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American Dictionary · Global Voices
David Sasaki

There is a persistent myth which says that, save Brazil and a few indigenous communities, Latin America speaks a singular, uniform language. In fact, the Castilian Spanish carried over by explorers, colonialists, missionaries, and migrant workers throughout the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries was diverse in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. Independence struggles, 20th century nationalism, and contemporary influxes of Italian, Japanese, Arab, Chinese, Jewish, and German immigrants further individuated each country's own variety of what was once “Cervantes’ language.”
Furthermore, Latin Americans are as unified in their love of idiomatic and colloquial speech as they are divided over what those slang words and expressions should refer to. In Mexico, ask for cajeta and you're in for a lovely treat. In Argentina and Uruguay you'll likely get a slap in the face. Inversely, pendejo is a harmless word in Argentina, referring to a young kid who knows no better. But in Mexico the word could potentially evoke a fist fight.
Blogging, more often than not, is a vernacular literature and, as such, regional expressions sometimes act as a dividing wall between what would otherwise be an international (or at least continental) audience.
María Pastora, a Chilean blogger and OhmyNews citizen reporter, has long been aware that not all of her readers understood the local slang words, or “modismos,” that would often pepper her blog posts.
Quizás algunos conocían un blog que creé llamado Diccionario Chilensis, donde enlazaba el significado de aquellas palabras que los extranjeros no entenderían.
The lexicon in blog format served as a useful resource for non-native Chileans wanting to learn local words and expressions without being overwhelmed all at once. But why limit the concept to just Chilean speech?
Un buen día mi amigo Bruno Ortiz me pregunta si puede replicar la idea, pero para palabras de origen peruano… y automáticamente pensé: ¿por qué no hacer un diccionario conjunto?
La idea piloto se llamó Diccionario Chilensis-Peruanus, pero después yo seguí con mis ideas locas y le propuse de que sumáramos a otros latinoamericanos con esta motivación: Fernando Marino-Aguirre (Argentina), Erich Moncada y María José “Pepé” Enríquez (ambos de México). Hay otra persona que está por entrar, de Perú y esperamos que de otros países quieran cooperar con esta idea descabellada.
The pilot idea was called Chilenese-Peruanuse Dictionary, but afterwards I continued with my crazy idea and proposed to him that we get other Latin Americans to join the initiative: Fernando Marino-Aguirre (Argentina), Erich Moncada and María José “Pepé” Enríquez (both from México). There is another person who is about to enlist, from Peru, and we hope that other countries will want to cooperate on this crazy idea.
Since Pastora's introductory post, Brazilian cyber-journalist and lecturer Ana María Brambilla has also joined the team.
The project gained an unexpected boost when it was mentioned by A-list blogger José Luis Orihuela (ES) in eCuaderno. Orihuela also reminds (ES) readers of Jergas de Habla Hispana, a database of Spanish slang maintained by Roxana Fitch. Jergas de Habla Hispana appears to be a more thorough resource while Diccionario Americano would likely appeal to readers hoping to learn just a few words each day.
Already, readers can easily observe the Wikipedia-like, decentralized nature of the dictionary. For example, Thomas celebrated the launch of Diccionario Americano with a copy-and-pasted meditation on the word huevón (ES):
Huevón
Con todo el respeto que me merece la honorable blogósfera pero… es imprescindible explicar esta palabra. Aunque ya no suena tan grosera ni “fuerte” (impactante), es considerada aún una mala palabra en Chile, aunque se está masificando (incluso en la televisión). Correspondería al “boludo” de Argentina o al “wey” de México, palabras que también, de a poco, están dejando de ser groserías. Supongo que es de público conocimiento el origen de esta palabra, es decir, que a los testículos se les llama huevos… y de ahí sacamos las conclusiones (Dios mío, soy muy cartucha, me complico entera jajajaja). En Chile se suele pronunciar como “hueón”, sin pronunciar la V… los chilenos obviamos ciertas letras, a veces. También en la transcripción coloquial se escribe como “weón”.
With all my respect to the honorable blogosphere, it is essential to explain this word. Although it no longer sounds so vulgar nor “strong” (shocking), it's still considered a bad word in Chile, even though it's heard everywhere (including television). It would correspond to the word “boludo” from Argentina or to “wey” from Mexico, words that also, recently, are no longer swear words. I suppose that the origin of the word is already public knowledge; that is to say that testicles are called “huevos” (eggs) and from there we'll draw our conclusions. (My God, I am so prude and make things complicated hahaha). In Chile it's just pronounced as “hueón”, without pronouncing the ‘v’ … we Chileans leave out certain letters at times. Also, in colloquial transcription, it's written sometimes like “weón”.
Maria Pastora then left a comment on Thomas’ post thanking him for reminding her of the Chilean phrase “él es un huevas,” which was subsequently added to the definition on Diccionario Americano:
Leyendo un comentario en la Bitácora de Thomas caí en cuenta de que no había mencionado que también existe la expresión “ser un huevas”, mal pronunciado por los chilenos como “hue’as”, “hueas” o “weas” y que es ser una persona medio estúpida. Y, por supuesto, hacer huevadas (hueadas o weás) es hacer estupideces.
Most posts/definitions also attract comments that challenge or add to the meaning of each word. Bruno, for example, clarifies (ES) that in Peru the “condition of huevón” is ahuevado.
Why not learn a few new words today? Find out what a “king kong” is in Peru or how a sopaipilla can make a rainy day more bearable in Chile.


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Argentina: Crime Wave? · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Ian Mount asks if Buenos Aires is experiencing a crime wave. In a related note, Jeff Barry and his partner Cecilia came home the other to find the door of their apartment pushed open. Read the post to find out how the police reacted.

source: news-globalvoices

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: David Sasaki


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Bermuda: Opposition to independence · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Public opposition to the idea of independence for Bermuda has increased by 10% since 2004, notes the Limey: “It’s time for the Premier to graciously acknowledge this lack of interest and shelve the discussion.”

author: Georgia Popplewell


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Bolivia: Demanding Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada’s Return to Bolivia · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Jim Shultz asks his readers from the United States to sign a letter demanding former president, Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada's return to Bolivia, where he could be tried for abuse of power. “Those charges stem especially from the violent repression undertaken by Sanchez de Lozada in October 2003 that left dozens dead (including several small children and one pregnant mother), more than a hundred wounded, and forced Sanchez de Lozada to flee to the US.”


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Bollywood does Othello · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bollywood has successfully adapted William Shaekspeare's Othello with enough brilliance, emotion, grandeur, wit and drama. Amit Varma posts a round up of reviews of Vishal Bhardwaj's blockbuster movie Omkara.

author: Rezwan


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Cable TV is a right · Global Voices
Rezwan

The Sri Lankan blogosphere is concerned by the Sri Lankan government's decision of shutting down LBN & CBNSat cable TV services in the country and more to follow. Hundreds of thousands of subscribers are affected by this. Lanka Libertarian ironically puts that the Sri Lankan government should make cable TV a basic human right shielded by the constitution.


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Cambodia: Lebanon Conflict and Memories of Cambodia’s Past · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Cambodian blogger Vannadeth is saddened by the TV images of the fighting in Lebanon and she remembers the troubled times in her native country.

author: Preetam Rai


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China: conversation · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Bingfeng posts a conversation with an overseas Tibetan, Tenzin, in his blog on various issues including the role of Dalai Lama, Tibet autonomy, etc.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: farmer p2p · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Neema from One Billion Users reports a provincial government sponsored project, “Zhejiang Province Farmer's Mailbox”, which allow farmers to send free p2p SMS and e-mails.


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China: feedburner blocked · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Williamlong reports that feedburner website is finally blocked in China after technocrati (zh).


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China: media climate · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Asia media forum puts up an interview with the editor (Hu Shuli) of Chinese economic magazine, Caijing. In the interview, Hu talked about the importance of professionalism and commented on Chinese media climate.


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China: media control · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN translates an article written by Li Datong, the former editor of the Freezing Point supplement in China Youth Daily, about the erosion of precondition of media control in China.


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China: tibet activist · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ohmynews citizen reporter, Munish Nagar, posts his interview with a Tibetan independent activist, Kalsang Phuntsok, a member of the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC).


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Cuba: Castro links · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

The Latin Americanist posts a valuable set of links relating to the Castro situation, including one for a few anti-Castro jokes.


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Cuba: CNN on Fidel · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Babalu  Blog weighs in on the CNN coverage of the Fidel Castro situation in two posts, one calling CNN the “Chávez News Network”, and another in which “the ‘internet’ expert, after a long schpiel on Latin American obviously leftists internet portals, used the words blogs and ‘rampant rumors’ in the same sentence.“


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Cuba: Fidel’s location · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

On the basis of “information received directly from Cuba,” Fort Worth, Texas-based Dr. Eloy González identifies the location where Fidel Castro is said to be hospitalised.


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Cuba: FidelWatch · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

The Miami Herald's RSS feed is buzzing today with reports of Miami's Cuban community and their anticipation of the death of Fidel Castro, in light of Castro's announcement yesterday that he was temporarily ceding presidential power to his brother Raúl “due to ‘an intestinal crisis with sustained bleeding’ that required ‘complicated surgery’.” Martin at Blogbat posts photos of Cubans in Miami waving flags and placards from the windows of cars. Scores of bloggers throughout the world, of all political persuasions, are posting about Castro, of course; but of the Cuba-based bloggers on my blogroll, only Zenia of regalado.blogia.com, a journalist based in Pinar del Rio, notes the incident, writing (ES) early this morning that:
A proclamation from Fidel bearing his signature was just read on national television, saying that the Second Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party, Raúl Castro, would be taking over his duties on a provisional basis, due to his convalescence from intestinal surgery.
The document was read at 9:15pm and left additional instructions about the principal programs of health and education, to name a few.
Mácrom habita… El Árbol Hueco posts a copy of the proclamation (ES), along with some get well wishes and expressions of solidarity (and here's an English-language translation of the proclamation from Cuban newspaper Granma).
Solana Larsen, a “Danish-Puerto Rican journalist/activist” based in New York, manages to catch an interview with the president of the Cuban parliament on a visit this morning to a hardware store, and notes that:
Reportedly, no one in Cuba seems [to think] he will die yet (80th birthday celebration postponed until December) but the international media is awash with speculations he might croak. . . .
As unhappy as some Cubans are about the political situation, I have yet to meet anyone in Cuba who think the United States holds the solution to their problems. More common (if unlikely) were fears that the US would somehow turn Havana into the next Baghdad when Castro dies.
Considering the beleaguered history between these two countries, it’s simply impossible to believe the US truly has the best interests of Cubans at heart. Even the guy at the hardware store shook his head and muttered, “The US trades with China, Eastern Europe, with everyone. But they just let those people in Cuba suffer.”
“As you can imagine, rumors are rampant right now within circles of the Cuban-American community,” writes Cuban-American blogger Babalu , who has been posting regular updates with links to other blogs and news sources, including one from Redstate indicating that yesterday's statement by the Cuban government may have been made after the surgery and not before. “This,” says Babalu, “is an interesting development indeed.”
Jeremy Taylor, writing from Trinidad, offers a Caribbean's-eye-view perspective:
The coming transition in Cuba is going to be very significant for the Caribbean. With 11 million people, the island has twice the population of all the English-speaking Caribbean states put together. A de-revolutionised Cuba would present an enormous new market and give every tourism operation in the region some very serious competition. And if the US invoked a military option to reverse more than fifty years of Castroism, well . . . who knows what turmoil the Caribbean could find itself in?


