2009年9月27日 星期日
2009年7月24日 星期五
五大最髒景點 全在歐美！
更新日期:2009/07/24 00:09 旅遊中心／綜合報導
很多人都會選擇利用暑假出國玩，而知名旅遊網站就列出全球五大「細菌最多」的景點排行榜，但是這些地方並非是大家所認為衛生水準比較差的東南亞或非洲，五大排行榜中最髒的地方卻都在歐洲和美國。
在愛爾蘭布拉尼城堡下，一塊仰著頭才能親到的「雄辯之石」，據說親了它即能辯才無礙，估計去年就有40萬名遊客在此獻上香吻，不過旅遊網站也將這裡列為全球細菌最多的景點！
而細菌排行榜第二名，是位於美國西雅圖市場劇院外，從1993年至今用口香糖黏成的「口香糖牆」，許多遊客到此都會將吐出來的口香糖，通通黏在這座4.5公尺高的牆，16年來一層又一層黏，細菌量之高，令人不敢領教。
再來是位於巴黎拉榭思神父墓園的劇作家王爾德的墓碑，則是名列細菌最多景點的第三名，遊客親到連墓碑上「王爾德」的名字幾乎難以辨識。
美國加州好萊塢的明星手印地板，在中國戲院前有246位明星的手腳印，每年吸引約450萬追星族，遊客到此都會先摸一摸再拍照，也讓這裡成為細菌最多的第四名。
而排行榜第五名是威尼斯聖馬可廣場，光是廣場上的鴿子就有數千隻，鴿糞所帶來的衛生問題也令當地政府擔憂，於是在2年前便開始禁止餵食鴿子，使得鴿子數量明顯減少，也算是五大排行榜中唯一較積極減少細菌的景點。(新聞來源：東森新聞)
很多人都會選擇利用暑假出國玩，而知名旅遊網站就列出全球五大「細菌最多」的景點排行榜，但是這些地方並非是大家所認為衛生水準比較差的東南亞或非洲，五大排行榜中最髒的地方卻都在歐洲和美國。
在愛爾蘭布拉尼城堡下，一塊仰著頭才能親到的「雄辯之石」，據說親了它即能辯才無礙，估計去年就有40萬名遊客在此獻上香吻，不過旅遊網站也將這裡列為全球細菌最多的景點！
而細菌排行榜第二名，是位於美國西雅圖市場劇院外，從1993年至今用口香糖黏成的「口香糖牆」，許多遊客到此都會將吐出來的口香糖，通通黏在這座4.5公尺高的牆，16年來一層又一層黏，細菌量之高，令人不敢領教。
再來是位於巴黎拉榭思神父墓園的劇作家王爾德的墓碑，則是名列細菌最多景點的第三名，遊客親到連墓碑上「王爾德」的名字幾乎難以辨識。
美國加州好萊塢的明星手印地板，在中國戲院前有246位明星的手腳印，每年吸引約450萬追星族，遊客到此都會先摸一摸再拍照，也讓這裡成為細菌最多的第四名。
而排行榜第五名是威尼斯聖馬可廣場，光是廣場上的鴿子就有數千隻，鴿糞所帶來的衛生問題也令當地政府擔憂，於是在2年前便開始禁止餵食鴿子，使得鴿子數量明顯減少，也算是五大排行榜中唯一較積極減少細菌的景點。(新聞來源：東森新聞)
2009年7月15日 星期三
遊學篇-Why choosing UW extension school
這次參與由台大國際學術交流中心辦理的華盛頓大學暑期遊學團，收穫很多。首先因為中心只負責和華大的接洽，所以機票和簽證等手續都必須自己處理，一開始有點手忙腳亂，感謝中心陳小姐的提醒，總算辦妥手續，也算是學得一次經驗，相信以後如果再要出國對這些程序就不會感到慌亂。
華盛頓大學是一個很美麗的校園，每一棟建築都像古蹟一樣，有綠樹、花朵、噴水池，還有烏鴉、松鼠。每天在校園走路上課都很愜意，不過當要跨越校園撘公車時就會覺得校園太大了，所以我們很努力地在發現小路。
華大暑假還是有很多學生，有華大暑修課程的學生，更多的是短期課程和營隊的國際學生。我們參加的課程是三個星期的step program，每天早上上英文課，下午會有field trip。這其中包括兩天一夜住在Pack Forest（華大的實驗林），看一場棒球賽，或者還有其他因為課程而設計的活動，像我課程是選擇academic preparation，所以我們還有一次去旁聽華大的課程，讓我們對美國大學的上課方式更有體驗。
在華大的三個星期，我最主要感受到的是美國的學術文化。美國的上課方式彈性自由，老師和學生的距離比較接近，鼓勵學習和思考。我平常上課不太會主動發問，幾乎都是聽老師講解，不過在美國，就算每堂課都出席，如果都沒有在課堂上主動發言，老師還是會覺得這個學生的參與度不高，如果真的不敢在課堂上發言，那也可以在課堂外找老師討論或問問題，這樣都可以讓老師感受到你有主動學習。這些知識對我的幫助很大，讓我知道我可能有哪些地方需要加強，以及我習慣的學習方式和美國的學習方式有多少落差。
