More than 75 years after the publication of Nineteen Eighty-Four, the Orwellian phrase “Big Brother is watching you” has become so familiar to most of the Taiwanese public that even those who haven’t read the novel recognize it.That phrase has now been given a new look by amateur translator Tsiu Ing
The other day, a friend decided to playfully name our individual roles within the group: planner, emotional support, and so on. I was the fault-finder — or, as she put it, “the grumpy teenager” — who points out problems, but doesn’t suggest alternatives.She was only kidding around, but she struck at
Name: The perfect day.Apearance: Data driven.The perfect day? Huh. Good luck with that. You seem down — is your day going badly?Honestly, it’s a mixed bag. The world is sliding into geopolitical chaos and climate collapse while Jeff Bezos sends Katy Perry into space, but on the plus side, I’ve just
Before Jack Ryan was introduced into the culture, Robert Littell imagined Charlie Heller, a quiet, CIA cryptographer who goes rogue on a quest for vengeance after his love is killed by terrorists.As star of The Amateur, currently in Taiwan theaters, Rami Malek gets to be both skittish nerd and cooll
South Korean actor Simon Lee was stunned when he saw his likeness — at times as a gynecologist or a surgeon — being used to promote questionable health cures on TikTok and Instagram.He is one of scores of people who have licensed their image to AI marketing companies, and then ended up with the unpl
US President Donald Trump’s bid to take back control of the Panama Canal has put his counterpart Jose Raul Mulino in a difficult position and revived fears in the Central American country that US military bases will return.After Trump vowed to reclaim the interoceanic waterway from Chinese influence
Men who have virtual “wives” and neurodiverse people using chatbots to help them navigate relationships are among a growing range of ways in which artificial intelligence is transforming human connection and intimacy.Dozens of readers shared their experiences of using personified AI chatbot apps, en
As much as I like using the phrase “The past is a foreign country,” it’s surprising to see it so aptly describe a period as recent as the early 1990s, the time setting of Shoot, Ask… and Run, a travelogue memoir by photojournalist Chris Stowers. How different things were back then. The author’s firs
0nkering for a chiseled jawline, a male TikTok influencer strikes his cheekbones with a hammer — highlighting the rise of “looksmaxxing,” an online trend pushing unproven and sometimes dangerous techniques to boost sexual appeal.Looksmaxxing influencers — part of an online ecosystem dubbed the “mano
One of the most transformative technical achievements in human history took place on Oct. 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union launched the satellite Sputnik 1 into orbit. Americans, utterly convinced of their technical and industrial superiority at the time were shocked, though some tried to play it down
You’ve got hip DJs blasting out some beats. And a sea of partygoers swaying to the tunes. But hold the speakers, please, for it’s a hushed-down outdoor dance party. This trendy Silent Party, with two DJs simultaneously playing different styles of music through a special set of color-coded headphones
Three big changes have transformed the landscape of Taiwan’s local patronage factions: Increasing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) involvement, rising new factions and the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) significantly weakened control.GREEN FACTIONSIt is said that “south of the Zhuoshui River (濁
Fans waved glow sticks at an animated character on stage, having packed a sold-out Hollywood concert hall to see their virtual idol perform — showcasing the global ambitions of Japan’s “VTuber” subculture.Pink-haired musician and livestreamer Mori Calliope looks just like a character from an anime c
Last week, the the National Immigration Agency (NIA) told the legislature that more than 10,000 naturalized Taiwanese citizens from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) risked having their citizenship revoked if they failed to provide proof that they had renounced their Chinese household registratio
April 14 to April 20In March 1947, Sising Katadrepan urged the government to drop the “high mountain people” (高山族) designation for Indigenous Taiwanese and refer to them as “Taiwan people” (台灣族). He considered the term derogatory, arguing that it made them sound like animals.The Taiwan Provinci
With over 80 works on display, this is Louise Bourgeois’ first solo show in Taiwan. Visitors are invited to traverse her world of love and hate, vengeance and acceptance, trauma and reconciliation.Dominating the entrance, the nine-foot-tall Crouching Spider (2003) greets visitors. The creature looms
Ten years ago, English National Ballet (ENB) premiered Akram Khan’s reimagining of Giselle. It quickly became recognized as a 21st-century masterpiece. Next month, local audiences get their chance to experience it when the company embark on a three-week tour of Taiwan.Former ENB artistic director Ta
Maolin District (茂林) in Kaohsiung is well known for beautiful roadside scenery, waterfalls, the annual butterfly migration and indigenous culture. A lesser known but worthwhile destination here lies along the very top of the valley: the Liugui Security Path (六龜警備道). This relic of the Japanese era on
Hamburger Hill, Hue, the Ia Drang Valley, Khe Sanh: Some remember the Vietnam War battles from the headlines of the 1960s and 1970s, others from movies and history books. And thousands of Americans and Vietnamese know them as the graveyards of loved ones who died fighting more than a half-century ag
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