Lunar-Melt Island

Freedom of the Press Restricted

2010-04-23T09:19:00.006+08:00

The changes in the personal data protection act will require reporters to first notify and gain approval from the person or persons written about before any article may be published. It also proposes to expand the definition of "personal data" from mostly electronically-transmitted information to include most forms of identification.

Taiwan News

Taipei Times

Happy 40th Earth Day

2010-04-22T23:46:00.001+08:00

HAPPY EARTH DAY

ECFA Televised Debate

2010-04-22T22:08:00.006+08:00

On Sunday April 25th, at 2pm, DPP Chair Chai-Ing-Wen will debate the President and KMT Chair Ma Ing-Jeou regarding the so-called "Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement", the central concern of the KMT since the party took office in May 2008. China and the KMT are poised to sign the framework in June.

The televised event is heartily anticipated, as no information on what the agreement entails has been released to the Taiwanese public, and the ECFA's name has changed rapidly over the course of the last year-and-a-half as the population of Taiwan consistently opposes it.

Since early April, the DPP has requested the ECFA documents to serve as a contextual basis for the debate- and a review of the resulting packet sent from the KMT last week reveals only that there is no actual "file" processing through the legislative body. The ECFA is somehow progressing without regard for even the branches of goverment.

What Taiwan sees is the way the KMT handles Taiwan's possible future: deferring to China. Recently, Taiwanese Tseng Yani, the LPGA Rookie of the Year in 2008 and champion of the Kraft Nabisco Championship on April 4 2010, was sponsored by a Chinese company on April 18th. Local media in Taiwan was surprisingly antagonised by the move, wondering if it wasn't a "taking of Taiwanese talent".

China's Next Crop

2010-04-22T21:27:00.006+08:00

Chinese education is negotiating with a few KMT politicians in Taiwan to allow Chinese students to enter Taiwan's universities and system of higher education.

The "students" are not let out of China until they are first trained in Mao doctrine, Marxism, English, and Politics, and profess to adhere to Mao's Communism.

The DPP legislators swiftly opposed the KMT-authored bill giving such students access to Taiwan for 28 years (each), denouncing the KMT orator as "selling Taiwan". KMT legislators (outnumbering the DPP legislators) rushed to begin the legislative meeting and pass the bill before the normal recording devices were turned on, but with the press cameras and microphones present, the ensuing fracas resulted in a halt on the bill as the hurriedly opened meeting was announced void.

2000 Taiwanese In Europe

2010-04-22T21:11:00.001+08:00

2,000 Taiwanese citizens remain stranded in European airports after the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull erupted on April 14th, until China Airlines was able to resume flights from Rome to Taipei on April 20th.

A Taiwanese man said he "wanted to kiss the ground of Taiwan" upon his arrival at Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei.

The thick cloud of debris ash and dust are a flight hazard; the renegade particles may settle into plane engines and endanger the mechanical functions during flight.

Iceland's volcanic eruptions cancelled all flights to and from the European continent, leaving travelers to scramble for bus tickets and face the rising prices of any means of travel.

The volcanic eruptions are continuing, although less ash is being released.

Sand Storm In the Air

2010-03-17T00:01:00.000+08:00

Sand and dust from China have drifted over the Taiwan Strait, polluting the skies in Taiwan. The air is harsher, and outdoor activities are discouraged.

I felt it on Monday. Forcasters say it will stay until Friday.

Los Angeles Dodgers Arrive 3-10-10

2010-03-12T01:09:00.005+08:00

In sports, the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team arrive in Taiwan for a three-day visit.
Bodygaurds, foreign press, and accomodations prove busy in the excitement. Taiwanese fans warmly welcome back Kuo Hong-chih and Hu Chin-lung, the two Taiwanese on the Dodgers team.

"Twitpic of the Day: I took the Dodgers to Taiwan in '93. This year's club is on their way to Taiwan now."

