Thursday, January 15, 2009

Daily Links, Jan 15, 2009


A traditional home construction method: a wall facing made of rice husks mixed with mud.

What's being constructed out there on the blogs this week?
  • Ma save us! Beautiful charts and some great comments on downturn in Taiwan and Korean exports. Hat tip to reeb.

  • Blogger James Lick has set up an English Wiki for the voucher program

  • David on Formosa's excellent post on the Freedom House report released in Taipei. Taiwan is now an area of concern, with the recent news about the judiciary, detentions, and behavior of the police during the Chen Yun-lin protest.

  • Also from Dave, an excellent link to citizen journalism in Taiwan

  • Watch out for those predatory Asian girls because they will steal your man and break up your expat marriage. Note to self: Must do firsthand research on this topic.
  • .
  • The Wild Strawberries appear on US TV

  • Vietnamese Workers Rights blog reports on Taiwan's new anti-trafficking law.

  • Taiwan's underground music scene from Fool's Mountain.

  • A-gu muses on the "peace accord" between Taiwan and China

  • The excellent Paul Katz on the Lantern Festival here.

  • Carrie Marshall published in JPG magazine.

  • Far Eastern Sweet Potato on Joe the Plumber in Gaza

  • Product labeling, Taiwan and China.

  • Mouse-eared Kiwi low carbs in Taiwan.

  • Fili looks at some statistical methods to see who the ranking expat bloggers in Taiwan are.

  • Kelake has a great post on Mandarin for his kids.

  • Chinese Consumer Connection Podcast on the Shilin Night Market
  • MEDIA: Taiwanese celebs searched on Beijing to Taipei flight after bomb threat. Macau Casinos struggle in the face of restrictions on mainland visitors, a drop in VIP whales, and upcoming competition from Taiwan. A Taiwan university introduces a course in porn. A Singapore paper has a piece on Master Hsing Yun, a mainlander who is one of the island's most influential Buddhist leaders, and who dreams of annexing the island to China. Cape No. 7 is being released in China. Many of my Blue friends say it is a "low class movie." Freedom House is concerned over Taiwan liberties. Probably shouldn't have regurgitated a ton of anti-democracy, pro-China propaganda in your report last year, Freedom House, if you were worried about the island's democracy. Taiwan is fifth in the world in baseball. Capitulationist Raccoons to be permitted only 22,000 visitors a day. "Only." AEI urges Obama to support Taiwan. Antique cannon unearthed in Checheng. Leader of last week's siege on Legislative Yuan sued by KMT. Taiwan Semiconductor shipments fall 43%. Chinese officials bitch about US arms sales to Taiwan to Kissinger (who runs consulting firm with strong China links) and Brezinski. 10,000 Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan during Lunar New Year. China's Somali pirate hunt is just more of its general global push. Taiwan, US in talks about piracy. Taiwanese Peace Corps.

    MEDIA SPECIAL: Don't miss the post below this one on the skit that Taipei Prosecutors put together to make fun of Chen Shui-bian.

    EVENTS:
    San Ba Aboriginal Music Party
    :
    Aboriginal Invitational Live Music in Pingtung County
    Get ready for 2 nights of great music at the Aboriginal Invitational in Pingtung county.
    Visit the event listing on our site for all the details:
    http://www.sanba.dartless.com/content/aboriginal-invitational-live-music...
    Date: 1/26 & 1/27
    (Monday and Tuesday - 1st and 2nd day of Chinese New Year)
    Time: 10pm till 5am both nights
    Place: Dream Paiwan, an Aboriginal Restaurant and Art Space.
    NT$400 gets you in the door with a pitcher of beer in your hand.
    The Lineup: * DJ Marcus Aurelius (USA) * Ryan & Simon (USA, AUS) * Matzka & DeHot (Paiwan Tribe) * 吸引力樂團 (Paiwan Tribe) * 金曲歌手 家家 (Beinan Tribe) * 哈雷樂團/路達瑪幹 (Beinan Tribe) * Taiwan Indigenous TV Event w/ performers from Paiwan, Yami, and Atayal Tribes (http://www.sanba.dartless.com)

    Democrats Abroad Meeting Saturday:
    If you are not yet a member of Dems Abroad, sign up for the Taiwan Group at Dems Abroad and come to the organizational meeting on Jan 17 at Larry's Pizza (2 pm). Only registered members at Dems Abroad will be allowed to vote in the organizational elections. We have a fantastic slate of candidates for supervisory positions, although I may be biased, since I am one of them. Once you register at the website and log-in, you can get info on all the candidates. The Taipei Times had a piece on the revival here of Democrats Abroad.

    SPECIAL: The fellow who was thinking of translating Kondo's story should contact Paul Barclay directly. Or me.

    5 comments:

    Anonymous said...

    Every Formosan with his or her heart in the right place should be seething while watching the following.

    http://www.ocot.tw/blog/archives/1322

    Aux armes! Aux armes citoyens! La patrie est en danger! Qu'un sang impure (中華奴、台灣奸之汚血)abreuve nos sillons! Aux armes! Aux armes citoyens! La patrie est en danger!

    Tommy said...

    The piece about the Shifu of Foguangshan simply confirmed what I suspected.

    Many Hong Kong people have no idea how they are subject to government propaganda and how much media neutrality has been undermined since the handover.

    Case in point: If you are interested in watching Mandarin language at home, but you don't want to spend a lot for a specialty channel, you have three options. 1) CCTV 2) Phoenix TV (not exactly balanced reporting at either one, as you know.)

    What's number three? Why Foguangshan naturally. Foguangshan's station does not discuss politics, to their credit. It is indeed a Buddhist station with some lifestyle programmes (mainly for women) thrown in. However, the subtle signs are there. Ex: hosts often call themselves Chinese. Fictional serials are all along the ancient dynasty type, etc.

    So you can choose blatant propaganda, or a neutral station run by a unificationist monk (the only free Taiwan station on offer, by the way).

    So much for welcoming a diversity of opinions in Mandarin broadcasting.

    Eli said...

    I believe Hsing Yun is also a lifetime member of the KMT.

    I'm excited that Cape No. 7is opening in China. During my last trip there I noticed a lot of interest and curiosity about Taiwan, and not the kind that we normally hear about, more the kind that one feels about a distant place that he has heard so much about, but most likely will never have a chance to see. Or then I heard a lot of statements like: "My sister married someone from Kaohsiung" or even in some pretty remote places in South China: "My cousin went there in 1949" or from a tourist guide in Guilin: "I have a lot of friends from Taiwan." Then there was the guy from Xiamen whom I met in Yangshuo. He was fascinated by Taiwan and said he would love to go there. I think Cape No. 7 is the perfect kind of movie to portray of very local and Taiwan-specific story not only to a Chinese audience, but hopefully a world audience.

    Anonymous said...

    Dude, where's the link to the predatory Asian girls story? My gorilla-like western wife is cramping my style. Hit me with it, hurry!

    Anonymous said...

    Add this article about how some Chinese officials pissed away their municipal treasuries & state funds in Macao. (IHT Jan15)

    Chinese officials gamble, and their luck runs out