tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post4755734394983166659..comments2023-10-22T18:25:39.688+08:00Comments on The View from Taiwan: AFP Awesomeness, Chinese ChildishnessMichael Turtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-42407934389186458482009-11-16T19:34:58.564+08:002009-11-16T19:34:58.564+08:00contd.....
With the photos and posts on her blog ...contd.....<br /><br />With the photos and posts on her blog getting worldwide attention, not<br />to mention more than a million hits from Internet surfers in Taiwan,<br />Yang has toyed with the idea of putting her project on paper in the<br />form of a picture book. She said that some publishers in Taiwan have<br />already contacted her about turning her blog into a book, although she<br />hasn't decided yet what the title will be.<br /><br />"The book will most likely be a pictorial edition with an accompanying<br />text, and we will try to connect the words with the photographs," Yang<br />said. "I haven't decided who the publisher in Taipei will be yet. I'm<br />planning to be back in Taiwan soon, in the future, and I have some job<br />interviews already lined up in the next few months. I've enjoyed my<br />life and studies in France, but I am definitely going back to Taiwan.<br />Taiwan is my home. The book will be published there, first. If there<br />are any foreign editions later, that will be great, too."<br /><br />Her book might be titled "A Hundred Kisses", or "One Hundred Messages<br />From a Kiss", Yang said, adding that she would love to hear from<br />readers of her blog what titles they might suggest, too.<br /><br />When asked what a kiss meant to her growing up in Taiwan, and what<br />kisses mean to her now as an adult, Yang grew philosophical.<br /><br />"The meaning, the message, from a kiss is beyond words, beyond my<br />imagination," Yang said. "Even just a light brief kiss on the lip has<br />its meaning, and each person, I believe, has their own unique style of<br />kissing. For example, there's the tender kisser with his rather soft<br />and tender kiss, and then there's the naughty kisser with his -- how<br />shall I say it? -- exiciting and 'fun' kiss. So, in fact, every kiss<br />is very special and individualistic, in my experience of things."<br /><br />"In Taiwan, where I grew up, a kiss was something different from what<br />I have seen here in Paris," Yang added. "Back home, a kiss was<br />regarded as a kind of promise, to stay together for a long time, maybe<br />forever, since most people are more conservative about kissing than<br />here in France. I can now imagine, yes, kissing my Mr. Right someday.<br />I haven't found him yet."<br /><br />Kisses, especially kisses in public, did not come easily to Yang at<br />first, she said.<br /><br />"My parents didn't kiss in front of me, never, and when I watched<br />kissing scenes in movies as a child and teenager in Taiwan, I was very<br />shy about looking at the TV or movie screen," she explained. "It<br />wasn't until I went to college, when I entered university, that I<br />became more comfortable watching those kinds of movies."<br /><br />"And of course, coming to Paris two years to study classical piano,<br />being in this very romantic city really opened my eyes and my heart to<br />understand what kissing is really all about," she added. "Now I feel<br />it is very romantic to watch kissing screnes in a movie, and to me,<br />now, a kiss seems like an amazing exchange of very interesting<br />'energy' for both the people kissing each other. That's what I've<br />learned."<br /><br />"A kiss is a way of passing on an intriguing kind of energy with<br />another person, and it's very<br />different from verbal communication," Yang said. "A kiss is very<br />subtle, very delicate, there is a lot to learn from all this."<br /><br />When asked if she considers herself a shy or extroverted woman, Yang<br />said: "You kno,w sometimes I am shy, and sometimes I am very<br />out-going. People often tell me I appear to be a very calm and logical<br />person."<br /><br />Last question: how old was she when she got her first kiss?<br /><br />"Nineteen. My first boyfriend, in Taiwan."DANIELBLOOMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05130493903696077379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-75017319136428712422009-11-16T19:34:17.236+08:002009-11-16T19:34:17.236+08:00Michael,
After reading about this woman's sto...Michael,<br /><br />After reading about this woman's story here a while back, I found her email in Paris and emailed her back and forth for an interview that's now on Trista DiGenova's blog.<br /><br />http://www.thewildeast.net/news/?p=410<br /><br />As you reported above, The Taipei Times ran a brief story about her from the local office of<br />the Germany-based Deutsche Press Agentur news agency on September 12<br /><br />When I asked her what was the initial inspiration for her kissing adventures<br />in Paris -- perhaps a movie or a book or a song -- Yang said that<br />there was no specific event or inspiration that set her off on her<br />seemingly quixotic quest.<br /><br />"So many people have asked me this question, about what inspired me to<br />do this, but I really couldn't tell you<br />the exact answer," Yang told me. "The idea flashed in my mind about three<br />years ago, for no apparent reason, it just came to me, and I didn not<br />act on it then, but I flashed again in my mind this year for no reason<br />either. I felt that since the idea would not go away, and that is came<br />back to me again ths year, maybe it was time to do something about it.