Source: TommyLasorda http://twitpic.com/17so6r

Manny Ramirez, Taiwan natives Kuo Hong-chih and Hu Chin-lung.

Exhibition Information, Location, Times.

Minister for Justice [王清峰] Steps Down

2010-03-12T00:44:00.003+08:00

Taiwan's Minister for Justice Ms Wang Ching Feng [王清峰] of the KMT is relieved of her duties as of 11:53pm, March 11th 2010, as Taiwan riles to anger over her comments throughout the day against capital punishment.

The suddenly staged "human rights" platform met against televised testimonials from the relatives of murder victims in the last few decades of Taiwan.

Bai Bing Bing, a Taiwanese actress and host whose daughter was kidnapped and murdered, asks "who is behind, supporting her? Who gives her this power?".

Meanwhile, Ms Wang's notion of the so-called "international trend towards staying executions" and her arguement that "for her to step down would be an international joke" were heavily discussed by the Taiwanese population on political discussion and viewer-call-in programmes.

Her reference to support from the President's office voided, government offices only offered to say "all by the course of law"「依法行政」.

228, Taiwan History

2010-02-28T12:18:00.006+08:00

Febraury 28th is one of the saddest days in Taiwan history.

In 1947, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) incited violence during a peaceful protesters rally on the International Day of Peace, and massacred the tens of thousands of Taiwanese voices that defied their regime that night.

The citizens of Taiwan were under a haze of martial law. Then on February 28th 1980, exactly 30 years ago, the black gloves central to the KMT shortened the lives of the family of lawyer Lin Yi Shion (林義雄) while he and others defended the publishers of the indepedent, popular, and non-Party (there was only one political Party) "Beautiful Island Magazine" (美麗島雜誌).

Last Night's Memorial Rally

The Lantern Festival Lights Up

2010-02-28T11:54:00.005+08:00

Today is the Lantern Festival!

It's a lot of merrymaking and fun, and fireworks have already been set off since the night before.

It is celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month, which differs in its actual date each year, and it is the last day of the Lunar New Year festivities.

Fireworks, lanterns, and parades of elaborately shaped creations light up the entire night in asian cultures.

Children hold paper lanterns that are often shaped like the zodiac animal for the year, and families eat a [tang yuan] that is made a little differently than the kind from the Winter Solstice, mostly with regional adaptations.

Chilean Earthquake, Tsunami Warnings in the Pacific

2010-02-28T11:20:00.004+08:00

Chile, Russia, Alaska and the US West Coast, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand were on tsunami alert after the 8.8 magnitude earthquake.

The previous day's quake in Okinawa (Japanese Island near Taiwan) generated alerts as well.

A tsunami is the rubberband effect from a seismic activity after the waves draw towards the epicenter of the earthquake, then push back, outward and forwards, towards the coasts in a rushing series of large waves.

As of now, only Russia, New Zealand, and Japan are officially on high alert.

DPP Win 3 of 4 Legislative Seats

2010-02-27T18:50:00.009+08:00

The DPP candidates for the four legislative seats.

February 27th, voting 8am-4pm.

Hsinchu County (新竹縣),       彭紹瑾 (#1) 71,625 wins by 15,283 votes.
Taoyuan County (桃園縣),    黃仁杼 (#3) 45,363 wins by 2,763 votes.
Chiayi County (嘉義縣),            陳明文 (also a #1) 57,451 wins by 30,313 votes.
Hualien County (花連縣),     蕭美琴 (#2) loss by 6000 votes, 33,249 to 39,379 王廷升, KMT.

Lunar New Year

2010-02-08T21:40:00.006+08:00

Happy Lunar New Year to everyone~

It is the Year of the Tiger in the Mandarin Zodiac this year:

It does appear that 2010 will be a fierce year for Taiwan.
Strangely, the economy is reporting higher earnings, while the homelessness rate is tragically breaking the nation's records. It might be a mightily happy Lunar New Year for some, a time for shopping and carousing, and perhaps for a lot of government workers especially; but when will the Government spend to strengthen public health and welfare, to lessen the unemployment rate? Really, help the economy in a bigger way than reduced-prices on already OVER priced items, and help the citizens in a bigger way than the recently proposed bans on the sale of charcoal being used in suicide attempts around the northern cities.

