Stories about Ideas from July, 2008
Jamaica, Haiti: Political Analysis
In examining the state of Jamaican politics, My View of JamDown from Up So notices some similarities to Haiti.
Africa: Until when the white man's burden?
Sam O. Okello, guestblogging at Kumekucha, wonders for how long Africa “will remain the white man's burden”. In his post, that caused quite a debate in the comments section, he urges: “The time for Africa to rise up is now”.
Morocco: 50 Reasons Not to Use Plastic Bags
Everything Morocco discusses reasons to stop using plastic bags. As in many developing countries, the littering of plastic bags is a large problem in Morocco.
Malawi: Reflections on lawyers
Mzati Nkolokosa reflects on Malawian lawyers after a meeting of the Malawi Law Society, in which the launch of the Malawi Law Journal was decided. “Law is for people, even the poor”, he concludes.
Israel: Homemade Plane Flies from Israel to US
Sure, we all have dreams of flying, but Israeli Yair Gil is making his personal ambition a reality. Isrealli reports that Gil took off from Israel in his one-man homemade plane on July 7th for a three-week flight to the US. He is due to arrive in Osh Kosh, Wisconsin...
Jamaica, U.S.A.: Obama the Hero?
“As the days, weeks, and months have gone by, it has become increasingly clear that Barack Hussein Obama…has been stepping into this role of the ‘selfless superhero'”: Jamaican Geoffrey Philp says time will tell if the Democratic US Presidential candidate can fulfill the “mythical role” that has been hoisted upon...
China: Official Olympic Security English handbook
Matthew at Waiguoren Critic of South China notes the lack of lessons on breaking up fights or calming people down before they begin in the official Police Olympic Security English Handbook, but with dialogue like this, a nightly stand-up routine at Olympic Village is an approach Chinese police should probably...
Cuba: Cyber-Citizens?
“Never having become citizens in the real world, it is hard for us to behave as citizens on the web”: Yoani Sanchez at Generation Y shares her thoughts about the virtual Cuba.
Jamaica, U.S.A.: Getting Connected
“I remember learning not to try to hold on to people after moving to the U.S. After all, the chances were good that I would never see them again. In Jamaica, the opposite is true”: Francis Wade blogs about the feeling of connectivity he enjoys in Jamaica.
China: Don't even think about asking
It's The World Meets China and not the other way around, if one is to believe that anyone will the ‘Eight Don't Asks’ will be taken seriously when Olympics fans show up next month. ‘Income, age, love life, health’ and see Tim Johnson's post at China Rises for the rest.
Guyana: Dangerous Times
As news breaks about a reported shootout between Guyana's law enforcement and two of the country's most wanted criminals, Living Guyana examines the impact of such dangerous times on the national psyche: “These criminals may act as enablers for a guilt complex, common to many, that demands we work hard,...
Saudi Arabia: Segregation on the blogroll?
It is well known that segregation of the sexes in Saudi Arabia exists in everyday life - but what about online? Can the names of male and female bloggers exist together on a blogroll? One Saudi blogger is amused at the thought.
Trinidad & Tobago: Practice Makes Perfect
“Life is a practice rushing at you, overwhelming you, tumbling you to your core. Who is throwing you your lifeline?” Blogging from Trinidad and Tobago, Attillah Springer asks some searching questions.
Trinidad & Tobago: Line Up
Trinidadian Andre Bagoo notices that he spends much of his life in a line: “This is the fate of a society dominated by industrial forces, forces that literally turn us into little cogs in a process that sees us as no more than just subjects; subjects who must be made...
Cuba: Nothing is Free
A long wait at a “free” clinic gets Yoani Sanchez thinking about the true cost of freedom: “I imagine that Aladdin’s lamp, rubbed by eleven million Cubans, has succeeded in providing these hospitals, schools and other publicized ‘subsidies.’ But the image of the genie with his three wishes doesn’t last...
China: How you feeling about the Olympics?
Joel at Fool's Mountain recently took to the street where he lives in Beijing neighbor city Tianjin to ask locals what they think about next month's Olympics. He took video of it all, and has even added translated subtitles. Check it out.
Japan: Mainichi's “Foreign Staff”
In the latest step in a long and drawn out controversy, Mainichi newspaper has issued a 3-page official apology in response to the harsh backlash concerning its English-language WaiWai column. Blogger polimediauk responds to the news, questioning the tendency to divide foreign and Japanese staff at the English-language Mainichi site and treat them differently.
Oman: A Day at the Supermarket
Omani blogger Muscati takes us on his weekly shopping expedition to the supermarket!
Palestine: No to History, Politics and Religion Questions
“Stop asking me about religion, politics and history!” pleads Rebellious Arab Girl, in this post in which she sheds her personal thoughts on the above mentioned topics.
Japan: The Linguistics of Nico Nico Douga
Metagold is a research blog based out of a project at Goldsmiths College, University of London, focused exclusively on the video sharing web service Nico Nico Douga. In a July 15th post, Metagold takes up the story of a linguist at Kyoto University, Kanamaru-san (id:kana0355 [ja]), who “asks how the...
Bahrain: Obsessed with a Turkish soap opera
A Turkish soap opera, Noor, has become a hit in the Arab world, with reports of fights and even divorces occurring because of the obsession of many women with the handsome male star, Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ, who plays Muhannad. Some Bahraini bloggers have been examining the popularity of the drama series amongst Arabs.
