· May, 2009

Stories about Ideas from May, 2009

Palestine: Family Fun?

In the West Bank, Samuel Nichols notes: “Parents taking a Friday afternoon walk carrying their newborn is cute. Parents taking a Friday afternoon walk carrying their newborn (with an M-16 slung over the father's shoulder while intimidating Palestinian farmers) is disconcerting and scary.”

Jamaica: Discussing Human Rights

  21 May 2009

“Traditionally, the discussion of human rights in Jamaica has been conducted in what may be considered ‘the privileged voice'”: Raw Politics…Jamaica Style! questions the value of this norm.

Trinidad & Tobago: Internet Killed the TV Star?

  21 May 2009

“The one media outlet that best serves the fat, the dumb, the happy, is one that is in for a wild roller coaster ride as people around the world tune out so that they can tune in on the Internet”: Blogging from Trinidad and Tobago, KnowProSE.com thinks that television has...

Cuba: Blossoming Blogosphere

  20 May 2009

“A lot has changed in the ‘Made in Cuba’ blogosphere,” reports Generation Y, for whom there is “no greater happiness than to see the rise of so many plural, different and free spaces.”

Dominica: Brain Drain

  20 May 2009

“When are we going to realize that knowledge is a wealth-creating asset to our country’s development?”: Dominica Weekly is concerned about the island's brain drain.

Guyana, Cuba: Day Against Homophobia

  19 May 2009

“What did it mean that there were no openly lesbian women where I lived in Guyana, a little over 20 years ago?” asks Signifyin’ Guyana, as she acknowledges the recent International Day Against Homophobia; Repeating Islands, meanwhile, notes that the occasion was recognized in Havana.

Caribbean: Bloggers React to Walcott's Withdrawal

  18 May 2009

St. Lucian-born Derek Walcott is truly a West Indian man. He has been embraced by literature lovers of countless other regional territories who identify with his writing and see the nuances of the Caribbean come alive in his work. Which was why his Nobel Prize win for Literature in 1992 seemed like a regional victory - and why his withdrawal from the tight race for the coveted position of Oxford Professor of Poetry has left a bad taste in many bloggers' mouths.

Barbados: Budget Speech

  18 May 2009

Barbados Underground says that expectations are high for the Prime Minister's 2009 Budget Speech, adding: “There are times when political partisanship should give way to bi-partisanship in the interest of the national self. This is such a time.”

Guyana: Prayer Calling

  18 May 2009

“It is an injustice being blatantly perpetrated upon thousands and thousands of Guyanese on a daily basis and one against which many feel helpless”: Imran Khan takes issue with the custom of amplified calls to prayer, calling it “noise pollution”.

Mexico: Using the Word “Joven”

  17 May 2009

Mexicans use the word “joven” when they want a waiter's attention. Even though the word means “young person” no matter the age, it took Lesley Téllez of the Mija Chronicles a little getting used to.

Bloggers raise funds for Brunei Special Olympics Team

  16 May 2009

In providing support to the Brunei Special Olympics team, local bloggers are creating awareness on the team’s forthcoming participation in the World Special Olympics in Athens in 2011. Major fundraising activities were held last May 3: a walkathon and bazaar.

Jamaica, Dominican Republic: Whale Watching

  15 May 2009

“Most well meaning individuals who seek out whale watching and other ecotourism activities are not aware of the potential danger that wildlife watching can cause”: Jamaican diaspora blogger Labrish expains.