另外，老師也很用心在我們的寫作能力上，幾乎每天都有寫作的作業，可能是心得、摘述文章大意，或是其他類型的文章。老師改我們的作業時很認真，而且評語總是積極鼓勵的。三個星期下來，寫作能力也進步了不少。
我們班的同學感情很不錯，常常中午下課後一起去吃午餐，邊吃邊聊，我們有五個台灣人、四個日本人、兩個韓國人，和一個科威特人。聊天時常常交換各國特別的風俗民情，或是學習對方的語言。老師和我們的感情也很好，我們各自回國後還繼續保持聯絡呢！
三個星期的課程結束，不過這一段回憶真的很棒，不只學到英文，也體驗了美國的學術文化，更交到各國的朋友，是一個很值得推薦的遊學課程。
連結：http://www.ciae.ntu.edu.tw/Chinese/ntunewsletter/newsletter_001.aspx?id=P_00000119
華盛頓大學是一個很美麗的校園，每一棟建築都像古蹟一樣，有綠樹、花朵、噴水池，還有烏鴉、松鼠。每天在校園走路上課都很愜意，不過當要跨越校園撘公車時就會覺得校園太大了，所以我們很努力地在發現小路。
華大暑假還是有很多學生，有華大暑修課程的學生，更多的是短期課程和營隊的國際學生。我們參加的課程是三個星期的step program，每天早上上英文課，下午會有field trip。這其中包括兩天一夜住在Pack Forest（華大的實驗林），看一場棒球賽，或者還有其他因為課程而設計的活動，像我課程是選擇academic preparation，所以我們還有一次去旁聽華大的課程，讓我們對美國大學的上課方式更有體驗。
在華大的三個星期，我最主要感受到的是美國的學術文化。美國的上課方式彈性自由，老師和學生的距離比較接近，鼓勵學習和思考。我平常上課不太會主動發問，幾乎都是聽老師講解，不過在美國，就算每堂課都出席，如果都沒有在課堂上主動發言，老師還是會覺得這個學生的參與度不高，如果真的不敢在課堂上發言，那也可以在課堂外找老師討論或問問題，這樣都可以讓老師感受到你有主動學習。這些知識對我的幫助很大，讓我知道我可能有哪些地方需要加強，以及我習慣的學習方式和美國的學習方式有多少落差。
另外，老師也很用心在我們的寫作能力上，幾乎每天都有寫作的作業，可能是心得、摘述文章大意，或是其他類型的文章。老師改我們的作業時很認真，而且評語總是積極鼓勵的。三個星期下來，寫作能力也進步了不少。
我們班的同學感情很不錯，常常中午下課後一起去吃午餐，邊吃邊聊，我們有五個台灣人、四個日本人、兩個韓國人，和一個科威特人。聊天時常常交換各國特別的風俗民情，或是學習對方的語言。老師和我們的感情也很好，我們各自回國後還繼續保持聯絡呢！
三個星期的課程結束，不過這一段回憶真的很棒，不只學到英文，也體驗了美國的學術文化，更交到各國的朋友，是一個很值得推薦的遊學課程。
連結：http://www.ciae.ntu.edu.tw/Chinese/ntunewsletter/newsletter_001.aspx?id=P_00000119
2009年5月4日 星期一
05/05 News
April 30, 2009
Taiwan Takes Step Forward at U.N. Health Agency
By KEITH BRADSHER
HONG KONG — President Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan announced Wednesday that Chinese officials had dropped their objections to Taiwan’s participation as an observer at a United Nations body, a step forward in Taiwan’s effort to win greater international recognition.