God Bless.

Speeding KMT

2010-01-19T18:13:00.018+08:00

An idea is suddenly a new law?

That's What Happened these last two days in Taiwan's legislative bureau.

The scrambling of the legislators on Jan. 18 was their respective attempts to stop or aid the final strike of the gavel in the passing of an amendment. KMT refers to the heavy-handed day of action as "The Way A Political Party Should Act".

After the first week of getting along with the 3 new (DPP) legislators at the office, the KMT realises they might lose more seats in the next legislators election on Feb. 27th, and suddenly rushes through an amendment that makes voting for local representatives effectively useless.

It basically establishes that while Taiwan continues to vote for their regional representatives, the people working FOR the regional representatives are now appointed by the KMT and not the representative.

There's another problem-

The amendment supposedly passed with 68 votes, but all the legislators were on stage with not one seated to cast a vote. This is the creation of paper so-called evidence; legislator and FTV founder Chai Tong Rong refers to it as "The Darkest Era".

It is democracy speeding in reverse.

Chai Tong Rong appears on news channel 53's 頭家來開講 ("Head of House Opens Talks") with a clear message, Taiwan is being forced to face a future with "No Choice".

3 Counties, Green 100% !

2010-01-09T18:13:00.017+08:00

Headline: KMT's Taitung candidate admits defeat.

Taoyuan, Taichung, Taitung - after today's legislator's election these three areas are centres of the Democratic Progressive Party.

The FINAL Vote Count

Taoyuan 桃園

【郭榮宗 (DPP) 53.633 votes /
    陳麗玲 (KMT) 36,989 votes /
    彭添富（no party）1760 votes】

Taichung 台中
【簡肇棟 (DPP) 63,335 votes /
    余文欽 (KMT) 51,776 votes 】

Taitung 台東
【賴坤成 (DPP) 23,190 votes /
    鄺麗貞 (KMT) 21,215 votes /
    洪銘堅（no Party）2482 votes】

~ Green Taiwan ~

Next vote: four legislators election on February 27.

Please Feed The Fish

2010-01-07T00:11:00.011+08:00

The blog's fish tank was missing a few fish.
It seems they digi-evolved "discontentment".

They're probably hiding from American beef.
"You Are What You Eat", my fish complained.

That explains mad cows.
Mad cow disease started in cows that were fed the innards of "past" cows, and then the diseased cells live on in the dirt even after the diseased animal is burned.

Happily, US cow innards is not allowed in Taiwan, but what about the rest of the cow?

Cloned cows were almost pushed to market in the US during the last decade, despite intense anger over the mad-cow epidemic throughout the Americas and Europe.
Finally, a horrific picture splashed onto the news: "leg-growing-from-calf-head" doesn't even begin to describe it. The cloned cows were not heard from again.

Mad Cow Disease spreads, that is fatally certain, and then there is The Madness of the Cow-Industry, from which there seems to be no cure.

New Year, New Decade, More Posts

2010-01-01T14:54:00.006+08:00

~ Wishing Everyone A Happy New Year!

Thanks to all the readers and passersby on these happy InternetS~
I'll keep doing what I do through the happy next DecadeS.

HAPPY 2010!

EVENTS

2009-12-29T13:21:00.014+08:00

December 26, 2009-

The day after Chen Yunlin's return to China, Far Sight Magazine's national survey (遠見民調) asks Taiwan's view on the Trustworthiness, Reliability

of DPP Chair Tsai Ing Wen (蔡英文)

and of President and KMT Chair Ma Ing Jiu (馬英九).

