[Taipei, December 9. Image via Getty]

Performers from the Tun Huang Art Research Institute in mainland China's Ganshu province dance during a rehearsal show in Taipei on December 9, 2009. The visiting troupe will put on shows at Taipei's Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall between December 12-13. AFP PHOTO / Sam YEH (Photo credit should read SAM YEH/AFP/Getty Images)

• Politico reports that what may be the first statue of Barack Obama is set to go up in his old hometown of Jakarta. The 2-meter high statue will depict the President as a 10-year-old, and will be placed in Obama's old neighborhood at a corner of a playground. • Arlington, Tennessee Mayor Russell Wiseman has apologized for writing on his Facebook page that President Obama is a Muslim, and timed his speech on Afghanistan to block the Peanuts Christmas Special. Wiseman called it a "poor attempt at tongue-in-cheek humor amongst friends." • A Maryland woman reportedly kidnapped a pregnant homeless woman and attempted to cut out her baby using box cutters and a razor blade. The victim was held hostage for five days, during which time her attacker cut into her abdomen, exposing her placenta and intestines. The woman has since been hospitalized, and is expected to make a full recovery. Her newborn daughter is also in good condition. • The parents of Jessica Logan, who committed suicide last year, are suing several of Logan's classmates for circulating a nude picture of their daughter. They argue that Logan suffered from severe emotional distress after her peers sent around an explicit picture she took on her cellphone for her then-boyfriend. Further evidence that nude photos are not something every boy should receive. • A Muslim woman claims she was abused by a Christian hotelier because of her Islamic clothing. She says the British hotel-owners called her husband a "warlord," argued that her outfit - consisting of a hijab and gown - was a form of "bondage." •  Newsweek delves into the possible causes for the declining birth rate in Taiwan. Apparently, selfish women are to blame (aren't we always?). Too many Taiwanese ladies are focusing on their careers, pushing back marriage, and choosing not to spend all their money on having babies. • For the second year in a row, Boise, Idaho firefighters had to rescue a child who got his tongue stuck to a metal pole. The 10-year-old boy's tongue was bleeding a little after firefighters used a glass of warm water to free him, but at least he didn't shoot his eye out with a BB gun. •

The Paiwan, an aboriginal Taiwanese tribe, has a storied tradition of witchcraft dating back thousands of years - but one that has been almost entirely eradicated due to, first, the increasing spread of other religions, and later by the inevitable toll of modernization. The fact that the tradition is oral - the Paiwan did not record the numerous chants, as they had no written language - means that, as the number of witches, or mediums, dies off, the ancient practices may well too.

To fight its obsolescence, a group of women have received funding from Taiwan's Council of Indigenous Peoples to start a "witchcraft class" in which students - all of whom must, according to custom, be descendants of mediums themselves to have any chance of possessing the gift - learn the ancient chants that are an integral part of the polytheistic religion. Says Weng Yu-hua, "In the past, mediums had a high status in the tribe...They played an important role, especially during major occasions such as before a hunting excursion, before the year's crops were planted, or when the tribe mourned the death of one of its members."

Despite these seemingly stringent requirements, the class numbers 10 students, described as "housewives in their 30s to 50s." And there's demand for more classes. While the description of the women provides a telling contrast between a time when they would have been "high-status" tribe members - a time they're obviously interested in preserving - and the modern realities, it also triggered in my mind a wholly inappropriate scenario of a latest Bravo incarnation - which, come to think of it, would actually be fascinating, educational and, at the risk of trivializing an important and fascinating oral tradition, provide an important lesson on the preservation of heritage.

Taiwan Aborigines Pass On Witchcraft Tradition [BBC]
School Of Witchcraft Opens In Taiwan [Telegraph]

[Chiashien, Taiwan; August 17. Image via Getty]

A child arrives by helicopter to the typhoon rescue centre in Chiashien, in southern Taiwan's Kaohsiung county on August 17, 2009. More than 140,000 troops battled to reach survivors stranded a week after Typhoon Morakot struck as the United States and China offered helicopters to help in the rescue effort. AFP PHOTO/Peter PARKS (Photo credit should read PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images)

[Kaohsiung County, Taiwan; August 14. Image via Getty]

A woman reacts at Chishan rescue centre in Kaohsiung county, southern Taiwan on August 14, 2009. Taiwan deployed thousands of extra troops as it faced growing public anger and pressure to rescue people trapped by deadly landslides triggered by Typhoon Morakot. The military said 4,000 more soldiers were added to the rescue effort, bringing the total to 38,000, as the death toll from the island's worst floods in half a century rose to 116 with fears it may still increase dramatically. AFP PHOTO / Peter PARKS (Photo credit should read PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images)

[Taipei, July 22. Image via Getty]