China strongly hinted that it was prepared to let Taiwan participate in the World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the World Health Organization. But Beijing stopped short of explicitly saying that it had accepted a Taiwanese presence at a gathering of the assembly next month.
Mao Qunan, the spokesman for China’s Health Ministry, said in a statement that the World Health Organization had invited Taiwan to participate next month, adding that “the current arrangement reflects our overall concern and good will toward Taiwan compatriots, and this promotes the cross-strait relationship and the peaceful development of relations.”
The World Health Organization, preoccupied with the global spread of a new strain of influenza, had no immediate comment on Wednesday. Taiwan made its participation more palatable to the mainland by agreeing to use the name “Chinese Taipei” instead of its legal name, the Republic of China, or the name by which it is best known, Taiwan.
Mainland authorities blocked the W.H.O. from providing direct assistance to Taiwan during an outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, in the spring of 2003. Independence advocates on Taiwan have used that experience to denounce closer relations with the mainland.
The current threat of influenza around the world had raised the possibility that this could become a serious issue in cross-strait relations once again.
Relations between Taipei and Beijing have improved rapidly in the year since Mr. Ma took office, succeeding President Chen Shui-bian, who took a more confrontational tone. Cross-strait tourism and flights have expanded, China has sent pandas to the Taipei zoo and negotiators agreed last weekend to allow broader operations across the Taiwan Strait by Taiwanese and mainland businesses.
But Beijing’s longstanding efforts to woo Taiwan’s dwindling group of allies — mainly small countries in the Pacific, the Caribbean and Africa — left many Taiwanese afraid that their country would be isolated internationally, and contributed to popular support in Taiwan for participation in the World Health Assembly.
In an interview at the presidential palace in Taipei on Feb. 12, Mr. Ma was mostly conciliatory toward Beijing but emphatic that Taiwan’s international space be protected.
“There is a clear link between cross-strait relations and our international space,” he said then.
“We’re not asking for recognition; we only want room to breathe.”
Hsiao Bi-khim, the international affairs director of former President Chen’s Democratic Progressive Party, which is now the main opposition party, welcomed participation at next month’s meeting but expressed concern that the government had been negotiating with Beijing in considerable secrecy without consulting the opposition or the general public in Taiwan.
“This came about through black box negotiations,” she said. “We are concerned that our government has given out political concessions.”
Quote:
“There is a clear link between cross-strait relations and our international space.” President Ma said.
Comment:
Now we're still in a shadow of economic crisis and the spread of H1N1,though, over the past one week, there are some good news inspiring us. Such as China's "hot money" rushing to Taiwan, booming stock market, NTD standing back to the level of 1:33, and liittle change on Taiwan's international space. Through this news, I learned that it seems that everthing has something to do with politics. For example, Taiwan had a good performance during SARS's outbreak.Next year, we applied for entering WHA or U.N. Health Agency and then it came out to be failed owing to China's interfering.
Nowadays, with the improvement between cross-strait relations, China stopped objecting our participation to UN body finally. It dawned on me that it's no doubt our legal name is essential, but its influence on Taiwan's development should be shrinked. Otherwise, our society and benefit will not grow up in the long run.
