Stories from 25 February 2008
Jamaica, U.S.A.: The Obama Question
“It's not that Obama threatens to be another MLK. It far worse than that. It's that he threatens to be another JFK”: Jamaican Marlon James asks “the one question about Obama that dares not speak its name in polite public discourse.”
Vietnam: Virtual Worlds for Business
Saigon Nezumi points to a press release from the Spanish Embassy in Vietnam where they are trying to network Spanish and Vietnamese businessmen using a virtual world platform.
What does make them come to Campus Party?
Donizete Soares from Sentimentos e Pensamentos [Feelings and Toughts, PT] asked some campuseros at Campus Party Brasil 2008 [PT] about their motivations to leave behind their diary lives and flock to meetings like the one held in São Paulo two weeks ago — and released the full audio of these...
Lusospheric Literature: Sabedoria de Improviso
Czarina writes in short, razor-sharp, words in her Sabedoria de Improviso [Makeshift Wisdom, PT] about what she may or may not have learned, and maybe about what she lived. She renders no explanations [PT] for those who need it.
Japan: Charisma Man
James from Japan Probe traces the origin of the term “Charisma Man” which is used for describing foreign man with many girlfriends.
Japan: Cat Day Round-up
Feb 22 is Japanese Cat Day and Mari has a round-up with links to cat photos and paintings.
Japan: Laughometer
Pink Tentacle introduces a new tool to measure laughter with “aH”.
Turkmenistan: Either Gas or Human Rights
Maciula writes about the European Parliament’s rejection of the trade agreement with Turkmenistan, concluding that if the West wants to buy Turkmen gas then it cannot exert pressure on Ashgabat for improved human rights.
Turkmenistan: TV Appearance with Consequences
CXW reports that a cockroach’s five minutes of fame led to the sacking of 30 people from Turkmen State Television and raises questions about the future of TV in the country.
Uzbekistan: Controversy over Prime Minister
Libertad writes about the divergence of information in online media concerning the status of prime minister of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirzieyev.
Kazakhstan: The State Will Continue to Rise
KZBlog reports that Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Massimov assured the cabinet of ministers that work to renegotiate contracts with foreign investors will continue and that abrogations will be made on new contracts.
China and Taiwan: Urban Noise Hierarchy
Laowiseass lists out his experience of urban noise hierarchy in Chinese society, both in China and Taiwan.
Tajikistan: Unrest in Garm, Authorities vs. Opposition
Ian follow-ups on the story of the firefight between ex-opposition members and the Tajik special forces. The government’s version claims the riot police was visiting the town of Garm for a conference and was attacked by the criminals, while another side of the conflict, insists that police attacked an opposition...
Afghanistan: Refugees Urge BBC to Take Action
Mohammad posts an open letter of independent writers, journalists, student associations, human rights activists and Afghanistani Diaspora living in the UK to the head of BBC, raising concerns about the recent restrictions introduced by the Afghani Minister of Culture on the use of Farsi language terminology by media in Afghanistan.
Taiwan: Photo Talks
A new website called veryXD is becoming very popular in Taiwan. Visitors are encourage to write caption for the photos and share with others.
Afghanistan: Imagine art after
Sanjar tells about “Imagine art after” project, uniting artists who originate from the same country but who are now geographically and politically separated. At the exhibition, shown earlier this year at the Tate Gallery in London, two Aghanistani artists were paired together – Rahraw Amarzad (living in Kabul) and Shapur...
Hong Kong: The Death of a Bookseller
Law Chi Wah, a well known independent book store owner in Hong Kong, was killed by the collapsing book boxes in his small warehouse before Lunar New Years. His body was found two weeks later, already rotten. Douban (zh) has set up a special page for this book martyr. His...
Tajikistan: Energy Crisis Is Not Enough to Lose Patience
The continuing energy crisis is, probably, the worst problem that Tajikistan ever faced since the end of civil war. Neweurasia reports that most of the population is barely surviving this winter – the harshest in several decades – against the background of constant blackouts. The situation is even more desperate...
Paraguay: Yellow Fever Scare Causing Long Lines
Cases of Yellow Fever have been confirmed in Paraguay, which has caused at least 8 confirmed deaths. This situation is generating a mass panic among the population and long lines are observed in front of health institutions. However, not everybody is so lucky to get vaccinated since there are not enough vaccines left. Here is what some bloggers are saying about the Yellow Fever scare in Paraguay:
Uruguay: Public Smoking Ban, One Year Later
It has been two years since the ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces in Uruguay, and Federico Bertolini of Rincón del Berto [es] writes about some of the conclusions. In the 3,040 inspections, there have only been 70 fines.
Argentina: Bariloche Offline
The city of Bariloche, Argentina was disconnected from the internet for two days. That is what happens, “when the only monopolistic internet provider is down. There is no contigency plan,” writes Fabio.com.ar [es]