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Cuba: New message from Fidel · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Zenia reports from Cuba (ES) that “a message from Fidel was read at 645pm — Cuba time — during the information round table on Televisión Cubana, in which he  made it known that known that in due course the Cuban people would be given details of the progress of his convalescence, as was the case the time he fractured his knee. . . . “


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Cuba: Not so fast, Miami · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

“Those rejoicing in the streets of Miami could do well to rethink their jubilation,” says Curzon as he posts an excerpt from a profile of Raúl Castro, the brother of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, to whom the latter temporarily passed presidential power on Monday night. According to Curzon's profile, Raúl is “regarded as more hardline than his brother”.


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Cuba: Some anti-Castro links · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

“As the hemisphere’s worst-ever dictator slides into death’s embrace, the mainstream media sweetly qualifies the Monster of Havana, one of the century’s worst tyrants, as a ‘maverick’ and other crap,” writes A. M. Mora y Leon in the opening paragraph of a post which includes several links to commentary on the Fidel Castro situation and gives special mention to the coverage by Babalu Blog.


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DRC: Word on the Street · Global Voices
Alice Backer

In a long detailed post, Fleur d'Afrique  relates what she has heard through word of mouth about the aftermath of sunday's presidential election. Among other rumors, she's heard that:”Kabila is leading the polls particularly in the eastern and some southern parts of Congo.” She also deplores UDPS's strategy of boycotting the election

author: Alice Backer


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Egypt: Hezbollah Proved the Arabs Were Wrong · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Omar Nuri thinks that Hezbollah proved the Arabs were wrong, and I mean the Arab leaders. Their bet was Hezbollah is sliding slowly to an end, its end. Now, they see it didn’t. It is standing firm and strong. Battling one combat to another, winning big time, stabbing the IDF’s pride in the heart where it hurts the most and above all throwing the Arab leaders bet against the wall.

author: Haitham Sabbah


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Fiji: Disappearing Province Websites · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Fiji blog Babasiga finds that websites for Fiji's provinces are fast disappearing.


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Guatemala: Blog Marathon · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Oscar Mota announces the commencement of the “Guatemalan Blogs Marathon,” which will coordinate and track conversations throughout the Guatemalan blogosphere for one week, starting today. You can subscribe to the category feed.


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International Military Tattoo 2006 · Global Voices
Maurina H

By now, most of us living in Brunei has seen the International Military Tattoo 2006 either live from the Stadium Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah or on national tv station RTB.  However, for those who missed it, here is an excellent review of the wondrous occasion, well equipped with pictures, written by our very own Miss Monkeyfruit, fresh off the monkey tree!

author: Maurina H


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Iran: Election in Association of Journalists · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

In Daftar BiMokhatab inform us that in a less than a week there will be election in Association of Iranian Journalists. It is said that conservative journalists will invite their colleagues from provinces to Tehran to vote to their list. It seems the reformist list can win the election if 400 to 500 journalists vote for it [Fa].

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: UN Security Council & Iran · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Omid Memarian, blogger & journalist reminds us that the U.N. Security Council Monday adopted a resolution demanding that Iran suspend its nuclear activities by the end of August or face possible sanctions. The blogger says it is very interesting to notice how USA with a well planned strategy could unite all Security Council members to put pressure on Iran [Fa]. Some analysts, who considered there will be no consensus on Iran in UN Security Council, were wrong.


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Iraq: War Is Terrorism With a Bigger Budget · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Ladybird believes that the controlled media lies about the Israeli aggression in Lebanon are similar to its propaganda about the terror attacks of 9-11. In both cases the gross deception foisted upon the public caused widespread misunderstanding of the facts and the identity of the guilty party.


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Israel: It’s a Jewish Thing · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Israel is currently fighting for the security of its citizens and soldiers on its sovereign soil. This war will hopefully establish once and for all that we will not compromise with objections to our right to exist as a nation. This country was founded on the basis of a very simple ideology that can basically be equated to – Jews in the Diaspora are persecuted thus Jews need a homeland to ensure their safety, Voices from Israel said.


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Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago: Emancipation Day · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Today several islands in the Caribbean observe Emancipation Day. Gela's Words notes that for Jamaicans, it's a time “we get back in touch with our culture and Ole Time Jamaica”. From Trinidad, both Caribbean Free Radio and Attillah Springer mention last night's concert at the Emancipation Village, headlined by South African star Miriam Makeba, and Attillah remarks on the evolution of the observances from “back in the days when the Emancipation procession was just a freak show, when people pointed and laughed. When it wasn't fashionable to be African and you certainly couldn't find cheap made in Taiwan knock-offs of African prints in the fabric stores in downtown Port of Spain,” to what it is today.


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Jordan: Qatar’s Hypocricy  · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Issam referring to Qatar's Foreign Minister accusing some Arab states of supporting the Israeli offensive on Lebanon to dismantle Hizbullah. He is little surprised with the Minister approach this time, which was more frank, honest and direct. The irony is that His Highness did not explain for us his country's position to allow the US government to use Al Udeid air base which is located in Qatar,to supply Israel with “bunker busters,” which aim to finish the plight and existence of Hizbullah, Issam said.


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Kazakhstan: Overrated · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Ben Paarmann takes a closer look at the quickness with which many accept that Kazakhstan is the most stable and economically sound country in Central Asia.

author: Nathan Hamm


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Lebanon: On Supporting Hezbollah · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Mustapha explains explains why some Lebanese bloggers now support Hezbollah. He says that old readers of his blog know how critical of Hezbollah he has always been. But to them, Hezbollah remains a Lebanese party that has gone astray, but they will never allow foreigners to discipline them! This is the essence of sovereignty which is as important as democracy.


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Lebanon: Qana II on the Third Week of Israeli War on Lebanon · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

The war Israel is waging on Lebanon continues to be the focal point of most bloggers in the Lebanese blogosphere. For the third week the posts cover topics such as experiences, expectations and reflections on this situation. This week culminated with the tragic bombing of a shelter in Qana by the Israelis. This incident caused indignation by most bloggers that was reflected in their posts.
Amal as usual expresses her anger and sorrow about the calamity that befell Qana in the following drawing:
Sophie asks in one of her posts: Are Qana's children screams as they are dying Rice's “Pangs of Birth” of her New Middle East?
Pierre Tristam writes an article titled: Massacres at Qana, When “Never Again” Needn’t Apply to Lebanon, in which he brings to our attention the massacre at Qana, ten years ago, by the Israelis before giving his analysis of the one that occurred this week.
Dr. Victorino reflected on the incident saying:
Today, in the early hours of the morning, Tzahal’s noble knights rode over Qana in their shining US-made, US-equipped, and US-paid fighter jets.
It was Sunday, the day of worship in gentile Christian culture.
And Qana is the place where this “weird Jesus cult” started when the beloved King Herod ruled over Israel.
Fouad warned that the seed of hatred and anger sown today will bear dangerous fruits tomorrow:
You fucking idiots, you and your stepfathers in the Land of Opportunity where I foolishly reside… How inane and morally, emotionally, and politically bankrupt can you be. Do you really think you can bomb your way out of this? You dare talk of democracy and freedom when our lives are your dregs, our children your targets, and the whole world your shooting range? How dare you, you little sorry episodes of conceited spiteful despicable existence. Go on, keep churning the ground and sowing the seeds of hatred and anger. For soon the crops will grow, and it will be time to harvest. And the harvest will be plentiful, and I hope I will live long enough to see the day.
Images from Qana here and here (not for the faint hearted) as well as images of the reaction of the Lebanese to this incidence were published by the Lebanese Blogger Forum.
Photos of demonstration against the war were published by Z.
Sophia describes her visit last year to Qana
where the famous biblical wedding took place, symbolises the endless suffering of both Lebanese and Palestinians. Israel knows very well what it is doing by bombing Qana. It is making sure the wounds will never heal ! But Israel can be sure that as long as the wounds are open and even when they will heal, if they will heal one day, there will be no forgiveness to Isarel's war crimes and to their immoral backing by Bush, Blair, Rice and Collaborators !
Michael Totten makes the following political observation which he sees is the result of the attack on Qana:
The (second in a decade) attack on Qana that killed scores of civilians has all but cemented the Lebanese public and Hezbollah together.
Cable news reports that 82 percent of Lebanese now support Hezbollah. Prime Minister Fouad Seniora – whatever his real opinion in private – is now closer to openly supporting Hezbollah in public than he has ever been.
The March 14 Movement (the Cedar Revolution) is, at best, in a coma if not outright dead.
And in the midst of all this Firas advices us to keep a level head:
Let's not victimize ourselves. I think that the question is not how we feel about this or who to blame, but rather what can we do to maintain our existance as sane, dignified and productive people. We need to keep a level head when we deal with this, and not lose track of the fact that the IDF's actions are providing us with more and more moral clarity about our country's plight and unity. We will win the peace by being rational AND by not losing touch with our humanity.
Ahmad posts a long list of atrocities and massacres committed by Israel which he says is by no means exclusive.
Abu kais post the entire statement that Human Rights Watch issued blaming the Israeli Defense Force for the civilian death in Qana.
Doha starts from the war going and ends with the shattered dreams and lives of the Lebanese youth, describing how it has affected some of them:
Yet another massacre in Qana. 57 dead among them 27 children…and counting.
And if this is the story in the south, then the rest of Lebanon has many shattered dreams to gather and rebuild.
Many bygone and shattered dreams. This is what war does. Israel's war on Lebanon has impacted all of Lebanon and all of the Lebanese.
As there are fighters facing up to the Israeli war machine, there are also youth issuing their passports to head out, head out to the unknown, to save the day.
I'll recount some stories, close to home.
Mustapha attempts to answer some of the tough moral questions the Lebanese are facing in this post.
Anarchistian blogged on the air strikes during the first 24 hours of the announced 48 hours of air strike cease fire plus the expected shortage of fuel and its repercussions on the daily lives of Lebanese:
The country is almost out of fuel, and we might not have electricity at all in a week’s time. But life goes on, and we all find ways of adjusting to this “new” life. First and foremost it reminds us that we take some things for granted and fail to understand what life without these could be like. When I was in Toronto in August 2003, a power blackout brought much of the city to a halt, and caused such widespread panic and chaos. Here in Lebanon we’re not at that level of taking things for granted, but we are at a rather high level, and things like these make us think about and be all the more thankful for what we have.
Prof A. A. Khalil received a letter from Israel which states:
I live in Israel and I am a Jew. We don't all support the policies of Olmert or the policies of the Labor party either. And many of us grieve for the loss of lives in Lebanon and Palestine just as deeply as you grieve for those lives. I am sorry that this is happening to your country and I hope and pray that your family and friends will be safe and I hope that not one more Palestinian must die for the crimes of the state, the Israeli state.
Finally EDB posts on hedonistic life style going on elsewhere in Lebanon as the war continues.
I did not hear any news; there were no TVs blasting Al-Manar or even Al Jazeera; not in homes, not in bars, not at the pool, not at the club. Up there, you cannot hear the bombs, you do not see the smoke. My only exposure to the outside world came from a Spanish girl baking in the sun at the side of the pool. She occasionally retrieved news summaries from her cellphone, careful not to spoil her freshly manicured nails, and read them out loud: Ooh, Isra-ayl wizdrooh fram Bint Jbeil…”
Followed by, “Ooh, I zink I got sahnbernt. Let's dreenk Vodka Toneec. It's foh o'clock. Heppi hour!”

author: Moussa Bashir


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Mexico: Tent Cities Cause Chaos · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Lots and lots of news from Mexico. Ana Maria Salazar says that tent cities have already been installed in various parts of Mexico City in support of Lopez Obrador. “These avenues are totally closed off to traffic and became pedestrian walkways. (Needless to say the traffic was chaotic today. I am serious, if you live in Mexico City stay away from these areas, although I have been told that the traffic jams can be felt kilometers away.” Olganza reminds readers (ES) that in November 2000, Obrador signed an edict prohibiting the blockage of any of the city's main arteries. Ceci Connolly links to a Guardian article describing moviemaker Luis Mandoki as “Mexico's Michael Moore.” Goleech says that even Lopez Obrador supporters should not cause chaotic disruptions (ES) in the capital city. Finally, Mark in Mexico keeps us up to date on the teacher's strike in Oaxaca.