Children watch a solar eclipse through protective glasses outside a planetarium in Taipei on July 22, 2009. Taiwanese people gathered at planetariums and parks to observe the longest solar eclipse of the 21st century. AFP PHOTO / PATRICK LIN (Photo credit should read PATRICK LIN/AFP/Getty Images)

• This shoe is made by Christian Louboutin, out of python skin, leather, cobbler's glue, and, we assume, diamond-plated unicorn farts. Because what else could justify a $2,875 price tag? Happy recession! [The.Life.Files]

• Lindsay Lohan made the cover of Taiwan Harper's Bazaar, which a celebrity blogger initially misidentified as China Harper's Bazaar. An international incident unfolded in the comments. "Actually it is from Taiwan's Harper's Bazaar,not China……." wrote the user SAM. "Taiwan is a part of China," shot back someone called liangjuan. "Taiwan is independent as territory of the ROC, it is not part of the PRC," offered a stickler for details. "TAIWAN IS NOT PART OF CHINA!!!!! It is an independent country and it has NOTHING to do with China," said Taiwan Is My Life. Someone else pointed out the extensive use of Photoshop, and several users debated the invisibility of Lindsay's freckles, and downright Freudian levels of cocaine use. Someone called A split the difference: "photoshop does wonders ha. and taiwan and china are not the same." Then someone who reads Mandarin on The Fashion Spot pointed out the cover is from April 2008, not April 2009, and the seeming importance of all this faded. [JustJared]
• Charlotte Ronson threw a party for her J.C. Penney line, I Heart Ronson (which is pretty bad). This story doesn't mention how Lindsay Lohan was turned away at the door by security. Then she Twittered that Sam Ronson had broken her heart. [WWD]
• In response, Lindsay threw herself into her work. She's now designing pantyhose! Control-top pantyhose. [The Cut]
• People has the details of Gisele Bundchen's wedding gown. Presumably they shot this grainy telephoto image of a woman wearing an white dress before their photographers' window was shot out by a trigger-happy bodyguard? The dress and veil were John Galliano, custom, of course. Gisele's veil involved six feet of white silk tulle and hand-sewn lace, while her gown was bias-cut silk satin. [People]
• Veronica Webb might launch a jewelry line. "I would make accessories that would be the ultimate building blocks of women's wardrobes," she told New York last week at a Topshop opening party. "You know, things that they could interchange from season to season, and no matter what, they'd have the perfect little thing at their fingertip every time you need to get dressed in twenty minutes and leave the house — the belt that matters, the hoops that matter." Ah, yes. Accessories that matter. I've always craved those. Then she said Kate Moss was only as tall as her 6-year-old. [The Cut]
• Roberto Cavalli went ahead and extended his licensing deal with Itterre SpA, the bankrupted manufacturer whose subpar construction and late deliveries Cavalli alleged was the reason he had to cancel his fall Just Cavalli show at the last minute. At the time, Cavalli ranted — and cried — about Ittierre's actions to the international media, and Ittierre threatened to sue. Cavalli's new deal wipes away $26.5 million in royalties the designer claims Ittierre owes him. He must really want to sell that 20% stake in his company. [WWD]
• Alessandro Dell'Acqua has quit as creative director of Malo after less than a year in the position. IT Holdings SpA, the parent company of Ittierre, owns Malo and the label Gianfranco Ferré, which has been rudderless since the death of its founder last year. After Ittierre went bankrupt, IT Holdings was forced to announce its own bankruptcy. [WWD]
• Karen Elson, the British supermodel who married Jack White, moved to Nashville and opened a vintage store with a stylist friend. They look very happy. And well-dressed. [Blackbook]
• The CEO of the Gap, Glenn Murphy, took home $9.3 million last year. Despite his company's under-performance. [WWD]
• Christian Siriano would like everyone to know that CariDee English, formerly of that television show about weaves and feelings, is not his casting choice for his fall campaign. CariDee happened to do a test shoot recently with Brad Walsh, Siriano's photographer boyfriend, and for that shoot, Walsh styled CariDee in clothes from Siriano's main collection and shoes from his Payless line. Then, CariDee gave an interview to After Elton about how OMG she loves teh geighs SO MUCH!!! (and Fashion!), and somehow, the interviewer came away with the impression that the shoot was for Siriano's campaign. Which is not true. Christian loves CariDee, and he would do anything for her, but he won't do that. [The Cut]
• Yves Saint Laurent will offer a "new vintage" capsule collection starting next month at Barney's. The clothes will be made from fabrics from the label's archives. It's all part of a strategy to increase consumer spending on luxury items that doesn't involve sales — brands think they can do this by making their offerings seem more special and personal. [WWD]
• Beyoncé's $11,000 shopping spree at Patricia Field's store included the purchase of a hand-made mask. Pat has no idea what she'll use it for, either. [The Cut]
• There are three good stories at the end of this link: for one, Oscar de la Renta is still digging. On learning that the First Lady, who has yet to wear anything designed by him, had worked a few pieces by European designers into her wardrobe for her trip to, you know, Europe, he said, "Our industry right now is having a very difficult time. I think it would be great if the First Lady dressed in American styles. There are a lot of talented people here too." Which would sound less like a gloss on sour grapes coming from a guy who wasn't saying just last week that Mrs. Obama looked dowdy in that sweater she wore to meet the Queen. Secondly, Lord & Taylor is picking up Liz Claiborne again after five years. Because Isaac Mizrahi is the designer now, and L & T recognizes that kaleidoplaid is the way of the future. Thirdly, Stila is maybe bankrupt/for sale. Their website is down, and carries a warning that orders placed in late March might be canceled. [WWD]
• A good-looking 30-year-old San Francisco businessman, who happens to be a practicing Sikh, was spotted last year by the designer Kenneth Cole. Now he's working for GQ, which just proves that...hotness knows no religion? [Telegraph]