Taiwan Takes Step Forward at U.N. Health Agency
By KEITH BRADSHER
HONG KONG — President Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan announced Wednesday that Chinese officials had dropped their objections to Taiwan’s participation as an observer at a United Nations body, a step forward in Taiwan’s effort to win greater international recognition.
China strongly hinted that it was prepared to let Taiwan participate in the World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the World Health Organization. But Beijing stopped short of explicitly saying that it had accepted a Taiwanese presence at a gathering of the assembly next month.
Mao Qunan, the spokesman for China’s Health Ministry, said in a statement that the World Health Organization had invited Taiwan to participate next month, adding that “the current arrangement reflects our overall concern and good will toward Taiwan compatriots, and this promotes the cross-strait relationship and the peaceful development of relations.”
The World Health Organization, preoccupied with the global spread of a new strain of influenza, had no immediate comment on Wednesday. Taiwan made its participation more palatable to the mainland by agreeing to use the name “Chinese Taipei” instead of its legal name, the Republic of China, or the name by which it is best known, Taiwan.
Mainland authorities blocked the W.H.O. from providing direct assistance to Taiwan during an outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, in the spring of 2003. Independence advocates on Taiwan have used that experience to denounce closer relations with the mainland.
The current threat of influenza around the world had raised the possibility that this could become a serious issue in cross-strait relations once again.
Relations between Taipei and Beijing have improved rapidly in the year since Mr. Ma took office, succeeding President Chen Shui-bian, who took a more confrontational tone. Cross-strait tourism and flights have expanded, China has sent pandas to the Taipei zoo and negotiators agreed last weekend to allow broader operations across the Taiwan Strait by Taiwanese and mainland businesses.
But Beijing’s longstanding efforts to woo Taiwan’s dwindling group of allies — mainly small countries in the Pacific, the Caribbean and Africa — left many Taiwanese afraid that their country would be isolated internationally, and contributed to popular support in Taiwan for participation in the World Health Assembly.
In an interview at the presidential palace in Taipei on Feb. 12, Mr. Ma was mostly conciliatory toward Beijing but emphatic that Taiwan’s international space be protected.
“There is a clear link between cross-strait relations and our international space,” he said then.
“We’re not asking for recognition; we only want room to breathe.”
Hsiao Bi-khim, the international affairs director of former President Chen’s Democratic Progressive Party, which is now the main opposition party, welcomed participation at next month’s meeting but expressed concern that the government had been negotiating with Beijing in considerable secrecy without consulting the opposition or the general public in Taiwan.
“This came about through black box negotiations,” she said. “We are concerned that our government has given out political concessions.”
Quote:
“There is a clear link between cross-strait relations and our international space.” President Ma said.
Comment:
Now we're still in a shadow of economic crisis and the spread of H1N1,though, over the past one week, there are some good news inspiring us. Such as China's "hot money" rushing to Taiwan, booming stock market, NTD standing back to the level of 1:33, and liittle change on Taiwan's international space. Through this news, I learned that it seems that everthing has something to do with politics. For example, Taiwan had a good performance during SARS's outbreak.Next year, we applied for entering WHA or U.N. Health Agency and then it came out to be failed owing to China's interfering.
Nowadays, with the improvement between cross-strait relations, China stopped objecting our participation to UN body finally. It dawned on me that it's no doubt our legal name is essential, but its influence on Taiwan's development should be shrinked. Otherwise, our society and benefit will not grow up in the long run.
2009年4月27日 星期一
04/28 News
Obama Talks Wind Power,Green Jobs
Last Edited: Wednesday, 22 Apr 2009, 4:22
Last Edited: Wednesday, 22 Apr 2009, 4:22
By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Marking Earth Day with a pitch for his energy plan, President Barack Obama on Wednesday called for a "new era of energy exploration in America" and argued that his proposal would help the economy and the environment at once.
