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Bangladesh: Yet another Muhammed cartoon controversy · Global Voices
Rezwan

Alpin is one satirical cartoon supplement of the Daily Prothom Alo, which claims to be the most popular Bangla Newspaper in Bangladesh. In the 6th page of its 431th issue a cartoon titled ‘name’ was published (on Monday, September 17, 2007) which created much controversy in Bangladesh.
So what was in that cartoon? The controversy is not in the picture, rather in the text. The Bangla blogosphere took on this issue right from the beginning.
The text of the cartoon is a conversation between a boy and an aged person. Blogger Sudharam Sadhu posts the texts [bn] in his blog:
* Boy, what is your name?
– My name is Babu.
* It is customary to mention Muhammed before the name.
* What is your father's name?
– Muhammed Abu
* What's this in your lap?
– Muhammed cat
This appears to satire the culture of the use of Muhammed in Muslim names and nothing to disgrace the prophet itself.
However the Islamist political parties thought otherwise. The Daily Naya Diganta reports [bn]that Khelafot Andolon had protested aginst this at Baitul Mokarram Mosque in Dhaka by burning copies of Prothom Alo. Its Ameer, Maulana Shah Ahmadullah Ashraf stated:
(that) the cartoon indicates disgrace of the Muslim prophet by naming a cat ‘Muhammed’. Similar to the Danish Cartoon incident prophet Muhammed has been defamed in Muslim majority Bangladesh. He says Muslims use Muhammed in their names to pay the respect to the prophet. He demanded Prothom Alo to seek apology to the nation otherwise they demanded the Government to take strong action against Prothom Alo.”
No doubt this has instigated many people to react strongly against this newspaper. Check the comments section of the Daily Amar Desh report to get an idea about the outrage. You will also laugh at some stupid comments and I wonder how this newspaper approved them-probably they have a personal vendetta against Prothom Alo.
Prothom Alo gave in to all this and published an apology today [bn]:
We apologize and are extremely sorry:
…inadvertently an unedited, unapproved and unacceptable cartoon titled ‘name’ was published…we are withdrawing the cartoon…and taking actions against the persons responsible for this.
Wow! Note the emphasis, they just don't want to face this and blame somebody else! They have removed the Monday's publications from their archives. What an escapist move!
Arif Jebtik slams [bn]Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman for his actions of suspending the editor of Alpin for his rescue:
I have seen the real character of the intelects of this country who cries out for Freedom of expression, freedom of speech and such popular tags in Matiur Rahman's actions.
However the Bangla Blogosphere is divided over this issue. Hasib comments [bn] on Sudharam's post:
This is an innocent cartoon. It is evident that the target is not the prophet himself. The retarded ones should read the texts again.
Tirondaz says [bn]:
The protests against these cartoons show the opportunist intentions of the political Islam. I have no support for these kinds of protests.
While Ummu Abdullah says [bn]:
Prothom Alo apologized, so the issue is over. The apology indicates they are also in doubt. This victory is for Bangladeshis. I welcome the protests.
Ziner Badshah comments [bn] in the above post:
In our parts of the world people add Muhammed to their names to respect the prophet…there is nothing religious about it…even if it is it does not add any value to anyone…but defaming this culture is like the same as destroying the Bamian heritage in Afghanistan by the Talibans.
And what a reaction was from the Caretaker Government! BDNews24.com reports that the Government has banned the debated issue of Alpin and more worryingly [bn] detained Arifur Rahman, the creator of the cartoon. The press and information department gave notification that the cartoon hurt the feeling of the citizens.
Kowsheek Ahmed is outraged [bn] by this action of the Government:
“Arifur Rahman achieved many awards for his cartoon. This time for a innocuous cartoon he was made victim of self proclaimed defenders of religious feelings. Now a days satire cartoonists are prone to these kinds of attacks. But this is happening in this dire time when we are crying that we are being more tolerant, claiming all piece of the world is embedded in this religion. The Alpin issue has been banned and the editor was suspended.
How strange are our realizations. After the 22nd August revolution the Government has become so narrow in their views that a mere cat has instilled fear in them.”
For more hot buzz on this issue please read the Bangla Blogging platforms “Bandh Bhanger Awaaj” and “Sachalayatan” [bn].

author: Rezwan


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Banned Chlordecone Pesticide in Used in Martinique · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

le blog de [moi] writes that the pesticide chlordecone has been used in the French Antilles as recently as 2002, despite being banned in the United States since 1976 and in France since 1991.  Although the scandal broke five years ago, [moi] says the most damning details were kept quiet for economic reasons.  She also writes that Martinique has the second highest rate of prostate cancer in the world.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Jennifer Brea


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Barbados: IMF Recommendations · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Notes From The Margin weighs in on the Barbados/IMF Article IV Consultation: “At the heart of the IMF report is a difference of opinion. Is the Barbados Government being overly optimistic? Or is the IMF being overly conservative?”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bolivia: Folkloric Group Website · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The Fraternity Tinku Puro from La Paz recently launched a blog [ES] that includes photos from participation in local festivals.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Cambodia: Anti-Terrorism Training · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

K-Media has a better idea for US Federal Bureau of Investigation that is currently involved in training Cambodian Interior Ministry officials in counter-terrorism.

author: Preetam Rai


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Cambodia: Preventing Exploitation of Girls · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Vutha summarizes a report on sexual exploitation of women in Cambodia and calls for stricter implementation of laws that according to him are only there for the benefit of the rich and powerful.


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Cayman Islands: Motherhood 101 · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I have been as relentless as the Paparazzi stalking their prey, all with a view to collate seemingly scandalous and cutesie photos with which to torture the child with embarrassment later in life”: Mighty Afroditee reflects on the true joy of parenthood.


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China: Hackers · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Recently there are reports saying that Chinese hackers have been attacking foreign websites, some speculate that the hackers are government sponsored. William long recently also has the experience of being attacked with ARP poisoning and Trojan (zh). He feels that to some extends the Chinese government has to be responsible for hackers’ behavior.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Netizen Juries Fighting For Justice · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Wenbin in V360 posts a report about an injustice prosecution (zh): a young person (Pan Yue) helped bringing an old lady who fell down in the bus stop to a hospital in Nov 2006 in Nanjing. It turned out that the hospital fee was huge (RMB40,000) and the old lady's son decided to sue this young person for the cost. However, netizens later found out that the son is actually a local police.
Even though local media has exposed much faked evidence presented by the local police station, the court had ruled in favor of the old lady's family in early September. The judge commented that Pan Yue should chase after the person who knocked down the old lady rather than helping her. The netizens were outraged by such ridiculous ruling and continued to challenge the injustice legal system in the Internet. The story has been picked up by local and national media and now becomes a national incident.


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China: Web 2.0 Resists Brain Washing · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Songsoa notices that Web 2.0 is not only a technological development, it has the power to resist brain washing propaganda of mass media. The appearance of mu zi mei, hu ge, and other seemingly immoral bloggers, signifies the disintegration of official propaganda (zh).


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Czech Rebublic: Reinventing Masaryk · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Dr. Sean's Diary writes about Václav Klaus’ multiple views of Czechoslovakia’s first president T.G. Masaryk.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Egypt: Crackdown on Journalists Not New · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Thursday’s sentencing and fining of four independent newspaper editors is not particularly new or surprising… (T)he two incidents do not herald an impending crackdown on the press, for the simple reason that Mubarak’s regime has been continuously cracking down on and intimidating independent journalists, from at least the early 1990s to the present,” writes Egyptian blogger Baheyya.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Egypt: Save Us from Stupid Women · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Anything along the lines of “save the poor oppressed arab women”  written by stupid women like this one just makes me puke. Yes we do have thousands of problems to struggle against but please don’t act like everything is perfect where you come from, and what’s with the disturbing generalisations?” writes Eman from Egypt.


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Egyptian blogger arrested and prevented from covering a taxi drivers strike · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

Mahmoud Chachtawi, Egyptian blogger and reporter of abna2masr.com website, has been arrested during a taxi drivers strike he was covering. After detaining him for four hours, the police released him and confiscated his camera, mobile phone and ID card. According to a twitter message left on the blog, it seems that his equipment was returned to him without the memory camera's card that had the pix of the strike.

author: sami ben gharbia


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El Salvador: Keeping Up with Current Events · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Tim Muth shares how he keeps up to date on current events in El Salvador.  He recently led a workshop at the 25th anniversary of the SHARE foundation about the subject, which included a steady intake of Salvadoran blogs.


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Europe: Romani Culture · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

TOL's Romantic writes about Lojze Podobnik, a Slovenian author whose works focus on Romani culture. Pesha's Blog links to Professor Steve Balkin's compilation of online resources on Romani culture.


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Hong Kong: Indecent Censorship Practice · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN translated a poll on a recent court case about Obscene Articles Tribunal's (OAT) classification on indecency. A majority of the interviewees said that OAT's classification are chaotic while The Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority doesn't know how to differentiate art and pornography.
Recently three newspapers (Ta Kung Pao, Wen Hui Po and Sing Pao) were charged with publishing a Class I: Indecent photograph of a topless female British soldier.  Ta Kung Pao and Wen Hui Po admitted fault and paid their fines.  Sing Pao refused to plead guilty and contested the classification.  Upon review by the Obscene Articles Tribunal, the photograph was reclassified as Class I: Neither Indecent Nor Obscene, and Sing Pao was not guilty.


