Dogs' Portrait + Mullet Roe + Travel + F-16

choi

(1) Christie Chen, Capturing the Moment of Death -- for Dogs. CNA, Feb 19, 2012.
http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/W ... amp;ID=201202190006
("Since then [2 years ago], he [photographer TOU Yun-fei] has photographed over 400 dogs before they are put to death")

Quote:

"[Taiwan] Government statistics show that 880,950 stray animals have been captured and sent to the 38 government-funded animal pounds in Taiwan over the past decade, and 718,814 of them have been put to death through euthanasia. A majority of them were stray dogs. * * * They [animal rights activists] estimated that government shelters kill more than 200 dogs per day. * * * animals sent to the 38 government-run facilities are put to death if they are not picked up by their owners or adopted within 12 days.

"A humane euthanasia process involves giving the dogs tranquilizers, before giving them anesthesia and euthanasia drugs. But Tou said not all dogs were given tranquilizers. In some places, the costs of sedative tranquilizers have to be met by the veterinarians instead of the government, lowering the incentive for vets to use them during the euthanasia

"Instead of taking pictures of dogs locked in cages or the environment of the pounds, Tou chose instead to take portraits of the dogs

"Only around 60 percent of all dogs in Taiwan have implanted ID chips * * * and only 30 percent are neutered or spayed

(2) Grace Kuo, Mullet Roe Brings Gold to Taiwan’s Fishermen. Taiwan Today, Feb 19, 2012.
http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=186453&ctNode=1767

Quote:

"the history of mullet fishing in Taiwan can be traced back 400 years to Dutch colonial rule (1624-1662), when those who wanted to go after the fish had to register with officials and pay taxes. Licensed fishermen received an official stamp and a flag to fly from the bow of their vessel

The roe "was presented as tribute to the Chinese and Japanese royal families

Note: flathead mullet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flathead_mullet
(Mugil cephalus; found in coastal tropical and subtropical waters worldwide; Its length is typically 30 to 75 centimeters (12 to 30 inches); This species occurs worldwide, attested by other common names for this fish [including "grey mullet" near Taiwan; section 5 cuisine)

(3) Emmanuelle Tzeng and Elizabeth Hsu, Visa-Free Travel Sends Taiwanese Visitor Numbers to Europe Soaring. CNA, Feb 18, 2012.
http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/W ... amp;ID=201202180015

Quote:

"The number of Taiwanese travelers to Europe [Schengen Area specifically] has grown by nearly 40 percent since the European Union's visa waiver for Taiwan took effect on Jan 11, 2011 * * * The [Taiwan] Tourism Bureau figure counts only first-stop arrivals, and if Taiwanese travelers who fly to Europe from other countries are taken into account, the growth rate could be much higher

Canada "granted Taiwanese nationals visa-free entry at the end of 2010. More than 67,000 Taiwanese flew to Canada last year, up by 7.51 percent from the previous year, even as the number of Taiwanese travelers to North America fell 5.26 percent in 2011 to 473,259

Note: Schengen Area
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area
(comprises the territories of twenty-six European countries [including Switzerland]  that have implemented the Schengen Agreement signed in the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, in 1985)


(4) William Lowther, Texas senator pushes F-16 sale. Taipei Times, Feb 20, 2012 (available now).
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/ ... 12/02/20/2003525927

Quote:

"Republican US Senator John Cornyn announced on Friday that he was putting on hold the nomination of Mark Lippert as assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific Security affairs until the Obama administration comes up with a plan to address what he called 'Taiwan’s looming fighter shortfall.'

"At the same time, Republican US Representative Kenny Marchant, also from Texas, has introduced a statement into the Congressional Record saying: 'It is important that the F-16 deal for Taiwan not be further delayed.'

Note: Rep Marchant is a Republican from the 24th Congressional District of Texas serving suburbs and metropolitan areas between Dallas and Fort Worth.