The Results of the Poll:

Tsai In Wen 51.8% > Ma Ing Jiu 43.5%

Democratic Progressive Party (民進黨) 41.2% > Kuo Ming Tang (國民黨) 40.6%

January 9th 2010-

Three senator's seats are up for re-election, a chance for change in Taiwan's legislative situation.

Beijing vs. Liu Xiaobo 劉曉波

2009-12-26T11:40:00.025+08:00

China's treatment of human right's activist and author Liu Xiaobo (劉曉波) is a reminder of the values system at Beijing's core- the dream of democracy is denied.

The western world knows democracy and free speech.
What is free speech in the Mandarin half of the world?

Modern Chinese media stores sell bright red CDs with songs titled "THE SUN IS THE MOST RED, CHAIRMAN MAO IS THE MOST FAMILIAR"
("太陽最紅﹐毛主席最親").

Communist China, carrying its own crushing weight most familiarly.

Po, 小波. 曉波.

China, Free Handcuffs?

2009-12-24T13:39:00.021+08:00

The KMT in Taiwan allows the Chinese visits to turn Taiwan's pressured police against the country's people. The handcuffs come flying out as unnecessary assertion from police confuses the protesters.

SET News footage, Channel 54.

FTV News Channel 53.
Daily show, 8:30 pm Monday to Friday,
Repeat at 1am, also in 9 parts on YouTube.
The China-made visitor watches this when he's hiding in the hotel.

Christmas Eve 平安夜

2009-12-24T09:36:00.023+08:00

It'll be Christmas Eve today. Happiest Christmas to everyone!

Being in Taiwan makes me nostalgic for when the shops were decorated with ribbons and bows and all December was a countdown to the night of "Santa Clause" (a dubious character at best, but let that slide for now).

Still, the true meaning of Christmas needs no decoration and is with us wherever we go. It warms the heart, and maybe being in a place where my favourite holiday is a foreign import makes the Christmas message strangely more accessible, more prominent.

At least there isn't any eco-unfriendly wrapping paper getting in the way.

It's lovely Christmas Island for us.

Chen Yunlin's Woes

2009-12-23T19:30:00.008+08:00

Everywhere Chen Yunlin goes on this self-proclaimed "historic cross-strait meeting", he hears the voices of the Taiwanese protest.

His obvious nervousness is well-warranted; he can feel that his words lose any meaning before anyone besides himself.

Taiwan already knows where his heart is, what his mission is, and can repeat his thoughts back to him, daily.

The KMT leaders, single-mindedly driven to become "historic", would do well to learn from Chen Yunlin, perhaps borrowing his ears as they seem to be working.

Freedom Of Speech Is In Taiwan

2009-12-23T12:39:00.014+08:00

Protests against China and the KMT's ECFA operation continues with increasing clarity and strength. Taiwan is a complete country, and China is a completely different country.

ECFA disguises itself as a progressive "free-trade agreement"- covering geographic re-regulation under the guise of economic freedoms.

Taiwan already has its economic freedom.
Taiwan also has the freedom of Speech.

What is freedom and progress?
The chinese population are heavily censored, sedated;
Taiwan carries its free speech throughout its streets and everywhere Taiwanese people will go.
The seeds of freedom are on fertile ground in Taiwan; Asia sees, and already choses to foster this chance for changes.

12.21.09.
Taiwanese Protesters Know The Meaning of Christmas. Does China Know?

12.22.09.
The Long Sit In. "We are Proudly Taiwanese".

(1:10 min) "78 years old, are you tired?"- "No, I love Taiwan and I'm not tired".

Introducing 冬至, the Winter Solstice

2009-12-22T11:08:00.018+08:00

Today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year; it is followed by a lengthening of the days and shortening of the nights.

In Taiwan it is a big winter holiday for family gatherings. Age is marked by how many solstices a person has celebrated.
The tradition includes eating "tang yuan" 湯圓- colourful chewy spheres made from rice that is glutinous, meaning it'll stick together and become a little ball that is often made pink or white.