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India: Faith and Science · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

nanopolitan on the faith-based attacks on science and the reluctance of the Indian scientific to comment.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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India: On “Movements” · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Siddhartha Shome on new social movements that “claim to represent the “people” – the downtrodden Indian masses, without, however, subjecting this claim to the test of democratic elections”


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Internet Governance, Global Privacy and IGF-Rio · Global Voices
Jose Murilo

The global debate on Internet governance will once again gather people from all over the world at UN's IGF, this time in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  The process was started last year in Athens, when more than 1,200 participants focused on discussion of the overarching issues tied to the future of information and communications technologies, including control over the Internet architecture and numbering and naming system, security, intellectual property, openness, connectivity, cost and multilingualism.
The IGF's innovative multi-stakeholder format, designed to grant governments, NGOs, and commerce an equal seat at the table, was praised by many as an evolution from the bounds of classical diplomacy. But the role of the IGF as a pure discussion forum — “a neutral, non-binding and non-duplicative process” as the EU presidency put it — and the absence of a more formalized output were intensively discussed by several governments and NGOs, Brazilians included. Blogs report:
Grandes expectativas e uma boa dose de autocrítica devem permear o II Fórum de Governança da Internet (IGF), evento que acontece em novembro no Rio de Janeiro. Resultado de um grande esforço do governo brasileiro em trazer o evento para o solo nacional, o II IGF deve ter como principal discussão mais do que os temas convencionais do ambiente virtual, mas a própria razão de sua existência. Diferentemente da sua última edição em Atenas, caracterizada pela ausência de poder deliberativo, devem estar no centro da pauta no Rio de Janeiro o modelo de governança da Internet e o poder do próprio IGF.
II Forum de Governança da Internet – Dialógico
A revised draft program for the event, and the definition of the items of debate in each of the five thematic axes — access, diversity, openness, security and critical Internet resources — were the results of the IGF's multi-stakeholder Advisory Group meeting in Geneva last week. A civil society appointee of the Brazilian delegation blogged about the meeting and its outcomes.
O principal debate desta reunião do MAG se deu justamente em torno da ementa do painel sobre “critical internet resources”. A representação brasileira lutou quase solitariamente para incluir questões como custos de interconexão, infra-estrutura de telecomunicações, administração dos servidores-raiz e o registro de nomes e números… o caráter multistakeholder do IGF é a sua grande fortaleza e sua fragilidade. Como tomar decisões em um encontro com atores de natureza tão diferente? E, no longo prazo, para que serve um encontro que não delibera? Para discutir a natureza do IGF e tentar encontrar respostas para estas questões, um dos painéis centrais do IGF se chamará “taking stock and the way forward”. Esta foi uma proposta do Brasil, que contou com a oposição do “sistema ICANN” (que sempre lutou contra a própria existência do IGF), mas que foi aprovada como parte do programa oficial do IGF… A terceira questão em disputa foi decidir se o IGF produzirá ou não um relatório final. Neste caso, o Brasil conseguiu atrair a União Européia para a defesa explícita de que, se este IGF não chegará a produzir um documento final (que seja fruto de uma votação), deve pelo menos produzir um relatório que reflita as diversas posições existentes… Mais uma vez, e contando com a oposição do “sistema ICANN, o Brasil defendeu o conceito de “Athens plus”, ou seja, ir além do que houve em Atenas 2006.
Gustavo Gindre direto de Genebra – PSL Brasil
There are two other interesting issues in the UN Press Release. It explicitly mentions that the Advisory Group has been tasked to make proposals on “a suitable rotation among its members”. This reflects a concern among civil society groups who suspect that unless some rules of procedures are established the multi-stakeholder approach will degenerate into some nontransparent back-room deals by a few self-appointed buddies. The fact that the UN addresses this concern indicates a comprehensive care for the IGF's legitimacy which includes the views of non-governmental actors. The second remarkable issue concerns the mandate of the IGF. The press release announces “critical internet resources” as an additional fifth theme on the IGF's agenda. Similar to old WSIS days, the G-77 countries forcefully made the point at the May 23 consultations that the question of DNS and IP address management needs be tackled in the context of the IGF to fulfill the Tunis Agenda. The UN press release acknowledges this claim by referring to its widespread support. So far, the UN's political support structure for the IGF strives to be inclusive and to balance the concerns of the various stakeholders. No major mistakes have been made.
IGF's MAG renewed: government flex muscles? – IGP
Apart from the Brazilian interest in the IGF — with preparatory events at FGV and Nupef — which in great part comes from being the host country, the event doesn't seem to be attracting much global attention at the moment. The Italian government is organizing a preparatory event in Rome, specially focusing on Internet rights, and the Open Society Institute for Southern Africa (OSISA) is preparing to send a 20-member delegation to Rio, but that's all we can trace on the blogosphere right now.
In regard of an event intended to hold the global dialog on Internet governance, and which has as one of its main goals reaching out for a broad remote participation, we are not seeing yet any preparation of participatory channels for the event in terms of interactive web interfaces. But, as the Brazilian government has announced efforts to assure the participation of all interested sectors of society, especially focusing on Brazil and Latin America, we are hoping to hear more about it soon.
In contrast with the almost reticent coverage of the IGF-Rio by the media and the blogs, there was an event last week that caught the attention of almost everyone involved with the Internet: Google's call for web privacy laws. Extensively covered by all kinds of media, the venue did not go unnoticed. It was at the UN's Strasburg conference where the company's privacy chief Peter Fleischer choose to make his announcement. This meeting was the third of a cycle of regional UNESCO's conferences on the ethical dimensions of the information society and was intended as a contribution to the implementation of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and  preparatory to the Internet Governance Forum. Surely, the success of an international privacy standards initiative will depend on support from many stakeholders. Some are wondering if this move by Google could be a signal that it plans to use the UN as a platform to reach out for global consensus?
Ele descreveu um cenário típico de compra on-line, envolvendo um consumidor francês que utiliza um site norte-americano. Essa página norte-americana pode ter centrais de processamento de dados em diversos países e o atendimento ao consumidor pode ser realizado a partir da Índia. “A cada vez que uma pessoa usa seu cartão de crédito, a informação pode atravessar seis ou sete fronteiras nacionais”, disse Fleischer falando sobre a importância da definição de padrões de proteção à privacidade dos internautas. Perguntado sobre o motivo pelo qual o Google está propondo uma agenda de privacidade mundial em vez de recorrer a Washington, Fleischer demonstrou resignação sobre a simplificação de políticas norte-americanas. “Eu simplesmente não acredito que as mudanças vão ocorrer neste Congresso”, disse ele. “O debate mundial vai ajudar a motivar o debate nos Estados Unidos.”
Google propõe padrão mundial de privacidade – Cdigitalizando
As the Internet Governance Forum continues to evolve definitions of the potential UN role in promoting the global debate on the future of the Information Age, stake-holders from small to large are also in the process of defining themselves, their agendas and their participation in the new worlds of cyberspace governance. The November meetings of IGF-Rio could be the place where many conversations and initiatives rise from blog-talk into a world view.

author: Jose Murilo


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Iranian bloggers stirred over cockroach cartoon · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

About a week ago, a Chicago newspaper, The Colombus Dispatch, published  a cartoon that depicts Iran as a sewer with cockroaches crawling out of it. The cartoon has created intense discussion among Iranian bloggers, especially those living in North America.
Iranians as cockroaches
Iranian Truth says, it is no small thing:
“In fact, this trend of dehumanization is apparent in almost every epic of genocide, massacre, war, and atrocity including the Cambodian genocide massacres, the the massacres of Serbs and Bosnians in the Yugoslav wars, the Armenian genocide, and the Holocaust.”
The blogger has also senta letter of protest to Dispatch editors.
Racist cartoons in Iran
Kamangir does not share the same sense of outrage. He says, “Following the issue about the cartoon in The Columbus Dispatch, I did quick research on cartoons published in the [Iranian] state-run newspaper Kayhan whose head is appointed by the Supreme Leader. The result? See it for yourself.”
The blogger says:
“Some people in the Iranian blogosphere have felt insulted after The Columbus Dispatch published a cartoon “resembling Iran to a sewer with cockroaches coming out of it”. The issue has also attracted NIAC’s [National Iranian-American Council] attention, “By publishing this racist cartoon, the editors of the Dispatch have insulted and propagated hate against the Iranian American community”. Guys! Cool down! No one is saying you are a cockroach. Someone has practiced his freedom to say that Iran is acting like a source of trouble for the Middle East. Does anyone think this sentence is wrong?”
Us and them
Nik Ahangkosar, a blogger and a popular cartoonist, says [Fa]: “Freedom of expression does not mean that we can publish whatever we want.” The blogger says we need to protect the feelings of all ethnic groups, and adds that freedom is a relative concept that depends on our place, beliefs, tradition, rules and many other elements.
Iranwrites writes:
“What is the use even if we mange to force the Columbus Dispatch to apologize? Would it be the end? Unfortunately, we are the cause of it ourselves. As long as we identify ourselves as Iranians we are one with whatever is Iranian, Ahmadinejad and Khameneii included. Don’t you hear Ahmadinejad’s speeches everyday? Don’t you get angry and disgusted? Do you think he portrays us much better than those cartoons? I don’t think any of us wants to admit he is one of us, an Iranian. But he is, and the whole world sees it that way, no matter how hard we try to separate ourselves from him. For sure, these Americans won’t see us differently, and they don’t have to. If we need to be respected collectively, we should be respectable collectively and need to act respectfully, all us Iranians.”

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran:Iranians have access to Google and BlogFa again · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Accroding to[Fa]Free Keyboard,Iranians have access to Google,Gmail and Blogfa,a leading Perisan provider of blogs,again.The blogger says “it seems that people who blocked these sites,found out that they did a stupid thing!” These three sites were blocked for 24 hours.The blogger informs us how we can go beyond filterting and read our Gmail or search in Google.


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Iraq: Al Sadr Withdrawal · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Raed Jarrar from Iraq writes about the official withdrawal of the Al-Sadr group from the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), formed originally as the Arab Shia coalition and its implications on Iraq.


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Iraq: Change of Life in Hurriya · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Alive in Baghdad brings us face to face with the changing face of Hurriya, a neighborhood on the western side of the Tigris was at one time a mixed neighborhood where Sunni and Shi’a lived together, married together, and existed peacefully, like any other neighborhood. The case is no longer so and residents are protesting as can be seen in the video.


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Iraq: Collaborator Tells All  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Ladybird from Iraq writes about how an interpreter is threatening the safety of other ‘collaborators with the occupying forces.’


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Iraq: Sadr Withdraws from Iraqi Government Alliance · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Iraq the Model explains what the withdrawal of the Sadr movement from the Iraqi government means in this post.


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Iraq: Sunshine Speaks to the World · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Iraqi Sunshine had her moments in the limelight when BBC allowed her to speak to the world about her thoughts. Read this post to see how she managed to overcome the odds, Internet and electricity cuts and the fear of bomb explosions to make her voice heard.


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Israel: Remembrance Day  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Rav Yossie, from Israel, writes: “Rosh Hashana's official liturgical name is “Yom Hazikaron,” Remembrance Day, so it's quite appropriate to reflect on our recent history this week.”


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Israel: The Plot Thickens  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Snoopy the Goon from Israel writes: “As if it were not foggy enough, now we have Peter Beaumont of the Observer jumping into the fray with a new version of the event. First of all, he came up with a name for this sortie: Operation Orchard. Now, of course, the relevance of the whole story he concocted is that much higher, due to this morsel of inside info.”


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Jamaica, DR, Cuba, Haiti: Sugar Protocol  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Latin Americanist reports that ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) countries are calling on the European Union to uphold the “Sugar Protocol” agreement, which guarantees that EU states buy and import agreed quantities of sugar at certain prices.


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Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago: Maharaj’s New Novel · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I was more interested in the ambivalence that many West Indians feel about the canefields, a reminder of more oppressive times and also a means to a livelihood”: Geoffrey Philp's Blogspot features Trinidad-born author Rabindranath Maharaj as he discusses his new novel.


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Jamaica: New Government Gets Its Start · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“As quick as I am to congratulate Mr. Golding, I am quite disappointed in a few moves he has made, within a short space of time”: Jamaican Lifestyle has its eye on post-election politics on the island.


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Jordan: How to Force a Marriage  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Naseem Tarawnah from Jordan links  to a story about how a man was jailed for having a relationship with a girl, whose parents turned him away. He set up a tent on a main street, where he had sex with the girl for seven months.


