Anyone looking for an example of how not to practice administrative neutrality could do worse than to look to the Taipei City Government.

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By Chiau Wen-yan 邱文彥
Nearly 3,000 tonnes of fish recently froze to death in Penghu. Some have attributed this natural disaster to the impact of drastic changes in the global climate -- ?an issue that deserves our long-term attention. However, one is tempted to ask why, under the same climatic conditions, the cobia fish farms in Little Liouciou (小琉球), Pingtung County, were unaffected? I believe the Penghu disaster was a result of both natural and manmade factors.

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By Sabina Sun 孫瑞穗
The rehearsal studio and warehouse of Taiwan's national treasure -- Cloud Gate Dance Theater (雲門舞集) -- in Bali Township (八里), Taipei County, was devastated by a fire last week. The finest of the troupe's work accumulated over 35 years was destroyed. This conflagration not only exposed the hardships suffered by artists working long-term in near poverty, but also highlighted the cultural oversight typical in many industrial cities and nations in a state of transition.

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By Frank Wu 吳豐山
Heated political debate in Taiwan has given rise to a proliferation of political talk shows on local TV. These programs are broadcast either in the afternoon or the evening, and to save on costs, reruns are shown throughout the day. Many of the commentators, including members of the media, who participate in these shows have become household names, earning them the sobriquet mingzui (名嘴).

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By Marilynn Marchione
The advice made her head spin: Have the lump removed. No, let them take the whole breast. Chemotherapy? Radiation? Everyone seemed to have an opinion.

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By George Monbiot
This is a column about how good intentions can run amok. It tells the story of how an honorable, intelligent man set out to avert environmental disaster and ended up accidentally promoting the economics of the slave trade. It shows how human lives can be priced and exchanged for goods and services.

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