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Mongolia: Sukhbaatar Scorpions · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Nick Tay has photos of The Scorpions’ free concert in Ulaanbaatar's Sukhbaatar Square.


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Myanmar: Why I blog? · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Dathana in Myanmar gives a background of the political situation in the country and tells us why he blogs. “So, who am I? I'm just a blogger. I write what I believe. I write what I should highlight to create awareness. I cannot stay without speaking out when I see and hear that my country and people are suffering. If someone says, “ohhh… these are politics. you shouldn't write.”, he/she is one of those people making the dictator ruling last longer. “


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Nepaly army loses popularity · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bloggers Nepal reports how Nepali army is becoming increasingly unpopular in the country. Their lack of transparency and lack of respect towards ordinary citizens even towards the police forces are blamed for that. Questions are being raised whether the Nepalese government is in control of the Nepal army.


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Pakistan:  Opinions divided on Musharraf’s future · Global Voices
Rezwan

All things Pakistan blog conducts the second blog poll on ‘what President General Musharraf should do now’. The results are not only interesting, but also confusing. ATP blog concludes that the public opinion amongst Pakistanis remains divided and uncertain on the future of Gen. Musharraf.


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Pana-Blogs Report · Global Voices
Melissa De León

#1: Chiriqui Chatter: "US Consular Outreach Happened"
Michelle Javor, Vice Consul – Chief, American Citizens Services and Mayra Luaces, Foreign Service National Supervisor, met with a large group of US citizens at the first US Consular Outreach in David, Chiriquí last Friday. I would estimate that there were over 20 American Citizens in attendance.
As the announcing post had stated, their primary purpose was the following…Read the complete post now!
#2: Colteryahn.com (EN/ES) presents a first class, sparkling-with-life, pictorial review of the "Desfile de las Mil Polleras – Part 10: The Kuna Indians" (a folkloric parade that takes place every year)
The Kuna Indians are tribal people that are native to the islands and coasts of the San Blas territory.  Their colourful dresses and textile creations are easily identifiable by what’s known as a “Mola”; an intricate fabric artwork defined by their use of reverse aplique tecnique.  The Mola form a layered panels with designs that “pop” out at you.
Within the aboriginal cultures of this small strip of land that makes up the Isthmus of Panama, one can find the Embera people.  Formally known as the Chocoe, the Embera along with the Kuna are the tribes most respresentative of our exotic country.  Both cultures were borne out of the Darien Jungle, with the Embera people taking to the rivers and valleys. Continue reading this post, and visit his previous reports on this event!
#3: Leon Kadoch: "Bartenders Contest" in Panama City!
Well sometimes it is kinda sad to see some contests with pre-selected winners. Last night on my trip to "Play Lounge" we attended to a 42Below Bartender contest, the winner would go to New Zealand to the "World Cup" of Bartenders. The guys did an excellent job…BUT, now, head over his blog to get the scoop on this event!
#4: Al Aire Libre (ES), tells the tales of his adventures in the Panamanian rain forest: hiking, rafting, kayaking, tree-climbing and rain-forest canopy.It  seems like he never stops. I wonder when he has time to update the blog! Anyhow,…now he is looking for adventurous people like him to join them in the never ending fun quest!
#5: Diablo Rojo:  Feria Nacional de Artesanias (National  Handcrafts Show).  English version. Version en Español. Includes two videos: First: El Baile de la Batea,a dance with Afro-Caribbean roots performed by high school kids as part of a cultural program to rescue Panamanian traditions. Second, and interview with the owner of Vinos Tropicales, the only tropical-spirited winery in Panama.
#6: Wakalani on the Feria Nacional de Artesanias (ES). Her photography is stunning, get a taste now: "Este Paisito," you won't regret it :-)
#7: Jorge Yau is on vacation, YES, believe it or not…he is on vacation. See him with your own eyes: Wifi at the Coronado Resort. He raves about technology: camera phone, bluetooth wifi,…you name it, and shares a series of fun videos an photos from Four Wheel Coronado. Come on, take a peek!
#8: Pelle from Panama FAQ recorded a video from a trip he took from Panama City to Contadora island:
I created this video of our recent flight back and forth from Panama City to Isla Contadora. It features aerial shots of Panama City as well as Las Perlas. The soundtrack features some great Panamanian music. Watch the video!
I'll be back soon with more.

author: Melissa De León


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Poland: Britain’s Fear of the “Polish Plumber” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The beatroot criticizes the coverage of Polish migrant workers in two British newspapers, the Daily Mail and the Guardian: “But, alas, PC seems to cover every ethnicity these days except the white working class, and those from central and eastern Europe.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Poland’s Pulse in the Blogosphere · Global Voices
Jordan & Maria Seidel

Gushers of cool at the local Mall in Warsaw – by Embe, WarsawDaily
Poland is a hotspot in a few ways this week. While the heatwave is starting to take its toll on fan stocks (Warsaw seems to be sold out of them), Blog from Poland reports on the annual outdoor rock concert called “Woodstock Stop”. Touted as the largest European music festival, The Woodstock Stop (repeat that 5 times fast!) will attract an estimated 400,000 people — I suppose this is where all the “fans” went?
The Woodstock Stop (Poland)
Far from the peace, love, and piwo, but no less the hotspot, As the Warsaw Crow Flies blogs about a live re-enactment of the Warsaw Uprising:
My inside man tells me the battle begins at 4pm with ‘some’ fighting expected in the streets near the Fort Legionów.
And while the ‘real-deal’ fighting continues in Lebanon, Our Man in Gdansk, identifies some “uncritical acceptance” of the Israeli strategy by Poland's largest newspaper:
“Lebanese Children want to be Martyrs” is the surprising headline in Friday's Gazeta Wyborcza. The subhead: “Thousands of children are the victims of Hezbollah's war with Israel [not Israel's war on the Lebanon]. In photographs from the Lebanon one sees mostly the dead or those injured after the explosion of bombs. But most of them are those with sick souls.” I don't recall such sickly moralising accompanying the same newspaper's publication of a photograph of Israeli children writing messages on the bombs used to kill their Lebanese neighbours.
A country having twins as its Number One and Two in charge, Poland's gaffes also seem to come in pairs, not only in connection with unbalanced media, but as Traveling Life informs us that a PR specialist is being sought to find a way to boost the so-called Duck Republic's image abroad. Imagine that! According to P3, one such gaffe in need of immediate damage control is talk by the nationalist party about re-instituting the death penalty for  pedophiles.  In the comments section, Kasia appears to side with the nationalists:
For me death penalty it’s not a way of punishing criminals, it’s rather a way of preventing them from doing what they did again. Sadly, some people can not be stopped from ruining other people’s lives or from taking them away in other way. I will always be hoping that EU will change its attitude about death penalty someday.
Perhaps then it's the EU with an image problem? Image is our modus operandi this time, and Poland's architectural  reputation is on the line as Boo suggests a solution to the “thick layer of neglect and sadness” caking the cityscape of Lodz (Poland's second city, and fondly nicknamed ‘Hollywoodz’ due to several Oscar nominations from movies produced there; Roman Polanski studied film in Lodz). Unfortunately, the icing on this dilapidated cake is the people who “seemed uncared for, looking out from windows over crumbling balconies and sipping from cans on the streets.” The proposed solution to this unenviable dessert downer is ‘manufaktura':
Manufaktura is one solution to the problem of the old decaying factory buildings. They've been transformed into an enormous shopping centre, typical of the malls springing up all over Poland.
So, can the market forces give Lodz a much needed facelift?  Who knows? Perhaps the invisible hand will also come with a scalpel.
…In the Polish-language blogosphere, there are some unspecified grand plans for Warsaw in the head of Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, former Polish Prime Minister turned Mayor of the Capital, who – as of 31.07. – has also become a fellow blogger. In his first entry, he talks about brainstorming session he had with his friends over his ideas for Warsaw. “The potential of this city. Enormous. Still confined, but enormous,” – he writes. Well, we'll see what ways of unleashing that potential he has in mind. As a Warsawian myself, I sure am interested.
Later in this entry our ex-PM complains that his time in the office was viewed mainly in categories of maintaining good PR for the ruling party. O co naprawdę w tym wszystkim chodzi, commenting on Marcinkiewicz foray into the world of electronic media, points out that starting a blog itself is a PR move for any politician, and warns:
[…] there are a few politicians writing blogs, sometimes quite intimate ones.  But rather none of them can be counted as a major league player. Honestly, it's not a coincidence.
In a case of blogging deja vu (again, the Polish twin effect), Poland definitely feels a need for improving its PR image in the world. Polandia reports on a new initiative of the government, alarmed at the amount of bad press our country has been gathering lately, to create a new office for protecting and promoting the image of Poland in the world. The head of this institution is yet unknown, and its tasks – unspecified. Some Polish diplomats already fear it will turn out to be something akin to a communistic Ministry of Propaganda.
By contrast, Polandia‘s author presents an idea of a PR campaign proposed by the Polish magazine “Wprost”: if the Kaczyński twins are the most criticized, and therefore most recognized abroad Polish politicians – why not use the image of brothers to promote the country in a series of humorous billboards?
Picture of two little boys talking: “When I grow up I will be a prime minister,” and the brother responds: “Ok, so I will consider the presidency.” Below the line: Two more reasons to visit Poland.
That’s the Poland blogopshere update! Until next time – Do widzenia i powodzenia!

author: Jordan & Maria Seidel


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Slovakia: Xenophobic Government Member · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Further Ramblings of a N.Irish Magyar learns that some of Slovakia's “new government's members are maybe even worse than” he believed them to be.


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South Korea: boring or fun · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Robert Koehler disagrees with the comment that Korea is a boring country and explains the charm of Korea that he has experienced in Marmot's Hole.


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Sunny Maldives · Global Voices
Rezwan

South Asia Biz posts 10 reasons why one should travel Maldives. The small country situated on the south, southeast of India consists of 1,192 islets, out of which two hundred are inhabited by people. The main attractions include visa free entry, modern resorts, scuba diving heaven, water sports, picturesque sceneries with natural landscape and it remains sunny all the year.


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Syria: The Pawns of War! · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Unless we can make some real breakthroughs that can help us deliver a different message to this particular segment of the populace, demography in our part of the world will continue to be on the side of tyranny, and our children will continue to be the fodder thereof and the pawns of its wars, Ammar said.


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Taiwan: media and independent music · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Sounds and Fury has an angry post commenting on the mainstream media's attitude towards independent music during the recent 3 days annual independent music festival. The writer links the development of music industry with media reform (zh).
“The issue at stake is not only whether or not they reports on the independent music festival. The Arts and Movie page in the newspapers has becoming more and more shallow that people just treat them as ‘entertainment’ page. Therefore we only have scandals about singers and movie stars or gossiping pieces on their clothing style, etc. There aren't any discussion or analysis concerning the music and the environment of the industry… in the end, the quality of Taiwan music will deteriorate.”


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Tajikistan: Women & HuT · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

James discusses the growing involvement of Tajik women in Hizb-ut-Tahrir, an Islamist organization in which they were earlier only peripherally involved.


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The Balkans: Coverage Overview · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

South East Europe Online: S.E.E.ing is Believing! reviews the latest media and blog coverage of the Balkans.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Replant the land · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Attillah Springer has been an active and vocal participant in the movement protesting the establishment of an aluminium smelter in a community in southern Trinidad. Here, from her Flickr page, is an image taken during a tree-planting exercise undertaken in the area back in June:
A Union villager looks on at part of the 1000 acres of land that was cleared over a year ago to make way for the Union Industrial Estate. Dust from the cleared land caused serious respiratory problems for residents. Villagers and other anti-smelter protestors staged a direct action tree planting on June 15, Corpus Christi, the traditional first day of planting in Trinidad and Tobago.