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Moldova: Transnistria · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Douglas Muir of A Fistful of Euros writes about Transnistria, “a sort of post-Communist gangster state”: “Travellers unanimously agree that Transnistria is weirdly fascinating for the first hour or two, then just depressing and boring.”


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Nepal: Regional Politics · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Nepali Netbook on regional politics, and how India's aspiring relationship with China affects the one with Nepal.


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Philippines: Blog Round Up · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Pinoyblogero has highlights from last week's posting on Philippines blogsphere. The topics include the trail of former president Joseph Estrada and how a blogger stirred up controversy by baiting them on his blog.


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Russia: Demography · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Window on Eurasia writes about the lack of improvement in Russia's demographic situation: “…the small rise in the number of births reflects instead a temporary increase in the number of Russian women of child-bearing age.”


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Russia: Ingushetia Not Chechnya-II · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Window on Eurasia explains why the situation in Ingushetia “is not Chechnya-II but possibly something worse.”


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Russia, Ukraine: “Fiddling” With Voters’ Lists · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Elections approach both in Russia and Ukraine, and politicians start “fiddling” with the numbers of registered voters’ – or accusing their opponents of doing so. Window on Eurasia reports that “members of the entourage of Kaliningrad Governor Georgiy Boos are thinking about combining his district with the Adygei Republic or with Russian citizens resident abroad.” In Ukraine, Foreign Notes reports, various forces keep finding “pseudo-persons” on the voters’ lists.


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Russian LiveJournal blogger could face three-year sentence · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

The 23-year old Russian blogger, Dmitry Shirinkin, who wrote a fiction story on his blog inspired by the Virginia Tech shooting, could face up to three years in prison. In an interview with Russia Today (watch the video on GV Advocacy), Shirinkin said “I didn’t expect that a short writing piece could provoke such reaction from the security services. They interrogated me asking where my gun was, but I’d never had one.”


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Syria: Corporate BS · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Nothing pisses me off more than Corporate Bullshit. I’m not sure why Corporate Bullshit (CBS from here on in) works me up, but then again, people have the weirdest pet peeves. If you worked for a big company then you know what I’m talking about,” rants Syrian blogger Omar in this post.


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Syria: Fish Recipe  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Abu Fares, from Syria, shares Ramadan's spirit with his readers and dedicates to them a famous fish recipe.


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Syria: The Destruction of Old Damascus  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Rime Allaf, from Syria, links to an article on the destruction of old Damascus.


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Tunisia: Fifth Wedding Anniversary · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

‘To my sweet and lovely wife: “Love” is but a fraction of the feelings I have for you. Thank you for making my life as beautiful and complete as it is today,’ writes Subzero Blue from Tunisia, in a post dedicated to his wife on their fifth wedding anniversary.


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UAE: Elaborate Ceremony for the New Academic Year · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Brn, from Al Ain, UAE, writes about the elaborate ceremonies staged to usher in the new academic year at the university. “Each year, Sheikh Nahayan, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, as well as Chancellor of the UAE University, comes to give his opening address, and the red carpet is literally rolled out. I have to admit, to me, some of the preparations seem more than a little overboard,” he explains.


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UAE: Social Commitments · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

UAE blogger e3ashig reflects on social life in the Middle East: “Social commitments are one of the biggest wastes of time and I can see why it is difficult to be dedicated to your work or be creative as there is always some social thing to interrupt you: a death to be mourned, a birth to be celebrated, an illness to be nursed, wedding parties, a formal majles gathering, etc.”


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UAE: The True Meaning of Ramadan · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Satsuka, who lives in the UAE, discovers the true meaning of Ramadan. She writes: “Today, a Muslim colleague explained to me why Ramadaan gives him such great joy. He said: Throughout the year I do things for myself in praise of Allah, but in Ramadaan, I do everything for God in benefit of myself.”


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Ukraine: Car Accidents · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Petro of Petro's Jotter writes about car crashes that he sees regularly during his morning commutes in Kyiv.


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Ukraine: Prostitution and Feminism · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Natalia Antonova writes about Ukrainian prostitutes and Ukrainian feminism.


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Yemen: Refuge for Iraqis and Somalis  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Yemeni blogger Omar Barsawad gives us a chilling insight to how Somalis risk all to escape to Yemen in this post, which also touches on the plight of escaping Iraqis. “For both Somalis and Iraqis: is there a solution in sight? Will Somalia and Iraq settle down and allow its people back home to lead normal lives?” he wonders.


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Algerian: Middle Eastern Studies in the US · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Algerian blogger Nouri discusses  university programmes in the US which offer Middle Eastern studies.


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Arabeyes: Driving in Ramadhan · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Staying up all night, sleep deprivation and lack of water, food and cigarettes from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, the month of fasting, is having its toll on drivers – especially those stuck in traffic jams.
Aside from bad planning, short tempers are put to test across the Middle East as people sleep drive to work in the morning and race back home after work to catch up with sleep for a few hours before they break their fast. The scene repeats itself across the region and here are some of the rants from exasperated bloggers.
Bahrain:
Ammaro sums up the sentiments in this post:
It's ridiculous, don't you think? Considering EVERY SINGLE MINISTRY, SCHOOL AND COMPANY IN BAHRAIN STARTS AROUND THE SAME TIME IN RAMADHAN! Which idiot planned it this way?
To make the most of his time in the car, Ammaro is at a loss.
Anybody have any ideas to occupy the time usefully in the car? I'm downloading audio foreign language guides, at least i'll get to do something while i'm in the car. I'm also considering putting a TV in there, but i'm pretty sure i'll end up in an accident sooner or later if I do.
Kuwait:
The same scene repeats itself in Kuwait, where Fonzy describes the traffic as “crazed.”
I actually forgot how insane people get with driving during Ramadan. And I was actually thinking that with less working hours, work would be a picnic. It was crazy getting to work today!!
…
All the people are just sitting behind their steering wheels and letting the car roll and forgetting that they are not the only ones on the road. Hungry, thirsty, and dehydrated from the heat.. everyone is driving Miss Daisy style and causing so much slow moving traffic. Seriously, its not enough that people not even qualified to ride a donkey are given driving licenses, fasting makes them dumber and even more useless drivers. The traffic was insane today.
Still in Kuwait, Swair posts a note to all those fasting in Ramadhan.
Sure, you’re tired and back from work in the middle of traffic, but you’re IN YOUR CAR and u have that goregous COLD AC IN YOUR FACE and it’s not like you’re late for lunch of anything, so take your effing time!
Relax! Everybody knows traffic is horrible after work, so just call your wife/mom/flat-mate and tell them the traffic situation, turn on some quiet music or some Holy Quran and RELAX!
Z District from Kuwait is also complaining about traffic and has taken a large number of pictures to put his point across in the hope that something will be done. He writes:
There is something about these guys just parking and on the side of the road and causing traffic. I really don’t understand why they do this, and how come its a Ramadan ritual. The police used to do checks to see if some of the kids who are standing there don’t have licenses other then that they can’t do anything. The sad part is even when the police are on the road the quads and off-road motorcycles are riding past them with their machines pointing to the sky.
Libya:
From Libya, Khadija Teri paints another picture – still of traffic and madness. She describes the scene from the night before Ramadhan started here:
Last night the traffic in Tripoli was horrendous and the supermarkets were packed with entire families. It was crazy. I've had all my shopping done except for the vegetables and meat for about two weeks. I took the kids out for a drive last night just to watch the madness. Just getting into a parking area of a shop we often go to was almost impossible. Inside they had added an extra cash register to try to handle the crowds (but it didn't really make that much of a difference). Why on earth people had waited so late to do their shopping is a mystery to me. But the kids and I enjoyed watching them all. We drove around town at a snail's pace. The kids chose oldies from the 70s to listen to and we stopped and got shawarma on the way home.


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Arabeyes: Homophobia in Kuwait · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Kuwaiti blogger Frankom (Ar) writes an explosive post about what he thinks of homosexuals in his country and how to best deal with them, sparking a debate from readers about how his views are totally out of line.
He writes:
Frankom offers three “solutions” which include banishing them from Kuwait to countries which tolerate homosexuality, sending them to police academies and the army .. or … check out the comments on the post to figure out for yourselves what his third option is.
“you guys sound ignorant.
I’m not gay, but you are acting as if it is a disease.
People don’t plan their life to become gay, they go through shit and end up this way, Allah yashfeehom.
About the remark about Philipinos, who would work at burgerking if you get rid of Philipinos? Kuwaities?
I seriously doubt it.
The hate and the ignorance, people.
Pray for guidness & recovery,” comments a reader who signed off as I'm Not Gay.
Blogger Judy Abbott chimes in:
oh my gosh why are you monsters here… tara some of them are seriously ill – hormonally.. and emotionally sick.. some of them actually fight not to be gays but they ends up being lonely .


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Bahamas: Fighting Crime  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As the annual murder toll in the Bahamas reaches 55, Rick Lowe at WebogBahamas.com says that each citizen has a role to play in getting a handle on crime.


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Bahamas: Repertory Season · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Nassau has lots of halls, but is severely challenged when it comes to theatres!” says Ringplay Productions, but this hasn't stopped them from putting together a lineup of great plays to kick off the Bahamas’ Winston Saunders Repertory Season.


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Bangladesh: IT and computer literacy · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Voice of South on computer literacy program as an innovative way to spread IT in rural Bangladesh.


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Belize: Turning Up The Heat · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Belize-y Livin’ blogs about the scorching temperatures the country has been experiencing.


