Friday, February 27, 2009

Daily Links, Feb 27, 2009

Taiwan: always a great cafe title just around the corner...there's some absolutely excellent blogging going on out there, which is good, because so much is going on here.
  • Taiwan Democracy Movement on things you can do for 2-28

  • Taiwan Defense Command has a 1973 Report on Taiwan, covering stores, restaurants, and health precautions.

  • Rock Mountain Trail by bike

  • National Geographic: NG = No Good, says maddog. I'll have a follow up post up soon.

  • Arthur has weather data on our Year Without a Winter

  • 7-11s are marveled at in this post.

  • Taiwan Google map to 1944 with US Mil information -- way cool.

  • Someone else finds out Taiwan's health insurance system is awesome.

  • Taiwan Austronesian Dictionary

  • An outsiders view of Chinese medicine in Taiwan's NHI system, with some interesting facts.

  • The Future of Foreign English Teachers in Taiwan from Scott.

  • Language Log on Austronesian Linguistic Phylogeny (say it three times fast).

  • Taiwanoymous on blogger profits in Taiwan.

  • Arthur Dent on the KMT's disdain for its public

  • Echo Taiwan on NCC's punishment of the pro-Green media

  • Neil Wade with photography tips

  • Conservation Groups push Government on Dolphins

  • That's Impossible with an excellent post on the slow death of Hoklo language

  • Echo on the re-introduction of military brainwashing in elementary school.

  • Lief with lovely pictures of the Yenshui Fireworks festival
  • MA GAY SEX STORY: Letters from Taiwan. EastWindUp Chronicle here. But I think the best comment was from a friend in Tainan, who observed.. "Can you imagine if Chen had been allegedly in a gay porn video? The media would have gone nuts! But instead they are following his daughter to New York."

    CECA BLOGGING: Interview Me on CECA and Sovereignty. That's Impossible looks at some CECA posts in the local blogosphere. Global Voices Online on CECA from various local blogs.

    WAY COOL: Formosa Neijia will represent the US in the 2009 World Games. Orz Orz Orz.

    MEDIA: Number of foreign workers falls. Taiwan accounts for 25% of Intel's revenues in 2008. Taiwan Journal on longer trails in Taiwan, by Steve Crook. Chinese IT firm spying for Chinese government...who could have imagined it? Gay activists to vote en bloc for gay-friendly candidate in Da-an. Jobless rate hits highest rate in six years. Taiwan Stocks hit two-week closing high. Real earnings in Taiwan sustained worst fall in 29 years in 2008. The Heritage Foundation on the Spratlys. State Department rights report on Taiwan, a document rich in hypocrisy. Shut down Guantanamo and stop our human trafficking and quit murdering Iraqis, and maybe we can regain a bit of credibility. Our National Palace Museum director owns property in China. The KMT's leadership is busy selling out the island, and someone is worried that an art museum director might own something in China? Good to know our media is has its priorities right.

    9 comments:

    Dixteel said...

    Wow...I didn't know Intel and Taiwan are so...dependent on each other!?

    Richard said...

    Hey Michael,

    Do you know if there's some pseudo-schedule of what will be happening at the 228 Memorial Park tomorrow? I'll likely be heading out there, but I'd like to be there during the times that some things might actually happen (like some service/speech by people) or maybe some protests :P

    Anonymous said...

    Some Scheduled 228 Activities:

    White Lily commemorations at the 228 Peace Park.

    Family Members of the victims compensation refusal ceremony.

    A march to Round Park.

    A skit series depicting a subjective view Taiwan's colonial tragedies.

    Apologist KMT speeches to "forgive and forget" and relegate 228 to the history books... while continuing to vilify Japan for Nanjing.

    Island-wide commemorative shopping in the big malls for SK-II in a quest to possess another high end shopping bag.

    Tommy said...

    Thanks for posting that Heritage Foundation bit on the Spratleys. This is a problem that gets way too little attention.

    Many people, especially Chinese, reject claims that, Taiwan firmly in its grasp, the Chinese state will be forever contented as, we all know, China has never invaded anyone and has never been an aggressor (harhar). Why then do they ignore China's claim to almost the whole South China Sea? I fear the Spratleys are very much the Sudetenland to the Anschluss of Taiwan.

    Ben Goren said...

    Mike, the link for the weather article seems to go to a pop-up. Here's a workable link.
    http://lettersfromtaiwan.blogspot.com/2009/02/mad-dogs-and-englishmen.html

    Also, I took down the article on Ma's sexuality ... wasn't really up to scratch. Sorry about that but many many thanks for linking to me. Keep up the great work.
    Arthur

    Anonymous said...

    Another good read from the 2-28 era is a book titled: "A pail of oysters". Of course it was black listed in Taiwan, you could read it abroad however the KMT had its brainwashed student cronies steal and distroy as many copies as they could get their hands on. The book today is considered rare, if you can find a copy it will cost about $40 to $50 a pop. It should be re-published so all can read and enjoy it.

    Anonymous said...

    Sammy,

    Pail of Oysters, despite its inaccuracies (he puts Taichung just outside of Taipei) and its simplistic narrative is a fantastic read. It was written by Verne Snyder and originally published in 1953.

    Snyder, who won acclaim for The Tea House of the August Moon, arrived in Taiwan and met Ed Paine, an eye witness to 228 and one of George Kerr's associates in Taipei. Paine let Snyder use his interpreter and from that collection of sources a damning story was produced.

    Snyder even includes a scene at the old execution grounds at the old race track in Taipei.

    I have this book in my library.

    Anonymous said...

    Thanks Sammy/Anon for pointing out the Pail of Oysters book. After a quickie google, I came across a JBenda overview pdf.

    Maybe Michael can run a series on the Racetrack execution grounds(?) I think that would be very interesting read. I know it was a killing ground, but the details of what happened seem to be non-existent.

    PS. I also enjoyed those 1991 Aussie videos that you have posted on the sidebar, Michael. It brings back many memories. Part 3 with the KMT LY head Chiang (?) was amusing.

    Anonymous said...

    "A Pail of Oysters" (BTW -- by VERN SNEIDER) can often be found on auction and used book sites quite cheaply.