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This Week In Palestinian Blogs:  Behind The Walls · Global Voices
Naseem Tarawnah

From barber shops and strawberry fields to politics and the lives of students behind walls, the Palestinian blogosphere this week has many stories to tell.
Laila El-Haddad, far from the familiarity of her home in Gaza, describes her latest journeys in the suburbs of Maryland as she and her son Yousuf reunite with family. While quick to note the stark contrast between the two places on either side of the world, Laila also sees the social divides in America itself. In the meantime Yousuf seems to be having his own journeys in the midst of strawberry fields of a local farm.
Fadi over at Kabbobfest reports a story about Palestinian barbers in Hebron, who in a symbolic gesture, offered free haircuts to local government employees who have not been paid for two months.
With the recent announcement by President Mahmoud Abbas to hold a referendum, Doud Kuttab believes this latest move has brought a resurgence of support for the President, and takes a look at the reasons why.  Meanwhile at Blog For Palestine, there’s some concern over recent tensions between Palestinian factions, which have raised some important questions.
Naseem Tarawnah at the Black Iris of Jordan posts an article describing the bulldozing of homes in Rafah by the Israeli military, just ahead of the June 14th National Day of Action protesting the lack of corporate responsibility by Caterpillar Inc.  Speaking of social protest Dr. Marcy Newman is frustrated over the lack of discussion by intellectuals regarding an international boycott of Israeli academic and cultural institutions, while UmKhalil wonders just “Where do universal human rights begin?”
Meanwhile Lulu breaks down Israel's game strategies, describing them as an “all-too-real version of Age of Empires”.
Katie Miranda of Postcards From Palestine came down with a bad case of stomach flu and ended up at a Palestinian hospital. Though along the way she discovered what it was like to bypass the checkpoints and roadblocks that make leaving Tel Rumeida a near impossibility for Palestinians with medical emergencies; even if they have a heart attack.
Lastly, Iman shares her recent discovery of “Behind the Wall”, an interesting website that acts as a monthly publication which peruses a dialogue between Palestinian and American students. This month the cultural exchange between students of The Friends School in Ramallah and students at Catholic Central High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan, came in the form of questions covering topics which ranged from politics and religion to sports and dating.

author: Naseem Tarawnah


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Trinidad & Tobago: Miss T&T World Cup speaks · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Stacy-Marie Ishmael at the Trinidad & Tobago World Cup Blog interviews Trinidad & Tobago's entrant in the Miss World Cup competition, who says that “the best part of the experience for me was placing in the top 8. I was very surprised! The worst experience was being outside in the cold weather and rain at times…but now I am getting accustomed to it.”

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Georgia Popplewell


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Trinidad & Tobago: Say no to jargon · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

“Down with jargon!” say three Trinidadian bloggers. Taran Rampersad and aka-lol rail against the use of the word “stakeholder”, while Caribbean Free Radio wishes people would stop “speaking to issues”. In the comment thread at CFR JT adds his two cents’: “And what about “interrogating”? Couldn’t that be left to the noble folks at Abu Ghraib?”


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Venezuela: Getting Rid of the National Entrance Exam? · Global Voices
David Sasaki

As Chilean students protest against the fees for their national entrance exam, Oil Wars says that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is considering doing away with the entrance exam entirely. But Oil Wars says that there is a better solution.

author: David Sasaki


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World Cup Fever · Global Voices
Jose Murilo

Temperature is rising. As we enter the World Cup week, ripples are turning into waves and everyone is being caught by the peculiar pulse that cannot be denied. Flags are already waving and those who were until now unaware about the gathering start to feel a strong urge to join, or else leave the planet. This year's edition will surely present a new face, or should I say, hundreds of millions of new faces ready to participate directly. We have never before had so prepared an environment for the expanded internationally networked exchange about the games as we have today.
“There are 186 thousand new websites just created for the world cup in Germany in the last few days. The survey was made by Websense.”
Web and Cup – Blog do Mesquita – Brazil
“There will be tens of millions of people around the globe, watching the games at fever pitch during the competition and the internet will provide a valuable outlet for discussion and information. Thousands of blogs will be written, photos of those lucky people at the games will be shared and enquiries to travel companies about the German cities hosting the games will be made.”
Metatags and metatarsals: the internet World Cup – Internet Advertising Bureau
“Following the raging popularity of such sites as MySpace.com and Orkut.com in Brazil, Nike executives approached Google with the idea of creating a social-networking site revolving around the world's most popular sport: soccer. Unlike MySpace.com, however, Joga.com will be a community that focuses on one topic and one passion: soccer, or “football,” as it is known outside the U.S.”
Nike, Google Kick Off Social-Networking Site – From Istanbul To Sand Hill Road
“As for the overall numbers of people expected to watch the World Cup, 28 billion people in aggregate are expected to tune in at some point during the tournament, with 1.2 billion, or 17 percent of the world’s population, tuning in for the July 9 final. The other 83 percent of will be clicking the remote searching in vain for something more interesting than watching 22 men in shorts kick a ball. I wish them well in their existential efforts.”
Billions of Eyes on the World Cup – World Cup Blog
Inovative news sites mash-ups, collective blogs, live video streamings, videoblogs, contests, online games, online virtual stadiuns, and many other novelties will be launched onto this global stage. All this connecting will help make the 2006 edition not only the most pervasive event ever, but also the most globally shared user experience known to date. What about those few under the sun who do not care about balls and goals? Blogs are talking about those differences as well:
“And from now on, this blog is almost totally devoted to football and the World Cup. As it is the most important competition in the world. It is because it is the World Cup, godammit! And if you don't like football, the problem is yours. Who cares about you?”
# – Call me James – Brazil
“From 9 June to 9 July 2006, you should read the sports section of the newspaper so that you are aware of what is going on regarding the World Cup, and that way you will be able to join in the conversations. If you fail to do this, then you will be looked at in a bad way, or you will be totally ignored. DO NOT complain about not receiving any attention..”
AExtremely important advice and recomendations to wives, girlfriends, fiancés, mothers, sisters, daughters, etc. (all women in general) – Rotten side – Brazil
Full translation available here.
“As everybody should know by now, the most ‘macho’ event on the planet will soon start: the World Cup! We have to figure out how one must behave with his women… I mean, with each one's woman, that's better. Women have a distorted idea about the event. They think we will only watch Brazil's games, but the world cup has 64 games, which makes 96 hours of play, 5,760 minutes. If they complain, tell them that the world cup happens only once in four years but in four years there are 87,600 minutes of soap-operas. This makes a difference, don't you think?”
Futebol – Hrtbreak – Brazil
“Sorry, nation. Forgive me, Brazilian people, if I dishonor the only honorable position you believe our country stands for… But I hate football, and I don't give a damn if Brazil doesn't make it… Besides, for me it would be better, as my ears would be saved from those hellish fireworks (which, curiously sound like music to me on New Year's Eve)”
Sorry, ó Brazil! – Ai, ai, ai… enough!!! – Brazil
I believe Brazilian fever at these times is unique, as it is fueled by a long history of spectacular wins and a certain kind of developed pride that gets challenged each time the cup is being contested. But some rivalries are so deep and intense, such as with close neighbor Argentina, that they are capable of echoing on the other site of the planet, in far away… Bangladesh!
“That's it. Maradona, the greatest Argentinean player ever, went beyond all rivalries in agreeing to do the commercial, and the result is this funny ad for a Brazilian national soft-drink. It's obvious that our ‘hermanos’ must have noticed this in the airwaves and many must have lost some hours of sleep. After all, Maradona and Pelé are like symbols of a never ending dispute between the two countries. It all turns back to that old line: who is the best? Both are good, but no one can deny our five world titles.”
Maradona in Green and Yellow? – Elias’ Space – Brazil
“This commercial has caused big controversy in Argentina, where many considered it a sacrilege to watch Diego with the green-yellow shirt. Considering that the ‘nightmare’ made 180 thousand dollars for Maradona, it's clear that there is nothing a bunch of green notes cannot buy. And you, dear reader, what is your opinion? I am interested in Argentinean comments.
Diego, Hay Diego!! – Hey Dude! – Argentina
“World Cup favourites Brazil and Argentina are engaged in an unlikely aerial battle in sports-mad Bangladesh as football fever reaches boiling point in the South Asian nation… Skies of cities, towns and villages across the country were this weekend full of Brazilian and Argentine flags as fans displayed loyalty to their favourite teams. So much is the love for the two teams that at Aminbazar, some 30 kilometres (18 miles) west of the capital, more than 10,000 villagers have been divided into two blocks of fans.”
Brazil-Argentina battle lines drawn in Bangladesh – Jamaicaobserver.com
“A Bangladeshi cleric has called on Muslims not to fly the flags of any “infidel” nations playing in the World Cup as football fever gripped the sports-mad country… “these acts are un-Islamic”
Daily Times – Pakistan
‘All academic activities of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology have been suspended till July 14,’ said a spokesman for the state-run institution. About 2,000 students held demonstrations on the campus in the capital, demanding a World Cup vacation for viewing all the matches on television. After watching late night televised matches, it would be impossible to concentrate on studies the following morning, argued graduate student Anisul Huq.
‘World Cup vacation’ in Bangladesh varsity – India e-News
The special aura of immense consequence carried by this peculiar sport modality is being each day more universally acknowledged in the world. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan recently stated: ‘As the only sport that is played in every country, and by every race and religion, football is as rare a phenomena in the world as is the United Nations.’ He wished that the same enthusiasm could fuel discussions about the economic development of poor countries, reducing greenhouse gases or combating AIDS. Political scientists repeatedly point out the instrumental use of popular passion, as it is widely known that the sport is used as a tool for populist governments to maintain control over alienated populations.
“The whole society looses with this collective mesmerized staring at the German green fields while other ‘balls’ are rolling in Brazilian Congress. I try to tell them that if Brazil wins or looses any game in this World Cup, even if the championship escapes at the second half's fortieth minute; my life will still be the same! To no avail, I played the cynic to everybody — the one who doesn't believe in anything, who has a hopelessly cold heart.”
Cup, Kitchen, and other balls – What about some cooffe? – Brazil
“Apart from victories or losses, the truth is that for the first time in its history — which has not been written because José Eduardo Santos gave priority to writing about the history of his party — Angola is in the World Cup. This is the very thing which Angolans love, making them temporarily forget the suffering, and dry the tear which is always in the corner of the eye waiting for the first chance to roll down through the face.”
From one loss to another till the final victory – The Araut – Angola
“‘The announcement that Omar Bongo (Gabonese President) decided to offer the World Cup to his country's youth was divulged to the world yesterday by Gabonews — which incomprehensibly has still not adopted the name Bongonews — after René Ndemez Obiang, the Minister for Communications, had announced it exactly in these terms: ‘The President decided to pay for the right to retransmit the games in the name of the whole set of Gabonese TV networks.’ Some quick hand has already published the information in the President's official website (www.omarbongo.org) , the man who's been governing Gabon for almost 40 years, insisting on this ‘offering’ formula. Bongo, who had already ‘offered’ the African Cup games to the Gabonese youth in January, is ‘cool’. If not for his generosity, only the private TV — which paid for the retransmission exclusiveness — could exhibit the games. Bongo, there is only one — Omar and no one more.”
One Bongo – Africandar – Angola
The World Cup economics and demographics somehow show that globalization is not only a movement toward uniformity. It also drives corporate and media interests to stimulate and channel emotions that enliven national identities. It seems inevitable that political forces will seek to exploit such an overwhelming hype. The event has carried through the years a heavy weight of financial, cultural, and political baggage but amazingly its vitality survives and keeps growing in its ability to grab attention.
“I am running from the great slaughter. I can't stand any more ‘information’ about the world cup. I am on the verge of getting crazy with the fans, the fans’ opinions, the commentators’ comments, the coaches, the ex-players. I am desperate with the country of professors marcelos that suddenly started to appear. Also the ‘reports’ about the football stars and the showbiz, the wives, the player's girlfriends, the ex-wives and the soon to be girlfriends, the ex-wives and ex-girlfriends of the presidents, or the ex-wives and ex-girlfriends of the ex-presidents”
The people's happiness is no the opiate of everyboty – Daily Writing – Portugal
“Yes, I am not in the full faculties of my mind anymore. It's not normal, but it is stronger than I am. Guessing contests? I already participated in three and I am forming another group. Not to mention the album with world cup chromes. Or the files in ipod, which now carries thousand of goal narrations (the best is Taffarell defending of Ronald de Boer's penalty in 1998) and world cup themes. There are also different version and variations of the Brazilian national anthem – even in forró beat. I think I am with the ball fever. And I am not seeking a cure. Go to hell with everything because now it's official: football is the most important thing in the world.”
Ball Fever – Totally without notion – Brazil
The first game is next Friday – Germany and Costa Rica. See you there, or here. We are connected. In the Information Age World Cup Fever is everywhere.