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Ukraine: Parties Ready for New Election · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LEvko of Foreign Notes reports on various parties’ preparedness to a new election.


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Uruguay: Music: Astroboy’s video · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Fernando Casale posts the latest music video for the song Mal Mal Mal by Astroboy.


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Venezuela: Richard Stallman’s Visit · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Luigino Bracci has a thorough recap of Richard Stallman's visit to Venezuela (complete with audio recordings and photos), where he recommended that the country not adopt the proposed “Infogovernment Law.” There is also a two minute video clip where you can check out Stallman's Spanish.


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Albania: Travel, Fiction and Immigrants’ Stories · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Neil Woodburn is wrapping up the Albanian segment of his Balkan journey. Our Man In Tirana discusses “the role of Albanian as stock villain” and one crime writer's attempt to move beyond that. He also posts links to articles and discussions on Albanian immigrants.


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Argentina: “Mi Barrio, Then & Now” · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Robert Wright gives a historical tour of his neighborhood in Buenos Aires.


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Armenia: Call to Arms · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Onnik Krikorian reports that the US born Armenian opposition politician Raffi Hovannisian has called for an end to public apathy in the lead up to next year's parliamentary election.


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Bahrain: New Weekends! · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Finally Bahrain’s new weekend spanning Friday and Saturday, rather than the so far usual Thursday and Friday, was approved to start from September 1st, 2006, Mahmood said. The move is seen as a good step in the economical development of the country.


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Balkans: Destroying Enemy Websites · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Balkan Ghost of Finding Karadzic writes about “the inefficient tactics of destroying mainstream enemy websites” by the American government – including karadzic.org.


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Bangladesh: Political allies · Global Voices
Rezwan

In politics bizarre things happen as ‘today’s enemy can be tomorrow’s friends.’ In Bangladesh, Prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia's party BNP agrees to form a coalition with the ex-dictator HM Ershad, a man accused of playing a role in the assassination of her husband, President Ziaur Rahman in 1980. Her party fought with others succeeding in bringing down the Ershad government in 1990 to establish true democracy in Bangladesh.  imperfect | world | 2006 criticizes BNP's move and the oppositions’ reactions.


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China: great fire wall · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Chen Shao Ju has collected a list of censored words in the Great Firewall (zh).


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China: NGO · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Fons Tuinstra in China Herald carries on the discussion of China's blooming NGO scene outlined by Paul Mooney in Yale Global.


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China: Yao Ming resturant? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Dan Washburn in Shanghaiist investigates whether Yao Ming had really openned up a resturant in Shanghai: what the People's Daily is calling the Yao Restaurant is really Yeeha.


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Cuba: Fidel in High Spirits · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Writing from Venezuela, Daniel Duquenal pokes fun at Fidel Castro's opening sentence of a message to the Cuban population (available in its entirety (ES) at Juventud Rebelde) assuring his good health and high spirits after undergoing surgery. Agnerys Rodríguez Gavilán adds (ES) that, while Castro recuperates, “the Cuban Revolution will continue.”


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Cuba: Raúl’s activist daughter · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

James reports that Mariela Castro, daughter of Raúl Castro (and niece of Fidel Castro) is an activist for LGBT rights in Cuba.


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Cuba: US travel industry · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

“Ever since the fall of the Soviet Union, the travel industry has had plans in place, ready to launch the minute travel is allowed to Cuba. All of the cruise ship operators have scouted ports (as many as eight) and have contingency plans in place,” writes James, discussing the potential effects of regime change in  Cuba on the US travel industry.


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Czech Republic: Folk Music Festival · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Jesse of Bored in Brno shares his impressions of the folk music festival he attended last week: “Overall, I give this festival the highest recommendation of any that I've been to so far.”


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DRC: Candidates Complain about Rigging · Global Voices
Alice Backer

The Salon deplores that so many candidates are complaining about fraud in Sunday's election fearing the aftermath will lead to riots: “If they can convince people that their allegations are true, it will mean that the international community is in collusion with the riggers… recipe for chaos. I believe these people are being dangerously irresponsible.”


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DRC: Possibility of a Runoff · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Friends of the Congo  offers preliminary results of Sunday's presidential election including the possibility of a runoff between Kabila and Bemba, an outcome that according to the blogger falls in line with the spirit of an aborted proposal made during the Sun City talks.


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Egypt: Fiasco · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Zeinobia says that last night Israeli Army operation on Baalbak city in South Lebanon is another fiasco that the army wants to appear like a victory to deceive the poor frightened people of Israel and says that it achieved some sort of victory.
She confirms that those captured persons are not Hezbollah elements at all, they are 5 civilians, 4 of them their ages are above 50 years old and the 5th is a teenager. Father and son, with his brother in law and their neighbor.


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El Salvador: Interview with Stripper · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Tierra de collares points readers to an interview (ES) in El Faro with a professional stripper: “I recommend that you all read the story. Her comments allow us to enter unknown aspects of our country.” One commenter passionately disagrees (ES).


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Estonia: Gay Pride · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Giustino of Itching for Eestimaa writes about Estonia's positive image in the international gay community. Estonia's third gay pride festival is taking place in Tallinn August 7-13.


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Guatemala: Oil Exploration in National Parks · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Guatemalan blog Chapinadas writes that “the opening of a new process to explore and produce oil close to the National Park Sierra del Lacandon in Peten is causing problems between environmentalist and representatives of the Ministy of Energy and Mines.”


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Guyana: Two sides to the story · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Guyana-Gyal re-evaluates her attitude towards a local drunk, remarking that “every story got two sides.”


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Hong Kong: WHO · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

China government nominated former Hong Kong government official Dr. Margaret Chan to be the Chief of World Health Organization because of her experience in fighting SARS in Hong Kong. However, Martinoe says in his blog that: as a Hong Kong citizen he wants to write to members of WHO to vote down Margaret Chan because he has witnessed her poor performance in Hong Kong (zh).


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Indonesia: Middle Income Country Status · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Indonesia's Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) says that Indonesia is now a middle-income county. Blogger Indcoup says “But while BPS’s statement may boost the egos of some high-ranking govt officials like Yusuf Kalla who recently said Indonesia had already “come out of the 1998 economic crisis”, there may be a price to be paid for such posturing.”


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Iran: Photos from peaceful antiwar demonstration · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

In Nimania's photoblog we see several photos of antiwar demonstrators in front of United Nations Office in Tehran. They protested against war in Lebanon and carry placards in English. On placards we can read Moshe Dayan's, late Israeli military leader, words: If you want to make peace you don't talk to your friends but to your enemies.


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Iran: Watch Iranian daily life in a blog · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Paris Marashi is shooting video of her experiences in Iran and creating shorts, interactive installations, and/or videoblogs using the footage from her experiences and the experiences of others. In her blog we read and see about having fun in Northern Tehran coffee shops  or we find out how to rid the effect of the evil eye by burning Esfand (Peganum Harmala).


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Israel: Mel Gibson Arrested on Terrorism Charges · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

themiddle wonders if the news about Mel Gibson who has been arrested on terrorism charges is a hoax?!


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Jamaica: On fundamentalism · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

“A false doctrine trying to pass itself off as an older vision insults my intelligence and the bloodshed these religions leave in their wake convinces me that there is no God in them,” writes Jamaican novelist Marlon James, weighing in on the subject of fundamentalism


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Jordan: Designers, bloggers for Lebanon · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Designers and bloggers from around the region are using their skills to help Lebanon in the face of the ongoing Israeli attack. Humeid has the details.


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Kazakhstan: E-Government · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Leila of neweurasia asks questions about Kazakhstan's e-government initiative (RU).


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Kyrgyzstan: Expelled · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Registan.net notes the expulsion of two Kyrgyz diplomats from the United States, most likely as a response to the expulsion of two US diplomats from Kyrgyzstan last month.


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Latvia: Diplomatic Conflict With Belarus · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

All About Latvia writes about the confusing diplomatic conflict currently raging between Latvia and Belarus.


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Martinique: Beach and Flora · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Bien Vu posts (Fr) pictures of the beach and flora of Martinique.


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Mexico: Getting Fed Up · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Wave Making, originally a supporter of Felipe Calderón, says ” I simply don't care if he wins or loses anymore. It's more important that the other half of the population stops being angry and fed up.” Ana Maria Salazar also expresses her frustration (ES).


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Morocco: Cartoonist’s view of Lebanon Crisis · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Cartoonists, both on-line and in the print media, have contributed to the condemnation felt around the world. This is the view from one Moroccan source.


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Nepal: Woman in throne · Global Voices
Rezwan

Nepali Notebook reports that the Nepalese cabinet headed by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has decided to amend the royal succession laws to change the male only succession system for the monarchy. According to the changes there will be no obstacle for the female members of the royal family to be the head of the country as the queen. The Maoists want abolition of the monarchy.


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Pakistan: Rain · Global Voices
Rezwan

Rain has certain advantages and disadvantages. Windmills of my mind blog reveals how much awaited heavy rains have disrupted lives in Karachi.


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Pakistan: Textbook change · Global Voices
Rezwan

Metroblogging Lahore reports that father of the nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah's messages to the nation have been replaced by messages from current President Pervez Musharraf and Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi in almost all the latest editions of books approved and published by the Punjab Textbook Board.
The Board chairman said the exclusion of Jinnah's messages was a human error and would be rectified soon.


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Palestine: Destruction and Transformation of the Palestinian Environment · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

After decades under occupation, the Palestinian environment has become severely degraded. The Israeli occupation has caused significant damage to the Palestinian environment due to unsustainable exploitation of natural resources and by its geopolitical ambitions in the West Bank such as building settlements, roads, and conducting military incursions which have destroyed vital infrastructure, Gaialing provide a brief summary of the environmental conditions in Palestine and bring them to the forefront of debate.


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Panama: The Butterfest · Global Voices
Leon Kadoch

Eric Levy has built the reputation of a very popular and smart Geek in Panama. The Jewish, Panamanian comic-book creator has developed a new event that started almost 5 years ago in his backyard…known as the Butterfest.  Tonight the Butterfest is turning into a commercial endeavour for Eric. Visit the Butterfest blog to see his ramblings, messages and crazy interviews. Don't forget to stop by Discoteca Buzz tonight and be part of the history. On stage several new bands, Cinema Arte and Hacienda Libre de Bruce Lee featuring Gonzalo Horna.

author: Leon Kadoch


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Peru: Garcia Inaugurated Toledo Relaxing · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Maxwell A. Cameron links to a
summary of President Garcia's inaugural speech (ES) while Living in Peru says that former president, Alejandro Toledo is already relaxing at the coastal town of Punta Sal.


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Russia: Russian-German Deportation Anniversary · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

J. Otto Pohl writes that this month “marks the 65th anniversary of the deportation of the Russian-Germans to special settlements in Kazakhstan and Siberia” and posts the atrocity's timeline.


