Monday, February 07, 2011

Daily Links, Feb 7, 2011

LNYJan_11_0161
"Smile!" I shouted as I rode by. The daughter happily complied. Finally, mom grunted out a surly 'happy new year'" as we disappeared around the curve. It's great to be back in Taiwan.

Today's quote from a highly intelligent observer of Taiwan's politics: "ROC 100? This is really an exercise in Orwellian double-think and a KMTist distortion of history and an exclusion of a future history for Taiwan people."

Meanwhile, what's being reliably represented on the blogs today?

BLOGS:
MEDIA:
PRESIDENT MA: I'm setting out the fine Mainland for our guests, honey. How many guests do we have?
MRS MA: What?
PRESIDENT MA: How many plates of fine Mainland do we need?
MRS MA: Uh....ok.... Six. I'll need some smaller plates for the appetizer, Chinese spring rolls.
PRESIDENT MA: Sorry darling, we call those Other Side Spring Rolls now.
MRS MA: Uh...right. So when I go to San Francisco, I'm visiting....
PRESIDENT MA: ....Mainlandtown.
MRS: MA: Ok...and ABCs are...?
PRESIDENT MA: ABOSers.
MRS MA: And you're the President of...?
PRESIDENT MA: ....The Republic of Mainland.
RESOURCES:
_______________________
Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores of links to other Taiwan blogs and forums! Delenda est, baby.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't think it's a wise strategy to attack/demonize the ROC itself, won't score any points with most Taiwanese.

blobOfNeurons said...

Ah but it is estimated that the Corpus Aristotelicum only comprises about a third of Aristotle's total work. His treatise Petroleum (in which petroleum is introduced as the sixth element, in addition to the previous five elements fire, earth, air, water and aether) must have been too difficult to transcribe, and therefore lost.

Anonymous said...

Mister bloggerman,
you once again show your white man arrogance to taiwan, why are you so arrogant and why did you come here to live if you don't like the people? money, only came for the money?

ATTN:

"Smile!" I shouted as I rode by. The daughter happily complied. Finally, mom grunted out a surly 'happy new year'" as we disappeared around the curve. It's great to be back in Taiwan.

PS - I am a foreign woman married
to a Taiwan man, we love it here.

Michael Turton said...

I don't think it's a wise strategy to attack/demonize the ROC itself, won't score any points with most Taiwanese.

The issue isn't the ROC but how it is used.

Michael Turton said...

PS - I am a foreign woman married
to a Taiwan man, we love it here.


Me too. If you can't read English, you might consider moving to another blog.

Michael Turton said...

T from the UK: think before posting. If you are unhappy, you can always email me.

Anonymous said...

Michael, you can't fight double think by talking about it. Talking about ROC 100 only gives it additional, undeserved focus.

No, those of us who give a darn about Taiwan's history need to work extra hard, with some smarts and some advertising, to highlight, focus, bring to the foreground the narrative of the people and culture of Taiwan.

That's the only way we can change things.

P. S. said...

Michael,

(On a happier note) I feel this pinprick daily (here in Shanghai) on the Mainland vs. China language police-ing. Recent example:

Colleague: Those printers are unreliable. They are made in Taiwan. Strange (I guess strange that Taiwan equipment is unreliable).

Me: Yeah, they do fail frequently. Maybe we should buy some Made-in-China equipment.

Colleague: Yeah. (followed by quick backpedalling...) I think you mean we should buy some "mainland-made" equipment.

Me: "Right" (of course, my intonation of sarcasm totally lost on colleague)

Maybe my colleagues can help me find the right path as I better learn the language ...)

Michael Turton said...

Nice, PS. Looking forward to seeing you next month...

Marc said...

New Groupon Commercial featuring Pee Wee Herman:

"The people of Taiwan live in political limbo with no major country recognizing them as a democratic and independent nation. They are not included in or recognized by any important international organization, including the United Nations, despite the fact that they have had an independent government for decades, and are one of the world's largest economies, centers of scientific research, and seats of technological development and manufacturing. There are over 1500 ballistic and cruise missiles pointed at the island from a place some call China, which claims it will attack and invade the island if the Taiwanese declare independence. But they still make a great oyster omelet!"

Anonymous said...

Re: links

Of possible interest on Taiwan and the Senkakus. Prof. Shimojo's previous post also dealt with the same topic and is accessible through the tag at the end of the post.

http://ampontan.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/shimojo-masao-14-the-senkakus-weren%e2%80%99t-taiwanese-territory-either/

Anonymous said...

Dear Arrogant Bloggerman... HA!
Thanks for the laugh...

Anyway, just wanted to point out on the ChinaBeat blog that you mentioned, there is a article about Kissinger and a book he wrote called "On China" (available. May 2011)

I guess before the lying sack of shit dies he needs to the make excuses for all the damage that he has caused in his lifetime.

Anonymous said...

There are so many things that are outside our control. Even more so if you are a foreigner in Taiwan.

Language is one of the few things we can take control of beginning with ourselves. Language is power. Language is our daily referendum on our place in Taiwan. It would be a shame not to use its power when we have the opportunity.

Taiwan, China, Chinese, Taiwanese, ROC, Foreigner are all terms that are politically loaded and it is a lie to say they are not. Choose your words wisely to affect how change happens. We all have a place here in Taiwan and it is up to us to begin expanding and defining that space with the words we choose.

Anonymous said...

This may be relevant to your interests: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lin_Wang

Anonymous said...

@Anon, thanks for the The Lin-Wang wiki link! FYI: DanshuiHistory just did a post on the old YuanShan Zoo.

@MT, thanks for the RailAsia link. Upon leaving a few comments at that site, another person dropped a few other interesting Taiwan history links relating to the old pushcart service including a video. I updated a page on taipics.com (pushcarts) with the video if anyone is interested.

I also commented on the RailAsia page that it would be interesting if Taipei City could re-build one of the pushcarts in Taipei to restore some history. I am sure most of the younger generation here has no idea these existed. My suggestion was to put a small pushcart line between the Taipei City Hall MRT Station and the "Warner Village" area. (a long walk on a hot day). That would be a cool/useful touristy thing to do I think. Taipei would also be able to employ a few students as well in a "green" job! ~ Just an thought anyway.