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Bolivia: The Importance of a Gathering · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Bolivia is said to be a country deeply divided among geographic, class and racial lines.  Contact across these boundaries are often limited to daily interactions that are not always on equal footing.  However, the emergence of blogs in Bolivia have proven to provide a new stage for mutual communication.  Another step in this interaction took place on September 1, when the first gathering of bloggers took place in the city of Santa Cruz.  The meeting dubbed, “Bloguivianos [ES]” was primarily attended by bloggers from host city, but also attracted bloggers from all across the country.
Photo of networking panel discussion by Hugo Miranda and used with permission.
This was an opportunity for attendees to participate in a series of panel discussion about politics, literature, and networking.  However, it was the personal interaction and the chance to meet face-to-face that was the real positive outcome of the day.  Many documented the day's activities, but even more would reflect on the day's events on their own personal blogs.
Post-gathering party.  Photo by Miranda and used by permission.
Edson Hurtado [ES]
Todos estos días, estuve pensando en la importancia del Encuentro Nacional de Blogs… Y es que más allá de conocernos y reconocernos, el evento sirvió para confirmar que la nueva generación, la que ha nacido en democracia, la que está haciendo ciber-activismo ciudadano, la que está comprometida con la profundización de las relaciones humanas, y la consolidación de la tolerancia, está moviéndose para generar espacios de diálogo y reflexión.
These past few days, I have been thinking about the importance of the National Gathering of Blogs… Beyond getting to know each other, the event served the purpose of confirming that it is the new generation, the one born under a democracy, the one doing citizen's cyber-activism, which has the promise of deepening human relations and tolerance, which is moving towards creating spaces for dialogue and reflection.
From Santa Cruz, Ronaldo of Animal de Cuidad [ES]:
Una vez terminado el 1er Encuentro Nacional de Blogueros, también conocido como Encuentro Bloguiviano, me voy con una libreta llena de chistes, frases, números de teléfono y, sobre todo, nuevas direcciones de blogs. Para mí, la necesidad de conocer a las personas detrás de las pantallas, saberlas diversas, distintas, pero en sintonía, fue lo más estimulante de todo. Está por demás decirles que el nivel de respeto, tolerancia y camaradería fue indescriptible, hasta el punto de hacernos reflexionar a todos -al menos a mí- sobre la importancia del diálogo y la valiosísima contribución que podemos hacer en este país tan dividido.
Now that the 1st National Gathering of Bloggers has ended, also known as the Bloguiviano Gathering, I leave with a book full of jokes, phrases, telephone numbers and more than anything, new blog URLs.  For me, there was a need to know the person behind the screen, and know that they are diverse, distinct, but in symphony, which was the most invigorating of all.  In addition, the level of respect, tolerance and camraderie was indescribable, to the point to make us reflect – at least for me – the importance of dialogue and the valuable contribution that we can make to this country that is so divided.
Oscar Gutiérrez Peña of Toborochi Urbano [ES]
¿No será la blogósfera ese espacio de interacción humana donde para poder relacionarnos no importe ya un carajo el lugar donde naciste, el color de tu piel o el precio de tu celular? El tiempo lo dirá.
Isn't the blogosphere the space for human interaction where we can relate to one another without giving a damn where you were born, the color of your skin or the price of your cell phone?  Only time will tell.
Guitarrero Cantor [ES]
No saben lo felíz que me he sentido este fin de semana. Y yo que pensaba que este país se iba al carajo, no che, es mentira todo lo que pasa “allá”. El sábado en el 1er. Encuentro Bloguiviano, me di cuenta de que una Bolivia nueva, puede ser posible. La Bolivia que quisiera estuvo ese día, ante mis ojos, y no me queda mas espacio en el pecho por llenarme de tanto orgullo.
You don't know how happy I have been this weekend.  And I thought this country was going to hell, no man, it's a lie what is happening “over there.” On Saturday during the 1st Bloguiviano gathering, I became aware that a new Bolivia could be possible.  The Bolivia that I want was present that day, in front of my own eyes, and there is no more room in my chest for so much pride.
Marco Antonio Vaca Martinez, who hails from Camiri, posted on his blog Caminante Con Destino [ES]
En pocos lugares me he sentido tan orgullo de ser boliviano, tan en familia y tan libre de decir lo que pienso y tambien respetado hacia mi forma de ver la vida, gente dispuesta a sacar lo que tenian adentro y sacarlo sin miedo a ser jusgados, vi sinceridad en muchas miradas
In few places have I felt so proud to be Bolivian, to feel so much in family and to feel so free to say what I think and also feel respected for my way of looking at life, people willing to show what they have inside and reveal it without feel of being judged. I saw a lot of sincerity in the way people interacted with one another.
Dario Manuel from El Alto
Ha dado la posibilidad (en el marco del respeto), de comprender que en nuestro país a pesar de nuestras diferencias, estamos unidos como una sola nación para el bien común. Que existe un amor profundo por nuestra patria que hacemos todo lo posible para mantenerla unida. El sentimiento de amistad verdadera de cada bloggero ha sido preponderante en este primer encuentro, nos hemos integrado a través de las palabras y el contacto amistoso de un saludo de manos que ha roto el hielo de la distancia comunicativa.
It provided us with the possibility (in the context of respect) to understand that in our country in spite of our differences, we are united as one nation for the common good.  That there exists a profound love for our country and that we do everything possible to keep it unified.  The feeling of real friendship had been evident during this first gathering, and we came together through words and the friendly contact of a handshake that broke the ice of the communicative distance.
Marco Montellano of Pandemonium [ES] of Tarija:
¿Qué me deja el primer encuentro bloguiviano? Pues mucha cosas…después de mucho tiempo, debo confesarlo, me siento motivado y con esperanzas en el país. Estoy más seguro que nunca de que nuestro concepto de Bolivia no puede ser ya el de los prejuicios de nuestros abuelos ni el de los esteriotipos de los medios
What do I take away from the first bloguiviano gathering?  Well, many things… after quite some time, I must admit, that I feel motivated and with hope in the country.  I am even more convinced that more than ever that our own concept of Bolivia can neither be the prejudices of our grandparents, nor the stereotypes of the media.
At the conclusion of the gathering, Montellano composed the following manifesto after spending the weekend with bloggers from all across the country noting that they are not so much different.
Nosotros, hombres y mujeres, jóvenes y adultos, paceños, alteños, orureños, potosinos, cochabambinos, sucrenses, tarijeños, cruceños, benianos, pandinos, vallegrandinos, aymaras, quechuas, mestizos y cholos, los que llegamos en flota y los que llegamos en avión, los que pronunciamos demasiado la S y los que nos la comemos… Los que día a día nos encontramos en las veredas – afirmamos que somos y nos sentimos parte de un edificio mayor llamado Bolivia y que estamos hartos de que nos obliguen a enfrentarnos; de que somos totalmente capaces de pensar y actuar por nuestra propia voluntad y no necesitamos pastores sino líderes.Gritamos con orgullo nuestras identidades individuales pero defendemos, como ladrillos que somos, la fortaleza de este, nuestro edificio mayor. Nuestro camino es el diálogo y nuestra característica la firmeza. Nos reconocemos como hermanos y no como enemigos y somos radicales sí, pero en la defensa de nuestra patria y nuestra democracia. Sabemos que nos necesitamos mutuamente y nos damos la mano. Somos bolivianos Carajo!!!
We are men and women, young and adults, from La Paz, from El Alto, from Oruro, from Potosi, from Cochabamba, from Sucre, from Tarija, from Santa Cruz, from Beni, from Pando, from Vallegrande, Aymara, Quechua, Mestizos and Cholos.  We arrived on bus and on airplanes.  We over pronounce the “S” and we leave it off.  We are the ones that meet each other on the sidewalks – we affirm that we are part and feel a part of the structure called Bolivia.   We are tired that they make us confront one another, that we are capable of thinking and acting with our own will.  We do not need shepherds, but rather leaders.  We cry out with pride for our own individual identities, but we defend, like the bricks that we are, the strength of our own structure.  Our path is dialogue and our characteristic is our strength.  We recognize one another as brothers and not as enemies.  We may be radicals, but for the defense of our country and our democracy.  We acknowledge that we mutually need one another and we extend our hands.  We are Bolivians, dammit!


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Caribbean: Visualizing Caribbean Art  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Brooklyn Museum blog announces the start of its inaugural public program for Infinite Island, an exhibition of contemporary Caribbean art.


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China: Getting Around GFW with Hotspot Shield · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Granite studio introduces a new tool called Hotspot Shield to access websites filtered by Great Fire Wall.


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Colombia: Failed State? · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

In his recent article at equinoXio [ES], Carlos Raúl van der Weyden Velásquez writes about the ways many are measuring whether Colombia is better or worse off than before.


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Colombia: Medeatón For Pop!Tech 2007 · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Global Voices author Juliana Rincón aka Medea was recently invited to the Pop!Tech conference next month.  However, the scholarship did not cover much of the travel expenses to Maine.  As a result, the Medellin blogging community has organized a Medeatón to help raise funds to send her to Maine in order to share about the projects in the Colombian city.  In addition to raffling off a free blog design and hosting, funds will be raised through an art sale and t-shirt sales.


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Colombia: Trans-Atlantic Interest in Cocaine · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Sergio Mendez of Un colombiano más (reloaded) [ES] makes a startling discovery while working at an archive.  In a letter dated 1889, a businessman in France wrote to the Colombian consul in Paris expressing great interest in the commerce of a substance called cocaine.


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Ecuador: Senseless Death at Football Match · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

An 11-year-old boy, Carlos Cedeño, died at a football match between Barcelona and Emelec was caused by a stray firework that may have been the result of feuding supporter sides. Ecuadoran bloggers Cronicacero [ES] and Un Guayaco En Nueva York [ES] both express outrage at this tragedy.


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Former Soviet Union: Yegor Gaidar’s Book · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis reads Yegor Gaidar's book, in which the Soviet Union's collapse is explained from an economic perspective.


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Free Speech Roundup: Turkey, Russia, Pakistan, India · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

(1) YouTube blocked in Turkey again. (2) Russian LiveJournal user faces prison over fictional story. (3) Blogspot.com blocked again in Pakistan. (4) Mumbai police planning to install keystroke loggers in cyber cafés.
Turkey Blocks YouTube. Again.
For the second time in a year, a Turkish court ordered, on Tuesday September 18, to block access to YouTube.com over videos deemed insulting to the country's leaders.
The decision followed a complaint by a resident in the eastern city of Sivas  that the site hosted videos containing insults against Turkey's founding  father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the army.
It's a tumultuous time for YouTube in Turkey. A wave of controversy over an ultra nationalist video praising the assassination of Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink posted on the video-sharing site has made its way into the pages of country's most popular newspapers–and to the courts. According to Turkish Daily News, Dink’s lawyers said the video “incites people to commit hate crimes by abusing race and religion and by praising a murderer.” They lawyers are preparing to file a complaint.
In March of this year, the country’s largest telecommunications services provider, Turk Telekom, blocked access to YouTube for two days, following a court decision deeming that videos appearing on the site were insulting to the father of modern Turkey, Kemal Atatürk, and to the Turkish people.
On August 17, 2007, the Turkish Fatih Second Civil Court of First Instance blocked access to the entire wordpress.com domain after lawyers for Turkish Islamic-creationist, Adnan Oktar, aka Harun Yahya alleged that a blog hosted on wordpress.com contained material that libeled their client.
The 23-year old Russian blogger, Dmitry Shirinkin, who posted a fictional story on his blog inspired by the Virginia Tech shooting, could face up to three years in prison (read the whole story on Global Voices). Dmitry Shirinkin was running a LiveJournal blog under the name “tetraox” and wrote about buying a gun and killing number of people in one of the city's colleges. He is being accused of “falsely warning of a terror threat.”
“The Prosecutor's Office analysed Dmitry's blog and concluded he had a desire to shoot dead a dozen people,” Russia Today reported. However, Shirinkin's defense is requesting a language analyst to give his expert opinion on the controversial text. The trial has been adjourned to September 20th.
In an interview with Russia Today (see the video above), Shirinkin said “I didn’t expect that a short writing piece could provoke such reaction from the security services. They interrogated me asking where my gun was, but I'd never had one.”
According to Russia Today, even before the trial Dmitry was already a popular figure, as he had been awarded the title of the best blogger in the region. Russian bloggers are rightly concerned that Shirinkin's case might set a bad precedent for the country's Internet users.
Another Russian Livejournal blogger is facing a two-year prison sentence or a fine of 100,000 rubles (US$4,000) for “inciting hate” against police. According to the Komi regional prosecutor, the allegedly offensive message–which has been deleted from the site–by the 21-year old Savva Terentyev contains “a direct call aimed at inciting hatred or hostility, as well as harming the dignity of … a particular social group: policemen.”
Don’t Block The Blog  reported that access to the popular blogging platform blogspot.com, which is owned by Google Inc, has been blocked again in Pakistan:
For about four months (since May, 2007) Google fortunately had changed the IP  address of its Blogspot servers. The new IP addresses were not demarcated as  prohibited by the censorship filters located at the Pakistan Internet  Exchange. Today, for some odd reason, Google has suddenly reverted back to its  original IP address, which has been on the block list since March of 2006.  This move has resulted in the blocking of all internet traffic to the  blogspot.com domain. Millions of blog readers in Pakistan now are unable to  read or and interact with any of these websites.
The “Don’t Block The Blog” (DBTB) campaign was launched in response to the blanket ban on the Blogspot.com blogging platform instituted by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on March 3, 2006.
Read our earlier interview with Omer Alvie, the co-founder of (DBTB), about the blanket ban and the Pakistani campaign to support online freedom of speech.
In support of its war against terrorism, police in Mumbai, India, are planning to install keystroke loggers in the city's cyber cafes. According to Vijay Mukhi, President of the Foundation for Information Security and Technology:
The police needs to install programs that will capture every key stroke at  regular interval screen shots, which will be sent back to a server that will  log all the data. The police can then keep track of all communication between  terrorists no matter, which part of the world they operate from.This is the  only way to patrol the net and this is how the police informer is going to  look in the e-age.
This new monitoring software, CARMS (Cyber Access Remote Monitoring System), that Mumbai's police are requiring the city's 500 Internet cafes to install, “will capture every keystroke by users and turn that information over to the government — nearly in realtime by the sound of it,” said the Indian journalist Amit Varma.


