As Typhoon Sinlaku casts its long shadow over Taiwan, what's being hocked on the blogs today?
Laorencha has a post running down something near and dear to my heart: indian food in Taipei. Ok, so it isn't great. But it is still enjoyable. The Foreigner abuses the China Post for its absurd predictions about Chen Shui-bian. The Times says Taiwan is a "Chinese territory"? The beautiful blog Biking in Taiwan with more great stuff. Black Lawyer says the US and Russia have taught China an important lesson. 2008 Taiwan blog awards (Fili's original post). I wish to rule my blog out too. Also from Fili, his article on the Chen Shui-bian scandal. In Hebrew. Save the Dolphins blogs on the idiocy of building dams to deliver subsidized power to subsidized money-losing heavy industries while destroying wetlands to do so. DPP poll says 66% believe Ma is heading toward unification. Only 66%? Scott Sommers comments cogently on the PHD student at a local uni I blogged on last week. Taiwan Defense Command has an old report on Taiwan in several installments. Claudia Jean has a great comparison of Taiwan and China. Mad Minerva on former President Lee's rip of Ma's China policy. Ni Howdy does the Penghu, and the islands manage to survive.
MEDIA: Next magazine claims Chen Shui-bian asked for asylum in France. Chen denies this. Just prior to the arrival of Tsai Ing-wen, DPP Chairman, in Washington for her talk at the Heritage Foundation, National Security Council Chairman Su Chi, the Ma appointee, visited DC to hobnob with US officials. John Pomfret on the arms issue in the Washington Post blog. Aside from the thoughtless, pro forma hack on DPP China policy, it's a fairly good overview of the arms issue. Taiwan Journal has some good articles this month, including one on how rising prices are hurting Taiwan's political lifeblood, public construction. The US has quietly cleared more defense stuff, in this case, work on the engine for Taiwan's own IDF. The new Foreign Policy White Paper is expected to signal a shift away from dollar diplomacy. Hilariously, Malaysia sent us a horde of MPs, ostensibly on an ag research mission, to get them out of the country for a critical vote. The Malaysian bloggers, who apparently had a big impact on the last election, are going crazy. Many media organs reporting on the economic stimulus package worth $6 billion US (I'll be blogging later). Hey, if the economy sucked for 8 years under Chen as the pro-China trolls ceaselessly claim, where was the stimulus package then? The redoubtable Ting-yi Tsai in WSJ says Taiwan and China to hold talks on daily flights in two months. The DPP slams Ma Ying-jeou for his "Taiwan region" comment. Moody's says Taiwan's relationship with China will be crucial for its economy. I agree -- let's diversify out of there as soon as possible. More great stuff from the Commonwealth this month, including a piece on Taiwan's inflated housing prices and another on ordinary people leaving Taipei. Nukes, India, China.
EVENTS: in Kaohsiung, the Baracktoberfest:
Where: (07)286-2829 高雄市建國三路169號地下室B1(高雄中學正門對面)
Next to Kaohsiung Main Train Station -- a two-minute walk
JianGuo 3rd Rd #169 B1
When: Saturday, October 4th, starting from 7 p.m.
Prices: Cover: NT$250 Beer:NT$50
http://baracktoberfest.site40.net/ has details and the map
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in Taipei...Urban Nomad sends around....
哈囉朋友與損友們︰
Hello friends and freaky people!
管他颱風不颱風，這個週末城市遊牧影展要連續大慶祝。台
This weekend is bursting with activity starting with an Art Opening/Mini Concert on Friday evening at the Taiwan Beer Factory. Urban Nomad will be there projecting videos from our collection of art vids and other funky skate/surf stuff. Look for us to be surrounded by a pile of audio/video equipment and approximately 10,000 empty beer bottles.
The NOMAD just got in touch....all saturday activities canceled due to the typhoon.
朋友們
Hi Friends,
今天晚上是唯一的一天!!!!
TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT!
