In another place and another time, Hawaiian Tom might have named rivers or
cities after himself, but in present-day Taiwan, he is satisfied with a
namesake that's a big, rockin' party: Tomstock. First held at Tom's house
six years ago, Tomstock has slowly grown into something of a legend.
According to the stories of those who're returned, more often than not
wobbling back down the slopes of Yangmingshan, it takes on the ring of the
kind of house party they make movies about.
This year there will be nine bands, and pretty much all of them will feed
the upbeat, summertime, outdoor, party vibe. The groups include ska from the
Walltigers, longtime aboriginal rocker Goumao (狗毛), groove rock and soul
from Chungli bands the Anglers and the Smoking Cones, triphop and live funk
from Sister, Dexter and English, and jamaholic bands Cricket and Gravity.
The fest begins tomorrow at 3pm, and the bands will go until midnight. At
that point, the organizers say it is likely that people will stick around
banging pots and pans and African drums, praying for rain.
Admission is NT$300, and beer and food will be available at reasonable
prices, though bringing your own is freely permitted. Tom's house is located
north of Taipei on Yangmingshan at 150 Yungkung Rd., Lane 245, Alley 34
(永公路245巷34弄150號). Practical strategies toward getting there include
taking the MRT to Shihlin Station (士林站), then taking a taxi, or driving
up Chungshan N. Rd. (中山北路) to Chungcheng Rd. (中正路), where you make a
right and continue up the mountain.
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
March 31 to April 6 On May 13, 1950, National Taiwan University Hospital otolaryngologist Su You-peng (蘇友鵬) was summoned to the director’s office. He thought someone had complained about him practicing the violin at night, but when he entered the room, he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw several burly men who appeared to be government secret agents, and three other resident doctors: internist Hsu Chiang (許強), dermatologist Hu Pao-chen (胡寶珍) and ophthalmologist Hu Hsin-lin (胡鑫麟). They were handcuffed, herded onto two jeeps and taken to the Secrecy Bureau (保密局) for questioning. Su was still in his doctor’s robes at
Last week the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said that the budget cuts voted for by the China-aligned parties in the legislature, are intended to force the DPP to hike electricity rates. The public would then blame it for the rate hike. It’s fairly clear that the first part of that is correct. Slashing the budget of state-run Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) is a move intended to cause discontent with the DPP when electricity rates go up. Taipower’s debt, NT$422.9 billion (US$12.78 billion), is one of the numerous permanent crises created by the nation’s construction-industrial state and the developmentalist mentality it
Experts say that the devastating earthquake in Myanmar on Friday was likely the strongest to hit the country in decades, with disaster modeling suggesting thousands could be dead. Automatic assessments from the US Geological Survey (USGS) said the shallow 7.7-magnitude quake northwest of the central Myanmar city of Sagaing triggered a red alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. “High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread,” it said, locating the epicentre near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay, home to more than a million people. Myanmar’s ruling junta said on Saturday morning that the number killed had