12 October 2007

Stories from 12 October 2007

Argentina: The Trouble With Trains

  12 October 2007

Train travel in Argentina, whether it is long-distance, regional or local, seems to attract plenty of complaints from users. At times, many of these gripes never make it to managers, who have the ability to make changes. Lately a series of blogs have been created aimed at providing platforms for users and employees to air their complaints and share experiences about these transit systems. Special guest writer Alejandro Lezcano tooks a look at some of these Argentina transportation blogs.

Free Speech Roundup: China, UAE, Jordan, Iran and more

  12 October 2007

Two interesting documents related to Internet censorship and circumvention were published recently: “Everyone's Guide to By-Passing Internet Censorship for Citizens Worldwide”, released by The University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab and a “Journey to the Heart of Internet censorship” in China, released by RSF and Chinese Human Rights Defenders, and written by an anonymous Chinese technician. In Jordan sending emails and writing online poems can send you to jail. And, is Facebook blocked in the United Arab Emirates?

Palestine: New Baby on the Way

  12 October 2007

Palestinian blogger and journalist Leila Haddad says she's expecting a new baby. “Yousuf has already taken to his new role as older sibling like a fish to water, and has promised to help me change diapers (a proposition I'm not likely to take him up on, unless perhaps I am...

Lebanon: Bittersweet Blogging

  12 October 2007

Louis-Noel Harfouche has returned to blogging about Lebanon in a new post about the Arabic language. “And bitter[sweet] and disheartening as it (and its people) are at times, Lebanon remains an infectious, delicious, long-savored and addictive torment,” he explains.

Lebanon: Looking for a Savior

  12 October 2007

Lebanese blogger Shirin is looking for a savior. “The search for a savior – one who'll literally save Lebanon, won't be in vain. I trust the brave members of the parliament, they'll vote for the best man,” she writes.

Kuwait: Lebanon Holiday

  12 October 2007

Lebanese blogger Fonzy, who lives in Kuwait, is travelling to Lebanon and Syria for a short break. “(T)he best part is that ALL my friends in Kuwait are spending the holidays there. From what I know, I think maybe half the passengers on the plane tonight are people I know,”...

Lebanon: Being Nice

  12 October 2007

Lebanese blogger Rami Zurayk writes about how a minister's adviser criticized comments he wrote on his blog as sarcastic. “Sarcasm? I was being nice,” he notes.

Japan: Sports with “no future”

  12 October 2007

Why do people play sports? Is it out of a love for the game, just for a good time, or is it actually a career choice like any other? 21-year-old Japanese pro-golfer Ueda Momoko sparked a heated debate earlier this week after she remarked that she could not understand young people who play sports which, according to her, have "no future".

Czech Rebublic: Oglo/Blog Day

  12 October 2007

NvB: Bored in Brno? celebrated Blog Day belatedly, on Oct. 9: “I've decided to rename it since 09/10 looks more like “Oglo” than “blog,” but in case that's too confusing we can just call it Blog Day Observed.”

Czech Rebublic: Radar Base, Pro and Con

  12 October 2007

Petr Bokuvka of The Czech Daily Word argues that the Brdy Mountains villagers should welcome the U.S. radar base: “They know they can live without the base and they refuse to even consider what they could do after the base is built. Not just with the money their municipalities receive,...

Czech Rebublic: “Switched at Birth”

  12 October 2007

“For almost a year two couples took care of a newborn baby that was not theirs. According to several Czech dailies the babies were mistakenly switched moments after the birth because of a negligent nurse,” reports Petr Bokuvka of The Czech Daily Word – here and here.

Guyana: Guns vs iPods

  12 October 2007

What costs more in Guyana, a 9-mm gun or an MP3 player? Guyana Providence Stadium provides some stark figures.