Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
It’s one thing to be a political “watch dog” but a watch blogger? Daniel Wu. No, not the actor, but a 33 year-old blogger was shut down. What was he doing? Pointing out what watches Chinese officials wear. He’d find photos online and talk about the wristbands of the rich. At times, they’re Rolexes that cost many times their monthly salaries. Then in another photo, they’re wearing yet another high priced time piece. You might be thinking bootleg, which is entirely possible since in China you can find anything made faux, so it was put as “appears of be wearing.” Yet he was shut down. In great Chinese proverbial fashion, Wu mentions, “No matter how high you jump, you can’t escape the Buddha’s hand.” (ft – censored watch blogger)
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This might make you think twice about complaining the next time the food you’re served in a restaurant is too salty. Well, if you’re going to blog about it or post a review on Yelp, anyway. For it seems salt is the reason a female food blogger in Taiwan drew a jail sentence after a restaurant she reviewed filed a suit objecting to how the restaurant’s food was described. In her review, the blogger said the restaurant’s food was too salty, and that she observed cockroaches while dining. Of the two complaints, one would think the mention of cockroaches would be the greater concern. Not so; for in ruling on the restaurant’s complaint against the blogger, a Taiwan judge determined that noting the presence of the bugs was merely part of the blogger’s narrative describing the restaurant. Labeling the sampled food too salty, apparently, amounted to a defamatory statement which the Taiwanese court determined was excessive and damaging to the restaurant and its owner. As a result, the food blogger must serve 30 days in jail, and was fined about US $7,000 for the infraction. An odd story, at least to us. But just to be safe, we’re going to cook at home tonight (Taipei Times – Food Blogger in Hot Water). The Toronto Globe and Mail has additional details about this strange case.
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