This morning I watched five eagles soaring together over the mountains. They gather only at this time of the year. What a treat, to watch these magnificent birds circling and towering against a soft blue sky over rich green peaks.

無論支持誰，當作佈棋來分析，不得不承認，連戰大陸行這招實在漂亮。
陳水扁上國際新聞版時，除了319鬧劇外，只有夜郎自大，惹事生非。呂副總統潑婦罵街，唯恐天下不亂。台獨人士拜靖國神社，得意洋洋丟人海外。立委似乎只會打架。臺灣政壇聞名國際，如此而已，在國際輿論，唯有連戰設法解決問題(儘管這可能是陳連演黑臉白臉戲)。

明 張鼐 與姜箴勝門人
諦觀年來士大夫風尚愈趨愈下。鰓鰓惟異己者是除，私人是引。楚人為楚人出缺，秦人為秦人營遷；不論官方，不談才品。目中豈復有君父，而堪以服天下，挽世運乎?

像不像臺灣目前政壇?

若人欲了知自性，探痛究本。

It is a little known fact that Francis Scott Key was accompanied on his historic mission by his close Hispanic friend Jose, who was very short and extremely nearsighted. As he watched the bombardment of Ft McHenry, Key was concerned that his dear friend might not be able to witness the fighting, whereupon he uttered those immortal words:
Jose, can you see?

Stand back! Give me space, ladies and gentlemen, for I am about to make a contribution to the English language!
I have just finished eating one of those delicious banana + mango hybrids. As I was musing on the predicament that there is no name for them in English, inspiration struck! Bango!

While I'm at it, allow me to express my extreme dissatisfaction with the authorities at the MRT, Taipei's subway. I refer to the blue line, the 板南 Bannan Line. Anybody with the least bit of sense would know that that should be the YELLOW line. Who ever saw a blue Banana?

I mean, the fruit can be called a bango. Bango was not the sound of inspiration striking. The sound of inspiration striking is 昆陽昆陽昆陽.

On my way to the bus stop I passed three little first grade boys trying out two sets of roller blades. They had scrapes on their elbows and foreheads to attest to their progress. As I walked by, they called out, “Yugan! Where are you going?”
”To class. Do you know how to stop once you get going?”
“No.”
“Be careful, or else your parents will have to go down to the plains to find you.”
“Yugan, where are your dogs?”
“They are watching the house for me.”
“Yugan, when will you come back?”
“Tonight, after class.” I called out in English, “Be careful and have fun,” and kept going. I heard one of the boys exclaiming, “Yugan can speak English!”
“Really?”
“Yes, he just said something in English.”
They called after me, “Yugan, can you speak English?”
I said (in English), still going down to the bus “Of course, it's my native language.”
A voice drifted down, almost out of earshot ~ “I laaaaah byoooo!” Showing off his English: I love you. (don't get too sentimental. He probably has no idea what it means, beyond being English.)
Kids here know I'm different. They try to figure out why my eyes are different from anybody else in Wulai's, but they've seen me here all their lives, so they just accept that Yugan-with-the-dogs is a friend of my parents, our neighbor, a different sort of Tayal, that's all. Kids accept. It's only later that they learn to differentiate.

Golden Rule
Them that has the gold makes the rules.
~anonymous
金科玉律：金玉滿堂之家，治科定律。

一剎那三世
人生剎那剎那過。每剎那所見、所想、所決定、所選擇，含三世：過去、現在、未來。過去的經驗、習氣，決定如何面對當下、如何處理眼前事物、如何看待、如何反應。而每一剎那的處置，帶入未來，影響將來。故云，點點滴滴造成習慣，習慣造成個性，個性造成命運。
墨子說，未來不期，已過不留。
有人一生沒有活過。懵懵懂懂過日子，眼下的人生，從來沒有用心處理過。心在過去與未來中，但實際上從來沒有活過。馬馬虎虎過一生，行尸走肉，只是還有一口氣在時，沒封棺而已。

Have you ever noticed how casually smokers flick their butts on the ground wherever they are? In their hearts, to smokers our beautiful earth is nothing but an ashtray.

Somebody said, “The truly educated never graduate.”

I don't see it. The imbeciles in the Taiwan independence movement have made fools of themselves by worshipping at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, dedicated to all Japanese imperial soldiers who gave their lives in the fight against freedom, democracy, and human rights.
Have they considered how this might go over with ol' Dubya, the current president of the US? I quote from the White House biography of his father, George H W Bush, 41st President of the US.
The youngest pilot in the Navy when he received his wings, he flew 58 combat missions during World War II. On one mission over the Pacific as a torpedo bomber pilot he was shot down by Japanese antiaircraft fire and was rescued from the water by a U. S. submarine.
Do they expect that they will win points with Our Revered Leader by worshipping at the shrine of the guys who tried to kill his father? Saddam didn't even aim a gun at Dubya's daddy, and look what happened to him!

