Daily Links, Nov 28, 2011

Yikes! This year is almost over!

Last week I got a Kindle from Amazon, the international version with keyboard, 3G, and wireless. Awesome. It's like rediscovering reading again; at last I can have a ton of books with me wherever I go, keeping up with my insatiable lust for new things to read. I'm reading all the old copyright-lapsed SF on Project Gutenberg at the moment, plus a bunch of free SF I've found on the net (at Baen, for example). I have no complaint at all about the Kindle itself, but the prices of e-books are often ridiculous (8 bucks for a Larry Niven book that's almost 40 years old? Puh-lease). Luckily, the internet is awash in free e-books.

Don't miss: Drew's awesome 250 km ride over Alishan and back in a day. Incredible pics from one of the most inspirational riders I know.

Dems Abroad Taiwan will hold a get-together and farewell party this Wednesday, Nov. 30th from 7 pm to 10 pm at Carnegie's on Anhe Rd in Taipei. Very longtime Taiwan resident and DA Taiwan Chair Jason Echols will be relocating to Denver, and he'd like to see you all before he goes!

BLOGS:

• Frozen Garlic on the hoo-ha over PFP Veep candidate's American citizenship -- is it a plot to terminate the Soong candidacy without his appearing to lose? Could well be. 
• Also, FG's prediction about the LY. Looks better than I thought it would four years ago. 
• Hiking Hsueh Shan with pretty pics.
• Wings Taiwan. After reading that, I won't be going paragliding....
• Pat on Taiwanese guards at Japanese POW camps
• Lao Ren Cha  on being in Taiwan for the holidays. I always thought one of the best things about Taiwan was its lack of American holidays, which, as a proper expat curmudgeon, I detest. 
• Laowu B and B in Shuili. Looks delicious.
• Alive and Kicking with pics of paper umbrellas from Meinong.
• China in Africa, an interview through Chinese eyes.
• OzSoapBox on the ridiculous flow of lawsuits and countersuits in the case of Ma allegedly meeting with a major international gambling figure. Jason points out the same, and how stupid it was, since Ma looks like he is assaulting both press and speech freedoms. 
• A Thanksgiving Cha Xi!
• Cross-strait CBMs: done in secret by a secret task force?
• Global Voices, with photos of China compared to other countries. A couple show Taiwan, including, significantly, people protesting Ma. The democracy that the Taiwanese built is an inspiration to the Chinese.

MEDIA:

• Ethan Gutmann's heartbreaking account of Chinese organ harvesting in Xinjiang.
• Ma's new book, once again referencing his propaganda understanding of Taiwan as a Confucian state.
• China's muted response to the US blitz in Asia.
• Haha. The Mainland Affairs Council holds Global Village contest. It's all about unification, of course, because the Global Village consisted of questions about China and Taiwan.... if you've been thinking their polls mean anything, remember this contest. 
• Ma-Tsai debates are coming soon. 
• Always the master of logic, Ma denies that he is Beijing's favored boy, because China still points missiles at Taiwan. 
• Taiwan Today on how Taiwan should face challenges from the slow world economy, Korea, and other issues. 
• Taiwan passes investment agreement with Japan
• Taiwan diplomat who abused Filipino maid to be deported
• Taiwan's financial regulator says it will table proposal to let Chinese banks buy into Taiwan banks. Until after the election the end of the year. 
• In addition to the DPP and KMT suits, Soong is suing the China Times over allegations that he asked Ma to appoint pals to key offices. 
• Taiwan stocks recover a little after hitting historic lows.

EVENTS:

• North American Taiwan Studies Association Annual Conference, June 8-9, 2012: website, Facebook
• CFP for the Tamkang U conference on American Foreign Policy and the New Global Milieu. Topics are 1. U.S. and the Rise of China. 2. Challenge and Opportunity for U.S.-Latin American Relationship. 3. The Current and Future State of U.S.-European Relations. 4. U.S. Role in Global Strategic Affairs. Submit papers to: tifx@www2.tku.edu.tw
• CONFIRM BY TOMORROW! The Third Annual KIDZ Charity Gala will be held on Sunday, December 4th, 2011 at the Windsor Hotel. It is one of the most elegant and unique formal galas held in Central Taiwan featuring a night of fine dining with a live band, an open bar, childrens’ performances, and a silent auction. Guests include the deputy mayor of Taichung as well as numerous CEOs and Presidents of large Taichung companies. 今年，第三屆 兒童慈善募款晚會將在台中裕元酒店舉行，日期定為2011年12月4日（星期日）。是一個極具特色美食的晚宴，開放的酒吧，兒童演出，和無聲拍賣及現場live音樂演出，是一個在中部地區少有而獨特優雅的正式晚宴之一。嘉賓包括台中副市長，以及眾多的產業負責人和大台中地區公司主管歡迎大家一起共襄盛舉。 — 在 Windsor Hotel - Taichung Taiwan
  
  Please confirm your ticket order no later than Nov. 29 thanks
  請於11月29日完成購票手續謝謝合作
  River Chen, Taichung AmCham Coordinator, coordinatoramchamtaichung@gmail.com
  

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[Taiwan] 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.