Stories from 24 March 2006
Panama: Panela
Melissa De Leon is dizzy with anger that you have been lied to about the so-called dangerous impurities of panela. But then, just what is panela?
Costa Rica: Constitutional Court Kills New Tax Plan
Libertarian expat Jacqueline Passey is gleeful that Costa Rica's high court rejected a proposed, new tax plan.
Argentina: Pablo Dacal
Enjoy the tango-influenced melody of Fantasía, a downloadable track by Argentine bilingual musician, Pablo Dacal.
Peru: Humala in the Lead
Boz has posted his weekly poll numbers from across Latin America with three new polls that have Peruvian leftist, Ollanta Humala in the lead. Peru Election 2006 has graphics illustrating the poll data. Andres Oppenheimer offers two explanations of why a leftist is leading despite Peru's recent economic growth.
Belarus: Wishful Thinking aka ‘Foreign Policy Simulation’
A Fistful of Euros reports on a weird blog called Belarus Today: A News Service Dedicated to Belarus and the Belarusian People. It covers such an unlikely event as Lukashenko's assassination – and its pretty violent aftermath. There's a disclaimer at the bottom of the page, however, which reads: “This...
Cuba: Castro's quirks?
Does Fidel Castro really incinerate his underwear? And exactly how partial is he to pata negra Serrano ham? Pondblog comments on a Miami Herald article in which a former aide to “El Lider Maximo” spills the beans on Castro's alleged personal habits and other matters.
Colombia: New Blog from Munich
AwayTeam is the weblog of Jorge Gooding, a Colombian engineer who is currently living in Munich. Not surprisingly, many of his posts focus on football.
Bermuda: A New Vision?
Both Sean and the Limey attend the New Vision rally of the United Bermuda Party. Both gentlemen leave the event duly impressed.
Bermuda: 436 cases of child abuse
Unlike the Bermudian government, Valentine Michael Smith thinks that 436 reported cases of child abuse in Bermuda in 2005 is “an alarming trend”, and calls for action.
Belize: Beach Feet
“I haven't worn shoes for 6 years now and offically have ‘Beach Feet,'” writes Belize Caribbean Colors, an American transplanted to Belize. “Beach feet are a definite separation between the big toe and the second toe. Its also when your toes are more permanently spread apart from walking barefoot in...
Russia: “Seven Sisters” – Part 2
Digenis posts part 2 of a series on Moscow's Stalin-era skyscrapers, the Seven Sisters. “The exact number of apartments [in the building on Kotelnicheskaya Naberezhnaya] has been rather difficult to track down. […] anywhere from 344 to ‘about 800′.”
Barbados: Mom and daughter netballers
Barbados Free Press links to an Australian newspaper article highlighting the mother and daughter who are members of the Barbadian netball team contesting the Commonwealth Games.
New blogger in Uganda – HipFlaskSwigger
Peoplehouse is a recently-started blog which appears to be by Ugandan journalist David Kaiza and consists, so far, of selected pieces of his writing. His most recent post is an appreciation of the novelist V.S. Naipaul written in the year that Naipaul won the Nobel prize for literature.
Nigeria's census – nearly over but could do better
There are great pictures of Nigerian census-takers on Edward Popoola's Jangbalajugbu-Homeland Stories but he feels the operation, while necessary, could be better organised. “We do not use the social security number system in Nigeria and I am not sure our births and deaths are perfectly monitored and well documented. It...
Swahili hip-hop
Msanii XL has posted a hip-hop podcast which features artists from a range of countries, but if you want your hip-hop in Swahili don't forget to check his radio blog player in the sidebar.
A new website about DR Congo
At Congo Watch there's the announcement of a new website called Friends of the Congo. There is also a Friends of the Congo Blog. Both sites have as their masthead a quotation from famous former Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba: “We are not alone. Africa, Asia, and free and liberated people...
The dark side of blogging – intimidation
Most articles about blogging emphasise the positive empowering aspects, but as black looks points out it also gives freedom to abuse. She says speaking out is the best way to combat the bullying.
Russia: Illustrator Ivan Bilibin
The Accidental Russophile examines life and work of Russian illustrator Ivan Bilibin.
Belarus: Arrests, Courts and Anti-Media Flash Mob
French journalist writing for Liberation has just been arrested in Minsk; actually so many people have been arrested that, unprecedentally, Minsk courts will be working on Saturday, reports br23 blog. Andrei Khrapavitski posts a picture from today's flash mob event that took place in Minsk to criticize the performance of...
Vietnam: Painted Scrolls
Six Months in Hanoi asks for help identifying the imagery in two painted scrolls he brought back with him from Vietnam.
Singapore: Playing the Game Counts
Wormie takes issue with those in Singapore complaining it was a waste of money to send a losing team to the Commonwealth Games. “Winning or losing is not everything in sports, it is about participating to the best of one's ability. Along the way in our quest for excellence we...