Let's Go Hiking!
I've got news for the experts, the ones who say there are 22 species of poisonous snakes in Taiwan. Make that 23. Recently someone caught a cobra in the mountains near the city (碧潭山), about two meters long, thicker than my bicep. Problem is, it wasn't our usual cobra (naja naja atra). It evidently came in from Southeast Asia in a load of logs.

God was my copilot, but we crashed in the mountains and I had to eat him.
~Anonymous

長久以來，我感覺到我認識的男人中，越是熱中台獨，越可能是大男人主義；說要台灣獨立，但是不准女性獨立:女人的存在，是為了要服務男人的。

台聯立委說抗戰期慰安婦是自願的、樂在其中的，這不僅是對慰安婦莫大的侮辱，而是對所有女性，甚至所有的人的人格的欺辱。我們為甚麼要忍受這種靈魂污染？民主是為了讓大官污衊我們的心靈嗎?

Thirty years ago, when discussion on the topic was forbidden, I noticed that the only people who were in favor of Taiwan independence were the landlords, the rich people who had lost their peasants when the KMT gave the land to the farmers. The landlords were reimbursed for their land, so they became wealthy, but they had lost their power, and Taiwan independence was a way for them to regain their dominance. In those days, the little guy was happy with the KMT, because he was able to buy shoes for his kids, and they had a better future ahead than toiling in the paddies and banana plantations for the landlords. The landlords never forgave the KMT, and poured money into opposition.

Since it became a hot topic, I have noticed that the more a man is in favor of independence, the more likely he is to be a male chauvinist who longs for the good old days when children obeyed their fathers and women obeyed their sons, husbands, and fathers.

During World War II, the Japanese, male chauvinists par excellence, dragged women from captive territories, mostly Korean and some from Taiwan, to serve as prostitutes for the imperial soldiers. They were euphemistically called comfort women.

Taiwan Independence leaders recently caused a furor by making a pilgrimage to worship at Japan's Yasukuni Shrine, the shrine to all Japanese soldiers who died fighting for imperialism, colonialism, fascism, aggression, and against democracy and human rights. Japan's actions during World War II were discussed. A Taiwan Independence legislator defended Japanese disregard for common decency by announcing that the comfort women from Taiwan went willingly and happily.

I rest my case.

台聯在日本靖國神社奴顏婢膝的表現，令人感覺他們真正的心願，不是臺灣獨立，而是希望臺灣又可以作為日本的殖民地、再一次享受作次等國民的滋味。

無恥。

Conversations you don't want to hear

I had errands to run near 師大/NTNU, so I stopped in the 仁X自助餐 X Cafeteria(All you Can Eat for 69NT). The lady behind the counter and a fat man (who looked a bit unbalanced) were screaming at each other.
Why don't you serve the food I want to eat?
I told you not to come back, why are you here again?
Because I want to see if you made the dishes I want!
I told you not to come back!
Her son, about 7, was walking back and forth between the tables bouncing a basketball. Her other son, just old enough to walk, was amusing himself by throwing chopsticks on the floor, which his mother patiently retrieved, as she continued her screaming match.
Regretting my choice of cafeterias, I chose a seat as far away from the counter as I could, right outside the kitchen. Between the shouting, I could hear the kitchen staff exclaiming:
Rat! Rat!
Go away, don't come over.
Hand me the lettuce.
When are you going to cook something I like to eat?
Rat! Rat!
Stay away! Stay away from me!
I don't want to see you here again!
Don't let it climb up onto the counter ~~ bang bang bang ~~ get it off the counter!
Look, there's another one.
Go away!
Just take your lunch and eat at home, don't come here anymore!
Have you washed the squash?
The rat left.
Which one?
The one that ran across the counter.
Oh, because there's still one under the sink.
Hand me the hot pepper.
Rat, rat!
What kind of food do you serve? Why don't you serve the food I like?
Is it the same one?
Just go home!
I'm not sure. Where are the tomatoes?
Rat, rat!
Another one?
Yes, look over there.
You're right.
Don't slam the door when you leave!
Why shouldn't I? Your food is all cold!
Is it still under the sink?
I told you to stay off the counter! ~~ bang bang bang ~~ Go away!

Fortunately, it is a vegetarian cafeteria, so I didn't have to worry about the ingredients of my lunch. Having paid my 69NT, I was entitled to go back for seconds, but the ambience was so overpowering that I bolted my food and bolted.

Better than April Fool's

From an article I am editing:
The American flag is sometimes called “Starts and strips.”