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Grenada, Guyana: Mission Accomplished  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Guyana-Gyal inspires Free Spirit to wonder about her accomplishments in Grenada – and she posts images of one of her proudest triumphs.


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Hong Kong: Book Distribution · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Recently the publisher of a political spoof about Chief Executive Donald Tsang's Spin Doctor failed to find any distributor in Hong Kong for distributing the book to local bookstore. Buto from inmediahk.net interviewed the publisher who explained that the book distribution business in Hong Kong is highly monopolized by one pro-establishment distributor (zh).


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Hong Kong: Living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Frankenchoi writes his experience in living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (zh). The disease is related with pressure and anger and the patient needs to regulate his / her diet and emotion.


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India: Sexual Harassment at the workplace · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Ultra Violet on sexual harassment in the workplace in India and on corporate reactions.


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Jamaica: Letter to the PM  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaica Citizen writes a letter to new Prime Minister Bruce Golding.


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Jamaica: Why Winkler Writes  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Personally, I think our triumph in having produced two Nobel laureates in literature owes something to the barrenness of our literary tradition”: Geoffrey Philp features Jamaican author Anthony C. Winkler as he talks about why he writes.


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Korea: Moon Festival Symptoms · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

The Moon Festival is approaching and that means Koreans are debating certain issues related to the festival. People join the long lines of traffic as they had back to their hometowns. And more and more people are heading abroad. While some people enjoy meeting family and relatives they have not seen for some time, others get stressed about the impending encounters. I introduce how bloggers are preparing for the Moon Festival.
One hot issue before the Moon Festival is controlling weight (as a universal issue related to holiday feasts). What is the best strategy not to gain weight and the best tactic to avoid the temptation of the feast?
추석음식은 대부분 고칼로리라 살이 찌기 쉽다. 실제로 친지들과 모여하는 일이 대부분 함께 먹는 일이다. 음식을 함께 먹으며 이런 저런 이야기를 나누기 때문이다. 음식을 함께 먹으며 이런 저런 이야기를 나누기 때문이다. 최대한 적게 찌는 추석이 되기 위한 방법이 없을까?
다이어트가 뭐길래.명절에도 마음껏 먹지 못한단 말인가? 애통해 할 것 없다. 날씬하게 살이 빠져 멋지게 변신하는 것으로 보상받을 수 있기 때문이다. 조금 더 멋진 나를 위해 당분간 음식을 멀리하는 노력! 훗날 반드시 웃을날이 있을 것이다.
There are other tricks to make use of the long vacation, including those posted on blogs with commercial intentions.
올 추석은 주말을 포함하고 있어 비교적 연휴가 긴 편이다. 바쁜 일상을 보내고 있는 탓에 어쩌면 체형 교정을 꾀할 수 있는 마지막 기회일 수도 있는 이번 연휴기간동안 지방흡입술을 고려하고 있다면 위와 같은 정보들을 통해 여러가지 사항에 대하여 미리 파악한 뒤 신중하게 시술에 임해야만 긍정적인 결과에 도움이 된다는 사실을 잊지 말도록 하자.
For the custom to preparing gifts to elderly people (commonly) during the festival days, bloggers make use of the internet in order to get information and share their experiences.
추석선물준비하셨나요?… 지금까지 제가 준비한 선물 중에 반응이 좋았던 추석선물 리스트를 간추려 봤거든요. 가격대는 3만원-5만원이예요.
1.	과일,굴비,고기 등 차례음식…
2.	올리브유, 포도씨유…
3.	샴푸, 비누세트…
4.	영양제, 홍삼, 건강보조식품…
5.	커피,녹차,국화차…
6.	양말,우산찻잔,그릇세트…
Or some bloggers are busy to grab results of all kinds of polls related to the Moon Festival and popular topics of what kinds of stress people receive during these days. Single people expect pressure from relatives over marriage plans.
결혼 얘기는 이제 두렵지도 않고 담담하다
쏠로들의 추석 얘기가 있어 기사를 올려 본다 아래 글은
< 아이뉴스24>
추석에 가장 듣기 싫은 이야기는 기혼자의 경우 처가와 본가 식구들에 대한 험담이며, 미혼은 결혼 이야기인 것으로 조사됐다.
…지난 9월 5일부터 11일까지 7일 동안 자사 사이트를 방문한 309명을 대상으로 온라인 설문조사해 보니 기혼의 경우 “처가와 본가 식구들에 대한 험담”(55%)이 가장 높았다.
다음은 “경제능력””(39%)으로 나타났으며, 미혼의 경우 “결혼”(42%)에 대한 이야기가 가장 높았고, “취업”(35%)과 “경제능력”(32%) 순으로 나타났다.
명절증후군으로는 “추석 이후 회사업무에 대한 부담”(37%), “지출경비”(30%), “늘어난 체증”(27%) 등으로 나타났으며, 추석 때 이용할 교통수단은 “버스”(40%), “자가용””(37%), “기차”(17%) 등의 순이었다.
부모님께 드리고 싶은 선물로는 “현금”(49%)이 가장 높았으며, “상품권”과 “의류 및 생활용품”이 각각 27%, 20%로 뒤를 이었다…
나이들어 가족들과의 만남이 어색한 사람이 있다면…
이렇게 하는 게 상책이다
내가 힘이 없다면 피하는 게 상책이다
내가 힘이 있다면 즐기는 게 상책이다
내가 힘이 없어도 즐기는 게 상책이다…
쏠로닷컴 정회원 식구들과 22일에 떠날 준비로 분주하다
너무 감사하다…
… If someone feels awkward about meeting family members after growing-up, it’s better to think this way.
If you don’t have enough power, you’d better avoid it.
If you have enough power, you’d better enjoy it.
Even though you don’t have power, you’d better enjoy it.…
I’m busy to prepare my trip with members in solo.com on the 22nd.
I really appreciate it.
Married female bloggers are particularly busy exchanging their hardship over the Internet.
추석 두 주 전..
싱글시절의 늘어지게 영화나 보고, 늦잠자던 좋은 시절은 다 간지 4년째..
점점 더 추석이 싫어진다.
일이 많고 적음… 길고 긴 귀성행렬… 오랜만에 뵙는 시댁 어른들과의 관계들…
그런 고생을 뒷전으로 한다고 해도, 설겆이를 아무생각없이 막 하다가도 욱 하고 치미는게..생겨난다.
불합리함…..
시아버지는 맏이가 아니시다.  하지만. 사촌 아주버님들 중에 결혼하신 분들이 하나도 없으시다. 농촌총각이 비애인가…
그래서 결국 며느리는 나 하나. 그 위로 층층시하…
게다가 교회를 다니셔도 제기에 제사음식을 정식으로 차리시는 신문화..쩝.
결혼 첫해. 그냥 담담하게…귀성행렬에 태어나서 처음 껴봤다. 우리 친정은 그런것 전혀 없는 교회다니는 집이니까.
고생을 고생대로 했지만, 모 그런가보다 했다.
두번째해…끝도 없는 설겆이와..여기저기 들르고 싶어하시는 시아버지..친정은 언제 가라고..일은 죽도록 하다가 마루에서 늘어져 자는 여자들과 방에서 자는 남자들..아침부터 일어나서 움직이는 것은 시어머니를 포함한 며느리들..그리고 난 손주며느리..아가씨는 딸이라고 자고있고..슬슬 짜증이 났다…
올해…
또 어떤 난관이 기다리고 있을까…과연 올해는 하루뿐인 며느리 친정나들이를 어떻게 받아들이실지…
그냥 또 닥치면 다 하겠지 싶다가도…이런 과정이 해마다 돌아온다는 생각만 하면..가슴이 답답하고…속이 쓰리고…이건 아닌데 싶다.
며느리가 종인가..애도 낳고, 돈도 벌고, 일도 해야하는 게.. 모든게 당연하다는 문화.
추석에 해외여행가는 사람들은 얼마나 복받은 집안인가..싶다.
두 주 뒤를 생각하면..벌써 소화가 안 된다..
이 땅의 명절문화..손 하나 까딱 안 하고 먹는 족속들…니들이 먹는 걸 누가 만들고 치웠나..꼭 기억해라…
I have come to despise the Moon Festival more and more.
Whether I have so many things to do a lot or not… long long march to go back to my husband’s hometowns… relations with husband’s family and relatives whom I haven’t seen for a while…
Neglecting those matters, I suddenly feel the madness while I’m cleaning dishes without any thought.
Unfairness…
My father-in-law is not the first son. But other men aren’t married at all.
Is it the tragedy of men from the countryside?
Therefore I’m the only daughter-in-law. And so many relatives…
Even though they go to the church, they adopt a new culture which prepares foods for worshiping ancestors… hm…
The first year of the marriage… without any complicated thought, I joined this long march to the hometown. My family doesn’t have anything like those food-preparations for the ancestors because we go to church.
I had a hard time, but I accepted it.
The second year… endless washing dishes job… father-in-law who wants to visit other houses here and there… They didn’t consider when I could vist my family. Working so hard.. but there are women who sleep in the livingroom and men who sleep in rooms. Waking up in the morning and doing chores are for mother-in-law and sisters-in-law… and granddaughter-in-law which is myself… sister-in-law was just sleeping because she is their daughter. I felt annoyed…
This year….
What kinds of difficult passages will wait for me… How will my mother-in-law accept the sister-in-law’s visit for her own family…
Of course I will do all the chores… But this process comes back every year… thinking about it… my stomach is sore… I feel it should not be like this.
Is a daughter-in-law a slave? Laboring children, making money, and doing chores… society takes it as so natural.
People who go abroad during the festival are so lucky, I think.
Thinking about the festival, I already can’t digest.
Traditional holiday culture here… people who eat without using their hands at all… Who makes foods that you eat and who cleans up? Don’t forget!
The festival days are not happy to everyone, like GeniusCat.
딸이 둘인 우리집… 나와 여동생
어머니 9년전쯤 돌아가시고 동생은 작년에 결혼해서 지금 아버지와 나 둘이 지내고 있다. 추석이 다가오면서 커지는 걱정…나까지 시집가면… 명절 제사를 어찌해야 할지…
인터넷과 주위 알아보니 거의 명절 제사는 포기라고 한다…그나마 기제사도 못 지내는 집도 있다고 한다…이번추석때 결혼한 동생은 제사에 오지 못한다…내년 추석땐…나도 못 오겠지…
얼마전 아들을 낳은 동생과 이런저런 의논하며 통화하는데…
“언니야…나 아들 낳기 잘한 거 같다…” 하면서 울더라…
전화끊고 나도 울었다.
서럽다…
그냥 어짜지 못하는 현실이 너무 안타깝다…
그냥 서럽고 서럽다…
제사는 형식이고 마음이 중요하다고 하지만…
막상 못 지내게 될거라 생각하니 죄스러운 마음…
내가 딸로 태어난 것이 이렇게 후회되고 속상한 적이 없다…
내가 아들이지 못해 시집살이도 더 하셨는데… 고생고생만 하시다가 돌아가셨는데…
명절 제사때 마다 마음이 많이 아플거 같다…
어쩌면 이번 추석아니면 내년 설이 내손으로 엄마에게 차려드리는 마지막 명절제사가 될지 모르겠다..
더욱 정성들여 준비해야겠다…
엄마.. 미안해요.

