While oil prices tumble, fast food vendors are engaged in a flurry of price increases. Following MacDonald’s price increases of as much as 20 percent announced late last month, as of Dec. 17 Burger King also increased the prices of some of its products by as much as 25 percent. In response, the Consumers’ Foundation is calling on consumers to boycott the restaurants and not eat there.
With the present fall in international oil prices, transport costs have decreased. According to Burger King, however, the international cost of beef has increased by 40 percent, and white chicken meat has gone up by 10 percent. This, together with increases in rent and staffing costs, has left them with no alternative but to raise prices.
(Liberty Times, translated by Paul Cooper)
油價崩跌，速食業卻掀起漲風！繼麥當勞上月底宣布漲價，漲幅最高達百分之二十，十二月十七日起漢堡王也調漲部分產品價格，漲幅最高達百分之二十五。對此，消基會呼籲消費者拒吃抵制。
Photo: Wei Yi-chia, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者魏怡嘉
目前國際油價大跌，運輸成本下降，但漢堡王表示，國際牛肉價格漲四成，白肉雞漲一成多，加上租金、人事成本增加，不得不調漲。
（自由時報）
A: Singer Jay Chou is staging four shows at the Taipei Dome starting today. B: And he’s the first singer to ever hold concerts at the venue. A: I’m curious, how big is this “big egg” exactly? B: It can accommodate nearly 40,000 people and bring various kinds of business opportunities. A: This is the new “concert economy” trend. A: 歌王周杰倫從今天起，將一連4天在大巨蛋開唱。 B: 哇，周董可是首位在大巨蛋舉辦演唱會的歌手耶！ A: 大巨蛋到底有多大啊？真好奇。 B: 每場可容納近4萬人，還能帶來各種商機呢。 A: 嗯，這就是現在最夯的「演唱會經濟」。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
Have you ever wanted to go camping but were put off by the thought of setting up a tent, sleeping on hard ground and dealing with a lack of basic amenities? If so, glamping might be the perfect solution for you. Glamping, combining the words “glamorous” and “camping,” takes the outdoor experience to a whole new level. It offers the chance to enjoy nature while still having access to comfortable accommodation and modern conveniences. Instead of pitching a tent, you’ll stay in spacious, luxurious tents that are fully furnished and equipped with real beds, electricity and even en-suite facilities.
A: I’ve been a fan of singer Jay Chou for 24 years, since his debut in 2000. B: But this time, his Taipei Dome concerts have shed light on the issue of ticket scalping. A: Isn’t the law stricter after being amended last year? B: Yeah, ticket scalping is illegal, even if you only raise the price by NT$1 when reselling. A: Why aren’t scalpers afraid of getting caught? Maybe a real-name ticketing system would be better. A: 自從周杰倫2000年出道以來，我都已經追星24年了。 B: 不過這次大巨蛋開唱，他卻引爆黃牛票問題。 A: 去年修法後，法規不是變得比較嚴格？ B: 是啊，就算加價1元轉賣也算違法！ A: 黃牛們怎麼都抓不怕？或許票券「實名制」會更有用。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
When a large group of people struggles to reach a consensus, voting is often used to help make a decision. Surprisingly, humans are not the only animals that exhibit this type of democratic tendency. Several different species of animals demonstrate similar voting behavior. One of the most notable examples of animals engaging in this activity involves African buffalo. Ecologist Herbert Prins first observed herds of African buffalo performing voting behavior in the 1990s. Groups of African buffalo would pause under the intense midday sun and rest until dusk. Prins noticed that some buffalo would periodically stand up and gaze
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