Stories about North America from November, 2009
USA: Thanksgiving, a Celebration of Genocide?
On Livejournal, Christopher Bradley in the USA explains why he hates Thanksgiving. “I don't think there's any need to have holidays with the specter of genocide over them,” he says.
USA: Historical Truth of Thanksgiving
“To European-Americans this holiday is laced with fanciful symbolism and metaphorical memories about that great feast between Pilgrims and Indians. But the historical truth often goes untold and unheard,” writes Rusty’s blog.
USA: Native American Heritage Day
A new National Native American National Heritage day is being honored in the United States on November 27, the day after most people there celebrated Thanksgiving. Native Americans rejoice - online and elsewhere.
USA: Conflict Cell Phones
Rima Abdelkader reports from New York about ‘conflict cell phones’ in the Democratic Republic of Congo on her CUNY University journalism blog.
St. Lucia, U.S.A.: New Book of Poetry
From St. Lucia, Caribbean Book Blog interviews Dr. Neal Hall about his new anthology of verse, Nigger For Life.
Could the U.S. learn something from China?
Could the world's lone but weary superpower actually learn something from China? This is a question the Time magazine posted when President Barack Obama began his first visit to China. The article said this is a time when China has ‘emerged as a dynamo of optimism, experimentation and growth’, while...
Egypt/Gaza: “Trashy” music video clips
‘I wasn’t surprised to see during my my trip to Egypt and Gaza that no one watches music videos anymore. When I asked few people about their choice of boycotting music videos, the answer was similar, “they have gotten trashy”,’ writes Hanitizer at Arab-American group blog KABOBfest.
Difference between Japanese and American Résumés
Daniel at the How to Japonese blog outlines the differences between Japanese and American résumés.
Can ICTs aid small-scale farmers?
The world's small-scale farmers grow a large amount of food and provide many important jobs in rural areas. However, they do their work at great economic and environmental risk. How can ICTs make the jobs and lives easier for the world's farmers?
Jamaica, Bahamas, U.S.A.: Copyright Options
In response to Jamaican blogger Geoffrey Philp‘s “cautionary tale on the dangers of unregistered creative property”, the Bahamas’ Scavella's Blogsphere says: “This is all very well and good, but I’m not American. I don’t live in the USA. What substitute is there for me?”
Video: Open Video Contest for Trip to SXSW Interactive Festival
The Open Video Alliance is putting out a call out for one minute videos that make a case for Open Video for an opportunity to win a trip to South by South West Interactive 2010 festival. The contest is open to anyone regardless of nationality.
China and U.S.A: Obama's letter to Southern Weekend
Shizhao has posted Obama's letter to Southern Weekend during his visit in China. Many believe that this letter has something to do with the story about Southern Weekend's missing front page and blank advertisement.
China and U.S.A: IPR Theft
Angry Chinese blogger writes on an intellectual property right dispute case between a Beijing firm Zhongyi Electronic LTD and Microsoft.
Cuba, U.S.A.: Questions for Obama
Cuba's Generation Y sends a questionnaire to U.S. President Obama “with some of the issues that keep [her] from sleeping” and publishes his responses.
Azerbaijan: News of IRI departure met with concern
Following the cessation of radio broadcasts from foreign stations, as well as the sentencing last week of two video blogging youth activists, comes news of what some see as yet another threat to a fledgling process of democratization.
China: Obama as a big supporter of non-censorship
Adam Minter is disappointed by Obama's comment in the Shanghai Town Hall meeting with students, in particular, his expression that “I'm a big supporter of non-censorship”.
Japan: “Obamu”, Verb Form of “Obama”?
Anpontan‘s post about the word “obamu” (オバむ) , a Japanese word play that's a verb form of “Obama”, was picked up by James Fallows at the Atlantic and is making its way across the blogosphere, although very few Japanese people actually seem to have heard of the word, as Daniel...
U.S., Europe: Immigrant Writing; Diaspora Mentality
Maud Newton writes about a newly-published anthology of immigrant writing, “Becoming Americans.” Sublime Oblivion examines the views of “Russian political analyst & nationalist Konstantin Krylov” on “international diasporas” and “the diaspora mentality.”
U.S.: Redesign Of Vladimir Nabokov's Book Covers
At Design Observer, John Gall writes about the redesign of Vladimir Nabokov's book covers: “All twenty-one of them.” (Link via Maud Newton.)
Japan: U.S. President Obama on Asian Policies
Teddy Jimbo has posted both English and Japanese videos of U.S. President Obama's speech on Asian policies, given in Tokyo today.
Egypt: Nidal Hassan – Psychiatrist or Psychotic?
Major Nidal Hassan is the US military psychiatrist of Arab origins who went on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood in Texas, killing 13 people. He is now facing charges of premeditated murder. "Psychiatrist or Psychotic?", ask Egyptian bloggers.
