REPOST Vincent Soberano
𝐁𝐄𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐃-𝐓𝐇𝐄-𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐒: A 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐋𝐄-𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 or 𝐎𝐍𝐄-𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 occurs when the entire sequence is shot satisfactorily the first time, whether by necessity (so as to save from using expensive special effects) or by some combination of luck and skill.

This fight sequence by Wushu champion and action star Sarah Chang @starringsarahchang, with Temujin Shirzada in "Blood Hunters: Rise of the Hybrids" was shot in last waning hours of night just in time for the sun to rise. As director of the film, I was under pressure to close this sequence before dawn because we had a location change the next day. Having actors who are highly skilled martial artists and lots of pre-production rehearsals helped me bag all 52 action sequences of this movie without running out of time and budget.

Jenna Cody :

Is Taiwan a real China?
No, and with the exception of a few intervening decades - here’s the part that’ll surprise you - it never has been.

This’ll blow your mind too: that it never has been doesn’t matter.

So let’s start with what doesn’t actually matter.

Until the 1600s, Taiwan was indigenous. Indigenous Taiwanese are not Chinese, they’re Austronesian. Then it was a Dutch colony (note: I do not say “it was Dutch”, I say it was a Dutch colony). Then it was taken over by Ming loyalists at the end of the Ming dynasty (the Ming loyalists were breakaways, not a part of the new Qing court. Any overlap in Ming rule and Ming loyalist conquest of Taiwan was so brief as to be inconsequential).

Only then, in the late 1600s, was it taken over by the Chinese (Qing). But here’s the thing, it was more like a colony of the Qing, treated as - to use Emma Teng’s wording in Taiwan’s Imagined Geography - a barrier or barricade keeping the ‘real’ Qing China safe. In fact, the Qing didn’t even want Taiwan at first, the emperor called it “a ball of mud beyond the pale of civilization”. Prior to that, and to a great extent at that time, there was no concept on the part of China that Taiwan was Chinese, even though Chinese immigrants began moving to Taiwan under Dutch colonial rule (mostly encouraged by the Dutch, to work as laborers). When the Spanish landed in the north of Taiwan, it was the Dutch, not the Chinese, who kicked them out.

Under Qing colonial rule - and yes, I am choosing my words carefully - China only controlled the Western half of Taiwan. They didn’t even have maps for the eastern half. That’s how uninterested in it they were. I can’t say that the Qing controlled “Taiwan”, they only had power over part of it.

Note that the Qing were Manchu, which at the time of their conquest had not been a part of China: China itself essentially became a Manchu imperial holding, and Taiwan did as well, once they were convinced it was not a “ball of mud” but actually worth taking. Taiwan was not treated the same way as the rest of “Qing China”, and was not administered as a province until (I believe) 1887. So that’s around 200 years of Taiwan being a colony of the Qing.

What happened in the late 19th century to change China’s mind? Japan. A Japanese ship was shipwrecked in eastern Taiwan in the 1870s, and the crew was killed by hostile indigenous people in what is known as the Mudan Incident. A Japanese emissary mission went to China to inquire about what could be done, only to be told that China had no control there and if they went to eastern Taiwan, they did so at their own peril. China had not intended to imply that Taiwan wasn’t theirs, but they did. Japan - and other foreign powers, as France also attempted an invasion - were showing an interest in Taiwan, so China decided to cement its claim, started mapping the entire island, and made it a province.

So, I suppose for a decade or so Taiwan was a part of China. A China that no longer exists.

It remained a province until 1895, when it was ceded to Japan after the (first) Sino-Japanese War. Before that could happen, Taiwan declared itself a Republic, although it was essentially a Qing puppet state (though the history here is interesting - correspondence at the time indicates that the leaders of this ‘Republic of Taiwan’ considered themselves Chinese, and the tiger flag hints at this as well. However, the constitution was a very republican document, not something you’d expect to see in Qing-era China.) That lasted for less than a year, when the Japanese took it by force.

This is important for two reasons - the first is that some interpretations of IR theory state that when a colonial holding is released, it should revert to the state it was in before it was taken as a colony. In this case, that would actually be The Republic of Taiwan, not Qing-era China. Secondly, it puts to rest all notions that there was no Taiwan autonomy movement prior to 1947.

In any case, it would be impossible to revert to its previous state, as the government that controlled it - the Qing empire - no longer exists. The current government of China - the PRC - has never controlled it.

After the Japanese colonial era, there is a whole web of treaties and agreements that do not satisfactorily settle the status of Taiwan. None of them actually do so - those which explicitly state that Taiwan is to be given to the Republic of China (such as the Cairo declaration) are non-binding. Those that are binding do not settle the status of Taiwan (neither the treaty of San Francisco nor the Treaty of Taipei definitively say that Taiwan is a part of China, or even which China it is - the Treaty of Taipei sets out what nationality the Taiwanese are to be considered, but that doesn’t determine territorial claims). Treaty-wise, the status of Taiwan is “undetermined”.