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Information Access in Russia; Hospice Work in Ukraine · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Marina Litvinovich – LJ user abstract2001 and founder of PravdaBeslana.ru (Truth Of Beslan, a site that contains transcripts of Beslan-related trials as well as other information on the tragedy) – notes that it's significantly harder to ensure free access to information in Russia than it is in the United States (RUS) :
The opening of the 9/11 terrorist act [trial] materials in the United States is a welcome development. I myself have been trying for two years already to do a similar thing on PravdaBeslana.ru. The only difference is that over there, it's the court that's doing it, while here, it's me and my friends.
Taking into account the peculiarities of our judicial system and investigative process, the work on uncovering and gathering information, testimonies and documents on high-profile crimes becomes extremely important. And it's not just that these documents allow a person to figure out independently what happened, and who is guilty and who is not. In our country, collecting these materials becomes the basis for future trials, which, under the current political regime, cannot take place.
Unfortunately, I haven't had enough time and energy to organize gathering of materials and transcribing of the trial transcripts in [Andrei Sychyov]'s case. I should've done it.
And the Vladivostok fire, and [the events in Nalchik] should have been taken up. And there are many other themes that exist for three days in the news, but then it's impossible to find any information on them: nothing. […]
Marina expounds on the issues of timeliness and unbiased approach in her answers to the readers’ questions:
_kleptos_: Isn't timeliness one of the most important factors in this kind of information gathering?
abstract2001: There are different situations and different stories. In the case of Kulayev trial, we tried to do everything in a timely fashion, so that it was possible to continue working with the people trial testimonies. But there are also stories that last many years. It depends.
_kleptos_: Thanks you. I'd also like to know how strong is the opposition to the gathering of this kind of information?
abstract2001: It is strong.
[…]
hoholusa: Sychyov. Vladivostok. Nalchik. What's the use of these materials?
abstract2001: The main goal is to gather politics-free witness and other testimonies. Due to censorship and self-censorship, the mass media cover many events either incorrectly or not at all. Besides, courts are not bias-free and don't aspire to justice. As time goes by, facts are mixed with fiction, myths, etc. It's important that there are accounts of “how it really was.”
hoholusa: This is a good goal, of course… As long as this is really “politics-free” material. I won't talk about Beslan, but your participation in Sychyov's case (rallies, LJ) was nothing but an attempt at political evaluation of one specific person.
abstract2001: But the desire to figure it out and gather the facts remains.
The first comment to Marina's post is from Elizaveta Glinka (LJ user doctor_liza), who runs and fundraises for the first and only hospice in Kyiv, Ukraine – Vale Hospice International:
doctor_liza: Good luck to you, Marina. I wouldn't be able to do even one tenth of what you're doing.
abstract2001: You're also doing an important thing. It's hard to make comparisons here. We are both doing what we have to do.
doctor_liza: It's easier for me because I'm forced to be apolitical: because of – or for the sake of – my patients. Definitely without any evaluations, the public ones. It won't work otherwise. While you are constantly taking risks – with yourself, your child. Well, you know it all yourself. Thank you.
Below is the translation of one of doctor_liza‘s hospice stories, about a patient named Tanya (RUS):
She has bright blue eyes and a happy smile. On her left hand, there's a tattoo [with her name] Tanya, made many years ago in [Magadan].
She was born in Ukraine. I'm not asking how she ended up in Magadan, and she doesn't like to talk about it, either.
Alone. There's her daughter's phone number, but no one's answering it.
She was brought to the hospice by two people. One of them, when asked who he was to Tanya, replied: “Brother. In Christ.” The next question the “brother” asked himself: “How to arrange trusteeship on Tania's pension?” The third question, and the last one in our communication, was asked by brother and sister – in Christ, of course, too: “How to arrange trusteeship on her apartment, while she's still conscious?”
Jehovah's Witnesses. She loves them. But she loves everyone who comes to visit her.
She is happy about everything that surrounds her: her roommates, flowers, candies, and even the hot water that we take to her instead of tea in the mornings.
- Tanyusha, where do you like to live better: here in Kyiv or in Magadan?
– In Magadan. People there were kinder. You know why?
– No.
– Because they were in exile. They are kind. All of them.
Of the 14 patients that the hospice can house, not all are adults. Below is doctor_liza‘s sketch of a new arrival – a baby boy:
I've received a 5-year-old baby into the hospice today.
The boy is very patient, though the move from home to the [hospice] has been very tough for him.
He'll be here with his mama.
I asked where it hurts and what can be done for him. He looked at me like an adult and said: “I want silence…”
There is some politics in doctor_liza‘s work, despite what she wrote in her comment to Marina Litvinovich. On her blog, she quoted this question to Vladimir Putin (RUS), posed by the mother of a sick child from Ukhta, Russia, on the eve of the July 6 online chat with the president:
[…]
Why is it that in order to save a child dying of leukemia, the whole town has to do fundraising? What are the country's medical and social insurance funds for? Why parents are left face to face with such trouble, on their own?
In order for Putin to answer this question, as many people as possible had to vote for it. In the comments to doctor_liza, many bloggers wrote that they did. Here is one such comment:
tiputya: I've voted. I'm very interested in this issue. […] For a long time now. Ever since my husband's sister [lost] a 4-month-old boy, who was ready for a [heart surgery], which they didn't carry out because the parents hadn't had enough time to find $50,000. […] Can any one of those “caring” officials survive for just two weeks on 1,550 rubles [roughly $55] that they throw [monthly] to a mother caring for a sick child? (Just one hormones test costs 1,000 rubles [roughly $35]!)
Indeed, money is much more of a problem in doctor_liza‘s work than politics. Her fundraising effort for the hospice, for example, is now taking place on her blog – because it's free, while running an ad on Vladimir Gusinsky‘s RTV International (RTVi) – a “Kremlin-free” channel – costs too much (RUS):
Social advertisement :)
Got a call from RTV International.
Would you like to know how much it costs to air a banner – just a picture, not a video (I simply don't have it) – for 30 seconds, three times a week – ONCE a day for thirty seconds?
$2,080. And no discounts.
Let it hang here. For free.


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Singapore: Bloggers Irked by Mainstream Media · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Singapore's metablog Tomorrow.sg has a link to a blog post that is taking the mainstream media to task for it's love-hate relationship with bloggers.


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Singapore: Using MSN for Business · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The blogger at mediaslut is happy to find a travel company that asks visitors on their website to contact their agents via MSN.


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Sri Lanka: Wedding · Global Voices
Rezwan

Boycy coins an A-Z terminology of a typical Sri Lankan wedding.


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Uruguay: “The Uruguayan Invasion” · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Most readers have heard of the “British Invasion” of the 1960's in the U.S. But What about the Uruguayan Invasion? “A wave of local bands inspired by british groups started singing some of their hit songs, and even composing some of their own, also in english, which is kinda funny if you realize we are a spanish speaking country, not to mention that only the thought of Uruguay invading anyone/anything, is just hilarious.”


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Uzbekistan: Pop & the Press · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

The Long and Winding Road reports on a collision between some of Uzbekistan's biggest stars (with their fans by their sides) and a government-backed reporter.


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Venezuela: Mister Papito Bloguero 2006 · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Wari announces the winners of this year's Mister Papito Bloguero Venezuela 2006 contest (ES). Venethinker, who won the Mister Papito Bloggero Pícaro category, is looking forward to (ES) the Miss Mamita Bloggera (ES) contest, which he will be following closely “because there are spectacular women adorning the blogosphere and it is a privilege, and furthermore an incredibly difficult task, having to choose among so much beauty, not just physical but also of essence, something which could be seen in the last contest and by the things they relate in their blogs.


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Afghanistan:President needs fundamentalists · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Once upon a place says Karzai, Afghan President tries to appease its fundamentalist opposition by proposing Departments for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. The blogger adds this illustrates the desperation of Karzai to gain some control as his western backers slowly desert him and leave him to his own devices. He has no choice but to deal with his detractors to maintain his position….to remain alive for that matter.


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Argentina: Cyber-Barrios · Global Voices
David Sasaki

“Every neighborhood has its history, its legends, its news, its people, and also its own website,” says Blog Pasa en Buenos Aires in a post that links to the websites of all the various neighborhoods of the capital city (ES).


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Armenia: Pots · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Irina Petrosian writes on antique Armenian cookware and their specialized uses.


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Bangladesh: social justice · Global Voices
Rezwan

Pamela, a British expatriate at Dhaka Diary experiences the heartless beating of a young man (alleged of a crime) by an unruly mob. Dhaka has seen more such incidents of mob lynching in recent days.


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Bolivia: A Conversation With René Antonio Mayorga · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Miguel Buitrago transcribes his conversation with political scientist, René Antonio Mayorga.


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Chile: No Cell Phone Day · Global Voices
David Sasaki

FayerWayer is asking all readers to turn off their cell phones on September 27th (ES) to protest the poor quality of service providers.


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China: Two tales of a boy’s death · Global Voices
John Kennedy