<br />So I did."<br /><br /><br />When I asked her how her mother and father in Taicung were reacting to the<br />news about their "kissing daughter" -- both in the local newspapers in<br />Taiwan and in many newspapers around the world as well -- Yang said<br />she her parents were completey supportive.<br /><br />"My parents always taught me, and instilled in me, that I should<br />always be true to myself and follow my own inclinations, independently<br />of how others look at me, although without going overboard of course,"<br />she said. "So I felt very positive about this kissing idea, and I knew<br />it was a good thing for me to do. My parents knew about what I was<br />doing, and they completely supported me, stood behind me on this, from<br />the very beginning of the media glare that my blog created. They also<br />anticipated the pressure that Taiwanese society might put upon them,<br />but they are bearing it well. In fact, my parents' positive reactions<br />and support have touched me deeply in the way that they have shown<br />unconditional love for me on this. They are great people and wonderful<br />parents. A daughter couldn't ask for better parents."<br />."DANIELBLOOMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05130493903696077379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-13181072951923474122009-09-20T15:02:39.903+08:002009-09-20T15:02:39.903+08:00Klaus is right. The article on Deutsche Welle you ...Klaus is right. The article on Deutsche Welle you linked was probably updated since you last read it. It describes quite well, what actually happened, why the Chinese left and on what the organizer apologized. I also saw it on TV on that day. Extreeeeemely embarrassing..........Gerdnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-57871281066455013912009-09-18T15:37:54.591+08:002009-09-18T15:37:54.591+08:00Michael, you can hear the original (German) statem...Michael, you can hear the original (German) statement with the apology here:<br />http://www.dw-world.de/popups/popup_single_mediaplayer/0,,4680919_type_audio_struct_1534_contentId_4680606,00.html<br /><br />I remember you know some German speakers, so 加油Klaushttp://taipeh.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-39965921445484023672009-09-16T19:32:42.120+08:002009-09-16T19:32:42.120+08:00Really? That's not the story that was sent to ...Really? That's not the story that was sent to me.Michael Turtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-60972260308068065842009-09-16T13:36:26.006+08:002009-09-16T13:36:26.006+08:00As I said earlier, first you are investigated. The...<b>As I said earlier, first you are investigated. Then arrested/indicted, detained if necessary and tried. Then found guilty or not-guilty. What's so difficult to understand?<br /><br />Of course MYJ was guilty. He just had better lawyers and excuses to get out of it. The rest of the KMT are probably guilty of the same thing. CSB tried to play the KMT's game, failed and lost.<br /><br />If CSB had have remained clean, if he hadn't hidden money in Swiss accounts etc, there would have been no evidence. It never would have gotten past investigation if it even got that far. Certainly there'd have been no detention, no trial and he'd be a free man today. He only has himself to blame.</b><br /><br />So, you posit that it is impossible with the current judiciary and political climate for someone to be wrongfully indicted and brought to trial?<br /><br />And it seems that the evidence of CSB's knowledge of the money movement is tenuous at best. Why should he be tried for the [supposed] crimes of others?<br /><br />And even if his guilt was proven, his sentence is disproportionate with the evidence, the law, and judicial precedent.Robert R.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12956389352825464115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-13985268074533642122009-09-16T13:06:57.743+08:002009-09-16T13:06:57.743+08:00Actually, the Frankfurt Book Fair organizer apolog...Actually, the Frankfurt Book Fair organizer apologized to the Chinese not for the mayor's speech or for the fact that the two Chinese dissident authors attended the symposium. He apologized for the fact that he did not inform the Chinese (this year's guests of honour at the book fair) in advance that Bei Ling an Dai Qing would enter the podium to address the audience.<br /><br />Still far from brillant, but not as bad as you make it sound.Klaushttp://taipeh.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-40491712908276876212009-09-16T08:31:57.320+08:002009-09-16T08:31:57.320+08:00readin, I think you need to learn how to do what y...readin, I think you need to learn how to do what your name suggests.<br /><br />As I said earlier, first you are investigated. Then arrested/indicted, detained if necessary and tried. Then found guilty or not-guilty. What's so difficult to understand?<br /><br />Of course MYJ was guilty. He just had better lawyers and excuses to get out of it. The rest of the KMT are probably guilty of the same thing. CSB tried to play the KMT's game, failed and lost.<br /><br />If CSB had have remained clean, if he hadn't hidden money in Swiss accounts etc, there would have been no evidence. It never would have gotten past investigation if it even got that far. Certainly there'd have been no detention, no trial and he'd be a free man today. He only has himself to blame.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-58258304723135657612009-09-16T08:20:14.627+08:002009-09-16T08:20:14.627+08:00Thanks Janice!