Under more modern interpretations, what a state needs to be a state is…lessee…a contiguous territory, a government, a military, a currency…maybe I’m forgetting something, but Taiwan has all of it. For all intents and purposes it is independent already.

In fact, in the time when all of these agreements were made, the Allied powers weren’t as sure as you might have learned about what to do with Taiwan. They weren’t a big fan of Chiang Kai-shek, didn’t want it to go Communist, and discussed an Allied trusteeship (which would have led to independence) or backing local autonomy movements (which did exist). That it became what it did - “the ROC” but not China - was an accident (as Hsiao-ting Lin lays out in Accidental State).

In fact, the KMT knew this, and at the time the foreign minister (George Yeh) stated something to the effect that they were aware they were ‘squatters’ in Taiwan.

Since then, it’s true that the ROC claims to be the rightful government of Taiwan, however, that hardly matters when considering the future of Taiwan simply because they have no choice. To divest themselves of all such claims (and, presumably, change their name) would be considered by the PRC to be a declaration of formal independence. So that they have not done so is not a sign that they wish to retain the claim, merely that they wish to avoid a war.

It’s also true that most Taiwanese are ethnically “Han” (alongside indigenous and Hakka, although Hakka are, according to many, technically Han…but I don’t think that’s relevant here). But biology is not destiny: what ethnicity someone is shouldn’t determine what government they must be ruled by.

Through all of this, the Taiwanese have evolved their own culture, identity and sense of history. They are diverse in a way unique to Taiwan, having been a part of Austronesian and later Hoklo trade routes through Southeast Asia for millenia. Now, one in five (I’ve heard one in four, actually) Taiwanese children has a foreign parent. The Taiwanese language (which is not Mandarin - that’s a KMT transplant language forced on Taiwanese) is gaining popularity as people discover their history. Visiting Taiwan and China, it is clear where the cultural differences are, not least in terms of civic engagement. This morning, a group of legislators were removed after a weekend-long pro-labor hunger strike in front of the presidential palace. They were not arrested and will not be. Right now, a group of pro-labor protesters is lying down on the tracks at Taipei Main Station to protest the new labor law amendments.

This would never be allowed in China, but Taiwanese take it as a fiercely-guarded basic right.

*

Now, as I said, none of this matters.

What matters is self-determination. If you believe in democracy, you believe that every state (and Taiwan does fit the definition of a state) that wants to be democratic - that already is democratic and wishes to remain that way - has the right to self-determination. In fact, every nation does. You cannot be pro-democracy and also believe that it is acceptable to deprive people of this right, especially if they already have it.

Taiwan is already a democracy. That means it has the right to determine its own future. Period.

Even under the ROC, Taiwan was not allowed to determine its future. The KMT just arrived from China and claimed it. The Taiwanese were never asked if they consented. What do we call it when a foreign government arrives in land they had not previously governed and declares itself the legitimate governing power of that land without the consent of the local people? We call that colonialism.

Under this definition, the ROC can also be said to be a colonial power in Taiwan. They forced Mandarin - previously not a language native to Taiwan - onto the people, taught Chinese history, geography and culture, and insisted that the Taiwanese learn they were Chinese - not Taiwanese (and certainly not Japanese). This was forced on them. It was not chosen. Some, for awhile, swallowed it. Many didn’t. The independence movement only grew, and truly blossomed after democratization - something the Taiwanese fought for and won, not something handed to them by the KMT.

So what matters is what the Taiwanese want, not what the ROC is forced to claim. I cannot stress this enough - if you do not believe Taiwan has the right to this, you do not believe in democracy.

And poll after poll shows it: Taiwanese identify more as Taiwanese than Chinese (those who identify as both primarily identify as Taiwanese, just as I identify as American and Armenian, but primarily as American. Armenian is merely my ethnicity). They overwhelmingly support not unifying with China. The vast majority who support the status quo support one that leads to eventual de jure independence, not unification. The status quo is not - and cannot be - an endgame (if only because China has declared so, but also because it is untenable). Less than 10% want unification. Only a small number (a very small minority) would countenance unification in the future…even if China were to democratize.

The issue isn’t the incompatibility of the systems - it’s that the Taiwanese fundamentally do not see themselves as Chinese.

A change in China’s system won’t change that. It’s not an ethnic nationalism - there is no ethnic argument for Taiwan (or any nation - didn’t we learn in the 20th century what ethnicity-based nation-building leads to? Nothing good). It’s not a jingoistic or xenophobic nationalism - Taiwanese know that to be dangerous. It’s a nationalism based on shared identity, culture, history and civics. The healthiest kind of nationalism there is. Taiwan exists because the Taiwanese identify with it. Period.

There are debates about how long the status quo should go on, and what we should risk to insist on formal recognition. However, the question of whether or not to be Taiwan, not China…

…well, that’s already settled.

The Taiwanese have spoken and they are not Chinese.

Whatever y’all think about that doesn’t matter. That’s what they want, and if you believe in self-determination you will respect it.

If you don’t, good luck with your authoritarian nonsense, but Taiwan wants nothing to do with it.