author: Jose Murilo


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Afghan Whispers: Crash & Riots · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

According to media about one week ago violent anti-foreigner protests raged across the capital Monday after a U.S. military truck crashed into traffic. Let's see what Afghan bloggers have to say about this event.
What Happened & Why
Afghan Warrior shares his point of view with us:
“Most Afghans complain about the aggressive driving of the US military convoys. Coalition military convoys often pass through the crowded areas at high speed and sometimes disregard traffic rules. We know such driving tactics are necessary to protect the convoys from attack but they should also remember that it's also dangerous for people and civilian cars. I hope our police should seek better ways to handle the protesters and instead of killing them with bullets they must use tear gas and other equipment to separate the protesters. This one accident will not affect anything bad in our relationship with the United States of America and our friendship will continue. The Afghan people need the presence and support of the United States in order to defeat the terrorists and make a peaceful and safer world.”
Gossip in the Air
Dialogue 3 says there is a lot of gossip in the air (Persian). According to the blogger, some say American driver was drunk. The blogger explains that these people do not know that Westerners don’t drink alcohol in morning. Other people say Tajik ethnic was involved in this event to impose their will to government. Finally some say most of this event was launched by thieves to take advantage of the chaos. The blogger thinks this final thought is a more rational one. He adds it shows Afghan people have not learned how to protest and everything leads to violence.
Hungry & Furious
Faraye Niko bad says people are right. Most are hungry, jobless and do not have bread on their table. The blogger adds that Americans do not have the right to crash into Afghan vehicles and shoot people who came to help them (Persian).

author: Fred Petrossian


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Armenia & Azerbaijan: Karabakh Deadlock · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Onnik Krikorian notes that the deadlock over Karabakh between Armenia and Azerbaijan continues and wonders how long the international community will continue tolerating the inability of the two sides to sign a peace deal.

author: Nathan Hamm


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Armenia, Azerbaijan: War Looming? · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Christian Garbis says that he fears war between Armenia and Azerbaijan will resume in the wake of the failure of the two parties to make progress on reaching a peace deal over Karabakh.


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Armenia: World Champs · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Notes from Hareinik congratulates Armenia's chess team for taking first place in the 37th Chess Olympiad in Turin.


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Aruba: Protesting inefficiently · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Aruba's unions and political parties have been protesting the government's economic plan, but “since this is Aruba, not even our protests can be done efficiently,” says ArubaGirl.


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Bangladesh: Have wife, pay tax · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

More comments on the tax imposed on more wives taken in Rajshahi at imperfect world 2006. “It was the women who had to fork out for the privilege of marrying. In one case, the woman, a 38 year old, parted with her entire life’s savings of 50,000 takas.”

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Barbados, China: Forgetting Tiananmen Square · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Barbados Free Press speculates on why the Barbadian press might have forgotten to mention that June 4 was the 17th anniversary of the Tianamen Square massacre. Could it have had anything to do with the fact that the Vice Foreign Minister of China “was on the island for a visit”?


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Barbados: Kamau Braithwaite wins poetry prize · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

On the occasion of Barbadian poet Edward Kamau Braithwaite's winning the Griffin Poetry Prize, Geoffrey Philp celebrates by “re-purposing” material from the Griffin Prize web site in a post on which the poet himself leaves the following comment: “My dear Master Blogger, Since yr fabulous b/day present to mwe in May, the spirits have been walking w/me and i guess by now you kno/have heard that i win the Griffin Prize in Tor a few nights agoa. Pl let de massif know. i give Tanks -Kamau”.


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Belarus: Memories of the Soviet Past · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LJ user aneta_spb, a St. Petersburg journalist, is posting vignettes with her memories of the Soviet years (RUS). Here's why:
As a result of heated discussions…
… on whether life in the USSR was good or bad…
I've decided to reminisce for myself. This will include memories about myself, my way of thinking and my perceptions – from that time.
In the USSR, I've spent my whole childhood, my whole youth and part of my maturity.
Additionally, I come from a family that has barely benefited from socialism – no free apartment (not even today), not even a motorcycle – and I'm not even talking about a car. I wasn't born in one of the capital cities – but 20 km from a regional center. My parents are from peasants, they are teachers. Didn't drink, didn't smoke. […]
aneta_spb spent her childhood in the westernmost corner of the Soviet Union, at the Polish-Soviet border in western Belarus. Below is some of what she remembers of religion, Soviet rituals – such as the Little Octobrist and the Young Pioneer Organizations – and of everyday life (RUS):
Easter was always beautiful, and it [contributed to my multiple personality]. Also, there were two Easters, and people celebrated both – the “Russian” [Orthodox] Easter and the “Polish” [Catholic] one. For the Willow [Palm] Sundays people carried willow branches decorated with paper flowers. The flowers were homemade, of goffered paper, and I really wanted to learn how to make them, and I did learn it.
When bread vanished from the stores, people began to bake it by themselves. And for Easter, they invited you to their homes and treated you to this bread and white buns with poppy seed. We didn't have that at home. Mama used to always yell at father: “They all know how to steal, and you don't!”
And I used to really like the Polish girls. Even for school holidays (in elementary school only; they weren't allowed to later), they weren't wearing the octobrist-pioneer uniform, “white top-black bottom” – but had those amazing colorful outfits on, embroidered with sparkles and beads, or simply embroidered… I learned later that when papa had just begun teaching at school and the children had been sworn in as pioneers – they came without their [red] ties the following day. “But you are the Soviet children!” – “We aren't Soviet children, we are Polish children.” But I don't remember any of it. Everyone wore ties and starlets.
Those starlets. For a long time, I thought that the octobrist star featured … [poet Aleksandr] Pushkin as a child. Because [Vladimir] Lenin was bold…
Accidentally, I learned that they meant Volodya Ulyanov [Lenin].
Stars were of two types: made of aluminum and painted over – and the cooler ones, made of transparent red plastic with a built-in tiny photo of a boy with curly hair. […]

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Bermuda: Web 0.9 · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

The Limey praises local paper the Bermuda Sun for publishing a story on last Friday's demonstration on its web site the same afternoon, prompting the Royal Gazette to retort that “its reporters and editors were busy getting Saturday's paper out.” But the Limey doesn't buy it: “in my opinion, the problem is that the RG (and the MON) do not place as much importance on their website as the Sun is starting to do. There have been other occasions when the Sun has broken a story on its website while the RG has been content to wait until the next day. Even after the RG's reporters and editors have produced a version of the paper, it's not unusual for it to fail to appear online. . . . Elsewhere in the world they’re talking about “Web 2.0”. Here in Bermuda, it sometimes seems like we're stuck in the pre-Web 1.0 era.”


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China: Duihua foundation · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Celia at China Activist Weekly attended a speech by Duihua Foundation founder John Kamm last week. Aside from summing up his message, Celia gives some background to the man, his work, and why it has been so effective:
“First of all, who is John Kamm? He is the former president of the American Chamber of Congress, an extremely successful businessman who had a revelation in 1990 at a banquet in Hong Kong while being toasted at a banquet by a top Beijing official. He interrupted the toast and asked China to release a specific prisoner of conscience. His action not only created quite a scene, it changed his own life (and that of the prisoner, who was released).”

author: John Kennedy


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China: Microsoft attacks piracy · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Has Microsoft started playing hardball in the fight against software piracy in China? China Herald correspondent-blogger Fons Tuinstra's post ‘Microsoft might kill millions of PCs‘ blogs some serious new developments:
“Panic is hitting Chinese users of Microsoft's Windows. I just received a message from people in China who claim that a change in Microsoft's updating policy might kill millions of PCs that are using illegal software. Unlike in the past, Microsoft is pushing you to their website for updates and recognizes whether you have a legitimate key to the system or not.”