author: Hyejin Kim


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Latvia: N. Irish Football Fans and Russian Nationalists · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

All About Latvia writes about an encounter between Northern Irish football fans and Russian nationalists in Riga.


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Latvia: Parliament Speaker’s Quote · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

All About Latvia quotes the parliament speaker: “I’m prepared to do what’s best for the country, but I don’t know what that is.”


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Lebanon: MP Antoine Ghanem Assassinated · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

Member of the Lebanese Parliament Antoine Ghanem was assassinated today by a bomb that targeted his car in Beirut’s suburb of Sin el-Fil, Hursh Tabet area. Mr. Ghanem, 64, was a member of the Phalange Party which is led by ex–president Amine Gemayel. At least six other people were killed and 20 wounded in the attack. This terrorist act comes less than a week before Lebanese MPs are scheduled to meet to elect a new president. This incident was echoed by Lebanese bloggers who reported it, posted photos, videos and analysis:
Liliane heard and saw the explosion from her work:
At around 5:20pm, an explosion occurred in approximately of Horsh Tabet, near Rond Point Al Hayek, no news available yet.  I heard and saw the explosion from my work, it seems it is in a residential area.
Cedarseed also heard the explosion and updated the incident in several posts:
Something just went boom. Very loud.
Photos and videos were posted by Blacksmiths of Lebanon and Ouwet Front
Abu Kais analyzes the background and motives behind the assassination and links it to the upcoming presidential elections:
Antoine Ghanem was reportedly a moderate well liked by MPs from both sides of the divide. With his murder, March 14 lost another vote, and may not feel safe anymore to stay in the country, let alone head to parliament on September 25th to elect a president. Many March 14 MPs are outside the country…
Bob sees it as the loss of another brave man of independence:
The brave men and women of the independence movement, threatened by death and assassination on every corner or those who are in league with the assassins, peacefully hiding…
After stating each political group's analysis of the assassination and who each group blames for the murder, Eliedh concludes:
One thing is certain analysis are all we are going to have. The killer will never be caught and apparently, more people are going to die while Lebanese fight over who is going to control the country (or what’s left of it).
Finally Beirut Spring also mentions analyses and reasons that the opposing parties are giving for this assassination. He states that an opposition blog writes:
Go back to news archives and look at the events that took place before every single assassination. You will realise that in every case, the Lebanese drew nearer to a solution. A bomb goes off, spews hatred and sectarianism amongst the anti-Syrians, they start talking a lot of senseless bullshit and piss off the opposition. Then we’re back to square one. In this case, there is the Berri initiative. It was proposed by an opposition leader, and it came in the interest of the country. Syria had no problem with it and praised it and so did the rest of the opposition. This assassination took place today to break up this initiative, keep march 14 on it’s toes by accusing Syria again without even surely knowing who did it. Also, it serves as a popularity boost for March 14 by showing they are the poor victims of criminal activity by whoever they accuse.

author: Moussa Bashir


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Lebanon: Terrorist Explosion  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“A large terrorist explosion targetted the Sin el Fil area on the outskirt of Beirut. LBC is reporting that the explosion is near Antoine Library. The reporter is saying that on of the burning cars belong to a member of parliament. The images on LBC are grave. Burning cars, destroyed buildings and casualties. Like a war zone. Feeling speechless and helpless,” writes Lebanese blogger M Bashir.


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Nepal: Maoists and Politics · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Kathmandu Speaks on why the Maoists should learn politics.


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Nepal: Quitting the Government · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The Radiant Star on the Maoists quitting the government, and on what's next on the cards.


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Nepal: Writers and reading culture · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Wagle Street Journal on the reading culture in Nepal and writers becoming celebrities.


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Poland: Bio Fuel and Price of Bread · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The beatroot explains the connection between bio fuel and a doubling in the price of bread in Poland.


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Russia: Moscow’s “Unusual People and Peculiar Foods” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

BusterPh.D.Candidate of moscowthroughbrowneyes writes about “unusual people and peculiar foods” that make Moscow feel like home.


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Syria: Message of Peace · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Syrian blogger Yaser met with Giordano and Luca, two Italians, “travelling around the countries of the Mediterranean to spread the message of peace and harmony with a simple gesture ..a hug.” Click the link to read more.


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Trinidad & Tobago: We Are Open  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Claiming to ‘be open’ doesn't mean you are being open. Know your audience. Globalization is built on this principle, as is Free Software/Open Source and Open Content”: KnowProSE.com thinks it's all about the perspective.


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Bahamas: Bootleggers  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Nassau as we know it today is largely a creation of the revenue earned from bootlegging”: Larry Smith at Bahama Pundit revisits the days of the rum runners.


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Bahamas: Political Propaganda?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

After receiving what he refers to as “e-mails of propaganda” from the Bahamas’ recently ousted political party, Rick Lowe at WeblogBahamas.com asks: “Maybe we are not as politically mature as we attempt to portray?”


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Bahrain: On Suing God! · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Well, I'm sure you've heard of court cases where people have won millions of dollars for suing others over all sorts of issues. Anyway, this totally blows them out of the water; here, we have a Nebraska State Senator whose decided to sue… God,” rants Bahraini blogger Ammaro.


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Bahraini in Alaska · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini in Alaska, Dr Haitham Salman, shows us a picture of the migrating geese in his backyard. He is now waiting for the deer to show up.


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Bangladesh: Cartoons and Religion · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Adda on the detention of Arifur Rahman because of a cartoon, laws and sensitivity of religious groups.


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Barbados, St. Lucia: Compton Laid to Rest  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Cheese-on-Bread links to reports on the funeral of the late Prime Minister of St. Lucia, Sir John Compton.


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Bermuda: Government to Tackle Obesity · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Shawn and Sue's Island Adventure has a theory about Bermuda: “This island is fat, and not with a “ph” like the kids say.  It turns out that 63% of the island's adults are overweight/obese.”


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Blogging in Neo Patwa · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

The question of whether modern information technology has a positive or negative effect on global language diversity has been debated since the very beginning of the global online conversation. On the positive side, localized to fit the needs of regional communities, the Internet may allow populations a much-needed forum within which to cultivate and protect their own language. On the negative side, the Internet may simply aggravate the homogenizing effects of globalization, accelerating the spread of a handful of “lingua francas” while assimilating thousands of less well-known local languages into a giant global melting pot.
One of the very tangible manifestations of these issues of language diversity appears within the global blogosphere, where there is an incentive to adopt a foreign language (normally English) when the goal is to speak to people outside of a local context. But what if people did not have to give up their own language to communicate across language boundaries? What if there was a simpler alternative to the complex sounds, irregular grammar, and cultural baggage of “International English”, a language flexible enough to be shared by people across the world?
This is the thinking that went into the construction of Neo Patwa, a pidgin language thought up by Japan-based blogger Jens Wilkinson and featured regularly in his blog, as well as that of fellow Neo Patwa blogger Jack Parsons. I asked Jens some questions about the origin, motivation, and future of Neo Patwa.
What first got you interested in the idea of creating Neo Patwa, and how do you see it as different from other constructed languages?
Nearly all constructed languages are based on European languages to some extent. I wanted to make a language that would be truly multicultural. It seems only fair that if we are to try speaking with a common tongue, it should incorporate elements from different cultures around the world.
What is wrong with English as an international language?
It is true that English is very widely spoken. But this is unacceptable for two major reasons. One is simply that English as a language is difficult for people of many other languages. There are too many vowels, and we have horrible words like “sixths” (four consonants in a row!) Even I have a hard time pronouncing it. Also, English has lots of irregularities and idioms.
The second reason is that using English as an international language gives an unfair advantage to native speakers of the language. And even as a social phenomenon, it gives rise to the idea that one culture is superior to other cultures.
Now, can we do anything about it? I think actually that spreading a language like Neo Patwa, even on a small scale, can help create awareness of the idea that we should not let a limited group of native speakers have a hold on the language that we all use for inter-language communication.
Q: Where did you find inspiration for the grammar, vocabulary, and style of Neo Patwa?
I got a lot of inspiration from languages such as pidgins and creoles, which developed in situations where people with different mother languages were trying to communicate. After all, that is what an international language should do. For example, Swahili was developed by Arabian traders communicating with speakers of Bantu languages mainly. And Malay developed as a trading language between people speaking a variety of languages. I also tried to incorporate things from the world's largest languages, i.e. English and Mandarin. For that, Singlish was a big inspiration, because it is a language developed in a crossroad between mainly English, Chinese, and Malay languages.
How has your experience been so far blogging in Neo Patwa?
I've been blogging in Neo Patwa mostly as a way to practice the language. Though Neo Patwa is ready to use as a kind of pidgin, there are still many elements that need to be developed. I hope to develop it in cooperation with people who are speakers of a multitude of languages.
What do you see as the next step for Neo Patwa?
For the moment, I'm concentrating on finding people who are interested in experimenting with it and making suggestions on how to make it better. I really hope to get cooperation from people who speak non-European languages, to avoid a European bias where possible.

author: Chris Salzberg


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Bosnia & Herzegovina: “Democratic Exclusion” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

TOL's Balkanizer writes about “the fear of democratic exclusion” in Bosnia and Herzegovina.