• Meanwhile, why are pandas so beloved (don't ask Jessica!) and are they China's "most powerful secret weapon?" Ominous-sounding. • Rumormill: sources say that Alec Baldwin attempted to have a battle of wits with his 30 Rock co-star Tina Fey. We will say it is a lie because even Alec isn't that dumb to mess with the sharp-tongued Fey. • Want to get a "sexy bustline?" Use Easy Curves, a weird stick that will instantly perk up your pair! • A person on Yahoo Answers asks "what is a meat curtain?" and a delightful sleuth named "Bill Cosby" informs us that it means "a womens [sic] vulva and the things don't match means a persons [sic] hair is dyed because their pubes are a different colour." Mystery solved! • Apparently Obama's win means black people have "no more excuses" about the system being designed to prevent black progress? This was written by the woman who started the Marry Your Baby Daddy Day.• Rumor has it that the now-folded Playgirl Magazine has yet to pay off any of their outstanding invoices from their last issue.• Despite the fact that the New York Times reports that cosmetic surgery is declining, the Wall Street Journal reports that Botox is doing great during the recession. • True romance: an overweight Indiana couple got weight-loss surgery on the same day last week.• Shocking: binge drinking makes you less of a sex stallion between the sheets.• Not since JFK, Jr. has there been a male child in the White House, is it because girls make vigorous campaigning easier for their political parents?•