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East Timor: Time to Return · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The blogger at Dili-gence cautions people thinking of returning to strife torn East Timor to think again. It really is a mixed bag. There is no one answer, but I would suggest that anyone thinking that they can just come to “help” to think again. Right now, one more spare prick at a wedding is not what is needed.

author: Preetam Rai


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Georgia: Batumi Boom · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Tourism in Batumi is flourishing, and as a result, refugees living there are being paid to move on, notes Hulegu's Campaign.


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Global Food Blog Report # 20 · Global Voices
Melissa De León

We keep a database of delicious food blogs from all over the world, and make sure to follow their creations and stories every week. Being the blogoholic I am, I spend endless hours searching and blog-hopping trying to find new and interesting blogs to feature. We love to learn about your country, your culture through your culinary traditions…, so if you know of a great food blog that we have not featured yet, please post a comment and we will visit it asap! You've got my girl scout's word :)
#1: Rani and Raja: Hot Tamales and they are Red Hot!
We made another batch of tamales. They are not a particular style of tamales. I used techniques and styles from the all over the tamal diaspora. My tamales are by no way traditional but they honor the ingredients and respect the methods of preparation that have been developed over the centuries in Latin American kitchens. I used maseca that I bought from my local tamal parlor. They make it right here in the Mission district of San Francisco. But I plan to make the masa from scratch some day with some tips from El Amor por la Cocina.  Check out her real deal Tamales Panameños with a great step by step recipe en español.   Also, get hip to the Food Diva, and check out her authentic Mexican tamales. READ THE COMPLETE POST HERE!
#2: Obachan's Kitchen: Konnyaku Day!
Jason of Pursuing my passions kindly invited me to join a blog event, “Konnyaku Day” which falls on May 29th. To celebrate this day and bring the lovely gray food into the spotlight, participants post about johnnycake dish on his/her own blog and send URL to Jason so that he can do a roundup. OK. Here’s my johnnycake post :)
If you are not familiar with konnyaku, wikipedia tells you what it is. It certainly is considered as a diet food today, but when I was a child, it was known for a different health benefit; it was said to prevent urethral calculus. I heard this from our elementary school teacher, and I’ve met several people who said, “Oh, yeah! I’ve heard of that, too!” And none of them knew why and how konnyaku could prevent that disease. I don’t, either. :P
BTW, I wonder how many of the participants decided to join this Konnyaku Day event because they really love this gelatinous food. To be honest, I have never been too crazy about konnyaku. Yes, there were a couple of times that I truly enjoyed delicate and tasty sashimi konnyaku from Kyoto or somewhere. But usually I don’t feel so happy when I find that gray stuff in simmered dishes. Nevertheless, I always include konnyaku in the ingredients when I make oden (Japanese hotchpotch) for a particular reason that I mentioned in my previous post.
Now, for this post, I chose something I have heard of but never tried making before. Get the DELICIOUS Recipe now!
#3: The Candied Quince: Baking Baklava
In my three decades on this planet, I’ve yet to meet a piece of baklava I didn’t like.
It matters not whether it is syrup-soaked or dry and flaky … pistachio-filled or brimming with walnuts … diamond-shaped, rectangular, round or square. If it’s baklava, I will eat it. And I will enjoy every sweet and nutty mouthful.
Here in Toronto, satisfying a craving for baklava is ridiculously easy.  A quick stop in Greektown or visit to any Middle Eastern food shop, and you’re walking away with a little pastry-filled paper bag and a great big smile. Even most grocery stores offer a passable version or two of this toothsome treat. As with most sweets, however, nothing beats homemade. Not only does making baklava at home mean you get to nibble on it while it’s warm and almost obscenely fresh, but you also get to luxuriate in the buttery, nutty, and spicy aroma while it slowly bakes in the oven. Need I add that—unless you’re one of those cute people who believes in sharing—making a pan of baklava means you get to eat a pan of baklava?? Continue reading this post!
#4: Jamie Oliver visits Mallorca and Joan Debit, from Tu Cocina (ES) gives us the scoop and a great photo!
#5:  Elvira, from Tasca da Elvira (FR) shares her favorite recipe to prepare the PERFECT PIZZA from scratch. It not only looks delicious, but so easy! The timing is just right, how about preparing it to watch your favorite team at the Football World Cup?
#6:   Verdant San Francisco explains everything about  Anazasi Beans. Have you ever tried them?  Find out how do they look, the history behind them and how to prepare this beautiful bean.
I've been going over my budget recently. With the money I'm putting into the comic book, I really need to start saving more money each month. The biggest preventable loss of money comes from eating out.
So I raided my pantry and pulled out the Anasazi beans I purchased several months ago. I've never had them before, and bought them solely because of the interesting, mottled look. Here's a quick history of the Anasazi Bean.
I kept everything pretty basic and just boiled the pound of dry Anasazi beans with the customary onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, and my personal additions of turmeric, cinnamon, and ginger powder…CONTINUE READING THIS POST!
#7: Pisto y No Pisto (ES) help us to learn about the German gastronomy, specially the "sausages." He states that he is not a "football lover" but to honor the World Cup he has prepared this interesting report.
#8: MsAbcMom has the perfect salad recipe for you: Tabouli Salad! It works wonders as a light dinner or as a ready-to-eat meal, waiting for you at the fridge for a quick lunch or snack. Yum!
#9:  Slashfood on "No homemade cakes allowed," which is the latest modality in some nursing homes of the UK:
It is a sad day, indeed, when venues like nursing homes start prohibiting homemade cakes on the grounds that it is more "responsible" to allow only store-bought cakes. Today, unfortunately, is that day.
A former nurse and award winning baker, Elaine Richards, was told that her homemade cakes were not permitted to be served to any residents of the Age Concern center in Barnstaple, UK. A director said that "they have many disabilities and some of them are diabetic and our policy is to keep them as well and safe as possible." Richards thought this was ridiculous, given that her cakes are made with natural ingredients and free-range eggs, without the artificial colors, flavors and other components of the store cakes.
#10: Ginger and Mango: Green Blog Project!
Indira’s beautiful pictures about methi seeds inspired me to start this Green Blog Project. I love cooking as well as gardening. And someone famous once said, “A good cook always is a good gardener” (hehehe. I made that up!). But won’t it be nice, if we can host something every summer and winter, with the vegetables we grow in our garden? Continue reading this post!
While you are at her blog you will notice that some parts are in Mayalam, therefore we are including the following info., just in case you need it!
Malayam Blogs: The Next Revolution in Malayam Literature! From a handful of writers a few years ago, Malayalam blog world has grown into a full-fledged literary universe promising to take over the traditional print media at least in the on-line arena. These smart literary enthusiasts effectively handle categories ranging from humor, satire, short stories, poetry, cooking and photography to science and environment. They review the contemporary literature. They support, correct and criticize each other to improve the quality of their output on a daily basis. Unlike the paid writers of the traditional media, the only motivation of this dedicated group is their creativity.
Have a wonderful week!

author: Melissa De León


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Global Voices, Caribbean Accents: report on Caribbean blogging roundtable · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

THE CARIBBEAN STUDIES ASSOCIATION (CSA), one of the major assemblies of scholars of the history, culture, and society of the Caribbean region, held its annual conference in Port of Spain, Trinidad, last week, with the theme “The Caribbean in the Age of Modernity: the Role of the Academy in Responding to the Challenges of the Region”. A few months ago, Global Voices Francophonia editor Alice Backer suggested to Caribbean editor Georgia Popplewell and myself (a sometime Global Voices author) that we organise a panel on Caribbean blogging and other participatory web media as part of the CSA programme. We duly submitted an “abstract” for a “roundtable” discussion called “Global Voices, Caribbean Accents”, with the idea that Alice would talk about online manifestations of “Haitianity”, Georgia would advocate for “a Caribbean multimedia Internet” which harnessed the potential of audio and video, and I would muse over the role of the Internet in defining “Caribbeanness”. In the event, another commitment prevented Alice from making it to Trinidad for the conference, and Trinidadian journalist, blogger, and activist Attillah Springer agreed, at very short notice, to take her place. (Alice did, however, write a blog post titled “Four reasons Caribbean scholars could benefit from blogging”, directly addressed to CSA conference attendees, thereby participating in the discussion despite her physical absence.) The roundtable took place at 11.30 on the morning of Wednesday 31 May, at the National Library in downtown Port of Spain.
Though most other events on the CSA programme were aimed at specialist audiences, we decided early on that our “roundtable” would be distinctly unacademic in format. After brief introductions by Dr. Bruce Paddington of the University of the West Indies, our nominal moderator (who came armed with newspaper and magazine clippings demonstrating the ascendancy of citizen media, including one from a Trinidad and Tobago daily on the Alaa detention), we opened by playing a podcast recorded the previous day, in which Georgia and I asked a series of CSA delegates a not-so-straightforward question: “What does ‘Caribbean’ mean to you?” You can listen to the resulting presentation here:
Next we examined, via a Google wildcard search, some of the stereotypes of “Caribbeanness” that flourish on the Web. (Thanks to the diligent IT technicians of the National Library, we had Georgia's PowerBook plugged into an overhead projector, and were able to show the audience live webpages on a big screen.) We contrasted these sun-sand-sea clichés with examples of the real issues and questions on the minds of a cross-section of Caribbean bloggers, including Geoffrey Philp, Francomenz, Francis Wade, Taran Rampersad, Elspeth Duncan, Matthew Hunte, Guyana Gyal, and Karen Walrond.
We quickly decided to deviate from the rough “script” we'd prepared, to allow the dialogue to range freely and encourage the small audience to interrupt with questions. The result was highly interactive, to say the least. The mostly non-Caribbean audience seemed aware that blogs existed but, with the exception of one university professor who herself was a blogger, they had little idea how to go about setting one up. The solution: create a blog right there and then, using Blogger. Named on a whim by an audience member, and still boasting the single post written to demonstrate the facility of the interface, Virtual Drumming was up and running in three or four minutes. Georgia spoke in some detail about Internet audio and the use of RSS feeds, and Attillah gave an impassioned presentation on the blog maintained by the Rights Action Group, which is at the forefront of the protest against the development of an aluminium smelter in south Trinidad.
We also discussed, among many other topics, access to the Internet in the Caribbean; the demographics of the Caribbean blogosphere; phenomena like Flickr, Technorati, the Wikipedia, and Google; the possibilities for citizen journalism in the region, and for using blogs as political tools; ways that Caribbean studies scholars can use blogs to share their research with audiences outside the academy; and the relevance of Caribbean blogs as objects of scholarly study. One audience member, a historian, excitedly compared blogs to sources of oral history as media for documenting diverse experiences and points of view. As we wrapped up, we looked at a blog post by Jamaican Geoffrey Philp, written as a virtual contribution to the roundtable, in which he argued that blogging “challenges the elitism that pervades the Caribbean and is a great experiment in the democratization of data”, and suggested that, by making national boundaries and geographical barriers irrelevant, blogging could serve as a means of fostering a sense of transnational Caribbean identity.
In the audience were academics from Trinidad, Jamaica, the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Netherlands, as well as Trinidadian bloggers Jonathan Ali and Tracy Assing of the Caribbean Beat blog. The roundtable was competing with six or seven other CSA events (including a no-doubt sold-out panel called “How to complete your PhD and get tenure”), and the venue was three blocks from the conference headquarters on a blisteringly hot day, which perhaps accounted for the small turnout, but several members of the audience expressed interest in setting up blogs of their own, and we were invited to stage a similar event  for staff and students at the Centre for Gender and Development Studies at the University of the West Indies. Most important, we had a lively, fun discussion with an eager and talkative audience, and at least a handful of Caribbean studies scholars left with a clearer idea of the potential value of blogging and other participatory web media to people in the Caribbean.