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Bosnia & Herzegovina: Sarajevo Photos and Museums · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Novala, Europa posts pictures from Sarajevo and recommends some of the city's museums.


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China: 17 Correlations for the 17th Party Congress · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Wang Ling spoofs the 17 Party Congress in the coming October by listing out 17 correlations. For examples, 8 honors + 8 humiliations + harmonious society = 17; control the price of pork to 17 yuan per 0.5 kilogram; close 17,000 websites before the congress; etc (zh).


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China: My Brief Encounter With Computer Game · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Xu Zhi-yuen from mindmeters blogs about his experience in playing computer game in his college time (zh). At that time, computer represented new technology, progress and future; and his roomates had spent more time for computer game, chatting than studying. The blogger is skeptical about technology and considers it a deceptive myth.


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China: On the tazing · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Actually, as with almost everything major that happens in America—even Michelle Malkin has multiple Chinese names—people from all corners of China have seen and heard all about Don't Tase Me Bro!
Internet news and blogging crossover site Netease has a unique function where all commenters are identified by region, and below each comment are indicators of how readers rate what's been written; here are the responses to a Netease news report on the tazing and the protest that followed:
网易江苏苏州网友 ip：58.211.*.*：
2007-09-19 13:42:01 发表
没当场击毙已经不错了。
回复 精华推荐 支持(32) 反对(1) 举报
网易山东威海网友 ip：218.59.*.*：
2007-09-19 13:46:42 发表
haha.校警挺酷的，学生更牛
比我们强多了
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网易广东广州网友 ip：58.63.*.*：
2007-09-19 13:47:52 发表
什么世道，参议员是你随便问的吗？
回复 精华推荐 支持(7) 反对(0) 举报
网易浙江舟山网友 ip：220.189.*.*：
2007-09-19 13:55:33 发表
他在大喊”HELP”可是没人上去帮忙,这种事不只中国这样
回复 精华推荐 支持(30) 反对(0) 举报
网易广东广州网友 [四夕四正]：
2007-09-19 13:57:39 发表
aaaaaaaaaaa
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网易陕西网友 ip：124.115.*.*：
2007-09-19 13:57:50 发表
我就知道不显示
回复 精华推荐 支持(42) 反对(0) 举报
网易湖北黄石网友 ip：58.54.*.*：
2007-09-19 14:01:31 发表
没有报纸会报到.
回复 精华推荐 支持(2) 反对(0) 举报
网易辽宁沈阳网友 ip：60.17.*.*：
2007-09-19 14:03:42 发表
美国的所谓民主也不过如此而已!!!!!!!!
回复 精华推荐 支持(26) 反对(0) 举报
网易天津网友 ip：211.137.*.*：
2007-09-19 14:04:32 发表
这也能叫新闻?
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网易山东青岛网友 ip：221.215.*.*：
2007-09-19 14:08:26 发表
网易浙江舟山网友 ip：220.189.*.*： 2007-09-19 13:55:33 发表他在大喊”HELP”可是没人上去帮忙,这种事不只中国这样]
他还喊helping!!
回复 精华推荐 支持(3) 反对(0) 举报
网易上海网友 [天堂来风]：
2007-09-19 14:10:23 发表
从报道来看，这个人看样子有作秀瘾。
克里又没有什么激进观点和做法可以指责的，需要他这么夸张吗？
回复 精华推荐 支持(6) 反对(0) 举报
网易湖北武汉网友 ip：221.232.*.*：
2007-09-19 14:15:25 发表
只看到一句，不断的喊，我做了什么？我做了什么？不要，不要之类的！
回复 精华推荐 支持(3) 反对(0) 举报
网易澳大利亚网友 ip：61.68.*.*：
2007-09-19 14:15:26 发表
很好，很强大
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网易天津网友 ip：60.30.*.*：
2007-09-19 14:22:57 发表
上youtube看一下就知道了，他纯属活该，而且那段录像根本没拍到他到底被电没有，就听他一个人在那儿大喊大叫，what a wuss!
回复 精华推荐 支持(6) 反对(0) 举报
网易黑龙江七台河网友 ip：221.210.*.*：
2007-09-19 14:29:26 发表
???
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网易安徽安庆网友 ip：218.106.*.*：
2007-09-19 15:01:33 发表
他们有对付突发事件预案。
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网易广东广州网友(219.136.*.*) 的原贴：
我想知道他说了什么？
我想知道他做了什么?
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网易山东济南网友 ip：60.217.*.*：
2007-09-19 15:33:10 发表
i think there are many people are seeing this play .you only get the people together and put there hand up on the bible.the policeman will ask them to tell the hole thing.wether they tell lies,we must give up to the most people now.and this is the law.we must keep the laws balance.and then we check the students and the policeman of university.and return the turth of this play.do you agree with me ?
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网易江苏南京网友 ip：58.212.*.*：
2007-09-19 15:45:20 发表
小布为了搞臭反对自己的人的小计俩
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网易湖南网友 ip：222.247.*.*：
2007-09-19 15:53:56 发表
这美国没有见义勇为啊.哈哈.
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网易山西太原网友 ip：218.26.*.*：
2007-09-19 16:03:59 发表
此生有点夸张了.
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网易广东东莞网友 ip：59.39.*.*：
2007-09-19 16:14:07 发表
呵呵，还敢标榜自己最民主？脸皮也太厚了！
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网易欧洲网友 ip：123.113.*.*：
2007-09-19 16:51:23 发表
扯淡的新闻
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网易欧洲网友 ip：123.113.*.*：
2007-09-19 16:52:06 发表
无聊的新闻
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网易江苏网友 ip：121.227.*.*：
2007-09-19 17:29:06 发表
全世界的大学生一样垃圾，建议取消大学！
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网易广东佛山网友 ip：59.39.*.*：
2007-09-19 18:12:47 发表
网易江苏网友(121.227.*.*) 的原贴：
全世界的大学生一样垃圾，建议取消大学！
你TM SB去死吧
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网易上海浦东网友 ip：221.137.*.*：
2007-09-19 18:13:50 发表
我也感到遗憾
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网易浙江网友 ip：60.185.*.*：
2007-09-19 18:34:35 发表
据调查，校警是临时工
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网易山东济南网友 ip：218.56.*.*：
2007-09-19 18:54:03 发表
网易浙江网友(60.185.*.*) 的原贴：
据调查，校警是临时工
是城管
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网易广东广州网友 ip：219.136.*.*：
2007-09-19 21:37:11 发表
他们?演戏,我在那里看戏
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网易甘肃酒泉网友(60.164.*.*) 的原贴：
我想知道他做了什么?
我想知道他说了什么？
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author: John Kennedy


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Egypt: Arablish?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Blogger Arima from Egypt talks about Arablish in this hilarious post. Arablish is a “form of speech that mixes Arabic with English. It is widely used among Arab Western-educated elites.”


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Egypt: Booby Julia · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian blogger Mosfata Hussein introduces us to TV presenter Booby Julia. “As a blogger, a doctor and an Egyptian citizen. It is my duty to bring forward the latest socio-cultural phenomena happening in my environment. I would like to introduce to you BOOBY JULIA!” he explains.


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[GV Show Special] Trinidad & Tobago: Anti-smelter activism meets the Internet · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Atillah Springer is a journalist, activist and blogger from Trinidad and Tobago and a member of a protest movement which, earlier this year, succeeded in driving the aluminium industry giant Alcoa out of a community in rural Trinidad where they had proposed to establish a smelter under somewhat dubious circumstances.
In this podcast I talk with Atillah about the movement's use of the Internet in their organising activities.
[display_podcast]
Some useful links:
No Smelters in T&T  web site
Rights Action Group blog
Smelta Karavan web site
Saving Iceland – web site of anti-smelter allies in Iceland
Portrait of Atillah by caribbeanfreephoto
Other images courtesy Atillah Springer

author: Georgia Popplewell


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Hong Kong: Blogger Gathering · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ibrahim El-Mouelhy from Outblaze blogs about the web and blogger gathering in September 18: over 80 people signed up at the wiki event page and around 70 showed up. For nearly three hours industry people and enthusiasts mingled, drank, ate, and made merry.


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India: NTR, MGR and Adulation · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The Culture and Politics of Tamil Cinema on the culture of adulation and comparing the cases of two contemporaries in different states.


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Iran:Ahmadinejad,WTC and Khavaran · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Balouch says [Fa] that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's request to visit World Trade Center, in N.Y., was refused by American authorities.It seems Iranian president wanted to lay flowers in memory of 9/11 victims.The blogger says Iranian president,instead of visting WTC, can go visiting Khavaran cemetery where thousands of executed political prisoners were buried in 1988 in Iran.Baloch says Khavaran is in Iran and Ahmadinejad does not need a permission or visa!


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“Iran:Feminists “leaving country” · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Mohmmad Masih in his blog, Sineh Sorkh, writes [Fa]that several Iranian feminists have recently left country.The blogger says that these women activists have found a place to stay in UK,Netherlands and USA.The blogger adds that Iranian feminist movement is disappearing.


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Iran:”Haleh Esfandiari is still a prisoner” · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Hanif,one of Iranian bloggers who had been arrested and jailed for blogging, says[Fa]that Haleh Esfandiari,Iranian-American scholar, contrary to many other former prisoners,after leaving Iran,told that she had not been mistreated in prison.Hanif says according to his prison experience,political prisoners had been asked by security agents to talk positively about their prison time after being released.He adds that if we did not obey their requests our friends would stay in jail.Hanif says Esfandiari is in the same situation and she is still a prisoner.There are at least a couple of American-Iranians still in Iran.


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Iran:Slogans and Government · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Mohammad Ali Abtahi,blogger and former vice president, writes that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,Iranian president,when he was elected two years ago, talked a lot about that using private flight and private plane is against public treasury and that trips should be made through ordinary gate and not VIP gate.The blogger adds “after one or two trips, the president made his trips by private planes. The holidays of the parliament, their foreign trips and special fuel card allocated were also either like the past or even more.”


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Japan: Moral Education Plan Withdrawn · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Debito comments on the withdrawal of moral education plan proposed by former Prime Minister Abe: teaching (and grading) “patriotism”, would leave Japan’s children of international roots in a bind–how can they “love” Japan “properly”, in a way quantifiably gradable?


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Kuwait: Cartoons Commentary · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Kuwaiti blogger The Stallion posts a few caricatures and comments on them here.


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Kuwait: Don’t Open the Door for Strangers · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Don't open your door for strangers, warns blogger Tooomz from Kuwait, who writes about a bizarre incident in which a woman called on her friend's house, pretended she was a neighbour, made up a convoluted story about how her son was sick and needed brain surgery and then begged for money.