明天星期六的派對因為颱風而取消掉了，至於星期日，我們就還不確定了，意思是今天晚上是唯一的雙年展開幕 party! 趕快穿好衣服，到啤酒廠跟我們一起狂歡。
Tomorrow (Saturday)'s party is canceled. The typhoon has gotten the better of us. Sunday don't look good either. We're going to tear down the house tonight at Taipei Beer Factory. It's covered, so no rain there! Get your yellow socks ready because that's the the color of the Biennial this year. We will update you about Sunday when we know for sure.
現場表演還是7:30pm開始，晚上見!
Live bands start performing at 7:30pm tonight. Be there or be... square. Oh, did we mention it's free cover?
星期五 9/12
@ 啤酒廠 Beer Factory–台北市八德路二段85號 #85 Bade Road, Taipei
7:30pm 夾子小應 Xiao Yin from Clippers
8:20pm 拷秋勤
9:05pm 好客樂隊The Hohak Band
Cheers,
城市遊牧影展
Urban Nomad
等等，週末還沒結束。星期日是我們城市遊牧影片正式開演
And on Sunday, we cool it down with cookout and a screening in the Taipei Art Park. We hope you can hang cuz it will be a weekend to remember.
星期五 9/12 (啤酒廠 Beer Factory–台北市八德路二段85號 #85 Bade Road, Taipei)
7:30pm 夾子小應 Xiao Yin from Clippers
8:20pm 拷秋勤
9:05pm 好客樂隊The Hohak Band
星期日 9/14 (中山美術公園 Taipei Art Park–中山北路三段市立美術館旁 (Next to TPE Fine Arts Museum at MRT Yuanshan)
7:30 洪子健的短片 Short Films by James Hong (35 min)
8:10 跨越 Crossing the Line - a 2008 docu about the last defector American in North Korea. (94 min)
城市遊牧影展 Urban Nomad
http://urbannomadfilmfest.
五、六派對 Art Opening/Concerts this weekend
http://blog.roodo.com/slur
台北雙年展 Taipei Biennial
http://www.taipeibiennial.
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And the Bushman is having a bash....
Bushman's Blogtoberfest, 2008
2008-10-25
(時區： 台北)
Hukou, Taiwan (地圖)
The biggest blogger event ever! Every English blogger is invited to attend.
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Republicans: The View is a Taiwan blog, not my personal blog or an Obama blog. If there is a McCain event you want publicized, by all means send it to me for posting.
SPECIAL: DPP Chairman Tsai Ing-wen's talk at Heritage is online. Enjoy! I have included the text of the 2008 State Department cable on Taiwan in my post on it below, and updated that post. This is revolting -- there is no need to go to these lengths! The State Department is denying that there have been any changes in China policy....
MONEYMAKING OPPORTUNITY: LotusBlossom posted this in the LIVING IN TAIWAN forum at www.forumosa.com...
Apologies for the length of this post! Have a great weekend!
NT$300 Reward Offered for Reporting “Squids”
The EPA promulgated revisions to the In-Use Motor Vehicle Air Pollutant Report and Reward Regulations (使用中汽車排放空氣污染物檢舉及獎勵辦法) on 23 June 2008 to increase people's motivation and willingness to report polluting vehicles (locally referred to as “squids” for their trail of black smoke), and to provide a substantial reward for informers. The Regulations have been changed to authorize local competent authorities to appraise reports and rewards. From 1 January 2009, NT$300 will be allocated for each case reported in accordance to the rules.
Currently, EPA methods to encourage citizens to report vehicles suspected of polluting include seasonal awarding of medals, prizes, certificates of merit, banners, and plaques. Environmental agencies were responsible for looking into reported cases and verifying suspected polluting vehicles. A gift or souvenir worth up to NT$50 was offered as a reward. Those who had reported polluting vehicles frequently conveyed that this compensation was insuffi cient or impractical.