On July 16, well-known and outspoken political commentary writer Liao Zusheng's (廖祖笙) son Liao Mengjun (廖梦君) is surreptitiously called from summer vacation back to his school to pick up his junior high graduation certificate and, according to one account, within minutes after arriving is found dead on the pavement next to the school wall. An early local newspaper reported the boy had jumped to his death from the sixth floor after being caught rifling through a teacher's desk.
Immediately suspecting foul play, Zusheng turned to his already well-read blog—with readership jumping to forty thousand overnight—with a series of posts claiming a history of abuse and blackmail during his son's time at the school. Although police later admitted the boy's fingerprints could not be found near or in the desk, they did allegedly find a message written on the classroom floor by the boy in his own blood naming one of the senior school administrators: “Murderer xx Chen, I hate you to death.” [zh]
Despite alleged injuries, details and eyewitness accounts suggesting otherwise and after refusing all requests to make public the coroner's report, the police report listed the cause of death as suicide, and named Zusheng, who refused to sign it, as a suspect. Did hired thugs throw sixteen-year old Mengjun down from the sixth floor of the school? Or did the son jump himself after being caught sneaking through a teacher's desk? Will the truth ever be known? The two opposing stories may be all that the public ever have to go by as on the following day all regional media were ordered not to report on the incident.
作家廖祖笙的儿子被谋杀！！！
我已经无力再写更多的文字，我只能痛彻心肺地告诉大家——2006年7月16日，作家廖祖笙的儿子在校园内被谋杀！！！
当天下午4时11分，广东省佛山市南海区黄岐中学的政治老师、我儿子的原班主任谭观南，让一个学生用街头公用电话给我家打电话，让我儿子到学校拿毕业证，我孩子去后就再无音信。当晚12点，我们夫妇俩赶到公安机关报案，干警告诉我们，傍晚接到我孩子学校打来的报警电话，他们赶到现场时，已看见一具尸体躺在学校内的墙根旁。他们对死者穿着的描述与我儿子完全吻合，并告诉我们有一个老师已被送往医院抢救。到干警开车把我们送离公安机关时，已是凌晨4点，我儿原班主任谭观南仍被留在公安机关接受调查，干警告诉我们还有几个人要去抓，让我们17日上午到殡仪馆辨认尸体。
Prior that the above, Zunsheng had since added a foreword, responding to those readers of his casting strong doubts on his story:
我惊愕于如此惨剧发生之后，还有人在这样的帖子中向我乱石纷飞。对于这些流氓气息十足的跟帖，我一条也不会删，正好让人看清这些人的流氓嘴脸！是什么样的人在这扔石头，大家的心里应该也很清楚。任其怎么巧言恶语，也改变不了我儿子已经被惨杀在校园内这样一个最基本的事实。我为争取教育公平，已经付出了如此血的代价。而这些流氓干的，是什么呢？是惨绝人寰的屠杀！
问我为何家里发生了这样大的事情，还有心情在这里“写文章”？原因很简单，因为我家里电话不断，有各地的编辑、记者在向我了解情况，或友人来电表示深情的安抚。而我家里还有一个80多岁的老母，在被家人接回家乡之前，我还得向她隐瞒我儿子已经被害的噩耗，现在要瞒住，将来也要瞒住，直到她仙逝的那一天。我推说她可爱的孙子参加夏令营去了，要过段时间再回家。老人虽然耳背，但我也不能一再当着她的面，在电话里向来电者讲述我儿子的惨死。如此解释，能让你们这些流氓闭嘴了吗？
就是怎么个恶搞，也休想让你们免予惩罚。只要我一息尚存，只要中国人的良知还没有死绝，我就绝不会让我儿子的鲜血如此白流。你们就等着正义之剑最终挥向你们的头顶吧！杀人也想逃脱惩罚？世上果真会有这样便宜的事吗？
If you ask me how I can still feel like writing with such a big thing having happened at home, the reason is very simple. Because my home phone hasn't stopped ringing with calls from editors and reporters everywhere wanting to understand the situation, and friends phoning to express their deep sympathy and consolation. And in my home there is also my eighty-year old mother. Before she was taken back to the country home, I had to hide from her my son's sad news. I'm hiding it now and will hide it in the future, right until the day she passes away. I'll just say her cute grandson has gone to summer camp and that he'll be back after not too long. Although she's hard of hearing, I still can't talk about my son's tragic death on the phone when people call. Explained like this, will it shut you thugs up?
That's how much of a farce this all is, and I don't plan on letting you get away with it. As long as there's still breath in my body, as long as Chinese’ conscience still hasn't perished, I absolutely will not allow my son's blood to have been spilt in vain. You just wait until the sword of justice lands on top of your heads! The killers want to get away with it? Do people still get off so easily in this world?
Continuing in a later post, in lieu of the coroner's report which had been denied him, Zunsheng offers a description of his son's body:
从16日晚到此时，我一秒钟也未合眼，也粒米未进。为了不让惨死的爱子死不瞑目，我只能强撑着叙述我今天看到的一切，以及这件惨案的起因结果。
虽然我的判断并不等于公安机关最终的判断，但我今天忍痛在殡仪馆确认了爱子的尸体之后，不仅确信这是一次蓄意谋杀，而且确认他们还是以惨绝人寰的手段惨杀了作家廖祖笙的独子！！！
因为被告知不准触碰或翻动尸体，我们夫妻俩从尸体正面看到我儿死得是如此之惨：
头部：头发全部被凝固的血液浆住，因为不许触碰，看不到头顶伤在何处；七窍全部流血，血液凝固，牙齿被打得暴突；整个面部全是凝固的血液；右前额塌陷，右脸有明显被利器刺破痕迹，脸上也有明显被拳击后遗留的瘀痕；右下巴出现一个血洞。
颈部：喉管部位有明显手掐的瘀痕。
前胸：整个前胸部位伤痕累累，找不到一块好肉。因为不许触碰，无法确认哪些肋骨是否断裂。左肋有被利器刺伤创口。
臂部：左上胳膊和右上胳膊全被拧断，有明显骨头暴突错位痕迹，皮肉组织也呈肿胀状态；整个左胳膊有3处匕首捅扎创口，创口深浅不一；
腿部：右膝盖下方被血淋淋剜去鸡蛋大的一块肉，创口深可见骨；右脚有大片瘀伤，并有明显骨头断裂痕迹；左大腿和左小腿各有一处被匕首捅扎创口。
背部：因为不许翻动尸体，无法检视背部伤处。我儿身下积留的大片血水足可淹到半个手部。
这是我夫妻俩在殡仪馆看到的基本情况。同日，广州和佛山多家媒体对此案的跟踪采访已介入，因为被告知不能进殡仪馆，因此没有陪同一块前往检视。
在整个追杀过程中，进行的是一场何等惨绝人寰的追杀，由上述情况可见一斑。广东省佛山市南海区黄岐中学附近有群众向前来采访的记者描述：事发当时，有七八位成年男人手持铁棍、木棍等凶器，从学校的操场上把一位少年往教学楼上追打。没过多久，有人看到一少年从5楼窗口往下坠楼，或被人推落。
从时间上分析，我估计我儿进校在10分钟左右，整个有预谋的诱杀过程就已完成，依据如下：
16日下午4时11分，我妻子突然接到一个学生挂来的电话（后证实是街头公用电话），说我儿的前班主任谭观南让我孩子到学校去拿毕业证，于是我妻下楼把孩子从花园里找来，两人换了衣服，先到附近的市场购物，而后陪着我儿去学校。考虑到这几个月来，因老师数次殴打我儿、校方对我儿的中考百般刁难，我妻不愿与学校的老师再见面，于是下车后，两人说定在离学校不远的一个图书城碰面，不见不散。于是我妻进书城购书，我儿步行走向学校。这之间至少需费时40分钟。而事后干警告诉我们，5点10分左右，黄岐中学向警方报警，说“学校发现一个小偷”，等警方赶到时，一具尸体已经躺在教学楼旁的水泥地面。
At 4:11 pm on the afternoon of the 16th, my wife suddenly received a phone call from one student (later determined to have been from a public phone), saying my son's class director Tan Guannan wanted him to come to the school to pick up his graduation certificate, and then my wife went downstairs to find my son in the garden, the two of them changed clothes, went first to a nearby market to buy some things, and then she took him to the school. Given that over the last few months my son's teachers had struck my son many times and that school officials had created several obstacles to prevent my son from sitting his senior high school entrance exam, my wife didn't want to meet any of the school's teachers again, so after he got out of the car, the two of them agreed to meet at a book shop near the school and my wife went to the bookstore to buy some books. Then my son walked towards the school. All of this need to have taken at least forty minutes. And afterwards, the duty officer told us that around 5:10, Huang Qi middle school called the police and said “we've noticed a thief here at the school.” When the police arrived, a body was already lying on the concrete next to the school wall.
At this point, Zusheng expands more on the history of conflict between him and his son's educators:
这件惨案会发生，绝非偶然，我家同该校有过多种过节：
该校在全国已经实行义务教育“一费制”收费之后，仍频频乱收费、高收费。只要你的户口还没有转到当地，该校就或收高价3个学年近万元，或收半高价近千元一学期。我儿念初二之后，我对这种收费方法再无法忍受，于是给该校校长写了一封措辞比较激烈的信，拒绝再被盘剥，并表示校方如因此不让我孩子上学，我将向媒体曝光并诉诸法律。后校方把我找到学校，同意对我孩子的收费“特事特办”。此过节一。
After this school implemented the national mandatory education “one fee system”, they still often arbitrarily collected fees, and high ones at that. If your hukou hasn't been registered locally, the school charges nearly for three school years, or half that at nearly a thousand yuan per semester. After my son finished junior two [age 14], I could no longer tolerate these kinds of fees and wrote a very strongly-worded letter to the principal refusing to be exploited again, and told the school officials that if because of this they refused to allow my son to continue his schooling, I would expose this to the media and file a lawsuit. Later the school officials called me to the school and agreed to treat my son's tuition as ‘special matter, special handling’. That was run-in one.
我儿过去一向被老师赞不绝口，年年拿回一堆奖状或获奖证书，可自从初三由政治老师谭观南担任班主任之后，就成了其眼中钉，肉中刺，屡次遭到他的殴打。就在中考前两天，就因为同学之间借用橡皮擦这等鸡毛蒜皮之事，谭观南居然当着全班近60个学生对我孩子手掐脖子，拳打肋骨。之后又一整天不让我儿进教室上课，让他全天在老师办公室面壁。这事发生后，我极为气愤，表示要起诉谭观南，他连夜赶来我所在的花园向我道歉，我因为当时在气头上，拒绝他进入我的家门。学校有个梁主任，对我儿也两度表示要“揍你”。此过节二。
今年4月，校方突然要我家出示房产证正本，否则就不让我孩子按正常程序中考，而要让他把“择校”当作报考的第一自愿，而择校费相关领导告知是3万元。为了给我孩子争取平等接受教育的机会，我一连数月撰文向教育积弊宣战，这些文章除了散见于各地媒体，也都可以在我的新浪博客上找到。校方也许感受到了压力，常常对我孩子进行精神折磨，最多的时候，一天有3个老师找我儿谈话，谈话时间长达3个多小时，要他按“择校”标准填报中考自愿，有时害得我儿在学校连吃饭也赶不上，只能到零售店买面包充饥。为了这事，我夫妇俩几次打电话向学校老师抗议。此过节三。
也许是我批判教育积弊的文章屡次不点名地提到该校的一些做法，给该校带来了压力，我儿原班主任谭观南显得尤为紧张，自己杜撰了多条他有为我儿争取正常中考的工作情况，要我在这张纸上签字，以摆脱干系。我见这些情况多有不实之词，并有意在第一条中就恶意涂抹我们在欺骗学校，我因此拒绝签字。此过节四。
The holes Zunsheng perceives in the official version of events are many, and here are a few:
后来我通过把妻儿户口迁入的方式，让校方再无法刁难我儿的中考。没想到问题解决了，人命也就发生了。
几处疑点：
为什么谭观南过去从来都是用他的手机或办公室电话同我家联系，这次却要让一个学生用公用电话把我孩子叫到学校？
为什么别的同班同学早就拿了毕业证，我儿的毕业证却要这么迟才间接通知他到已经放假的学校去拿，而且电话打来时已是下午4点多？
为什么我儿已经死亡好几个小时，我们3次同他联系，他还要隐瞒情况？
为什么校方报警时说“发现一个小偷”，却是七八个成年男人手持各种凶器对我儿从操场追打到5楼？我儿自小被老师们赞不绝口，一个作家的孩子最后一次被骗到学校，就命丧黄泉，并被他们涂抹成了“小偷”？
……我无法再写下去了。即便是在家破人亡之后，我也依然坚信党和政府、公安机关最终会为我惨死的爱子讨还公道。如果这样的奇案也不能尽快水落石出，那么天理何在，光明何在，教育界的本质又何在？苍天啊，我相信你始终注视着这片土地，不会让一个作家的独子就这样白白被人惨绝人寰地给谋害！
In this post dated July 21, still unable to provide an autopsy report or any other related documentation, Zusheng makes his private notes public:
■2006年7月17日：
上午《南方都市报》、《广州日报》、《佛山日报》、《珠江时报》、佛山电视台等媒体的记者接到群众报料电话后，已陆续赶来。佛山的一位记者致电南海区××××××相关人员，对方要记者先别报道这事，要统一宣传口径，说是学校有一个“小偷”摔死。不久后佛山的一位记者告诉我，×××××××已经来电，让这家媒体的记者撤回。
中午警方带我们夫妻到殡仪馆辨认尸体，记者赶去学校了解情况。经过辨认，那具惨不忍睹的尸体确系我儿廖梦君的遗体！从殡仪馆出来，我们夫妻俩赶往黄岐中学汇合，有记者告诉我，××××××的领导再次同记者谈到“统一宣传口径”之事，其间有记者向对方指出：这事捂着瞒着恐不是办法，把廖先生的孩子说成是“小偷”，更没有谁会相信，只会把事情越搞越大。对方于是答应不再“统一宣传口径”。
在学校门口，我气愤地质问：“一个活生生的孩子就这样惨死在学校，你们还想把一个作家的孩子涂抹成‘小偷’，可能吗？有人相信吗？”一位×领导赶紧说：“没有说他是‘小偷’呀，谁说他是‘小偷’了？已经说过这材料要收回了，不对外发了。”
晚上《广州日报》、《南方日报》等媒体的记者几次给我打来电话，催我补充情况，说稿子赶着上版。我于是写下了在殡仪馆看到的情况。
■2006年7月18日：
原以为今天梦君遇害的事会出现在多家媒体上，谁知上网以及买来报纸，没有看到片言只语。与几位在媒体工作的同志电话联系后，始知××××××××昨晚临时下了通知，说这事要等破案之后才能报道。
一个此前没有任何犯罪纪录、从小不偷人一针一线的少年，这般离奇惨死校园，“统一宣传口径”后的结果是这个少年是“小偷”，被发现后杀人……这简直是在愚弄所有中国人的判断力。如此滔天冤案，要何时才会真正大白于天下？！
Of the many discrepancies Zusheng sees in the official recount of the events compared to information he has gathered on his own, one of the major points of contention is that despite the repeated ill treatment his son allegedly received at school in the past, it was never at the hands of teacher Deng, who aside from being the owner of the books Mengjun reputedly tried to steal, according to Zusheng, was also stabbed seven times at some point.
如果说一个纯真的孩子仅只因为书籍被扣就有了行凶动机，就会“突然伸出左手绕住邓老师的脖子，右手从身上掏出一把水果尖刀，猛刺向邓老师”，那么一伙名曰人民教师，实则经常打学生的斯文败类就更有行凶杀人的可能。到网上去看看，实地到学生当中去问问，该校体罚、刁难学生的事常有。
特别是该校一直想把我孩子变成要多花3万元就读的择校生，结果目的非但没有得逞，相反一再遭到痛批时，就更是容易恼羞成怒。这次领证之后，我儿就要到别的学校念书去了，再也不用踏进已让他感到恐惧的这所学校了，这是他们最后的一次报复机会！在别的场所要诬陷一个孩子，岂有如此方便？
邓老师被捅了7刀？我儿的身上又何止被人捅了7刀？！他的累累伤口又是怎么来的？没有人追杀他，他如何会好端端从6楼坠落，而且是垂直坠落，连1米外的栏杆也没能跳出？
惨死的孩子已经没有任何解释和申辩的能力，这几个老师爱怎么说就可以怎么说。如果说这样的所谓“真相”也能在某部门几次开会研讨之后出笼，并且成立，那么是否意味着我们的社会，往后就可以延伸这样一种逻辑：杀人要比速度，谁永远闭上了嘴巴，谁就是小偷、凶手；谁仍然还活着，谁就是受害者甚至正义的化身？
在这样的环境下生存，我已经没有了最基本的安全感，如果本博客长期未更新，那么极可能我们夫妇俩也已经被害了。如果我不在了，我的灵魂将仍然希望国家更强大，国人多珍重。
不要为了掩盖已有的罪恶，而实施更大的罪恶！这对我们这个国家和民族只有坏处，没有好处！
On a post dated July 28, Zusheng demands that a police superindent take charge of his son's case, the progress with which he finds unacceptable. Here he lists some of the reasons why:
警方在被翻动的地方没有提取到廖梦君的指纹
警方并不能确认廖梦君行窃
廖梦君的血书指向的杀人凶手并非邓老师
原先的公用电话居然变成了“住宅电话”
案情和尸检报告俱在，不给，当面看一遍也不行
毕业证、录取通知书未被扣，起因只因几本书？
警方认定遍体鳞伤、腹部被捅穿的廖梦君是“自杀”
签字和不签字一个样，这个案子“要撤销”
As questionable as official Chinese police reports can sometimes be, turning to the internet to tell his story without any documentation to back it up saw many sharp-fingered readers try and rip him a new one. One interesting point Zusheng mentions, also in his July 28 post, is that after his son's story drew more and more attention, several readers apparently using several different nicknames began to flood the discussion flow, ignoring the suspicions Zusheng raised based on his own observations and fixating on contradictory official details. Here we see one reader from the hugely-popular Club.Cat898.com BBS, where the incident was also being discussed, propose a new theory:
廖案的另一种猜测（也并非不可能）
我的猜测：已经看过关于这个案子的N中分析，各有各的道理，说廖是小偷者有之，说邓是杀人者有之，说廖捅伤邓然后自杀者有之。  有对教育制度愤慨者，有对廖君死亡冷潮热讽者，而我在综观整个案子后，觉得有比较合理的推测是这样的：
听廖父说，廖君与邓姓老师平时并无任何过节。所以我排除邓姓老师是坏人的可能性。
极有可能是：某势力（到底是学校本身还是假手他人目前不甚清楚）设局要殴打廖同学，而邓姓老师发现了，出于良知予以制止，被穷凶极恶之人附带捅伤，（此时是在三楼），然后又追赶廖同学至六楼，也可能并非是想真的杀了他，但场面失控，廖有可能在被抛下去的（此时还未死亡），也有可能情急之下跳楼至死。
以上推测可以解释很多问题。刀既不是廖的，也非邓姓老师的。   也能解释为什么邓老师在三楼，而廖同学在六楼坠楼。   更能解释廖及邓身上都有刀伤的问题。
当然行凶者我本不愿意恶意推测一定是跟学校方面有关联，但事态的发展，如果以上推测属实的话，极有可能邓老师本身是见义勇为者，但在医院清醒过后，迫于某种压力或某种利益关系，而讲了假话。
而警方也许本可以公正一点办案（当然我这里并非说目前不公正，只是推测），但因廖作家把事情提升到了和教育对立的高度上来，而让本身简单的事情变复杂了。
行凶者是拖某位老师的请求，教训一下廖吗？  不确定，有可能！
行凶者是拖某位学校领导的请求，教训一下廖吗？  不确定，也有可能！
但至少我认为，行凶者不会直接是老师干的，更不太可能是邓老师干的！
廖同学有可能自杀吗？也不能说完全没可能，但我认为可能性非常之小，没人追杀，自己跑到六楼跳下去的可能性实在太小。
所以纵观本案，各种可能性都有，因为整件事更详细的情况说明也不知道是因为什么原因而没有公布出来，所以不好下结论。
———但就目前已知的情况来判断和分析，最合理的解释应该是我以上的推测：凶手另有其人，廖与邓都是受害者，而邓因为某种原因可能永远也不会讲真话了。
一家之言，请网友评判！
While Zusheng hasn't posted for three days now, his longest period of silence since he began, he does appear to be preparing for a long fight to find the truth of the matter:
廖祖笙急需援助
即便是在这样的情况下，有些事情我也仍然是说不得，不能说。
几近崩溃，但我不能就这么倒下。我清楚地知道这不单是我儿离奇惨死的问题，也涉及到少儿就学环境、公众安全、公民权益等问题。虽然我的人生已被粉碎，但我就是要倒下，也要在告慰了亡魂之后倒下。
这不是一般的逆风而行，极有可能会是一场旷日持久的“讨个说法”。我知道，我急需援助：
如果您是一位真正的目击者或知情人，千万不要埋汰了良知，请与我联系！
如果您是一位经验丰富、能打硬仗的律师，请与我联系！最好一位是北京的律师，一位是广州的律师。
如果您是一位路见不平、乐于助人者，请您为我提供资助！
……
我希望善良、正直的人们伸出温暖的双手，帮我一把，泣谢！
我的电话：0757-85902681　13528908198
我的邮箱：liaozusheng66@163.com 　liaozusheng@gmail.com
我的卡号：4518 1075 9445 3276　工行牡丹卡：廖祖笙
我的博客：http://blog.sina.com.cn/m/liaozusheng
廖祖笙泣谢天下所有善良、正直的人们！