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Libya: Bloggers Face Off  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Libyan blogger the Highlander suggest new awards to encourage Libyan bloggers to blog. She also writes about a misunderstanding between Libyan bloggers and urges bloggers to reconcile and bridge their differences.


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Libya: Childless Mornings  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“The kid's have really started school. And guess what? They are all going in the morning! This is the first time this has ever happened. I actually have peaceful and childless mornings! I've dreamed about this for years and years,” writes an ecstatic Khadija Teri from Libya.


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Pakistan: Interview with Fahd Mirza · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The Pakistani Spectator has an interview with Fahd Mirza who has been blogging for a grand six years.


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Palestine: Following God’s Rules · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“When a man follows governmental rules and regulations; people call him a good citizen. He’s patriotic. When a man follows society’s rules and regulations; people call him civilized. When a man follows God’s rules and regulations; people start asking questions,” writes Jordanian-Palestinian Sugar Cubes.


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Palestine: No Fuel or Electricity · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Leila Al Haddad, from Palestine, writes: “Today Israel officially announced Hamas a “hostile entity” (although that sort of had me confused-is this to say they were of “friendly entity” status before??). And made the decision to cut fuel and electricity, once again. But fear not, country folk. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice confirmed reassuringly that the U.S. ‘would not abandon the innocent Palestinians’.”


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Serbia: A Store in Kosovo’s Capital · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Prishtine: Independence and Kanun posts pictures of a favorite store in Kosovo's capital: “‘ginger’ … when you have a need to feel suave, intellectual or just plain bourgeoisie, ginger is the place for you — books, music, dvds, couch, dog and all. This store rocks….”


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Serbia: Chemical Tolimir’s Trial · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Srebrenica Genocide Blog reports on the ICTY trial of Zdravko Tolimir, an unrepentant former Serb general charged with “genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of laws and customs of war.”


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Serbia: March Against Crime in Kosovo · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

“After the shooting of the police officer, about 5 000 residents of Prishtina […] marched peacefully through the city to show their disgust at crime in the city,” Prishtine: Independence and Kanun reports and posts photos.


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Serbia: Noise · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belgrade 2.0 writes about the noise of turbo folk music: “It is designed to destroy brain cells more effectively than most advanced weapons today, without harming the natural environment, pretty much like the new Russian vacuum bomb.” And about the noise of a military celebration that invlolved MIG planes flying over Belgrade: “If you really must show off, do it somewhere where there aren’t any people who experienced the Serbia bombing of ’99 comitted by NATO.”


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Sierra Leone: “Di notice go right” in Sierra Leone · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nasratha writes about presidential elections in Sierra Leone where the opposition candidate won: “Sierra Leoneans can finally breathe easy after 5 weeks of waiting for election results…Earnest Bai Koroma's All People's Congress has won the 2007 Elections.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Singapore: Mainland Chinese in Singapore · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Loveless, A mainland Chinese living in Singapore responds to a post on another blog that talks about some reasons why locals in Singapore do not like people from China.


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South Korea: Against Disabled Discrimination · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Suh Jung-Hwan from Voice of the People reports on the openning ceremony of a new organization, Solidarity Against Disabled Discrimination, in September 5. The ceremony ran parallel with the government-led ceremony of Disabled People's International World Assembly in order to criticize the government’ hypocrisy on disabled people's rights.


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Sri Lanka: A Lesbian Advertisement? · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Some of Cerno‘s friends feel that a particular advertisement has lesbian undertones. People in the comments section don't seem to quite agree.


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Sri Lanka: Justice and Law · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Indi.ca picks up the specific case of Malaka Silva, and the denial of justice. “Sri Lankans already have little faith in a justice system where connections can so easily get you off, but this would just shatter it.”


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Syria: Worshipping Bashar Al Assad · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Maytha, from Kabobfest is back in the US after a two-week visit to Syria. “The reason for the trip was to study Arabic and to learn how to become a better devoted worshipper of Bashar al-Asad,” she writes.


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Thailand: North Korean Refugees in Thailand · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Bangkok Pundit responds to the criticism that Thailand is singling out North Korean detainees for harsh treatment. North Koreans fleeing the desperate conditions in their country are increasingly using Thailand as a transit point to South Korea.


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Thailand: Thaksin’s Letter · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Real Life in Thailand makes a point by point rebuttal of statements made by the former prime minister Thaksin on the anniversary of the coup that ousted him. The letter attacks the current administration in Thailand.


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The Balkans: Music · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Balkan Yankee writes about Beirut, a band that blends “American Indie roots and the Balkan brass/Gypsy sounds that inspired them,” and about Foltin, a band that mixes “contemporary jazz with traditional Macedonian sounds.”


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The rise of the Zambian blogsphere · Global Voices
Cho

The Zambian blogsphere is growing. Two years ago one would struggle to find a regularly updated blog covering any meaningful issues. I am happy to report that is now changing. New blogs are being created at pace faster than I can count. And the good news is that  what were personal entries are now being transformed into meaningful blogs that seek to encourage dialogue and trading of ideas. The fun blogs are there, but  increasingly we are seeing more focused blogs geared towards Zambia's development. It is impossible to review all the blogs, but here is a brief slice of the sort of Zambian blogs that are out there.
Issues Over Matters is a blog written by freelance journalist Gershom Ndlovu focused on political and social issues. Gershom was once victimised for opposing former president Frederick Chiluba's third term attempt. His case is catalogued in the Zambia Human Rights Report 2001 and MISA's So This Is Democracy: The State of the Media in Southern Africa 2001. His blog is a reproduction of the weekly column that appears in the National Mirror in Zambia. Here is an extract from one of his entries Dying for a Cure:
It is rather unfortunate that the Minister of Health, Brigadier-General Dr Brian Chituwo portrays a picture that such shortcomings in our health institutions are not a big issue going by his recent statement that led to two HIV positive people protesting outside parliament and ending up being arrested for trying to attract the attention of higher authorities to the plight of medical and paramedical staff.
Of course, the political elite and those close to them end up being evacuated to the now famous Morningside Clinic in Johannesburg even for simple illnesses like flu. Many poor people in need of renal dialysis are asked to pay huge amounts of money for the service at local hospitals while those with connections are taken to South Africa for ruptured ear-drums, depression and a myriad of ailments that can easily be taken care of locally, and all this at tax-payers’ expense. What is sad is that the facilities to which the well-connected are sent, are manned by Zambians who have emigrated.
Zambia Gamefields Investment Journal is kept I P A Manning who has several fascinating blogs to his name including Elephant Times and Zambia Forests. All of his blogs are focused around conservation. The Games Investment Journal is the more personal of his blogs as it is geared towards his experiences as a conservationist and the many battles against the system. But here is a recent blog on from another of his blogs called Zambia Conservation which probably comes close to illustrate I P's passion for conservation:
…..news that Laura will arrive in Zambia bearing thousands of mosquito nets, is terrible news for the fish stocks of our countless rivers and, ultimately, for the villagers who are so dependent on them for some protein. Everywhere these nets meant to combat malaria are being sown together and used to remove every living fish, egg and spawn from our waters. We need money to flow directly to the people through local trust structures and associations. In the one million acres of mountain, alluvial plain, rift valleys and rivers of the chiefdoms in which I work, our wildlife is being massacred by ivory poachers and the agents of the bush-meat trade. The killing fields of Africa asserts itself with renewed vigour while the money pours in, propping up governments which are no longer connected with their people. We need funds to go directly to villagers so that they may have an incentive to conserve their resources. Who will be accountable for seeing that this ‘doubling’ of funds actually produces an improvement in the lot of the poor?
Maravi is kept by Mr.K and is probably the oldest and most well known of all Zambian blogs. It brings together commentary on Zambian news, politics, economics and society in general.
New Zambia was created by myself in February. It aims to create a non-political platform for Zambians to trade ideas on the most challenging issues facing the nations.  The blog is written from an economic perspective. Since its inception, the blog has had various guest bloggers, including my nephew Herman Kunda based in Lusaka who wrote a challenging piece on Addressing the problems facing Zambian universities:
The challenge of unemployment is further compounded by the presence of foreign expertise in jobs that can easily and competently be executed by locally trained graduates. Though, I appreciate the various merits that come with foreign investment such as advanced skills and technology, the fact that most foreign firms come with their own professionals renders our highly trained graduates disused.
Mwankole is a relatively new blog kept by social commentator and counsellor Kashikulu. Since its inception this month, it has covered a range of topics from challenges of isolated settlements to music. Here is an extract from Kashikulu on Witchcraft in Politics:
There is a general belief that some of Africa’s long serving leaders, only manage to hold on to political power that long, on the sustenance of the magical powers of witchcraft. Examples of such leaders though few and rarely established include Zimbabwe’s Mugabe. The case of Zambia’s Katele Kalumba who hid in a rat size hole at his farm, while on the run from police is well documented in the press and police arrest records.
ICT Journalist is one of three regularly updated blogs by authors  based in Zambia. Brenda Zulu's blog covers issues related to the development of the ICT sector. Another notable blog covering similar issues and based in Zambia is kept by Mweshi.
Mwenya's Diary is a new blog kept by Lusaka based journalist and environmentalist Mwenya Mukuka. His recent entries have focused on challenging social issues as this extract from his blog on Gender and HIV illustrates:
Traditional leaders in get defensive at times in discussing HIV out of fear of supporting racist caricatures of hypersexual men in Africa and sexual frenzied African women. At the same time commentators, dancing the fine line between ignorance and racism, politely suggest that African traditions support polygamy, and thereby promiscuity, and consequently the spread of HIV. It is sad that in some societies men have continued to view sexual contact with many women as a sign of manhood. They say the more women – the more of a man you and some tend to believe that ‘live’ sex that is without a condom is the best saying a woman should feel the ‘heat of the mans bullets’. And for a poor woman, the poorer is, the less educated, the lower the ability to choose who to sleep with and the fewer rights she will have to negotiate for safe sex subsequently the higher the rates of HIV infection among women

author: Cho


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Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados: Cover Controversy?   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Caribbean Beat Blog reports that the cover of its magazine's latest edition, which features “Barbadian singer Rihanna draped on a purple couch in a provocative pose, looking over her shoulder straight into the camera” has turned out to be quite controversial for some readers.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Trinidad & Tobago: Film Festival Screens “A Winter Tale”  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Elspeth at Now is Wow reviews Trinidad-born director Frances-Anne Solomon's film A Winter Tale.


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Venezuela: Taking Over Private Schools · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The Devil's Excrement writes about the threat made by President Hugo Chavez to take over Venezuela's private schools.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Africa: Satellite coverage in Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

White African finds a map showing satellite coverage in Africa: ” I found the following map showing satellite coverage of Africa in the Acacia Atlas -2005, part of the International Research Development Center (IDRC). It has a wealth of information on connectivity – satellite, internet and mobile data that many readers will find very interesting.”


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Bahamas: Price Control  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Three cheers for a politician that finally has the guts to speak the truth on a highly political matter,” writes Rick Lowe at WeblogBahamas.com, as the country's Prime Minister makes a statement on price control at the recent CARICOM Summit.