author: Nicholas Laughlin


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India: Eunuchs and mainstream · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Sachiniti on Eunuchs and the notion of integration. “The picture that comes to mind on hearing the term “Eunuch” is spontaneously one of a garishly dressed, overly madeup, loud gestured err.. person.”


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Iran: A Suspicious Site, Global Voices! · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Amshspand says he has discovered a suspicious site ( Global Voices) which is supported by a big university in the USA. Blogger writes this site is updated very fast and following important things in details (Persian). He adds these are reasons that this site is suspicious.


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Iran: Not Just For Sex! · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

In Sargashte, a lesbian Iranian, writes that many people think homosexuals only want to satisfy their sexual desires. Blogger adds  homosexuals & lesbians like heterosexuals are after a love relationship. She says recently in a magazine she found out about 10to 12 percent of a  population can be considered as  homosexuals. Blogger says I am not that alone in Iran (Persian).


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Japan: HIV situation worsening · Global Voices
John Kennedy

“Japan has an AIDS problem that is not getting the attention it deserves,” writes Japundit‘s JP, with a post looking at recent HIV infection statistics. “One expert says,” blogs JP, “that the number of people who actually have AIDS is four to five times the level being officially reported.”


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Kerala: The anti-people Communist Govt · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

A communist government can sometimes leave out common people in their race to please the trade union leaders. Dog's Own Country comments on how head-loaders in Kerala appear to be appeased by the government, even as they hold people to ransom by not doing the work, or not allowing others to do the work.


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Latin America: La Polla Mundial · Global Voices
David Sasaki

La Polla Mundial (ES) is a worldwide contest which will award a new MacBook to whoever predicts the outcomes of the most World Cup games on their blog. The contest also has it's own blog (ES).


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Malaysia: Professor Doctor · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Ktemok explains why some Malaysian professors use the longish title of Professor Doctor before their names.


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Mexico: Documentary on Atenco · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Salon Chingon has posted a 47 minute high resolution documentary titled “Atenco: Breaking the Siege” about the violence that erupted there in early May. The website explains that “While an English-language version has not yet been released (but will be posted here as well as soon as it becomes available), the images in this 47-minute documentary speak for themselves.”


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Mexico: Liveblogging the Presidential Debate · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Boz offered advice to both Calderon and Lopez Obrador before tonight's presidential debate. Among the livebloggers of the event: Alfredo Sanchez (ES), Rodrigo Aguiar (ES), Eduardo Arcos (ES), José Luis López, Chilanga Banda (ES), and “Enigma” (ES).


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Nepal: Koirala in India · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Some diplomatic visits covered at United We Blog! “After American Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, it was today the turn of Nepal’s Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to be received by the Indian Prime Minister at the New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport in the recent memory.”


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North Korea: Aid monies diverted · Global Voices
John Kennedy

In response to news that North Koreans are still starving to death, The Korea Liberator‘s Joshua looks in ‘Stolen from the Bellies of the Starving‘ at where the aid money might be going and rests his gaze on the North Korean navy.
“That's 18 submarines in 2 years. During those same years,” writes Joshua, “the world was called on to feed North Korea's people, one third of whom may have been dependent on international aid. Little of that aid was effectively monitored, and as much as 30% of it was diverted before it got to those who needed it.”


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North Korea: 150,000 political prisoners · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Are there over 150,000 political prisoners in North Korea? Are You NKay? blogger kyochan says so: “It's numbers like these that scare people away from helping. But I've emphasized many times, that is no excuse to be a bystander to tragedy. Understand that even if only one person is saved, it makes a huge difference to that person. Eventually, those numbers accumulate into something more encouraging. But that will never happen if one is overwhelmed by such figures.”


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On Peru’s Election · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Another week, another important election in Latin America. This time we turn towards Peru where former president (1985 – 1990), Alan García will lead his country once again after defeating controversial nationalist, Ollanta Humala. Both men are widely considered leftists, but in a region increasingly depicted as split between “pro-market socialism” and “nationalist populism,” Garcia's victory has been heralded as a boon to free-market supporters and a rejection of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’ regional, revolutionary aspirations.
But, apart from the international business community and political ideologues, what does Garcia's victory mean for Peruvians? How has his approach to governance changed since his leadership during the late 1980's, characterized by national bankruptcy and political ineptitude?
Jomra, like many, notes that while Garcia's second round vote tally nearly doubled that of the first round, it would be unwise to ignore the message underlined by Humala's popularity amongst Peru's poor.
Claro que Ollanta no es nada bueno, era una de las peores opciones en primera vuelta, aunque esta idea no la comparten unos 5 millones de peruanos, que han decidido confiar en el nacionalista Humala. El autoritarismo de Humala me asusta (insisto en esta idea, a mí las nacionalizaciones no me parecen, por sí mismas, negativas), es una persona que se cree el intérprete del espíritu nacional (esa es otra), y por ello, todo el que no esté de acuerdo con su idea de “nación” y de lo que la misma quiere es un enemigo de la misma. García, ya sea por sí o gracias al voto negativo, a conseguido (al 83.9% escrutado) superar el 50% de los votos emitidos y ha doblado y un poquito más su resultado en primera vuelta (donde no llegó a los 3 millones de votos).
Garcia, whether by his own effort or thanks to the negative votes against Humala, has attained more than 50% of the ballots cast and has more than doubled his first round results (where he didn't reach 3 million votes)
But Jomra goes on to remind readers that Garcia's party, APRA, has little presence in the congress and that they will have to form a limiting pact with either a leftist or rightist party to have any hope in pushing through legislative reform.
Spanish readers interested in play by play commentary from voting day would be well served to read the throughout-the-day coverage (ES) on Tinta Fantasma.
Flavio of Blog Title seems to speak for many of Peru's bloggers when he describes, in typical nihilistic irony, his moments in the voting booth:
Así voté yo. Abrí la cédula y ví, tristemente que sólo podía escoger entre dos opciones: O voto por Alan, o voto por la estrella del Apra. Por supuesto, como yo detesto a Alan, marqué la estrella del Apra, que me recuerda a la estrella que me ponían en la frente en el Nido. ¡Pan para el Pueblo! ¿Y quién es el pueblo? Los apristas, desde luego.
Mi madre marcó de otra manera. Vió el rostro de Alan y dijo: “Por este, ¡No!”. Acto seguido tachó agresivamente su rostro impreso.
Por otro lado, ¿Vieron la foto de Humala en la cédula? ¡Qué tal cara de loco perverso! En fin, ojalá esa foto le reste votos. Porque, y lo tengo que decir de una vez por todas, Ollanta está a otro nivel. Votar por Alan es pisar Caca (con C mayúscula), pero votar por Ollanta es bailar pogo sobre el tablero de control de una planta de energía nuclear.
My mother marked her ballot another way. She saw Alan's portrait and said, “For this guy, no!” Her next act: aggressively crossing out his printed face [thus voting for him]. Have you guys seen the photo of Humala on the other side of the ballot? What a face of a crazy pervert! All in all, hopefully that photo took away some votes. Because, and I have to say this once and for all, Ollanta is on a whole other level. Voting for Alan is stepping on Caca (with a capital C), but voting for Ollanta is like pogo-sticking on the control panel of a nuclear energy plant.
Rolly Valdivia adds his own analogy:
Para miles –quizás millones de peruanos- la segunda vuelta electoral entre García y el líder nacionalista Ollanta Humala Tasso, fue algo así como una elección entre el cáncer y el sida.
Ambos candidatos generaban desconfianza en amplios sectores de la población. García cargaba sobre sus hombres los desastrosos resultados de su primer gobierno (1985-1990); mientras que Humala, rápidamente se ganó la fama de antidemocrático, por su discurso incendiario y su “sospechosa” cercanía con el presidente venezolano Hugo Chávez Frías.
En conclusión había que elegir entre un pésimo ex presidente y un candidato con aparente perfil dictatorial; entonces, en muchos sectores se llegó a la conclusión de que un malo conocido pero con credenciales democráticas era mejor que un postulante de rasgos autoritarios (Humala es un ex comandante del ejército) y sin mayor pasado político.
Both candidates inspired distrust in large sectors of the population. Garcia carried the disastrous results of his first governance (1985 – 1990); while Humala rapidly gained anti-democratic fame for his incendiary discourse and suspicious closeness to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
At the end, the choice was between the lousy ex-president and a candidate with an apparently dictatorial profile. And so, in many sectors, they came to the conclusion that a bad acquaintance (but with democratic credentials) was better than an unknown applicant with authoritarian characteristics (Humala is an ex-commander of the army) and without any greater political experience.
More information on the Peruvian elections in English can be found here and by following commentary on Journal Peru and Peru Election 2006.


