paper manufacturers would raise prices around April. Many people didn't want to pay more for tissue paper. Therefore, they bought a lot of tissue paper to hoard before prices rise. However, why would people in Taiwan have such crazy behavior just for saving a few dollars? On the one hand, it is probably because the average salary in Taiwan is low; on the other hand, it shows that we’re now experiencing an economic recession. These two reasons make people try to spend as little money as they can and limit their spending on money-for-value consumer goods so as to save money.

     The same situation might happen again in the future. Unfortunately, the salary issue and our economic recession does not seem likely to go away in a short time. What we can do now is hoping the government can do make some changes as soon as possible; otherwise, there might be more exhausted and overloaded employees during potential follow-up chaoses or panics.