"The choice we face is not between saving our environment and saving our economy -- it's a choice between prosperity and decline," Obama said in his first post-election trip to Iowa, the state that launched him toward the White House. "The nation that leads the world in creating new sources of clean energy will be the nation that leads the 21st century global economy."
But Obama's promise of preserving natural resources and jump-starting the economy ran smack into the reality of this economically struggling town about 30 miles east of Des Moines. The wind energy plant where he spoke, and received a tour beforehand, is a shadow of what it replaced -- a Maytag Corp. appliances plant that built washers, dryers and refrigerators.
It employed some 4,000 in a town of 16,000 residents in jobs that paid about $30,000 to $40,000 a year.
Trinity Structural Towers has roughly 90 people working at the old Maytag site, a number that is expected to grow to about 140. Mark Stiles, a senior vice president at Trinity, which builds the towers that support wind turbines, said workers at his factory make about $17 an hour, plus benefits.
"This is a piece of the recovery, but we think it's a nice piece," Stiles said.
Newton Mayor Chaz Allen said many are still trying to recover after the loss of Maytag in 2007.
"You know, 115 years with one company was a great thing, but it's a different world now," Allen said. "Our economy has to be diverse and we can't put all of our eggs in one basket."
Obama was at the plant to highlight his energy proposal that has slowed on Capitol Hill. Skeptical Republicans and some Democrats from coal-producing states complain that it will increase costs for consumers, send jobs overseas and hurt businesses.
Obama said the nation needs more domestic production of oil and natural gas in the short term. But "the bulk of our efforts," he said, must focus on transitioning the U.S. to more renewable energy.
He pushed personal responsibility, calling on every American to replace one incandescent light bulb with one compact fluorescent. The president also said the leaders of the world's major economies will meet next week to discuss the energy crisis.
For his remarks, Obama chose Iowa, second only to Texas in installed wind capacity.
He announced his administration is creating the nation's first program to authorize offshore projects to generate electricity from wind turbines and ocean currents. The Interior Department on Wednesday issued the long-awaited regulations governing how leases will be issued for the development of such energy sources and how revenue will be shared with coastal states.
Obama said that wind could generate as much as 20 percent of the U.S. electricity demand by 2030 if its full potential is pursued on land and offshore. It would also create as many as 250,000 jobs, he said.
"As with so many clean energy investments, it's win-win: good for environment and great for our economy," the president said.
But wind-produced electricity totals just under 2 percent of all electricity generated, according to the American Wind Energy Association, a trade group.
Obama's energy plan would reduce greenhouse gases by 20 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, and by 83 percent by mid-century. It calls for a series of measures aimed at reducing the use of fossil energy, such as requiring utilities to produce a quarter of their electricity from renewable sources.
The House began four days of hearings on its version of climate legislation on Tuesday.
GOP lawmakers have criticized the "cap-and-trade" portion of the measure, calling it a massive energy tax because it will put a price on carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels. But Obama defended it, saying, "My hope is that this will be the vehicle through which we put this policy in effect."
Obama's energy plan would drive more investments to companies such as Trinity.
The administration's economic stimulus plan also included some $5 billion for low-income weatherization programs and $2 billion for electric car research. Another $500 million was set aside to train workers for "green jobs," such as those at Trinity.
Obama's post-inauguration travel itinerary reads like a list of battleground and Republican-leaning states that helped lift him to the presidency and will be critical in any re-election bid. He's visited Colorado, North Carolina, Indiana, Ohio, Florida and now Iowa.
Obama staged a surprise upset over one-time rival Hillary Rodham Clinton to win Iowa's caucuses in January 2008, giving him much-needed momentum that sparked a marathon nomination struggle. His Iowa field operation for 2012 is up and running, with town-hall meetings scheduled this week.
In Landover, Md., on Monday, Vice President Joe Biden marked Earth
Day by announcing that $300 million in federal stimulus money will go to cities and towns to purchase more fuel-efficient vehicles.
____
Associated Press Writer Brian Westley in Landover, Md., contributed to this report.