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Philippines: Learning from Chilean Student Protests · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Blogging Bugs reads an Global Voices post about Chilean students coordinating their protests using social web tools and asks students in Philippines who are facing similar problems  to follow the Chilean example.


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Philippines: Sex in Advertising · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The blogger at Touched by an Angel finds a local telecom company's billboard not only irrelevant for the product it is supposed to promote but also distasteful. She wonders why the authorities allow such advertising.


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Russia: Golden Ring Hotel and Sergiev Posad · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Nancy Case of Case In Point writes of her escape from the “gilded cage” (Moscow's Golden Ring Hotel) – and into a 14th-century monastery (Sergiev Posad).


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Serbia & Montenegro: Beer “Jelen” Wins Silver Medal · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Viktor of Belgrade Blog writes that Serbian “Jelen” beer almost won in the German “Stern” magazine's blind test – it came in second: “[…] officially our last good score at a competition as Serbien und Montenegro :) […]”


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Singapore: Next Step for Citizen Journalism · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Cherian George in his  Singapore: New Media, Politics & the Law blog attempts to answer the question “What is next for Citizen Journalism” in Singapore.


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Sri Lanka: History and hatered · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Determing future, and what forgetting means in a war and conflict situation at The Blind Critic. “Well.. it's upto us to forget this war.. to move on.. To not even look at the younger generations of ours and tell them of this sick hate our ancestors brought upon this lovely country. “


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This week in Israel: what goin’ on? · Global Voices
Lisa N. Goldman

Well, it seems that not a lot of note is going on in Israel these days. That, at least, appears to be the tacit consensus of the Israeli blogosphere. In the absence of major events like elections, suicide bombings and important holidays, local bloggers are turning to more prosaic issues. There are many interesting posts to mention, but no one clear issue upon which various bloggers offer differing opinions.
Before launching into my roundup, I'd like to introduce – ta da! – the first site to aggregate Israeli blogs in both English and Hebrew. Click here to view. At the top you will find a tab that links to blogs in Hebrew, as well as a tab called “Our Neighbours,” which links to Toot, the site that aggregates Arab blogs in Arabic and English. The Israeli aggregate site was created by Hanan Cohen, an Israeli blogger and Internet columnist.
Roundup:
The only issue that elicited a comment from more than one blogger is the recent vote of NAFTHE, the British University & College Lecturer's Union, to boycott and blacklist Israeli universities and academics. More recently, the Ontario branch of CUPE, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, also voted to boycott Israel.
In response to the CUPE vote,Yonatan, a leftist Israeli academic, posts a list of technologies and medicines that were developed in Israel, ranging from VOIP and Instant Messaging to anti-cancer drugs, and comments:
As you see – and as the blinkered ‘idealists’ of the so-called Left in many western countries fail to notice – Israel did contribute a little more to humanity than only that damned occupation. For some reason I believe that the Jewish state has contributed and continues to contribute much, much more to mankind than all those regimes that will never have to fear a boycott by CUPE, NATFHE, and other organizations and individuals who claim to care for the wellbeing of the Palestinian people.
Yael, who teaches at an Israeli university, writes that she is “utterly disgusted” by the NAFTHE vote – but adds that her “…mantra today is ‘I will not rant, I will not rave.'” Instead, she posts the link to Engage, a site maintained by a variety of liberal British academics, journalists and bloggers who oppose the boycott.
In her post about the NAFTHE vote, titled “ Here they go again…“, Allison asks, “Don't British academics have anything better to do? Like maybe teach or conduct research…”
Potpourri of individual posts
Several Israeli bloggers joined the online campaign to free Alaa, the Egyptian blogger who has been detained for one month. A list of local bloggers who mention Alaa's detention is at the bottom of this post.
The Purple Parrot, a leftist blogger who works for a Palestinian NGO in East Jerusalem, accepts West Bank Mama‘s invitation to document the process of moving from her native England to Israel. In fact, this fascinating post, entitled “Why, indeed, am I here?“, documents what the Parrot describes as her transition from “young, idealistic firebrand Land-Of-Israel warrior to world-weary, cynical Human Rights activist.”
Treppenwitz writes about a Palestinian child from Hebron  in the West Bank, or Palestine, who is undergoing treatment for leukemia at Schneider Children's Medical Center in Israel.  The hospital and the Peres Center for Peace absorbed the cost of the bone marrow transplant, which is not available in the West Bank; part of the cost was supposed to be paid by the Palestinian Authority, writes Treppenwitz, but the Minister of Health, who is a member of Hamas, declined to pay because “…it would be seen as cooperating with the Zionist enemy.” Treppenwitz wonders why this story is not regarded as newsworthy by the Israeli and international press, and how it can be that politics is regarded as more important than saving a little girl's life.
Sharvul is an interesting blogger whom I've neglected to mention in previous posts. He is an Israeli businessman who is religiously observant, rather intellectual and politically leftist. Recently, he returned with his family to Israel after several years in Japan.   His time abroad has caused him to see Israel differently, as he describes in this post about a recent business trip to Basel, Switzerland – the place where Theodore Herzl conceived modern Zionism at the First World Zionist Congress in 1897.
I put my elbows on the stone wall, leaned forward, looked thoughtfully at the other bank and tried to concentrate hard, to capture that unique “Zionist moment”. Conclusion: I have no clue what made Theodor yearn for the dusty landscape of Palestine while watching the beautiful Rhine river flowing vigorously a few feet below. He must have been smoking something. Or perhaps I should have waited longer, enough time to grow a beard.
Additional noteworthy posts from Sharvul include this one, about his abhorrence of “the total lack of basic manners…” he sees in Israel; and this one, a review of Man in the Shadows, the recently published memoirs of ex-Mossad chief Efraim Halevy.
David Brinn, who contributes to the group blog Israelity, links in this post to an article from Haaretz that explains why Israel is the best place to live on earth.
Karen Alkalay-Gut writes (scroll down to June 4 entry) that she has recently found “a hidden truth” in the most recent column written by Sayed Kashua, the bestselling Israeli-Arab author of Dancing Arabs, for Haaretz.
John blogs about a recently handed down court decision that obligates the Jerusalem municipality to fund the annual Gay Pride Parade. The mayor of Jerusalem, Uri Lupolianski, is ultra-Orthodox; last year, the Jerusalem Pride Parade was marred when a bystander stabbed and seriously wounded a participant.
Recently a Lebanese businessmen, whose nom de blog is The Perpetual Refugee, has been writing a series of long posts about his visits to Israel over the past few months.  I also blogged about meeting him in Tel Aviv, here. His extraordinary ongoing series (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) has elicited a great deal of attention from Israeli bloggers, who have been responding in the comments and putting him on their blogroll. Several other Lebanese bloggers have been linking to and writing about Israeli bloggers; their links are in this post from my blog. This dialogue between so-called enemies has been attracting attention from mainstream Western media; I may have further news on that subject in the near future, so stay tuned.

author: Lisa N. Goldman


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Trinidad & Tobago: Football – a matter of life and death? · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

At the Trinidad and Tobago World Cup Blog Stacy-Marie Ishmael riffs off the musings of commentators ranging from a Muslim blogger to Kofi Annan, in an eloquent and free-flowing meditation on the meaning and uses of football.


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Ukraine: “Dozens” Protest NATO in Crimea · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Scott W. Clark of Foreign Notes writes about last week's coverage of “dozens” of anti-NATO protesters in Crimea.


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Ukraine: Kyiv’s Mayor Gives Up His Paycheck · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Scott W. Clark of Foreign Notes writes about Kyiv's new controversial mayor and his populist move to give up “his mayor’s paycheck for it to be used to buy apartments for Kiev citizens who don’t have them”: “That’s a nice gesture though it will probably not amount to much given the rise in apartment prices here in the past couple of years. I don’t think the mayor gets paid all that much relatively speaking so it will be a drop in the bucket.”


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Ukraine: Russia’s Claims to Crimea · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LEvko of Foreign Notes looks into the situation with Russia's claims to Crimea.


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Uzbekistan: NGO Closures · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

neweurasia reports on the recent large number of closures of NGOs in Uzbekistan.


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Africa: Technology & Renewable Energy · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

The African Uptimist is another new blog on the Africa scene.   This one focuses on technology and renewable energy in Africa.

author: Sokari Ekine


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Argentina: Music: Los Alamos · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Los Alamos is quite the international band: based in Buenos Aires, with a lead singer from the U.S. and an album soon to be produced in Brazil. Fernando Casale has posted two sample tracks.


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Armenia: No-Smoking Day · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Ani reports on the two celebrations of World No-Smoking Day in Armenia this year and discusses smoking in the country.


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Armenia: Record Industry · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Raffi, whose work has been victim to piracy, writes about Armenia's record industry.


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Bahamas: Comparing immigration policies · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Larry Smith compares the immigration policies of the US and the Bahamas: “Although the Bush Administration can be blamed for many things, the immigration plan it rolled out two and a half years ago was a far-reaching reform that should become a model for our own efforts to deal with illegal Haitian immigration.”


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Bahrain: First Bahraini Woman Judge Appointed · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Good news from Bahrain. Mahmood writes: “Bahrain appointed a woman judge yesterday for the first time in its history, becoming the first among the Gulf States.”

author: Haitham Sabbah


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Bermuda: Cruise ship runs aground · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Both Sean and The Limey  post photos sent in by readers of a cruise ship that ran aground off the coast of Bermuda. Christian Dunleavy suggests jokingly that the ship was piloted by Lt. Col. David Burch, and run aground in a effort to distract the public from a news story about Burch's being slammed by the Broadcasting Commission for an allegedly racist comment he made on radio.


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Bolivia: “A US Official’s Advice to Bolivian Graduates” · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Jim Shultz relates the advice of a US embassy official to Bolivian high school graduates.


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Botswana: Podcast · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Blogswana publishes its first podcast “The Blogs  Must Be Crazy” which gives a background to the project on blogging for AIDS in Botswana


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Brazil: Landless Workers’ Movement · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Luís Afonso Assumpção and Justin Delacour have two very different views of Brazil's Landless Workers’ Movement.


