tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post6106598547390569398..comments2023-10-22T18:25:39.688+08:00Comments on The View from Taiwan: Economic ImportunityMichael Turtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-9964514852719092272008-12-22T10:47:00.000+08:002008-12-22T10:47:00.000+08:00Just to keep this all in perspective:Just read in ...Just to keep this all in perspective:<BR/><BR/>Just read in the BBC news (12/21) that Brits are dumping their dogs, too. <BR/><BR/>And don't forget Nebraskans (USA) are dumping their teenage children after the new state law permitted parents to legally abandon their them at hospitals!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-92070820853614181182008-12-22T02:16:00.000+08:002008-12-22T02:16:00.000+08:00Yeah, big kudos to Reuters!Yeah, big kudos to Reuters!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-2048274344602002522008-12-21T09:05:00.000+08:002008-12-21T09:05:00.000+08:00But Michael, what does that picture of 煎餃 have to ...But Michael, what does that picture of 煎餃 have to do with melamine, ketamine and stray dogs?<BR/><BR/>Are you implying something??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-44837269047556035532008-12-21T02:43:00.000+08:002008-12-21T02:43:00.000+08:00The number of stray dogs in Taiwan is really quite...The number of stray dogs in Taiwan is really quite astonishing. Still, at least they tend to be well-behaved compared to the stray dog populations I've seen in other countries.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-76858939899216665752008-12-20T22:23:00.000+08:002008-12-20T22:23:00.000+08:00It's not hallucinogenic. Just a tranquilizer t...It's not hallucinogenic. Just a tranquilizer that significantly alters the normal relationship between mind and body. It can really be a hell of a lot of fun if you're with the right people - although it can also be intensely scary/exhilarating if you take a big line in one go (think Trainspotting where Renton seemingly disappears through the floor after his dealer exchanges a forged hit for a forged £20 note). <BR/><BR/>The foreigner teachers engulfed in the "I'm white, not staying here long and can therefore do whatever the fuck I like" bubble threw some legendary marathon parties when i lived in Taipei a few years ago. Very expensive cocaine, pills (bought over the counter by anyone from a nightclub on Nanjing east rd that closed at midday on weekends (shut down for the last time before I left)), freshly picked mushrooms, and lots of Ketamine and hash. Young, hedonistic, newly disposable income and a mindset that one's illegal actions have no negative consequences - a common combination in Taipei foreigners - leads to a hardcore scene at an intensity (and in a climate) rare in the west. A permanent trip to Mexico or Ibiza. Where having threesomes with a Taiwanese gangleader's wife is just part of the afterparty ride.<BR/> <BR/>Inevitably, some people can only stop when the bubble bursts on them - like that Canadian guy who got put away for trafficing Cocaine. <BR/><BR/>It seems to have been thus for many years in Taiwan. This is Mark's story from many years ago(skip to the end of the ads). watch the 3 parts before if you want the full context (recommended)). <BR/><BR/>http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QKmBhxYZV7c&feature=channel_pageAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-67624422102295953182008-12-20T11:17:00.000+08:002008-12-20T11:17:00.000+08:00it's sometimes used as an anaesthetic agent in kid...it's sometimes used as an anaesthetic agent in kids and it's supposed to be quite pleasant. It also causes anterograde amnesia apparently.Mashhoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04970664210850018220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-31771917924936875452008-12-20T10:16:00.000+08:002008-12-20T10:16:00.000+08:00Michael, it probably is. Back in HS in NYC I remem...Michael, it probably is. Back in HS in NYC I remember a bunch of kids on K all the time. Horse Tranquilizer they said it was. Small doses does that, large doses take you out.China Debunkedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12517300765261742442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-21555869507254984962008-12-20T09:27:00.000+08:002008-12-20T09:27:00.000+08:00It is nasty stuff. Every time I head about people ...It is nasty stuff. Every time I head about people OD-ing on K, I just have to shake my head. <BR/><BR/>From one website: "It mainly binds to and blocks glutamate receptors (also as N-P receptors) all over the brain. Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter. It turns on cell activity and is part of the computer-like on / off mechanism that underlies brain activity. <BR/><BR/>"Ketamine blocks glutamate activity, giving rise to either entire cell bank shutdown in some brain areas or changes in the way cell clusters integrate or interpret incoming data in others. Overall, the result is the much famed K-Hole effect: certain brain parts go into temporary hibernation, mainly the senses and physical sensations, while others - imagination, and other unnamed perceptions from the depths of the mind - are amplified".<BR/><BR/>What this means is that, at small doses, you feel kind of giddy, but at anything over a tiny dose, you go into a dissociative state where you may not be able to move and you are in an alternate reality. Some say it is a great experience, others say it is a nightmare. Regardless, you are effectively unable to function. <BR/><BR/>And to think... people actually go out of their way to find this stuff and do large quantities? Who wants to pay money to be put in a semi-vegetative state?<BR/><BR/>But it is cheap, easy to come by, and easy to split into portions, so suited for use among several people at house parties and such.... meaning it is perfect for young, affluent Asian kids who are looking for a quick high when Mom and Dad aren't around. By "perfect" I mean that it is suited to their momentary desires, not that it is a good thing.<BR/><BR/>You may have good kids, but as a parent, you should be aware of some of the stuff that is "en vogue".Tommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13552370490869601403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-39075938114445931272008-12-20T08:12:00.000+08:002008-12-20T08:12:00.000+08:00Is it really a hallucinogen? Because everyone says...Is it really a hallucinogen? Because everyone says it just puts you to sleep.Michael Turtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-2986910617712111882008-12-20T01:00:00.000+08:002008-12-20T01:00:00.000+08:00Ah - memories of weekend/typhoon long K fueled par...Ah - memories of weekend/typhoon long K fueled parties at the crocodile house come flooding back. <BR/><BR/>I remember landing in Taipei for the first time thinking that that was it for anything harder than whisky. Boy was I in for a surprise!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-29067798299827521692008-12-20T00:11:00.000+08:002008-12-20T00:11:00.000+08:00"...and when they say you can buy anything at a co...<B>"...and when they say you can buy anything at a convenience store in Taiwan, it's really true. But I'm sure tests will reveal it's not real ketamine, just melamine, recolored, like everything else out of China."</B><BR/><BR/>Funny!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com