Stories from 24 January 2008
Lithuania: Vytautas Sriubikis; the Hill of Crosses
Viola in Vilnius writes about Lithuanian flautist Vytautas Sriubikis – and briefly mentions the Hill of Crosses, quite an extraordinary place near the town of Siauliai, which “not surprisingly is a hill covered in crosses, and a bit of a place of pilgrimage.”
Albania: Eda Zari
Albanian Blogger writes about Eda Zari, an Albanian singer who has recently given up her Albanian citizenship.
Serbia, UK: Fascism and the Left
Greater Surbiton writes on leftist interpretations of fascism – and of Serbian politics.
Serbia: Support for Vladimir Vukčević
Alan Jakšić of Balkan Anarchist declares his support for Serbia's war crimes prosecutor Vladimir Vukčević, who has recently “received a death threat from fellow Serbs in the diaspora.”
Hungary: “Is Budapest Scarier than LA?”
Pestiside.hu responds to an LA reader who is afraid of going to Budapest.
Poland, Ukraine: The Border
Our Man in Gdansk writes about Poland's eastern border, the non-Schengen, closely guarded one: “A lorry driver died in the 20-mile queue at the Ukrainian-Polish border crossing at Dorohusk. Warsaw sat up and noticed: Poland has an eastern border.”
Russia: Hajj Quotas
Window on Eurasia writes about hajj quotas and how it relates to Russia's Muslims.
Russia: Decossackization
De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis writes about the history of Decossackization in Russia and recommends a book on the subject, written by Gregory Tschebotarioff, a former Cossack officer, now a professor at Princeton University.
The Balkans: “Jestdej”
Sleeping with Pengovsky posts a copy of the Beatles’ ‘Yesterday’ – spelled phonetically by Croatian musicians: “… For all of you native speakers out there – if you ever wondered how English sounds to people from the Balkans – take a look at the above picture. It just doesn’t get...
Ukraine, Russia: Monopoly
MoldovAnn asks readers to vote “for Kyiv to become one of the 22 cities of the world to be included in the new Monopoly World Edition game board.” Robert Amsterdam writes about real-life Monopoly being played in Russia by the Kremlin.
Peru: Introduction to Bloggers from Iquitos
The Iquitos or Loreto blogsphere is comprised mostly by young people, with some notable exceptions. Some blog about politics in the Amazon town, while many more write about their own personal lives. Here is an introduction to some of these bloggers.
Brazilian Football Star Remembered on 25th Death Anniversary
It is through video online that many Brazilians and football fans from around the world have found a way to pay homage to one of the best dribblers in football history, Manuel Francisco dos Santos, best known as Garrincha.
Brazil: Brazilian Landless Workers Movement turns 24
The Brazilian Landless Workers Movement (MST) celebrates today its 24 years. João Valente Aguiar [pt] publishes a beautiful black and white picture and describes it as a “movement which consists of activist people committed to the fight for another kind of society. A movement that because of its tenacity and...
Brazil: Update on the censorship in Pernambuco
PE Body Count [pt] has an update on the case of media censorship that has been going on in Recife, Brazil, following an interview on TV in which the authorities guarantee the population that there is no censorship in place. Diogo Menezes uncovers the lies in their discourse and concludes:...
Portugal: Getting ready for critical mass bike day
This Friday, there will be a Critical Mass bike gathering in many parts of the world, showing how easy and enjoyable traveling in a sustainable way can be. Pimenta Negra [pt] has the local ride info for Portugal.
Brazil: A “drinkshop” for bloggers
Instead of a workshop, a few Brazilian bloggers met in a more relaxed “drinkshop” to talk about the blogosphere, nonsense and have fun. “All, absolutely all informal meetings with bloggers I have attended were excellent”, reports Carlos Cardoso [pt].
India: Sex and 40
head start reacts to a post that seems to assume that women in India don't have a sex life after the age of 40.
Syria: Palestinian Rights
From Syria, Golaniya argues for the right of Palestinians to exist as a people, with a nation. She further reacts to the developments in Gaza: “So the siege is strictly practiced for political reasons and not for security reasons.”
Sri Lanka: Indian Labour
Transcurrents.com reacts to a historian's claim that the Indian labour, shipped to Sri Lanka to work on the estates are now a burden in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka: Blogging at the GLF
Ephemeral Ruminations rounds up reactions from the Sri Lankan blogosphere to the Galle Literary Festival – a lot of reactions considering a panel at the festival discussed how seriously bloggers could be taken.
Pakistan: MSM on Blogging
Blogging in Pakistan is getting more attention. A breakfast news show on Dawn News interviews bloggers. [Link to Google Video]