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Bring the world of Bangla Blogs to GV · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Bangla or the Bengali language is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world today. It is the official language in Bangladesh and one of the official languages in India, where it is the second most commonly spoken language after Hindi. In India, Bangla is mainly spoken across the states of West Bengal and Tripura.
Bangla has various dialects, depending on the region where it is spoken. For example, the Bangla spoken/written in Dhaka, Bangladesh would be slightly different from the way it is spoken/written across in Kolkata, India. Nevertheless this does not prevent from people from understanding each other and there has always been creative exchange across the Bengal borders. Further details about the language and its various dialects can be found here.
Bengali bloggers from across the globe have been trying for quite some time to run blogs in their mother tongue. Initially however, they were stonewalled by the difficulties of reading and writing the Bangla script online. Not to be discouraged, some bloggers began writing by typing Bangla words in the English script, as can be seen in this case.
Needless to say, Bangla blogs have come a long way since then. Today, it is possible to write in Bangla script, using the regular English keyboard. With many of the current browsers supporting Unicode, the easy availability of Bangla software and fonts, more people (Indians and Bangladeshis) are beginning to blog regularly in Bangla. Here is an example of the switchover (where the same post has been typed both in the English and Bangla script for easy reading). Soon however, the need to write in English font lessened as writing in Bangla became easier and more widely prevalent. Further details on how to read and write Bangla scripts are available here.
The real push for Bangla blogging however, came from Bangladesh on December 16, 2005 when somewhere in…, a Norwegian software company based in Dhaka, launched a new blogging platform in Bangla at somewhereinblog.net. In a way this marked the true birth of the Bangla blogosphere as it helped create a vibrant, interactive community, where people could reach out and share their thoughts and feelings on varied topics and issues. Since its launch, the site has been inundated with posts, hits and its family of Bangla bloggers continues to grow every day. Despite the grouse that the site is not Unicode compliant, the popularity of the site can be gauged from the fact that it sees about 12,000 page hits per day and is likely to reach over 2 million hits within 6 months of release.
Currently, blogging platforms like Blogger and WordPress also allow for blogging in Bangla and therefore, soon we are likely to see much more activity in the Bangla blogosphere.
From now on, we will be bringing snapshots from the Bangla blog world to you at Global Voices Online, covering both Indian and Bangladeshi blogs. While the posts here will be English, the links however will point to blogs written in the Bangla font. To be able to read the blogs, a Unicode enabled browser along with compatible Bangla fonts will be required.
Buzz from the Bangla blog world
Let me begin with some exciting ICT related news from Bangladesh, Shohag Bhuiyan tells us how eagerly the people had been waiting to be linked to the global information superhighway via the submarine cable technology, launched in the country on May 21, 2006.
In India, the proposed reservation bill is currently a sizzling topic. The heat can be felt all the way from West Bengal – where The Hidden God  raises some questions pertaining to the reservation debate, to as far as UK where Arijit does the same.
The other topic buzzing around the globe (no, I don’t mean the DaVinci Code) is of course the Football World Cup. Everyone is waiting for the tournament to begin, with bated breath. T-shirts and other accessories, bearing team names are doing brisk business. According to an opinion poll conducted on Trivuz’s blog, Brazil and Argentina seem to be the hot favourites. Who are you rooting for?
Nowadays blogger meets are quite common. Most of these get-togethers are fun-filled events, the objective being to get to know the people behind the blogs and also discuss various issues. On 5th June, Dhaka saw a blogger meet with a difference – when Praapti, a child, less than 3years of age inspired a group of bloggers to visit her at her residence for a humanitarian cause.

author: Aparna Ray


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Brunei: Learning English · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Our Local Style in Brunei is not in favour of lowering the standard of English language in Brunei's schools.


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Caribbean: Reason and decentering · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

After observing the behaviour of some university professors at two recent conferences in the Caribbean, Professor Zero wonders, among other things, whether academics who consider reason “oppressive” might be guilty of bad faith.


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China: Arrest of suspect’s children · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Michael D. Manning at The Opposite End of China blogs on a development in the case of Rebiya Kadeer, an Uyghur businesswoman accused by Chinese authorities of supporting the separatist movement in western China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region.
“Three of Kadeer's children still living in Xinjiang have been arrested,” blogs Manning, “reportedly for owing more than 29 million RMB in unpaid taxes. Kadeer's son, Alim, appears to have suffered injuries while being taken into custody due to his ‘rude and unreasonable attitude.'”


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China: Chinese MySpace rumored · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Tangos at China Web2.0 Review validates fears of web users in mainland China that Google and its e-mail service Gmail are next up on the Great Firewall of China block, but blogs good news as well with word of a rumored Chinese version of MySpace, Kongjian, soon to be released from mainland search engine Baidu.


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China: NotBuyHouse leader legitimate? · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Is leader of China's ‘NotBuyHouse’ movement Zou Tao a fraud, as translations of several Chinese blog postings from EastSouthWestNorth‘s Roland Soong seem to suggest? Or is he, as seen in a well-researched post from Virtual China‘s Lyn Jeffrey, a ‘longtime political activist’ with a long history of working as ‘a social activist and volunteer working on the social problems of the weak and poor'?
According to one story Lyn quotes from interest group-linked news site Epoch Times, Zou was detained recently on a trip to Beijing to deliver a letter to top Party leaders.


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China: Tiananmen accounting urged · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Two interesting posts from Richard at The Peking Duck: first on an apology from Google co-founder Sergey Brin for decisions the proliferating company has made in regards to its operations in China and reconsideration thereof.
Writes Richard: “Interesting to see that they are debating “reversing course” – I'd like to hear more about that. Maybe it has to do with the fact that for all the compromises, google.com and gmail are still often blocked in most parts of China. (Check the comments to this post for verification.)“
Followed by a take on Chinese authorities’ indignant response to the American State Department's call for a full accounting of the deaths taken during student, worker and Beijing locals’ protests in the Chinese capitol in early summer 1989:
“I do think China owes its people a complete and open investigation into what happened on June 4 and the following days…China may feel the story is “closed,” but history doesn't work that way. WWII ended 61 years ago and we're still examining it with a flood of new books each year, just as we still examine the fall of the Caesars.”


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Costa Rica: Unions Protest · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Bob Glass writes that unions in Costa Rica will take to the streets today, one day earlier than planned.


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El Salvador: Two years of Tony Saca · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Tim Muth takes a look back at the first two years of Tony Saca's presidency.


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Ethiopia: Raising the Wrong Flag · Global Voices
Rachel Rawlins

Wonkette of Weichegud! ET Politics posts a roundup of reaction to the ongoing treason trial in Ethiopia. More than 70 people are charged with crimes which carry the death penalty. As the post points out they are considered to be prisoners of conscience by human rights group Amnesty International; in one case the evidence brought against a defendent included the accusation of treason for decorating a hall with the wrong flag.

author: Rachel Rawlins


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Guatemala: Soldiers Attacking Street Children · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Patrick from the Guatemala Solidarity Network shares news from Casa Alianza that soldiers are attacking and insulting street children.


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HIV – Death by Diplomacy · Global Voices
Rachel Rawlins

Leading African HIV activists and other campaigners from around the world are anxious that previous gains made at the international level five years ago. Olivia Phiri, Zambian blogger at Real Life of a Journalist reports on appeals made to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Activists are concerned that the outcome of current three-day UN meeting on HIV and AIDS in New York might not only be a step backwards but also be actively harmful to those with the disease.


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Honduras: HIV in Honduras and Latin America · Global Voices
David Sasaki

At 25 years of HIV, Honduras Daily News examines the pandemic in Honduras and Latin America.


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Hong Kong: Bus Uncle attacked · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Bus Uncle, whose rise to infamy was aided largely by the translations of EastSouthWestNorth blogger Roland Soong is, as seen in Soong's most recent post on the subject, starting to see his fortunes turn.
Soong translates: “Bus Uncle was assaulted in Mongkok when four people charged into the restaurant where he works, pointed to him and said: ‘That's him!’ and then proceeded to beat him up…If at first the restaurant owner thought that he was getting a bargain by paying Bus Uncle HK$9,000 a month to generate additional traffic, it is now a negative asset because nobody wants to be involved in any risky situations.”


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Hong Kong: Tiananmen killings bloggage · Global Voices
John Kennedy

A link to Youtube video from Sunday's candlelight vigil in Hong Kong's Victoria Park on Sunday at Nathan's n8ma blog here. The vigil commemorated the killing of peacefully-protesting students, workers and citizens of Beijing seventeen years ago; link to a newscast from the time here.
Wrapping up the related bloggage is a post looking at the controversy this week over news that Hong Kong Chief Executive Officer Donald Tsang appears to have attended a pro-democracy rally following the killings. Further translations from EastSouthWestNorth blogger Roland Soong [#021].


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Hong Kong: Tiananmen vigil · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Photos from Sunday's candlelight vigil in Hong Kong's Victoria Park can be found here at Hong Kong Digital Vision blog. Sunday marks the seventeenth anniversary of the day China's People's Liberation Army opened fire on tens of thousands of peacefully-protesting students, workers and locals in the Chinese capitol.


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India: Living with HIV · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Lives in Focus profiles Shabana and podcasts an interview with her. “Shabana, 20, realized she was HIV+ after her husband’s health began rapidly deteriorating. A Muslim woman, she now serves as a counselor trying to educate those in her community about the dangers of HIV/AIDS and how it spreads. “


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India: Nepotism, Governance and the Congress · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Rana on Rahul Gandhi's visit to Singapore, the nepotistic politics in the Congress and why Singapore's governance may not be relevant to India. “That is the tragedy of India. A country with more than one billion people, it is ruled by a party which is bound together only by allegiance to one family.”


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Indonesia: Playboy Indonesia · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Paras Indonesia blog is asking the legislators upset over the Indonesian edition of  Playboy magazine why they are not troubled by pirated pornographic DVDs and child trafficking . “The legislators who whine about Playboy have never bothered making an official visit to Glodok, West Jakarta, to observe the city’s main pirate DVD market, where hardcore pornographic films are widely available, including to minors, for a mere Rp5,000 per title. The piracy and sale of pornographic films is tolerated due to police corruption. A bigger problem in Indonesia is trafficking in children, which is also often tolerated by crooked officials.”


