Stories about Ideas from January, 2009
Japan: Making a comic strip out of your daily life
Blogger pontadon regularly updates her blog [ja] with funny comic strips about her daily life.
Bangladesh: Power from Human
Bhaboghure Jhor (Vagrant Storm) has a brilliant idea to solve the power problem in Bangladesh using surplus population: “We will mount thousands of cycle in a building and generators will be connected with them. So instead of moving forward the paddlers will rotate the shaft of the generator by cycling...
China: Blogging for Change
Although Bullog.cn, one of the most influential independent blog hosting platform in China, has been shut down under the pretext of internet cleaning of smut, a number of prominent bloggers declared that they would continue to speak. A few days ago, Sohu, a commercial blog hosting company, hosted a blogger...
Trinidad & Tobago: Mapping Woodford Square
Free Paper designs a map of Port of Spain's Woodford Square – check out the flickr photoset here.
Jamaica: Wood & Water
The fact that Usain Bolt's home town of Sherwood Content experienced a sporadic water supply over the Christmas holidays prompts Kadene Porter of Abeng News Magazine to blog about the many areas in which the government has fallen short: “The name Jamaica, land of wood and water is almost mocking...
Haiti: Haitian Art
“Art is Haiti's only inexhaustible resource. When others use the tired phrase ‘Haiti – the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere’, let us counter that Haiti is the culturally richest country in the Western Hemisphere instead”: Haiti Innovation invites you to experience Haitian art.
Cuba: Spain, Cuba & the Embargo
Cuban bloggers weigh in on Spain's suggestion to the international community that “Cuba will change its ways if the world would only talk to them”. Uncommon Sense: “The Spanish government has a lot at stake with its soft-shoe approach — starting with billions of Euros invested in Cuban tourism and...
Jamaica, Barbados: Future of Cricket
Jamaica's Abeng News Magazine asks “the $55 million question: Whither West Indies Cricket?”
Mapping the blogosphere in Brunei
More than half of Brunei's population are internet users. More and more young Bruneians are setting up their own blogs. Aside from establishing a community of bloggers, a web portal provides a comprehensive list of Brunei blogs.
Japan: The future of Toyota
Michi Kaifu at Tech Mom from Silicon Valley responds to news that Toyota “crown prince” Akio Toyoda is to take the company's president position in June this year. Reflecting on the future of the car maker and on rumors in the Japanese blogosphere, Kaifu writes, “if you still have some...
Turkey: Gaza War?
Turkish Aylin Ece Cicek, writing at The Eastern Middle, discusses the “war” between Israel and Gaza, saying: “Let me elaborate because I am not comfortable with using the word war; but cannot find a more suitable phrase for the situation. The words “issue,” “problem,” or “struggle” just don't fit. It...
Bahamas, Cuba: The Revolution
“Let me say right now that I am sceptical, and deeply so, of those who denigrate Castro’s Cuba, especially those of us in The Bahamas who do so”: Nicolette Bethel says that “in most cases the arguments offered to display the inferiority of the Cuban revolution are not arguments at...
Puerto Rico: Saving Grace
Dondequiera examines the issues “that ultimately prevent Puerto Rico from being saved.”
Korea: Marriage is reality
In order to avoid political issues for once, I found an interesting post and comments from other netizens. It’s about Love, Marriage, and Reality. What do you think? “결혼은 현실이다”라고 말하는 여자.. 몇달 전에 선을 봐서 조건이 좋은 여자 만났습니다. 외모도 이쁘고.. 학벌도 좋고.. 직업도 괜찮고.. 무남독녀 외동딸에.. 집안에 재산도...
Japan: “What are you up to now?” has become a taboo question
The world recession has hit Japan just as it has hit other parts of the world, and many are worried about their future. In an entry that attracted a great deal of sympathy from readers, blogger koheko reflects on the impact of the slowdown on human relationships with friends and colleagues, to the point where the simple question, "What are you up to?" has become taboo.
Israel: Tales from Gaza
From Israel, Lisa Goldman shares her views on the war in Gaza in this post.
Trinidad & Tobago: Bringing Sexy Back
Should blogs be sexy? Blogging from Trinidad and Tobago, This Beach Called Life says: “Yes, but only if you want to get them noticed.”
China: 49, 79, 89 and 09
Andrea from T-salon translated a tweet that tells various turning points in China history in relation to socialism and capitalism.
Kenya: Introducing poet and artist bloggers
Njeri Wangari introduces a few young poets and artists in Kenya who have started blogs to expand the reach of their works.
Africa needs God?
Rombo of What an African woman thinks criticises a recent article by Mathew Parris for The Times UK titled “As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God“. And she wonders: “why does everybody assume that no African had ever climbed the mountain before the adventurous foreigner came along and...
Dominica: Protecting the Children
“It is by keeping channels of communication open that we can rescue lives from being damaged before they can even bloom”: Blogging from Dominica, Caribbean Man tackles the issue of incest.