Comment:
As President Obama nears his 100th day, he finally takes up his renewable energy proposal
on Earth Day. According Kyoto Protocol, the U.S. has to fulfill its promise to reduce the carbon intensity 20% by 2020. Up to now, wind-produced electricity in the U.S. is only under 2 percent of all electricity generated. Though it's not the most efficient country that developing wind power; contrary to Taiwan, it's better than us.
Quote of the week:
"The choice we face is not between saving our environment and saving our economy -- it's a choice between prosperity and decline." Obama said.
2009年4月20日 星期一
04/21 News
Diplomats Storm Out Of UN Racism Conference
8:59pm UK, Monday April 20, 2009
Diplomats have walked out of a UN conference on racism after the president of Iran launched a blistering attack on the Israeli government.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused Israel of being the "most cruel and racist regime", causing angry Western diplomats to get up and leave the room.
In a rambling speech, Mr Ahmadinejad pointed a finger at the US, Europe and Israel and accused them of destabilising the entire world.
Some European diplomats immediately walked out of the room when the Iranian president said Israel was created on the "pretext of Jewish suffering" in World War II.
A wigged protester shouting "Racist, racist" threw a soft red object at Mr Ahmadinejad, hitting the podium and interrupting his speech.
The conference has been shunned by America and many of its allies including Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Italy.
Their boycott stemmed from the fear it could be a platform for what US President Barack Obama called "hypocritical and counterproductive" antagonism towards Israel.
President Ahmadinejad is the only major head of state who accepted an invitation to the gathering, which UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is also due to address.
France, like Britain and the Czech Republic, is sending ambassadors but not senior members of government.
It is hard to find an explanation as to why exactly the Swiss, hosting the 'Durban II' anti-racism convention in Geneva, opted to make its guest of honour Iran's strong man Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The UN wants the summit to focus on easing ethnic and racial tensions that threaten migrant workers and minorities.
Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini said the failure of the 27-member European Union to agree a common position on the meeting was a huge disappointment.
"Going there and acting as a silent witness does not pay in the end: you only risk becoming complicit to it," he said in an interview with Italian daily Il Giornale.
The US and Israel walked out of the last major UN race conference in Durban, South Africa, in 2001 after Arab states sought to label Zionism as racist.
8:59pm UK, Monday April 20, 2009
Diplomats have walked out of a UN conference on racism after the president of Iran launched a blistering attack on the Israeli government.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused Israel of being the "most cruel and racist regime", causing angry Western diplomats to get up and leave the room.
In a rambling speech, Mr Ahmadinejad pointed a finger at the US, Europe and Israel and accused them of destabilising the entire world.
Some European diplomats immediately walked out of the room when the Iranian president said Israel was created on the "pretext of Jewish suffering" in World War II.
A wigged protester shouting "Racist, racist" threw a soft red object at Mr Ahmadinejad, hitting the podium and interrupting his speech.
The conference has been shunned by America and many of its allies including Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Italy.
Their boycott stemmed from the fear it could be a platform for what US President Barack Obama called "hypocritical and counterproductive" antagonism towards Israel.
President Ahmadinejad is the only major head of state who accepted an invitation to the gathering, which UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is also due to address.
France, like Britain and the Czech Republic, is sending ambassadors but not senior members of government.
It is hard to find an explanation as to why exactly the Swiss, hosting the 'Durban II' anti-racism convention in Geneva, opted to make its guest of honour Iran's strong man Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The UN wants the summit to focus on easing ethnic and racial tensions that threaten migrant workers and minorities.
Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini said the failure of the 27-member European Union to agree a common position on the meeting was a huge disappointment.
"Going there and acting as a silent witness does not pay in the end: you only risk becoming complicit to it," he said in an interview with Italian daily Il Giornale.
The US and Israel walked out of the last major UN race conference in Durban, South Africa, in 2001 after Arab states sought to label Zionism as racist.
Quote of the week
''We have to remember that every country in Latin America, 15 countries, have normal relations with Cuba. We’re the country which is isolated.”--Barbara Lee
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