❄️ 今天天氣很冷，大家有好好保暖嗎？⛄️
⠀
❄️ Today is really cold. Do you guys keep warm satisfactorily? ⛄️
⠀
❄️ 今日は本当に寒いですね。あなたたちは十分に暖かく保ちますか？⛄️⠀
⠀
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👇Instagram⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ & Twitter & MeWe ⁣⠀
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#写真 #自撮り #ラテックススーツ #ラテックス #ゼンタイ #zentai #latex #catsuit #latexcatsuit #latexlover #女の子 #photography #girls #乳膠衣 #膠衣 #girl #art

▽詳しいレシピはこちらのブログから♪
『てぬキッチンのブログ』⇒ https://www.tenukitchen.com/entry/2018/10/20/200037

【おからのヨーグルトケーキ】
今日は『おからのヨーグルトケーキ』を作りました。
おからのケーキはお腹の中で水分と一緒になると膨れるので、少量でも大満足！私のダイエット中のお供です。
しかも、このおからのケーキは意外にもふわふわしゅわしゅわで食感も楽しめて、おから感も少なくて美味しいんです。
今回はおからをヨーグルトと合わせて、優しくヨーグルトが香るスフレケーキのような味わいのおからケーキを作りました。
ビックリするらいに簡単なので、ダイエット中の方や糖質制限をしている方にオススメしたいスイーツです。また、おから買ったけど余って困っている時にぜひ思い出していただけると嬉しいです。

〈材料〉
生おから 100g
ヨーグルト 120g
卵 2個
砂糖 大さじ3
ベーキングパウダー 小さじ1

▽チャンネル登録はこちらから♪
⇒http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1HZhN0HjriRUhqH7wGyRQg?sub_confirmation=1

【Okara yogurt cake】
Today I made 'Okara no yogurt cake'.
Okara's cake swells when it comes with moisture in the stomach, so even a small amount is satisfied satisfactorily! It is a companion during my diet.
Moreover, this cake of Okara can surprisingly enjoy fluffy fluffy texture, it has less sense of Okara and it is delicious.
Together with yoghurt this time, I made okara cake of taste like gentle yoghurt scented souffle cake.
It is easy to surprise, so it is a sweet that you would like to recommend to those who are on diet or who are restricting carbohydrates. Also, although I bought Okara, I hope you remember when you are in trouble.

〈INGREDIENT〉
Raw okara 100g
Yoghurt 120 g
2 eggs
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder

▽Subscribe to my channel♪
⇒http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1HZhN0HjriRUhqH7wGyRQg?sub_confirmation=1

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楽曲提供：フリーBGM DOVA-SYNDROME by http://dova-s.jp/
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Made by GT-Ace with eveything: http://ameblo.jp/xgt-ace-l-wingx/
And enough quality suppose 720p graphics if you wanna see the sight that almost original model.　↓↓↓ Detailed INFO(以下詳細)↓↓↓

The originally ENB technology which GT-Ace studies, this dosen't show on the area of general GTA4, EFLC and GTA5 MOD's sites. GT-Ace would offer this technique only somebody special who notified programming in particular with GT-Ace for PC or have a talent with photography unique for Grand Theft Auto for PC and only to the person who can speak English with another person satisfactorily as a union card.

Matter of fact,GT-Ace characterized by a more realistic feeling of air and one per one of natural light all like a photograph taken on a spot with this ENB.

And last, GT-Ace intended to make the base of the program in conjunction with the graphic for the Grand Theft Auto V for PC platform and gave this test, so thus, itself does not have the deep meaning with nothing special .

・このENBは、今年の夏頃からPC版のGTA5発売時に備えて、実写のようにリアルな空気感と現実的なライティングを追求して試作したもので、写真撮影が得意な"Lyc"という外国人の方に特別にENBを限定配布し、撮影を依頼しました。動画では、何回かに分けて撮影したそれらの写真をいくつかまとめております。また、現在も更新中です。

・GT-Aceでは、ハイスペックPC向けの非常に綺麗なENBを制作しています。
PC版GTAの持つ本来のグラフィカルな魅力とDirectXを改造し、独自のプログラミング(コーディング)を行うことで、GPUの眠っている潜在的な能力を最大限に発揮させていますので、GTA4-Mod.comやGTA4-insideなどで配信されている通常のENBセッティング・ファイルでは再現できないような質感、空気感を実現します。


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ENB is made by GT-Ace in GTA4 EFLC GTA5 for PC.
Posted by L-wing.
Photo by Lyc.
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Tested on Patch 1.0.7.0. Ain't tested on 1.0.4.0.
Spec by NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN SLI 3-way, Intel core i7 3970X EE,32MB RAM,2TB HDD,1500W POWER.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2GB / 30-40 fps with Maxed out in Game Graphics Setting.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN 6GB / 40-50fps with Maxed out in Game Graphics Setting.
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MacBook Pro RetinaモデルにブートキャンプでWindows8を入れてみました

BootCamp in Windows8, [MacBook Pro with Retina]

Windows8,BootCamp Macbook
It was able to use satisfactorily.

触った感じ、問題なく扱えるようです。


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