David on Formosa

• Taoyuan Nights on house prices in Taiwan.
• Michael Turton on the politics of gravel.
• Views of Wulai from Chris and Patrick.
• Sponge Bear battles the crowds in Jiji.
• The China Beat lists Taiwan’s top five news stories in 2008.
• Jennifer Liu looks back at the Olympics, baseball and Taiwan.
• Taiwan Dream Foundation on the cost of pandas.
• Scott Sommers assesses the DPP’s education policy.

Events: Taiwan Photo Club meeting on 11 January 2009. Details at flickr. Check out Gig Guide TW for info about live music in Taipei.

Special advance notice: Free Tibet Concert in Taipei on Sunday 15 March 2009.

In the news: Taiwan’s judicial system is in the news. Annette Lu says late night court hearings are unconstitutional. The Taipei Bar Association defends Chen Shui-bian’s lawyer. More criticisms of the handling of Chen’s case and the KMT. Taipei Times editorialises that the judicial farce warrants ICJ intervention. Celia Llopis-Jensen writes of the death penalty and problems in the judiciary.

Environmental activists lament that in Taiwan economy comes before environment. The EPA demonstrates its ineptitude in Kaohsiung. Charles Snyder describes White Terror. Asia Pacific Arts lists the best Taiwanese films of 2008.