冬至 Pictures, from Kinmen Island (a Taiwanese province and military base west of Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait).

Also tonight, a new drama starts on FTV in high definition, Night Market Life.
Taiwan's Night Markets are really spectacular- there's a lot of regional foods, shopping, and even cell phone repair- and this series is about the people who make a living there.

DPP Chair Tsai Ing Wen 蔡英文 Highlights Unemployment 12.18.09

2009-12-21T13:47:00.014+08:00

Transcription (I'm trying my best):

" Our society is already in a state of high unemployment,

the ECFA, or to speed towards pulling the cross-strait economic relationship with China closer, will increase our unemployment pressures.

(0:32) So this problem is very simple, it is unemployment, unemployment, and unemployment.

A job's importance includes a social value, the lack of a job hinders each person's self esteem.

In the 80s, when I [Tsai Ing Wen] was studying in England, England was in a state of economic hardship and unemployment was a problem, and it reflected in society.

I did not think that 20 years later, in Taiwan, we would still have to feel the weight that unemployment places on a society.

We must have our government respond, thinking thoroughly.

They are the people with jobs now, perhaps it is difficult now for them to understand the unemployed and their feelings concerning "where will my next job be?", or those who are working but wondering "how long can I keep my job?".

This is a question that the population is keeping in their thoughts.

However, it seems our government is not willing to understand the people's hardships and take actions for the people; the government is working only to placate the people concerning their daily troubles.

The government is passing off the ECFA as harmless, even daring to tell us that employment WILL increase if we do not sign it, that we must sign, and the sooner the better.

Without proper discussion, providing any necessary information, and headed on a one-way path, nothing is explained, communicated,

there is only China's circles; and this kind of brainwashing creates discontent within a democratic society (3:00) ".

Taichung's Movement

2009-12-21T12:15:00.011+08:00

"Break Open The Dark Box, Defend Taiwan's Jobs"

Welcome to the Protest. Sunday, December 20, '09.

For Humanity

2009-12-20T16:00:00.004+08:00

Taiwan Rallies Against Oppression- Yes, it starts TODAY.

Nobody In China

2009-12-19T09:07:00.002+08:00

If I hear the phrase "Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province" one more time- I'm going to start blogging about it.

The way the Chinese happily throw that phrase around so often, you would think that NOBODY in China has seen Star Wars- a notion that seems ridiculous at first, but then becomes very, very plausible.
Let's break it down for them.
Transmission to China: The "REBEL" Alliance WINS.

Comparisons-

Taiwan, Luke

Hong Kong, Leia

Corrupted KMT, Vader

Communist China, Palpatine

Japan, R2D2

The UN, The Wookiee Army

Stay Tuned...

The Island

2009-12-16T23:00:00.001+08:00

How is this possible?! It is a.l.m.o.s.t. TOO cute.

"Kyaaaaaah~~~" I keep staring at it.

I didn't make this.

陳雲林 Chen YunLin Tries To Steal Christmas

2009-12-16T22:28:00.005+08:00

China's emissary Chen YunLin (陳雲林) is visiting Taichung, Taiwan, to discuss ECFA from December 21 to 25, in a desperate effort to ruin the holiday season and good will towards men in the usually relaxed and sunny central city.

His visit to Taipei City last November was met with more animosity than he thought the Taiwanese people capable of.

In one of the calmer moments outside the Jing Hua Hotel in Taipei, satirical cartoonist "Fisherman" (魚夫) leads a protest with the founder of Ming Shi FTV 民視, a channel prominent in the Pro-Democracy movement, Mr Chai Tong Rong (at 3:45min.).

This year, the KMT have "asked" many stores along Taichung's wider streets to close shop days before the arrival, hindering daily business to give the Chinese man the impression of a warm reception, and wasting Taiwan's tax dollars on bodygaurds for the visitor that has already overstayed his welcome.