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Iran: A Photo about Addiction & Madness · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

In Seeking Life photoblog, we can see an interesting photo about a deranged addicted man in the street. The blogger says this poor man, hooked on drugs, is sitting on a pathway near Vali Asr (Pahlavi) street of Tehran. He is in deep delusion and talking to someone loudly but no one is there.


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Iran: Smuggled Goods · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Nobetema talks about how smuggled goods & products have created difficult situation for national industry. Blogger says  goods are smuggled in country without any taxes are paid. Then their price is cheaper than national made goods or products and national producers have no chance to compete. Blogger adds because of smuggled goods,  one million people become jobless in country each year (Persian). According to blogger smuggled goods worth is more than 6 billion dollars per year.


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Iran: Speechless Rafsanjani · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Mohammad Ali Abtahi, reformist politician & blogger, reports that Mr. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s speech was interrupted by some people who protested against him in religious city, Qom. Blogger adds this event is important because Rafsanjani always is supported by Grand Ayatollahs . Blogger says he was informed about the religious teacher of the protestors (Persian).


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Japan: Literary reader published · Global Voices
John Kennedy

FG blogger Mulboyne takes a look at the recently-published book ‘Japan: A Traveler's Literary Companion‘ and the stories in it which, the blogger writes, “like the country and the people, are beautiful and compelling.”


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Kyrgyzstan: EKOIS · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

CXW says that blogging is increasingly popular in Kyrgyzstan and profiles the blog of the EKOIS project which provides loads of information on environmental issues in Kyrgyzstan.


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Latin America: Aggregating Aggregators · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Blogs de Bolivia points us [ES] to Blogosfera Hispana, an aggregator of Latin American aggregators.


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Latin America: Blogeratura · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Liz Henry introduces Blogeratura, “a Spanish-language blog site for ‘independent literature.'”


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Libya: Dial 911 · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

How many Libyans know the Emergency numbers , I am sure they know the American 911 as they hear it all the time on TV , but I am not sure if they know the Emergency Numbers here in Libya , I know some people might say it's useless , well it's kind of true. Hamed tells us why!


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Mexico: Who Won Last Night’s Presidential Debate? · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Eduardo Arcos asks his readers “who won last night's presidential debate? So far there's some consensus that Lopez Obrador performed best. Isopixel says that site traffic on Chilanga Banda, which was liveblogging the debate almost doubled during those two hours. In English, Alvaro Ruiz-Navajas and Boz both offer their analysis.


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Mongolia: Whaling Support · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Luke Distelhorst reports that Mongolia, a country without a single inch of ocean coastline, has come out as a supporter of whaling. Like many other countries with a newfound support for whaling, Mongolia receives aid from Japan.


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Nepal: Army and People · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

United We Blog! covers the aspect of bringing Nepal Army under civilian control from an American perspective – “Mike Bailey, a retired US army colonel addresses a video conference from Washington DC organized by the American Center in Kathmandu.”


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Palestine: Mega Terrorism · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Nadeem asks: Why would Hamas go to all the trouble to halt suicide-attacks, form a political party, take part in the democratic process, form a government, and state that they are willing to hold talks with their occupier – if what they really want to do is bomb Israel with weapons of mass destruction?


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Romania: Homophobia and Gay Rights · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Cristian of Owlspotting posts a candid reflection on homophobia and gay rights in Romania: “If “Will and Grace” was a Romanian sit-com, Will would either be spending a lot of time in the emergency room, or he would be experimenting with innovative forms of denial.”


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Russia: “Asylums for Dissidence” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Sean Guillory discusses an LA Times article by Kim Murphy, which claims that “the Soviet practice of condemning the political dissident to mental asylums continues in the cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg as well as in periphery of the Federation. Those seeking to pose an electoral challenge to local notables, speak out about corruption, women who want to divorce their powerful husbands, and those who complain about acts of labor, civil, and personal injustice are either condemned by local judges or are forced to sign consent forms to be institutionalized.”


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Russia: Copyright Violations · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Yuri Mamchur of Russia Blog writes about the most recent case of copyright violations in Russia.


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Russia: Human Rights Lawyer Attacked · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Muckraked! writes about a recent attack on a St. Petersburg human rights activist: Ivan Pavlov, director of the Institute for Information Freedom Development, an organization that “takes secretive government agencies and state-run enterprises to court in order to force them to publicly release information about their practices.”


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Russia: “Manhandled. Insulted. Bitter. Disgusted.” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Jane Keeler of From Russia With Blog writes about getting assaulted by a drunk man in Vladimir; Brigid of Laughter in the Dark recounts her experience of being harrassed by a group of drunk men in Volgograd – and follows up with three more posts of her open correspondence on the disrespect for women's rights in Russia with Andrei, a Russian male reader.


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Saudi Arabia: Eve’s blog blocked · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Saudi ISP have blocked SaudiEve's blog, and it is said that other blogs will follow.
At this point, it is unclear why exactly SaudiEve has been targeted, as she is neither the most outspoken nor the most political of the Saudi bloggers, as she mostly blogs about personal issues and not Saudi Arabia, and has never written about the Saudi government. Some bloggers surmise that her inclusion of a Christian and a Jewish travel prayer (together with a Muslim one) in her last post before a long journey was used as the excuse to request her blog being banned in Saudi Arabia, raf* said.
Many bloggers have voiced their concern and have called for activism.
You can also help by filling this unblock request form.


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Singapore: Mean Football Club · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

James blogs about a local football club that treats its players, all of them foreigners,  badly by paying them an unbelievably low allowance. The president of the team had argued that he is providing an opportunity to the players. The bloggers counters the president's statement  “Doesn't he even have a human heart? By misleading the players into coming here and giving them such a low allowance (it's not even worth calling a salary!), is he really thinking of his players’ welfare, or just about his company?


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Somalia: Change of power in Mogadishu · Global Voices
Rachel Rawlins

It seems Islamist forces have ousted US-backed warlords from the centre of the Somali capital Mogadishu according to Fontaine at Yebo Googo, but warns that although the fighting is over the balance of power is fragile and the future of the country uncertain.


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Sri Lanka: Tsunami Refugee Camp · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Shimmi has a compelling photograph of girls in a Tsunami refugee camp.


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Tajikistan: EC Aid Wrapup · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

James summarizes a Russian language post on the final humanitarian aid project of the European Comission in Tajikistan.


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Trindad & Tobago: Looking homeward · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

London-based Trinidadian blogger Seldo grapples with the idea of returning to Trinidad. In his lengthy and eloquent post he asks hard questions of himself and his homeland and contemplates the role a white, privileged, gay Caribbean man can play in shaping his country's destiny.


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Uganda: New Blogs · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

A whole new set of blogs out of Uganda published under the “Life in Africa”  – The African blogosphere is bursting at the seams right now.  Countries like Uganda previously silent are now joining the Kenyans, Ethiopians, Nigerians and South Africans.


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West Indies: Mockery not cricket · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

A West Indian sports commentator's mimicry of an Indian cricket fan's commentary in Hindi is “not cricket”, says Barbadian blogger Titilayo.


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Afghanistan, Central Asia: Musical Change · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Registan.net writes about pressures on Turkmen musical traditions in Afghanistan and the influence of Western pop and hip-hop on music throughout Central Asia.


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Argentina: Blog Conference · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Leandro Zanoni is finally going to university. Well, at least for a day to take part in the Blog Conference at the University of Palermo on June 29th where he will be joined with Luis Majul, Darío Gallo, Gastón Roitberg, Mariano Amartino, Alejandro Rotizchner, Julio Lagos, Julián Gallo, Laura Ubfal, Pablo Actlas, Pablo Mancini, Gastón Terrones, Dolores Pujol, Irene Fernández, Jorge Gobbi and Alejandro Piscitelli. Talk about an all-star cast.


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Cambodia: Phnom Penh Street Images · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Mythicaldude has posted more pictures of people from his street in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.


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China: Crosstalk cab · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Crosstalk certainly doesn't appear to be dead, as seen in part of a script written down and blogged by Will at Imagethief.


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China: DaVinci film pulled · Global Voices
John Kennedy

The Chinese government only lets twenty foreign movies make theaters each year, but now it seems those are being blocked too. “Interesting, writes the Black China Hand blogger. “Might it be that the Chinese High Command is linked to the Opus Dei and their plan to eliminate the Priory of Sion?”


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China: Google not blocked · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Reporters Without Borders declared Google and Gmail blocked in China earlier this week. AsiaPundit‘s myrick suggests that might not be entirely the case:
“There are problems with Google's service,” myrick writes, “but these are being massively overstated by RSF. Google and G-Mail services are still working fine here at AsiaPundit Global Headquarters in Shanghai. There were intermittent outages last week, but there was nothing of the sort that indicated a firewall-level block. Beijing residents had a more prolonged outage, although AP understands that this has largely been resolved.”


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China: Internet lingo · Global Voices
John Kennedy

A post from the Journal of Intercultural Learning blog looks at ‘Chinese Internet Lingo‘:
“Controversies around these cultural phenomenon are naturally raised as to what extent it can be tolerated to ‘challenge’ this language characterized by using only characters, and the debate has been focused on the question of the purity of the Chinese language. While a ban was proposed for use of internet lingos in government documents, and books are published talking about the Crisis of Chinese Language, Others regard it as something that ‘embodys the netizens’ intelligence and creativity.'”


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China: Journalist sues Shanghai · Global Voices
John Kennedy

A Shanghai journalist sues the municipal government for denying him an interview, a move which stands to set a foundation for freedom of information law in China.
“It is the first time a reporter challenges the government in court,” writes China Herald blogger Fons Tuinstra, “and other media are speculating that this might be the beginning of a radical change in China's media.”