author: John Kennedy


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Costa Rica: Class and the Internet · Global Voices
David Sasaki

In a post titled “Information is Power” Cristian Cambronero cites statistics in Costa Rica which reveal that “42% of those to use the internet over the past 12 months belong to the wealthiest fifth of the population.”


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Costa Rica: Day of La Negrita · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Journalist Uri Ridelman first describes “Costa Rican devotion to La Negrita” and then posts pictures from “The day of La Negrita.”


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Cuba: Castro’s sister says her brother is alive · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Several news outlets and blogs, including The Latin Americanist and Ya No Mas, have published reports stating that Fidel Castro's sister, Juanita, who lives in exile in Miami, has affirmed that her brother is alive.


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Cuba: Critiqing the MSM · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

The indefatigable Babalu Blog continues posting its critiques of what it views as the mainstream media's pandering to Castro, and Babalu's editor, Valentín “El Barbaro” Prieto is the subject of an article in the Palm Beach Post.


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Cuba: Foreign journalists barred · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Cuba Libre Digital (ES) and Ya No Mas (ES)  have published a report stating that “at least six” foreign journalist have been barred from entering Cuba. According to the report, the journalist are from Peru, Chile and the US, and were stopped at José Martí airport in Havana.


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Cuba: More media critiques · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Fausta Wertz parses the statement about Fidel Castro's condition appearing today in the Cuban news daily Granma and critiques statements from other media outlets, including the BBC: “On Tuesday I was saying this was Fidel's Yasser moment. So far, it continues to be.”


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Cuba: Photographic evidence? · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Zenia posts a photo from the EFE news agency of a quiet boulevard in Havana, with the title: “Havana on August 3″.


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Death of a student leader in prison & Lebanon · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Akbar Mohammadi, an Iranian student leader has died in jail while he was on a hunger strike. Akbar Mohammadi was first arrested in 1999 after clashes between the security forces and students at Tehran University. According to news Mohammadi’s parents got arrested as soon as they came to Iran. Many bloggers were shocked about this news and share their thoughts and feelings in different ways, from writing to draw cartoon, in their blogs.
Eternal Freedom
Nikahang a leading cartoonist & blogger published a cartoon in remembrance of Mohammadi in his blog and Roozonline.
From Zahra Kazemi to Akbar Mohammadi
Several bloggers compared Akbar Mohammadi's death to Zahra Kazemi's, Canadian-Iranian photojournalist who died in a very suspicous circumstances in prison, death. Jomhour reminds us the similarities between Zahra Kazemi’s, Iranian Canadian photographer and journalist who died in prison, and Akbar Mohammadi’s death. The blogger says Mohammadi’s body was buried without any approval from his family or lawyer. The blogger adds parents were arrested by authorities to avoid any demonstration or protest. Jomhour says authorities should answer why they refused Mohammadi’s body to be examined by independent doctors [Fa]. He adds we remember in which circumstances Zahra Kazemi, photographer and journalist who died in prison, was buried. We are going to forget his death even sooner than Zahra Kazemi’s death. The blogger writes
Akbar Mohammdi’s lawyer declared his death suspicious and said until the revelation of truth; the body should not be buried. Akbar’s father before his son’s death and when he was on hunger strike to protest against his arrest said his son had been tortured.
Hanif Mazroi says if four years ago authorities had punished Zahra Kazemi’s murderer we won’t face anymore such horrible events. Mazroi adds as soon as Iranian public opinion becomes busy with international affairs, they do what they want with Iranian youth [Fa].
Fm Sokhan says we are not going to forgive or forget people who did this crime [Fa]. The blogger has published a photo of Mohammadi which is taken by Kosoof, a leading photo blogger.
Indifference
Roozmaregiha  says so called reformist leaders talk about human rights violation in Lebanon and they worry about political prisoners in that land but they say nothing about Iran [Fa]. The blogger adds none of reformers mentioned Mohammadi’s name. Akbar Mohammdi had been a prisoner for eight years in reformist period. Akbar Ganji and dozens of other political prisoners are from the same period. The blogger adds
Now Akbar Mohammadi is not alive anymore and talking about  who is the responsible of his death is not that important. The important thing is that he died in Evin prison while he was on huger strike…Human rights are not a defined concept here. Everybody has his/her own definition.
Mikhak says nothing will happen after this tragedy. The blogger thinks Lebanon news and UN warning to Iran to stop uranium enrichment took the  front scene in media [Fa].
Iranpaprazi says that he did not know Mohammadi and his ideological background but it is really unjust to take somebody alive and give him back dead. All these authorities’ declarations to show that they are innocent and it was Akbar Mohammadi’s fault are really disgusting [Fa].
Mohammadi’s tragedy has not been the only tragedy that  Iranian bloggers to talk about. Lebanon war and tragedy has been discussed in some blogs too.
Government & volunteer studnets
Ansar Qods says Iranian government ordered to stop volunteer students who want to go fighting in Lebanon in Iran-Turkey borders. The blog says even some get beaten up by security forces. It seems negotiation goes on with Iranian government to let these volunteers who have passports to pass borders [Fa].
Hojreh, a cleric blogger, reports some Iranian students who are volunteers to go to Lebanon will get permission from Makou's authorities to pass Iran-Turkey borders. Mean time the blogger says Turkey announced all will be arrested as soon as they put their foot in Turkey [Fa].