Thus, Fisherman is among the many media personalities calling the nation's population to document the behavioural details of Mr Chen during this visit: through the widespread use of mobile phones, live videos, and footage uploads to Youtube.com, the idea is to "catch him alive", so to speak.

Chen YunLin's persistent visits to our country aggravate the traffic, business, and livelihood of the busy Taiwanese people enough without the distractions (barriers) put in place by the fiscally irresponsible KMT. We are not impressed. Go Away: "Do not pass GO, do not collect 200 dollars".

The Octopus That Smartly Keeps Its Coconut

2009-12-15T22:57:00.003+08:00

A clever octopus adopts a coconut and reuses it as a mobile home. Just when we think we've seen it all (or most of it), the mysteries of the deep astounds us again. The sea deserves our respect, and it needs our care and responsible protection.

The creature that cares for the environment also cares for itself.

Coincidentally, this octopus offers a great step in understanding the coconut's "migratory patterns" (and the royal troubles with royal logic)-

Captain: ICEBERG, Straight, oh, You Know Already

2009-12-15T01:43:00.005+08:00

NASA Satellite picture. "I don't see the dim sum, I thought you said this is Hong Kong?"

The Copenhagen Climate Conference is finally on, and with the people that need to be there Being There.

I hope their talks get somewhere fast.

While the delegates exchange political niceties and sit stone-faced across from each other, worrying about their respective governments and their own Mega Futures, there is an iceberg twice the size of Hong Kong speeding towards Australia.

This B171B iceberg, 87 square miles and weighing 200 billion tonnes, isn't the first to encroach on New Zealand and Australia's seas. The news about the icy goliaths have been on heavy rotation in Taiwan's media recently, but there has been an influx of icebergs nearing New Zealand since 2006. There is a flotilla of them, by the hundreds, making the seas more dangerous, especially wth the business of containers shipping still fastly growing.

Some people think this has nothing to do with "global warming", but is an effect of "Changing Weather Patterns".

That is just a new name for global warming, because "global warming" is now so blatantly obvious that it is becoming taboo. It just isn't politically sound to defer to it.
Changing weather patterns, is it? The increase in carbon dioxide levels in the air from our blind industrialisation and globalisation have nothing to do with the hot weather we're having then? The topic has been in the air (ignored) for at least 30 years, and now, when it matters, it seems so passé to admit to human error.

A traveling oil tanker the width of six lanes of open freeway and 300 metres long takes 2.4 kilometres or 1.5 miles to come to a complete stop. I wonder how people will stop the traveling icebergs, the rise in sea levels, and the melting icecaps.

Happy Human Rights Day

2009-12-13T02:26:00.007+08:00

December 12th is a significant day in the important history of our growing democracy of Taiwan. The prolific spawning of Taiwanese journalism and creative "web-friends" makes for a different news coverage than what was offered 30 years ago, when the Mei Li Dao magazine publishers and over 50 "out-of-Party" civilians were jailed and subjected to a military court hearing. Although news cameras were permitted during the proceedings, the coverage was minimal and biased, constucted to be ignored by the citizens of Taiwan.

The recent mayoral and provincial magistrates election results shook the foundations of the KMT, the dominating, and only, party in Taiwan from 1949 to 2000. The comparatively young Democratic Progressive Party won 46% of voters last week, up from their 38% voter-base in May 2008, with the KMT figures at 48% of votes.

The next round of highly scrutinised, and deeply internationally-influenced, peacable arenas in the daily progression of human rights in East Asia is already programmed. The protested impending visit of China's emissary Chen Yuin Ling on December 21 (the first since his visit in November 2008 was aptly complicated by Taiwan's citizen's rallies), the January 2010 legislators election, and 2010's Five Cities mayoral election are waiting for their Day.

Emo Winter

2008-11-20T23:00:00.006+08:00

~~It's winter again.~~