A more substantial reward is now offered to encourage informants to include a photograph in their reports. The revision authorizes the local competent authority to decide whether the reported photo can convincingly show that the suspected vehicle is polluting the air. If such a photo can be produced, regulations provide for a reward of NT$300. For tax purposes, reporters that receive this reward are required to leave their ID number with the environmental agency.
The new regulation will take effect on 1 January 2009 to provide adequate time for allocating the budget to support this policy. To prevent people from making false reports and causing problems or unnecessary disputes for reported citizens or authorities checking into cases, it has been added that polluting vehicles must be reported within 30 days of discovery. For more information, please call 02-2311-7722 ext. 2786.
Why not give up your lousy teaching job and your appallingly low salary and sit by the side of the road all day and report squids? Just do the maths. That's good money, huh? In fact, if you pick a major artery, you might just get away with a p/t gig and still go home with a respectable tax free income?
Go here for the link: http://www.epa.gov.tw/en/NewsContent.as ... NewsID=727
UPDATE: Just went out and panned Sinlaku moving in...a gusting rain is already beginning here in central Taiwan...
[Taiwan]
3 comments:
Hi Michael,
Thanks for placing links to my articles.
I thought I'd share what I found with you and will appreciate any thoughts you have on this matter.
I tried to search for my article on the Taiwan-China comparisons using Google general search just now and it didn't come up except the entries on the Wordpress.com tag lists.
Because my article usually came up within a few hours after being posted, I tried to search for my blog. I put in the exact title 'In Claudia Jean's Eyes'. Nothing came up except 2 untitled sub-pages from my blog. It used to come up at the top of the search results like your blog would come up if I put in 'The View from Taiwan'. So I got puzzled.
So I tried 'Claudia Jean', which used to have my blog returned within the first page of search results. This time, my blog is nowhere to be seen in the search results. I went down several pages until the name wasn't even intact anymore.
I tried to search under Google Blogs and luckily, it's still there.
I'm not experienced enough to know whether this is usual and purely technical or something more serious (content related?)
I have written to Google and Wordpress.com about this and will be grateful if someone can let me know what may have happened there. The fact that my blog has suddenly 'disappeared' from google search does disturb me a bit.
Thanks,
Claudia
Claudia, mine doesn't show in my search results either. It may know you are logged in or detect your IP and blank your own results.
Michael
Hi Michael,
Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately, it still doesn't show if I log out or use another computer. I got a few friends in different countries to try. The results are all the same - the main page has disappeared. There are only 2 untitled sub-pages. If we enter any of my article tities, none of it comes up in google general search (although they still exist in Blogs search).
One coincidence I failed to mention was that on the day I posted the Taiwan/China comparison, someone got into my blog with the search word 'China'. Two days later, my blog vanished from the google general search. It wouldn't be easy to find that article simply using 'China' as search word.
I asked around. A couple of friends (Taiwanese) had experience like this before. I'm really hoping that it's just a coincidence and there's a purely technical reason but a friend reckons it's likely to be that someone uses Google Alert to alert them new articles containing the word 'China' and reports any article or blog that really damages the 'Chinese reputation', picking on some less than obvious technical errors or saying that the language is 'offensive'. Google's policy seems to go along with the one who reports it and just keep your blog off search engine during investigation.
I know those friends' blogs. They never contain offensive or obscene language or spammer behaviours but still got in trouble. It took them ages to get their blogs back on Google search.
A friend who has worked with the Chinese told me that they have this '5 cent party' who are paid to post politically correct pro-China messages online and they also have other similar organisations. I'm probably going out on a limb here but I'm going to guess they would dare to do this to Taiwanese but not others.
I've written to Google about this but according to their regulations, it'll take them weeks to get round to it and they don't always respond to individuals. I hope this is all just my paranoia and there's a very simple and technical reason for this but either way, without the link you placed in your blog, my article would have been almost invisible from the search. I really have to thank you :)
Best wishes,
Claudia
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