Stories from Quick Reads from July, 2007
China: The hair blogger
Ben Ross, an American blogger in Fujian province, hit the bloglight this year when he began working full-time in a Chinese barber shop, blogging his way through the month and the several hairdos that came with it. Today he recaps the road to fame his hair has led him to,...
China: Environmental evaluation
Is criticism of China's environmental protection polices racist? Dan Harris at China Law Blog chips in on a very wide discussion on that very question.
China: Released documents implicate Yahoo!
A Beijing State Security Bureau document has been released, writes Rebecca MacKinnon at RConversation, which shows Yahoo! was aware at the time the reason why Beijing authorities wanted access to the content of Chinese journalist Shi Tao's e-mail account, later sent to prison for ten years. And there's more.
China: Preview of Ang Lee film of Eileen Chang novel
“Color us excited,” writes Maureen O'Connor of Shanghaiist, “[t]he “Lust, Caution” trailer is out!”
China: Eighty years of liberation
August first marks the eightieth anniversary of the founding of China's People's Liberation Army and Chinese media news blog Danwei correspondent takes a look at how several Beijing newspapers covered a performance held to commemorate the day, also known as Bayi (8-1) Military day, also the anniversary of the Nanchang...
Afghanistan: Korean hostage crisis
Eugene Echo is keeping up with the latest developments in the Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan and complains about the lack of attention given to the story by US media.
Kyrgyzstan: HIV scandal
Bonnie Boyd reports of a scandal in southern Kyrgyzstan in which nine children have contracted HIV/Aids due to medical and institutional negligence.
Uzbekistan: Soviet architecture
Joshua Kucera speculates why Tashkent features some of the best gems of Soviet architecture.
Caucasus: Attitudes towards NGOs
Social Science in the Caucasus unveils some figures on how people in the three countries Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia perceive non-governmental organisations.
Armenia: Digging holes
Many bloggers attended a protest in Armenia's capital Yerevan where people voiced their dismay at a new construction site in the city's center: a huge hole is being dug 300 meters away from the municipal authorities – but no one, not even the mayor, knows what's really going on there....
Kyrgyzstan: Mourning
Noise, a blogger originally from Kyrgyzstan, is saddened to learn about the deaths of the icons of world cinematography Bergman and Antonioni: “We will install a projector and a screen in our yard today, and will show their films to everyone.”
Kyrgyzstan: Issyk-Kul
morrire posts pictures from her visit to the southern shore of Issyk-Kul, one of the biggest high-altitude lakes in the world – and favourite holiday destination for Kyrgyzstani citizens.
Uzbekistan: Digital boom?
Jamiyat translates an article which gives the impression that the use of internet and mobile telecommunication is growing rapidly in Uzbekistan.
CIS: Blog Camp
Mirsulzhan posts an announcement for the upcoming CIS Blog Camp in Kiev.
Central Asia: Expert interview
James of neweurasia interviews Central Asia specialist Dr. Eric McGlinchey – the topics of the long conversation include radical Islam, Russian influence, the regime in Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan's development.
Cuba: Opposing Ideas
Child of the Revolution blogs about the opposing views on Cuba held by Bebo Valdes, the Cuban-born jazz musician, and his pianist son, Chucho.
Puerto Rico: Why Write?
“Am I interested enough to write about it? Fellow bloggers know how hard it is to come up with content on a regular basis.” Gil the Jenius writes about…writing!
Jamaica: Adjust Your Tone
“Email messages here in the region can often sound abrupt, sharp and even downright rude. How do you adjust the tone of an email?” Jamaican Francis Wade has a few suggestions.
Barbados: A Time for Answers?
“We have six people dead and, if the talk is true, more than a few others who are barely holding on.” In the wake of the island's tragic bus crash, Barbados Free Press writes, “Barbados deserves answers and the truth, but for now let’s mourn and pray…”
Bahamas: Crime, Church & State
WeblogBahamas.com republishes an article that deals with the challenges of crime and the separation of church and state.
Palestine: US to Increase Military Aid to Israel
The US is to increase its military aid to Israel, writes Haitham Sabbah, who urges his American readers to protest the move with their Congressmen.