MOE: Hey hi what's up shit is pretty fucked huh.
MEGAN: It makes me a little glad I never leave my house. Hooray for blogoraphobia.
MOE: Okay, first things first: there are violent protests in Tibet, and China has to quell them in a way that doesn't make Stephen Spielberg look good, and now the protests have spread to other provinces.
Tibet has long been a pretty sweet separatist province to have, what with the exiled leader advocating nonviolence and spending most of his time with Beastie Boys etc. etc.
MEGAN: And getting to meet practically every head of state in the world, albeit unofficially...
Except for, obviously, those countries in Africa rapidly becoming Chinese client states.
MOE: China has a whole other separatist province called Xinjiang and no one pays attention to those guys. Because they're angry Muslims. Hey Sudanese Islamofascists? How's about some CONSISTENCY??
MEGAN: Wait, didn't we care about that for like 2 seconds last week when Al Qaeda did a video of training there? I didn't realize that we'd forgotten to care about that.
MOE: Hey, look, a story about a recent thwarted hijacking attempt by a Uighur Al Qaeda girlbomber! I think the Chinese government thinks you should care again.
MEGAN: Oh, thanks nameless Chinese propagandists newswriters!
Anyway, so, how soon until they start beating monks in the streets and we issue some sort of vague milquetoast protest about it that in no way compares to our reaction to the monk beatings in Myanmar? Or did I blink and miss it?
MOE: Oooooh, think Laura Bush drop her cookie sheet again and get on the phone with Hu Jintao?
MEGAN: Maybe she could send him cookies? I'll bet some chocolate chip ones could go a long way toward repairing US-China relations
MOE: I
Yikes, that disappeared.
MOE: Okay yeah so, it's very tricky what is happening with Tibet, but either way, it led to an incredibly cerebral discussion of Bjork on the comments over the weekend, did you see? My father was impressed with Bjork's timing on that one, but perhaps if he knew Bjork's tears cure cancer (too bad she never cries) he wouldn't be so surprised. Interestingly, this week Taiwan is holding elections, and he's headed out there. Taiwan is interesting because, you know, they really have it best, as "splittist" provinces go. Elections, democracy, a decent standard of living, no painful shared history of, like, cannibalism or Cultural Revolution or any such thing. The pro-China Kuomintang party is supposed to win though.
MEGAN: Interesting. Wait, now, Taiwan's pro-China even though China considers them a rogue provice? Taiwanese politics are so hard to understand. Is it possible that China's financing the Kuomintang or something
MOE: hahahaha well China's financing the entire economy, sort of like ours. The thing is that the Kuomintang came from mainland China and fled to Taiwan, with numerous palace treasures and such, in 1949. There they found a happy population of ethnic Chinese who spoke another dialect and also, Japanese because the Japanese colonized it, and proceeded to pretty much subjugate them until the seventies, when a democracy movement began burgeoning and our relations with the mainland made it a lot easier for Jimmy Carter to pressure the Kuomintang to treat the "ethnic Taiwanese" better. Somewhere in there Chiang Kai-shek died, his much nicer son Chiang Chingguo took over, and a kind of slow, steady democratization took hold. The thing is that most Chinese, no matter what dialect they speak, are pretty pragmatic and rational and no one wants war with China, but while they have us around a lot of them also don't feel like taking shit from China. On the other hand, of course, Taiwanese control most of the factories in China. It's complicated.
MEGAN: [Awkward segue alert] As complicated at Dina Mattos McGreevey's sex life?
MOE: Hey, good call. That conversation was certainly venturing into prurient and meaningless territory so I'm glad we can now focus our attention on The McGreevey-driver threesomes. I think my favorite part is that they were described as "intense" "hard-core consensual sex orgies".That sounds so...cardio! It's a good thing too I guess if they all started with get-togethers at T.G.I.Fridays.
MEGAN: Like, taking a date to TGI Fridays is so Jersey and let us not pretend that it is not because it is. Also, their intense 3-way orgies (which, can an orgy really only involve 3 people?) always involved one of the guys jacking off while one of them fucked Dina.
But what's sort of really interesting to me is that in earlier publications, he's said not to have started working for McGreevey until 2000, which throws off his timeline I think, and that Dina's divorce lawyer wants financial records about financial records and correspondence with McGreevey's rich boyfriend. Also, apparently, they're due in court soon to litigate over the money McGreevey is hiding from Matos so that he doesn't have to pay as much in child support and alimony. Fucker. Like, aren't gay men supposed to be the good ones?
MOE: Um yeah they shared a room at the TRUMP PLAZA in Atlantic City. Here is what I have to say about that; okay, there is a hotel room shortage in Atlantic City, sure. But if if you are the governor you get the "casino" rate and that is seventy bucks. "It became almost laughable — I would never have my own hotel room," Pedersen said. Okay, so a few things: what does this mean about Silda Spitzer? How long has the New York Post been sitting on this story just waiting for everyone to remember that they once for a brief moment cared about Dina Matos McGreevey?
MEGAN: I'm personally hoping that Silda's sunning herself on a beach somewhere foreign and being served tropical alcoholic beverages by inappropriately young but attractive cabana boys.
And that she and Eliot didn't fuck around with 3rd parties because it's one thing imagining Gay McGreevey jerking off and another entirely grosser thing to have to picture Eliot Spitzer in a wide variety of sexual situations
Excuse my while I go wash my brain out with bleach. Maybe you could talk about the financial markets and i'll try to think of something to say that makes it sound like my summer interning for the Bank of New York wasn't a complete waste of time for everyone involved?
MOE: Okay, well, the government is going to have to print money to bail out the banks because they made the financial instruments so complicated no one has a fucking clue how much, if anything, they're worth, and everything is so interconnected that it could all collapse like in the Asian Financial Crisis unless the Fed steps in and offers a quarter trillion dollars to save it. Or something.
Here it is explained by someone named Dave Wilson who is on some email list that my ex-boyfriend is on.

There's currently a kind of cascade failure happening throughout the financial community, spurred
both by extraordinary levels of borrowed money that was used to speculate (it's like those mortgages that were issued for 110% of the value of the house, except that type of "investment" has, unbeknownst to most people, actually been taking place in pretty much every investment sphere you can think of); if those speculative investments go South, investors have to come up with lots of cash, fast, (this is known as a margin call) meaning they wind up selling everything they own to raise cash, which then depresses the value of the stuff the investors had to sell (as well as similar stuff owned by others) since suddenly there's a lack of scarcity combined with a suspicion on the part of would-be buyers that perhaps this stuff is being dumped for reasons other than a need for quick cash...

Last fall, the former Treasury secretary confessed to Fortune magazine that until the mortgage storms broke over his head in the summer of 2007, he was unfamiliar with the kinds of complex mortgage structures with which Citi's own balance sheet was packed. Almost certainly, the gulf between competence and compensation on Wall Street has never been wider.

"Why not set an example of Bear Stearns, the guys who have this record of dog-eat-dog, we're brass knuckles, we're tough?" asked William A. Fleckenstein, president of Fleckenstein Capital in Issaquah, Wash., and co-author with Fred Sheehan of "Greenspan's Bubbles: The Age of Ignorance at the Federal Reserve." "This is the perfect time to set an example, but they are not interested in setting an example. We are Bailout Nation."