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DRC: White Candidate in Presidential Election · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Fleur d'Afrique points to an article  about Pierre-Jacques Chalupa, a white candidate in Sunday's presidential election and writes (Fr): “Apparently, there was also a white candidate in the elections. I thought it was a joke! As the article says, it is hilarious that nobody is reacting but when it comes to Tutsis who have lived in the Congo for generations that's the problem of the century.”


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Ethiopian blogs focus on Somali tension · Global Voices
Andrew Heavens

Ethiopia’s bloggers kept a nervous eye on their country’s southern border with Somalia over the past two weeks as rumblings of renewed conflict got ever louder.
The growing tension received next to no coverage in the mainstream media who focused most of their international coverage on southern Lebanon.
But the bloggers were there to fill up the vacuum.
Many of them realised that their readers would know next to nothing about the complex relationship between Ethiopia and Somalia. So they filled the knowledge gap with briefings and background articles.
Ethiopundit provided the most colourful summary in Meles's Not So Excellent Adventure [Meles Zenawi is Ethiopia's prime minister]:
Where to start … where to start …. OK, the Usual Suspect Clan Warlords (USCW) lost a battle for control of Mogadishu [Somalia's capital] and eventually most of the region to the New Jack Islamist Warlords (NJIW) that we certainly had never heard of. Not only that, but the US was allegedly helping the USCW and Ethiopia definitely was helping them. Oh, and Eritrea was aggressively arming the NJIW in a bid to outflank Meles Inc (actually at this point it seems, just to mess with Ethiopia for hell of it)…
According to the USCW, Eritrea was joined by Egypt and Saudi Arabia in aiding the NJIW and according to many others the latter had some rather unsavory connections to international terror. As the USCW were being chased across the region, the UN backed (alert the media!), Ethiopian supported, For Real Somali Government in Internal Exile (FRSGIE) welcomed Ethiopian troops sent by Meles Inc. into Baidoia (the FRSGIE capital) and environs.
Meles Inc., however, denied it was attempting any hostile takeovers at all. The FRSGIE said that it was all a mistake due to Ethiopian donated uniforms on its own soldiers while Meles Inc. denied the whole thing with the same straight face it used to deny everything from blocking blogs onto keeping 70 million hostages. A few tame reporters claimed to see nothing but there could have been a legion of Galactic Storm Troopers straight from the Clone Wars right next door for all they were allowed to see.
My Heart's in Accra provided a slightly drier run-through of the key facts in Some background on the likely forthcoming conflict in Somalia.
After the briefings came the commentary.
Enset called on Ethiopia and the international community to recognise that the newly resurgent Islamic movement in Somalia could actually be seen as a stablising force. But in Neighboring Somalia In The Spotlight he warned:
unless cooler heads prevail in Mogadishu and Baidoa [the headquarters of Somalia's provisional government], there a real possibility that a full-fledged war might break out … and this does not bode well for peace in Somalia and the Horn of Africa region.
Redeem Ethiopia worried about the religious faultlines that it saw opening up in Thuggish Governance:
The previous Ethiopian-Somali conflicts were much more about colonial legacy than they were religious. Attempting to give the historical bumpy relationship between the two countries a religious tone is the first defeat for Ethiopia, as it is the country with a population that is half Christian and half Muslim.
Urael saw parallels with Lebanon in ‘I told you so’:
There is a striking similarity between Israel’s invasion in Lebanon and Ethiopia’s invasion in Somalia. There are also differences. The Islamic Courts Union did not kidnap Ethiopian soldiers. They actually have not shot any rockets to Ethiopian territory. They are just not the ones Ethiopia allied with.
The similarity is that the United States of America is using both aggressors. And it is turning a blind eye towards the misery that is created.
Aqumada chose poetry over politics. He summed up the fears of many by translating a poem by Wilfred Owen, the British World War 1 poet, into Amharic [one of Ethiopia's main languages]:
Anthem for Doomed Youth
What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
-Only the monstrous anger of the guns.

author: Andrew Heavens


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Fiji: RakshaBandan Festival · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Babasiga blog has a post on the celebration of RakshaBandhan in Fiji.  The festival is popular in India and it celebrates the love between brothers and sisters. It was introduced in Fiji by Indians who were brought to Fiji in the 19th century by the colonial rulers.  The blogger says “In recent years the sentiment has extended outside the family to friends, irrespective of religion or ethnic group. Now wouldn’t that be nice in Fiji!”


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India: Mobile internet · Global Voices
Rezwan

IT entrepreneur Rajesh Jain at Emergic lists six reasons why the trend of mobile Internet should take-off in India.


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India: Soft drinks · Global Voices
Rezwan

Amardeep in Sepia Mutiny discusses on the controversy over the pesticide content in Indian soft drinks. He accuses the authorities for the delay in setting the standards and suspects foul play.


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Indonesia: Political Party Launched · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Indoensia Matters blogs the launch of a new left wing political party in Indonesia. “A main focus of Papernas is the struggle against “imperialism”, by which is seemingly meant the strength and influence of international capital in Indonesia, and the roles of organisations like the IMF and World Bank.”


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Iran: A Tourist Government · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Jomhour says before becoming President, Ahmadinejad criticised former Ministers’  “un necessary” trips. The blogger says after one year as President, Ahmadinejad got all records for travelling abroad or to provinces. Jomhour considers too much money wasted on Ahmadinejad's trips where he repeats same useless things in provinces [Fa]. The blogger adds his foreign trips have brought no advantage for Iran so far. He calls Iranian government a tourist government.


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Jamaica: Unequal treatment · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Gela watches two reports on Jamaican television about incidents involving members of the so-called underclass, and notes that in neither case was there any mention of the situation being investigated by the police: “I can't stand the disparity in how people are treated man“.


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Japan: no smoking · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Lee in Tokyo Times blogs about  smoking restriction signs in Japan.


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Malaysia: Editor files Complaint against Blogger · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Malaysian blogger Jeff Ooi has a post on a newspaper editor lodging a complaint against his weblog. The editor took offence to one of the comments on a post where the blogger had discussed the editor's column on former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir.


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Malaysia: No to Internet Censorship · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Malaysian politician and blogger Lim Kit Siang has this suggestion for the Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi after the Prime Minster supported a call by his Information Minister to control the internet in order to stop rumours.


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Mexico, Argentina, Spain: Metroblogs · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Mariano Amartino points readers to a collection of “metroblogs” in Mexico, Argentina, and Spain (ES).

author: David Sasaki


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Moldova, Russia: Transdniestria · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Edward Lucas, the Economist's Central and East European correspondent, writes about Transdniestria and ICDISS (International Council for Democratic Institutions and State Sovereignty), a mysterious entity that has recently published a seemingly fake “treatise about Transdniestria’s claim to independence.”


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Mongolia: Chingis-Mania · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Thomo discusses the news that the city council of Mongolia's capital, Ulaanbaatar, is considering renaming the city in honor of Chingis Khan. He notes that the mania for naming things after the Great Khan gives the incorrect impression that all the country has to offer is its imperial past.


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Pakistan: promote tourism on the net · Global Voices
Rezwan

Shirazi at Light Within comments that Pakistan is falling behind in promoting tourism because local tour operators as well as the authority rarely keep their presence on the web. Websites containing tourism services along with other meaningful and current information about every possible destination should augment tourism in Pakistan and in a few other South Asian countries.


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Peru: Fiestas Patrias · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Este artículo también está disponible en español.
The National Holidays (“fiestas patrias”) have passed and, with a new ruling government at the helm, let's briefly look at what some of Peru's bloggers have to tell us:
Jose Alejandro Godoy, in his blog Desde el Tercer Piso (“From the Third Floor”) reflects about the “militarization” that is the participation of the schools in the patriotic holidays. The post is titled “¿A PASO DE GANSO?” (“Playing the Fool?”) and, among other things, says: “Marching doesn't make us better citizens, it doesn't give us better civic manners, nor does it give us tools to better exercise our rights, and even less does it make us love la Patria.” There are good comments on the post as well.
The veteran journalist Manuel Jesús Orbegozo puts forth some opinions in his own unique style in the post “The Kitschy Peru” (“El Peru Huachafo”), which is basically about two recent incidents that have been on the front pages of all of Lima's dailies: the case of the dog Lay Fun who killed a thief and the swearing-in of the new representatives. Each one, in its particular way, shows the prevailing kitschiness of our society, according to Don Manuel.
Relating to international politics, the health of Fidel Castro couldn't help but receive bloggers’ attention and El Bulldog Risueño (“the Smiling Bulldog”), contributor of  La Bitácora del Acertijo Cretino (“The Journal of Cretin Riddle”) makes note of the unsuspected repercussions with his post “Fidel no esta muerto, solo de parranda” (“Fidel is not dead, just out and about”). [A clever pun based on the lyrics of a popular song.]
Bruno Ortiz shows us how some newspapers in Lima take advantage of sensationalism in his post “Periodismo: ¿Hay necesidad de recurrir a esto?” (“Journalism: Is it Necessary to Resort to This?”).
El diario Correo titula en su edición de hoy “Confirmado: Viene El Niño”, con un gran planisferio coloreado que sostendría su afirmación. … Qué creen ustedes que quiso hacer este diario al levantar su edición con esta noticia? Yo creo que quisieron marcar distancia del resto de diarios y usar una noticia que no sería considerada por la competencia debido a la coyuntura… Sin embargo, la noticia no es exacta -pues en la nota ellos mismos reconocen que aún no está asegurado que el Fenónemo suceda- y lo único que hace es desinformar, pues recordemos que es muy grande la cantidad de lectores de kiosko y que la información que manejarán durante el día será la que consigan de los diversos titulares.
In other spheres, the project/blog Central de Quejas (“Complaints Headquarters”), conceived as an alternative for bloggers who have some type of complaint, protest, denouncement, or suggestion to publish it on a specific site so it doesn't go unnoticed, continues forward. To show an example, or a post of one of the various bloggers that write there:
Secretaria Buenaparanada: El otro día me atravesé la ciudad a toda velocidad para llegar puntualmente a mi cita de las 6.00 p.m. Llego y la sala de espera estaba llena y el doctor no había llegado, ante lo cual fui gentilmente informada por la secretaria buenaparanada de que el doctor había llamado y se iba a demorar. -OK. ¿Y para que $&%$/&$ me pides mi teléfono cada vez, si no puedes llamarme a avisar que venga más tarde o para reprogramar mi cita? ¡Yo no tengo toda la tarde-noche para esperar al doctor, ni ganas de leer revistas viejas y ni siquiera he almorzado!
Easy Darling, rabidity produces stress and the stress will make you older more quickly than you'd imagine. Joking aside, the project is an excellent idea and hopefully it will spread wider and go beyond the blogosphere to receive the “complaints” of people who are not bloggers.
In literature, Paolo de Lima, a Peruvian writer situated in Canada, informs his readers of a new book of poems by the renowned poet Rodolfo Hinostroza in his post “More about the New Collection of Poems by Hinostroza.” Pay attention to the links were there is plenty of related information, including the prologue of the book.
And well, I said this rundown would be brief, so for the moment that's all there is. Hasta pronto.

author: Juan Arellano


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Reunion: 20% of Drivers Without License? · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Pierrot Dupuy writes (Fr): “Close to 20% of Reunion drivers probably do not have a driver's license, according to [France's] national council of professional drivers’ driving school division. If this number is  correct, it is alarming to say the least. Especially in case of an accident, when even if the non-licensed driver is insured, he/she will see his insurance company refuse to take on any indemnification.”