You're right. The definitions...Thanks Janice! <br /><br />You're right. The definitions are quite vague and seem largely up to the personal interpretations of the judge. <br /><br />It isn't difficult to imagine how one may have a difficult time discerning if their actions are in fact legal. Or it might be more accurate to say, one may have a difficult time discerning on which day of the week their actions may be legal as defined by any particular judge. <br /><br />It is not beyond the imagination to see how the discovery process could be tainted by political bias and the rights of the accused impinged upon by an eager prosecution bound only by loose definitions. Clearly there is a structural bias against the rights of the accused and in favor of the prosecution. <br /><br />In Taiwan we have seen other cases where the political objective for a conviction that satisfies a party or public anger outweighs the rights of the accused for a fair trial. The case of the Hsi-chih Trio case is a great example of this, where the severity of the crime called for a conviction at the expense of procedure that would guarantee a fair trial. This type of system that does not bind police, prosecutors and judges to a clear code of procedure puts everyone at risk of unjust prosecution. Although under such a system it may be "legal" it is not justice. I think this is where the Chen case falls.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-91292673434992520632009-09-16T02:59:10.230+08:002009-09-16T02:59:10.230+08:00Anonymous at 12:22 PM - English translations of ma...Anonymous at 12:22 PM - English translations of many Taiwanese laws can be found <a href="http://www.lexadin.nl/wlg/legis/nofr/oeur/lxwetai.htm" rel="nofollow">here</a>, including the Anti-Corruption Statute, the Money Laundering Control Act, and part of the Code of Criminal Procedure. However the Criminal Code is not available, which is unfortunate because the Money Laundering Control Act simply purports to set out procedures for enforcing certain categories of crimes defined in the Criminal Code. (Incidentally there are also translations of lots of laws and regulations on the <a href="http://law.moj.gov.tw/eng/" rel="nofollow"> English version of the MOJ website </a>, although I don’t see any on there that are relevant to this particular inquiry.)<br /><br />In the same vein, are there any synopses or analyses of the Chen verdict that someone can point me to? I just keep hearing that it’s 1200-1500 pages long, but absolutely nothing about the substantive content. The only quotes I’ve seen so far have contained little more than moralistic platitudes and scoldings from the judge (highlighted in the 王景弘 James Wang op-ed in today’s Taipei Times).<br /><br />My own sense is that the standards of proof for these crimes are probably not well developed, especially relative to what western-trained lawyers and jurists might be used to seeing. If you look at the texts (see, e.g., Articles 4-6 of the Anti-Corruption Statute) you will find that the definitions are in fact quite vague or circular. Remember also that in many criminal justice systems the factual questions, such as “Did the defendant corruptly demand, solicit, receive, accept or agree to receive or accept bribes or other unjust enrichment in return for being influenced in the performance of official acts?“, would be submitted to a lay jury, which would make that determination based on whether they found the prosecution’s evidence to be convincing beyond reasonable doubt or whatever the applicable standard of proof. Where a judicial panel is the finder of fact, this extra layer of protection does not exist. Furthermore, as far as I understand Taiwanese courts are not technically required to adhere to established precedents, giving judges in individual cases even greater breadth of discretionary authority.janicenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-35872719957602455312009-09-15T22:31:51.974+08:002009-09-15T22:31:51.974+08:00Not sure I follow. If he didn't commit the cri...<b>Not sure I follow. If he didn't commit the crimes in the first place, he'd never have been indicted, arrested, detained and tried because there'd have been no reason to investigate him.</b><br /><br />So then by the same logic, Ma is also guilty of corruption - the proof being that he was investigated for corruption. Is that what you're trying to say. <br /><br />Since merely being investigated is proof of guilt, we could save ourselves a lot of time and money by skipping the trials.readinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-12906810691993055372009-09-15T14:01:31.312+08:002009-09-15T14:01:31.312+08:00SOME NEWS on that MLLE Yang woman in Paris, she ha...SOME NEWS on that MLLE Yang woman in Paris, she has a yotube video here on her music days in Paris, she is studying piano there, at the Conservaotire della Musica della Parigi here --<br /><br />Hello! My name is Ya-Ching!<br />I study music in Paris~!<br />J'apprends la musique à Paris~!<br />My Blog in chinese:<br />http://www.wretch.cc/album/... <br />Age: 27Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-26543668328622931332009-09-15T12:22:14.790+08:002009-09-15T12:22:14.790+08:00Could somebody please point me to:
1) The law whi...Could somebody please point me to:<br /><br />1) The law which defines what Chen was found guilty of and explains the scope of the crime.<br /><br />2) The rules of criminal procedure.<br /><br />3) The sentencing guidelines for the crime Chen was found guilty of.<br /><br />I would like to examine these as I am still unsure as to how it was proven beyond a doubt that Chen did what he was accused of doing and how his sentence is the result of justice being achieved.<br /><br />a) How did they prove the money was stolen or at least prove it was obtained illegally?<br /><br />b) What is the test to define money laundering?<br /><br />c) How did they prove Chen's intent or knowledge of the deposits?<br /><br />d) How does Chen's sentence compare to other sentences for similar crimes?<br /><br />e) Under the current system what is "Justice"?<br /><br />f) Were the rules of criminal procedure followed in Chen's case to ensure justice was done?<br /><br />I think these are all questions we need to think about to better protect ourselves from the state.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-41671714431310100182009-09-15T09:29:18.975+08:002009-09-15T09:29:18.975+08:00@Tim Maddog : Not sure I follow. If he didn't ...@Tim Maddog : Not sure I follow. If he didn't commit the crimes in the first place, he'd never have been indicted, arrested, detained and tried because there'd have been no reason to investigate him.<br /><br />I didn't say anything about accusation being enough for guilt. Stop smoking whatever it is you're smoking and learn to read.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-3727035901422311732009-09-14T16:13:10.521+08:002009-09-14T16:13:10.521+08:00@9:06 AM anonymous: According to your logic, there...@9:06 AM anonymous: According to your logic, there's no need to even have a trial -- a mere accusation is enough. Why do you hate justice?<br /><br />Let's see if there's any evidence of crimes worthy of a <b>life sentence</b> hidden among "clouds of suspicion" (remember "Bulletgate"?) in that 1,200 - 1,500-page verdict.<br /><br /><a href="http://taiwanmatters.blogspot.com/" title="Taiwan Matters!" rel="nofollow">Tim Maddog</a>Tim Maddoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16943522529132663780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-54111381548740019762009-09-14T13:08:12.769+08:002009-09-14T13:08:12.769+08:00if Chen and his cronies didn't steal, launder ...<b>if Chen and his cronies didn't steal, launder and accept bribes, he'd have never been on trial in the first place.</b><br /><br />LOL.Michael Turtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-18900562037986612162009-09-14T12:22:06.100+08:002009-09-14T12:22:06.100+08:00PLANS? She is NOT going to write a book at all. Th...PLANS? She is NOT going to write a book at all. This is just pure dpa BLOG blather. APPLE DAILY had story yesterday too. The girl is cute, she wants sex. so what?<br /><br />But there is NO BOOK coming.<br /><br />"Yang *plans* to write a book on her kissing project which will contain photos of her 100 smooches. ANYBODY CAN PLAN soemthing.....Taipei Times had a story today too on page 2 on this., also dpa story <br /><br /> Yang is still looking for a book publisher. OF COURSE STILL LOOKINg. this is a NON story, why even dignify it with a blog mention????????Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-72557628292857207292009-09-14T11:06:35.668+08:002009-09-14T11:06:35.668+08:00William Lowther in the Taipei Times had a good pie...<b>William Lowther in the Taipei Times had a good piece on US suspicions about the Chen verdict, but the Taipei Times is pro-Taiwan, so it is easier to dismiss its (excellent) reporting.</b><br /><br />In this case, the Taipei Times article suffers the same problems as many of the pro-KMT/CPC articles you complain about. Most of the article consists of quotes from one person, FAPA's Bob Yang. He is identified as a heading an advocacy group, but the article fails to mention that it is a pro-independence group whose positions are far closer to the DPP than to the KMT. <br /><br />The article attempts to confuse by quoting Yang, then quoting a CSIS scholar, then going back to Yang in such a way that the reader isn't likely to notice. And even if the reader does notice, he has already read a paragraph of text while assuming it was the scholar's words before seeing the "Yang said" tacked on at the end.<br /><br />This isn't one of the Taipei Times's better articles.readinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-17355710751806069982009-09-14T09:06:21.284+08:002009-09-14T09:06:21.284+08:00For all the criticism of the trial, sentence and s...For all the criticism of the trial, sentence and so forth, you do need to remember that if Chen and his cronies didn't steal, launder and accept bribes, he'd have never been on trial in the first place.