Daily Links, March 29, 2010

It's Tomb Sweeping Holiday again, as all across the island people go to take care of their ancestor's tombs. At a cemetery not far from my house, cars line the road as families make a day of it. At the far end of the line of parked vehicles is a fire truck; out of control fires are a common hazard on this holiday. Meantime, let's see who is out of control on the blogs today:

BLOGS:

• F VARGA wonders whether the Easycard celebration is an example of selective memory.
• Claudia Jean blogs on the police asking Plurk for IDs of users.
  
• Biking in Taiwan with some kickass pics from a bike ride around Taipei.
• Classic: stumbled across this Nov 2009 post on Hiking Taiwan on Tapung Fort. Treasures everywhere.
• a hungry girl photos a 7-11. Clever girl, not getting thrown out by the employees for taking photos in the store. Don't miss her guide to Taipei restaurants.
• Red A with a great post on the move of a Taiwan furniture firm to Bangladesh.
• Patrick C wonders are your security guards as useless as mine?
• Far Eastern Sweet Potato with an excellent piece on the recent arms purchases.
• Great shots of Hsimending from decades ago.
• Tainan Guide visits the Sihcao Artillery fort. I love this blog!
• Paul Katz with a great post on the China Beat about the First Lady.
• Ma thinks the people on both sides belong to the Chinese nation.
• a-gu translates an editorial on the idealistic platform needed by the DPP. I think the party needs more organization at the local level, or else it really won't matter what platform it adopts.
• A thorough analysis of ECFA from Professor Kenneth Lin.
• Bob Honest on traffic problems here
• Taiwan in Cycles on our great ride in Miaoli on Saturday.
• Facing China on Americans in southern Taiwan 1960-1980

Tanzi and Fengyuan from the road up to Hsinshe.

MEDIA: Cool: a cruise ship full of gay men shows up and the government gives them guides to gay night life. If only it would recognize ARCs through gay marriage... State run company to run new Aerotropolis. No, that is not a city in a '30s radio serial. Next round of Embracing China's Formosan Annexation (ECFA) talks to begin on Wed, March 31. 2,000 Chinese students to enter 73 eligible Taiwan universities. British national arrested in hit and run. Foreigners stop line jumpers at Lanyu airport: good work folks. Taiwan exports to grow 19.9% this year. Imagine it: China has not been quick to return fugitives from the law in Taiwan. The Ministry of Education wants to increase the amount of Chinese history in the curriculum. I think this is great; the Administration is obviously deeply out of touch with mainstream Taiwanese thinking on the issue. Anyone recall the KMT criticisms of the DPP for "politicizing education" whenever they increased local knowledge in the curriculum? KMT legislators object to seminars promoting ECFA. Former AIT official Nat Bellocchi asks does ECFA benefit Taiwan...or the US? Scary: Nature review finds that soils emitting more C02 as planet warms.

Just another day at 7-11

RIDE SCHEDULE: I've set up a permanent link on the sidebar to the left where I will be posting the rides I know about each month. Drew at Taiwan in Cycles also posts rides at the top of his blog. April is unfortunately a tough month for me, but things should ease in May. In June, the weekend of the 19th, I've decided to take another crack at Taroko Gorge and Hehuanshan. Hope to see you there.

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