Saturday, October 28, 2006

Daily Links, Oct 28, 2006


Had one of those days. Get in line behind the woman talking on the pay phone. Yak. Yak. Yak. Wait. Wait. Wait. Yak. Yak. Yak. Wait. Wait. Wait. Suddenly I realize: she's not talking on the payphone. She's standing in front of the pay phone, talking on her cellphone. Fortunately not everyone is as slow off the mark as I am today....

SPECIAL: Feiren posts on one of the most extraordinary documents in recent memory from an American Institute in Taiwan Director, and US diplomat: a long warning to the Blues and above all Ma Ying-jeou:

The United States is watching closely and will judge those who take responsible positions on this as well as those who play politics. Because fundamentally, this moment and this opportunity could pass and be missed by Taiwan if it doesn't seize it.

This is a hugely important piece. Take a close look. I'll be back with my own comments tomorrow.

  • Jerome Keating announces a Taiwan Studies program at a prestigious London school
  • Scott Sommers on an incredible academic fraud case. Fascinating and depressing.
  • Wulingren ponders scooter accidents in Taipei.
  • David blogs on studying idioms.
  • Kerim at Keywords asks local Anglais bloggers to write on income equality in Taiwan without getting into a Blue/Green debate. Been there, done that, friend. But the income inequality problem drives the claim that the economy sucks that plays into Blue hands. Neither party will do anything because elites benefit.
  • Prince Roy samples Indian food in the Shihlin Night Market. I won't say more, lest I expire from jealousy.
  • nostalgiaphile rips the European Chamber of Commerce for demanding that Taiwan open up more to China. Misguided political cant masquerading as "economics."
  • Global baseball comes to Taichung. So does a documentary film festival this weekend. And of course, the jazz festival is still on today and tomorrow here in Taichung.
  • Poagao's book is the subject of an enthusiastic post at the Taiwan AF blog.
  • Sayaka Chatani, a GW student just like this blogger once was, posts the first in a series on Taiwan's conscription policy. What a beautiful name! I wonder if she plays Axis and Allies....
  • initechnology blogs on the CIA, Ray Cline and Taiwan. Fascinating stuff.
  • Cold Goat Eyes posts some great pics from his east coast trip.
  • What's Up in Taiwan interviews Garden of Hope's Linda Hinderer.
  • ESWN has a poll from the pro-Blue China Times on the arms purchase. My own experience is that the arms purchase does not necessarily fall out on party lines as ESWN claims -- I've been assigning it as an essay topic in my writing classes and quite often see Greens and Blues on both sides of that fence. Unfortunately the steady drumbeat of propaganda here on the issue has been effective, and my students spout all sorts of nonsense. The first part of the assignment is simply to look up what the facts are......
  • The Foreign snarks on James Soong and a leave of absence.

  • Enjoy your weekend!

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