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China: New news anchors for a new decade · Global Voices
John Kennedy

As with many mainstays of Chinese Communist Party infrastructure, the surreally socialist China Central Television (CCTV) faces an increasingly uphill battle against non-Party competitors. Viewers are increasingly drawn to privately-run television stations which dare to air many stories authorities would rather see ignored.
Factor in the growing numbers of—urban, educated—Chinese who choose the news offered by large portal sites such as Sina or Sohu and it's no wonder so many CCTV news presenters often have stone-cold faces. Or maybe announcing the same ideologically correct stories for two or three decades will do that to a person.
In a move welcomed across the country, two smiling new anchorpersons took their seats earlier this week in announcing CCTV's primetime nightly national news broadcast.
Here's what Bokee blogger KangKang had to say:
谁该做央视新闻联播主播？
昨天在一个饭局上，刚好央视播音员胥午梅在座。她透露说央视新闻联播换了新播音员了。男的是康辉，女的是李梓萌。哈哈，这两个还真是选出的好苗子。
实际上，可以上新闻联播的女播音员，除了李梓萌外，还有杨晨和胥午梅，她们两个实际上都是播音语速比较快，音质比较中性的。不失为播音员的好选择。
但央视太过保守，新闻联播播音员恨不得10年也不换，把几个播音员累得够呛，还把观众给累得审美疲劳了。
比如杨晨，我就喜欢。大眼睛，刚上新闻播音的时候，似乎很紧张。但这几年下来，跟康辉一起成长，很是不错。李梓萌，也是我常在中午看电视所致，他的节目看了很多。国际时讯，文化播报的内容也很好看，觉得很熟悉，虽然她经常眨巴着眼睛，晃动着脑袋，至少上新闻联播代替老面孔是足够了。
胥午梅，也没问题。96-97年将近有一年时间，只能中午看电视，最习惯的是胥午梅和郎永纯的声音了。每天中午的新闻30分，这两位播音员的变化也是有目共睹的。胥午梅以前留个刘海头，现在变得短而蓬松的发型，10年变化真大。郎永纯更是，一副大眼镜，声音很特别。都可上新闻联播。
我觉得新闻联播播音员，最主要的不是业务水平，而是看起来更像播音员才对。上面说到的这几位，是真正的播音员的料子。他们不播音，似乎还真找不到适合他们的角色。虽然胥午梅自称唱京剧不错。哈哈。
While the oft-read KangKang's post didn't garner many comments, much more a conversation could be seen at controversial Sina blogger He Weifang's (贺卫方) post on the same subject:
一对新主持人总算出来
昨天，央视新闻联播终于换了两位新鲜的主持人，我在网上看到很多的反响。尽管有关部门说这跟两会期间由政协委员提出让某些年纪太大、“在位”时间太久的主持人下课无关，但是许多人还是希望像邢质斌那样的几十年如一日的老面孔早些退出。不过，我今天特意留意了一下新闻联播的开头，居然邢老太太又披挂上阵了。虽然表情有些不自然，但是还是让人感到一种“烈士暮年，壮心不已”的豪情，以及老娘就是不下课，你拿我如何的气度！
有人居然拿西方电视台常有老资格主持人作说辞，替我们的诸老辩护，这完全混淆了不同类型电视的差异。我们的主持人就是一个传声筒，他们就是播音员，根本不需要有任何思想的。既然如此，还不如干脆就是把它设计成青春职业，让帅哥美妹轮流上阵，起码在主持人这个环节上让大家有一种“养眼”的感觉，这也许是提高新闻联播的收视率唯一招数了。
所以，还是建议邢同志下课吧，人之患在于恋棧惹厌，人之可贵在能够急流勇退。
另外还建议，可以考虑更频繁地更换播音员，例如每月全部更换一次，让全国的美少年都有机会在那里亮相。不妨与其他节目例如超级女声互动，让李宇春、张靓影们都有机会一展身手。
Comments
贺老师，还是要“慢慢地着急”，保重自己的身体，身体是革命的本钱啊。别和这些人计较了，是谁都一样，反正中央台的节目除了体育外，都是垃圾，没人看的。
新闻联播？N年没有看啦，我们广东这边可以说几乎没有人看。香港那么丰富的电视节目和资讯信息，还会有人看那白 痴新闻联播吗？
我从不看新闻联播，不过换了现面孔，也可以去养养眼，时间长了仍会觉审美疲劳，还是经常换换吧，免得我都把新闻联播的事给忘了，咳！！！更郁闷的是我家里这边连凤凰卫视台都不给转播了。
不过话说回来，感觉新闻联播换主持人和当下的年轻人关系不太大了。我以及我周围的朋友没谁还看新闻联播的，晚上7点时，大部分人还是趴在电脑前呢
在这点上不同意贺先生的意见,央视固然是党的喉舌，但是新闻联播这样一档王牌节目的主持人还是需要一些老面孔的，而且也给人一种安全和稳定之感。由于新闻不是是娱乐，所以应该严格和超级女生这样的商业媒体形式区别开来——就好像料理中既需要海鲜又需要蔬菜一样！


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Colombia: Cartagena on Election Day · Global Voices
David Sasaki

David of A Ride for the Climate left his hotel on election day in Colombia and took some pictures around Cartagena. He even conducted his own, surprisingly accurate exit poll.


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Darfur: Rebels may possible sign peace deal  · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

The Passion of the Present points to two reports on the Darfur rebels who had initially refused to sign the Abuja peace deal as now changing their minds.


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Ethiopia: AFD · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Ethiopian Life writes a defense of the “Alliance for Freedom and Democracy” (AFD).  He goes into detail about the purpose and meaning of the alliance.


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Ethiopia: Blocking cyberland · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Carpe Diem Ethiopia has more to say on the blocking of blogs in Ethiopia and the low number of internet users in the country.


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Ethiopia: Discrimination · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Ethiopian blog LELA-TENSAE – ETAMoonlight writes a piece on discrimination, ethnic differences and race/racism Ethiopian style –


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Exploding at the Iraqi Blogodrome · Global Voices
Salam Adil

Finally a piece of news that mainstream media and blogs generally agree with. This morning the Iraqi Prime Minister announce that “We have eliminated Zarqawi”. And the news hit like an explosion on the Iraqi blogs.
Among the first to break with the news was Truth About Iraqi's.
Hell awaits this character known as “Zarqawi” if this news is confirmed.
No more four-hour speeches against Shia, Sunni or anyone else.
Bin Laden's days numbered? Let's hope all these scum are erased.
BUT, I hope this does not deter or divert attention from the HADITHA MASSACRE. That investigation MUST continue. And those responsible for killing Iraqi civilians must be punished.
And Iraq The Model was not far behind. Omar was pleased to say the least:
CONGRATULATIONS TO IRAQ, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WHOLE WORLD ON THIS VICTORY.
He goes goes on to provide some background information on the town where he was killed.
And with the happiness comes the analysis:
Riot Starter is skeptical: “The first thing that occured to me at hearing the news was “A much needed victory, huh?”. It is indeed a much needed victory for a Prime Minister who's status wasn't as he would have liked it to be. …  And to all governments he's been an ideal scapegoat when it comes to justifying failures. But the thing is, if he's for real and has got followers, shouldn't we be more afraid now? If he existed and had followers, they're most likely to be outraged and planning to make everybody suffer for a payback. If he doesn't exist, … then his death won't make any difference for real. Now the our government as well as “other governments” will start looking pretty bad when they can't blame it all on terrorism and on “The Godfather of secterian killings and terror in Iraq” because they've announced him dead. Well it's two-way thing, they've announced him dead to appear good, just not for long enough.”
and Fatima is thoughtful:
How do I feel about that? … Iraqis have been suffering for decades now, going from war to war to war to sanctions to war. … They are tired. They want to move on. They are not happy that their country has been invaded, and much less so that the situation has only deteriorated after this invasion in terms of security and peace.  …
I can safely say that most Iraqis are happy, even ecstatic, with this news, but skeptical. Zarqawi was not a lone worker. He had a following, and they can continue their work without him. …
I do not wish death or punishment on anyone, not even those who hurt me. I only wish them guidance. I think Zarqawi may have thought he meant well, but he did it in all the wrong ways. May God show us what is right and allow us to follow it.
And Finally
Here are some parting words from the blogodrome.
Hammorabi:
Zarqawi without doubts went into the bottom of the Hell with blood of many innocent children, women and men in his dirty hands.
There were celebrations going on now in the holly city of Najaf and Kerbala. On the other hands there are sadness and shock among his allies in the region and abroad like Al-Jazeera Qatari TV and other Arab pro-terrorists thugs.
Zarqawi and his aides simply went to Hell and this is the worst fate for any one like them.
Zappy:
The BASTARD is DEAD!!!!!! 999 left to go, at least its a begining, i have never been more happier than when they caught the Rat in the hole!
Baghdad Treasure:
Today is a great day in Iraq. … Congratulations to all the Iraqi people and to all those who suffered from the Zarqawi terrorism…
Iraqi Pundit:
Iraqi women are ululating in the shy, face-covering manner of my country, and Iraqi men are boisterously firing celebratory shots in the air.
and Fayrouz:
Al-Zarqawi is dead. Good riddance.riddance. Who's their next leader in Iraq?

author: Salam Adil


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Georgia: Borjomi · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Jeremy, who is on his way to Armenia, sings the praises of Borjomi, Georgia, known to many in the Soviet Union as a summer retreat, the source of the country's famous mineral water, and a candidate for the 2014 Olympics.


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Guatemala Museo Casa Mima · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Blog de mi Guatemala has an informative post on the Casa Mima Museum (ES) in the historic center of Guatemala City.


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Hong Kong: Airline merger struck · Global Voices
John Kennedy

After lenthy speculation and several extended delays a merger deal has finally been reached between Hong Kong-based airlines Cathay Pacific and Dragon Air, writes blogspot blogger Sun Bin.


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India: Culture, Myths and Justice · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Ashok questions why the story of Silappathikaram is considered reflective of Tamil culture or zest for justice, when clearly it is about a woman who tolerates the waywardness of her husband.


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India: What’s with the copywriters · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Jabberwock comments on an advertisement. “…dapper-looking Mahendra Singh Dhoni turns to the camera and tells us, “I decided not to be ordinary. I chose to shine.” Cut to close-up of shoe-polishers looking up at Dhoni in adoration and subservience; looking, essentially, like buffoons who have “chosen” their lot, chosen to be “ordinary”.”


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Indonesia: Playboy Indonesia Tame · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Indcoup in Jakarta find the latest issue of Indonesian Playboy rather tame and figures out an alternative “adults” magazine that is doing well in Indonesia.  Since its introduction, Playboy has seen protests by various groups trying to close it down.