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-51737494128998389932009-09-14T05:00:37.788+08:002009-09-14T05:00:37.788+08:00Michael, this time I think I'll agree with you...Michael, this time I think I'll agree with your take on the AFP pieces. I didn't see a single mendacious mention of "the thing that did not happen in 1949" anywhere to be found in either of them.<br /><br /><a href="http://taiwanmatters.blogspot.com/" title="Taiwan Matters!" rel="nofollow">Tim Maddog</a>Tim Maddoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16943522529132663780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-10816021322528167892009-09-14T04:37:39.558+08:002009-09-14T04:37:39.558+08:00Le Monde printed a piece in its 13-14 Sept edition...Le Monde printed a piece in its 13-14 Sept edition (URL: see below*).<br /><br />It was yet another hearsay-by-remote "report" dispatched from Pekin (Peking) by Bruno Philip. Can you imagine someone sitting in London reporting about a big event in Dublin without setting foot on Ireland?<br /><br />The paper did (twice) fairly refer to Chen Shui-Bian as "L’ancien chef de l’Etat" (the ex-head of state), a title the NY Times has long refused to use to refer to Taiwan's elected "leader".<br /><br />However, what irks me immensely in that piece is the following part:<br /><br /><i>Durant son double mandat, Chen Shui-bian était devenu le chantre des partisans de l'affirmation d'une identité taïwanaise <b>dont les plus radicaux</b> souhaiteraient que l'île rebelle se déclare formellement indépendante de la Chine, un casus belli pour Pékin.<br /><br />L'actuel président Ma, au contraire, <b>est en faveur du statu quo qui permet à Taïwan de jouir de sa souveraineté</b> tout en reconnaissant le principe d'une Chine unique, comme l'exige la Chine populaire. </i><br /><br />There, Bruno Philip subjectively referred to those who favor the affirmation of a Taiwanese identity as "les plus radicaux" (the most radical [people/elements]). He also misrepresents Ma's position as one fovoring the "status quo." As a journalist, Philip has the duty of investigating what Ma is up to (e.g. the devil in the details of the secretive handling of ECFA). I wouldn't think that Le Monde meant to pay Philip to dump this kind of hearsays (in fact, BS) in its paper. <br /><br />Between the affirmation of a Taiwanese identity (a right all people on earth take for granted) and the French massive nuclear pollution to the South Pacific, which one would you say is "le plus radical"? <br /><br />And, they (including Le Monde) wonder why printed media are getting financially less and less sustainable? Who wants to pay for hearsays!<br /><br />(Michael, I agree with you that the democratization of journalism via the Internet will in the long run mean the demise of arrogant, "entitled" and yet lazy establishment media.)<br /><br /><br />*Le Monde article link: http://www.lemonde.fr/asie-pacifique/article/2009/09/12/l-ex-chef-de-l-etat-taiwanais-condamne-a-la-prison-a-vie-pour-des-delits-financiers_1239522_3216.htmlSYnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-90137212339757491932009-09-14T03:29:09.357+08:002009-09-14T03:29:09.357+08:00About the book fair in Frankfurt:
Deutsche Welle (...About the book fair in Frankfurt:<br />Deutsche Welle (DW) started to write in a very balanced way about Taiwan and China (at least after some very angry letters from their readers). As a result, now you can the news about the problem of blackmailing (regarding the "discussion" at the book fair). Even on german radion station now they start to talk about this problem.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-60418570210158779812009-09-14T02:41:50.148+08:002009-09-14T02:41:50.148+08:00The old man is right.
What is really needed is a ...The old man is right.<br /><br />What is really needed is a fair trial.Dixteelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05689510846926854542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-65581215813288137172009-09-14T02:36:35.674+08:002009-09-14T02:36:35.674+08:00Big news: Another judge, the Shilin Criminal Distr...Big news: Another judge, the Shilin Criminal District Court head judge, has spoken out against the Chen judgment as unconstitutional. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2009/new/sep/12/today-specialreport3-5.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2009/new/sep/12/today-specialreport3-5.htm</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-50630961737923916582009-09-13T22:31:55.559+08:002009-09-13T22:31:55.559+08:00Would kissing 100 Parisian men work for you? I...Would kissing 100 Parisian men work for you? I'm not sure I have the appropriate knowledge to answer that.Robert R.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12956389352825464115noreply@blogger.com