Stories from 21 August 2008
Japan: Ikeda on Everything is Miscellaneous
Well-known Japanese blogger Nobuo Ikeda (池田信夫) reviews [ja] the recently released translation of David Weinberger's book “Everything is Miscellaneous” (インターネットはいかに知の秩序を変えるか?), translated to Japanese by Rei Kasiwano (柏野零).
Mexico: Videos raise awareness of kidnapping crisis
Mexico has seen a steep rise in kidnapping for ransom cases this year, and a group of videobloggers have decided to take a stand and make videos proposing solutions for this problem. According to the Analisis a Fondo blog, according to the Dutch NGO Pax Christi and local authorities, Mexico has surpassed Colombia in the number of kidnappings, which take place mostly in the capital and neighboring areas.
Georgia, Russia: The Names of the Dead
An ongoing initiative (RUS) to compile a list of “those who died in the war of 2008, whose names are found on the web” – by LJ user hunu: “The list is incomplete, of course. […] I've placed the names of the dead on the same page – of civilians...
Mexico: Attempt to Close Radio Ñomndaa
Notilibertas [es] posts a video about the attempt by federal police to close Radio Ñomndaa, an indigenous radio station in Guerrero, Mexico.
Colombia: Narcotours in Medellín
In Medellín, Colombia, “narco”-tours are being offered for foreigners to visit sites associated with the drug trafficker Pablo Escobar, writes Jorge Gobbi of Blog de Viajes [es].
Chile: Campaign Propaganda Out of Season
Elections are fast approaching in Chile, and Marcelo Aliaga of Bloggeando La Vida [es] is noticing the ways that candidates are getting around the regulations for the dates in which campaign propaganda is allowed.
Uruguay: 2nd Ceibal Jam for the XO Laptop
Pablo Flores announces the 2nd Ceibal Jam in Montevideo, Uruguay [es], which is an informal get-together of programmers in order to develop open-source applications for the XO laptops.
Nepal: New government, new challenges
Bhupendra Khanal has some suggestions for the new Nepali government in United We Blog.
India and Olympics
“Could India host an impressive Olympics?” asks mbjesq in Desicritics blog.
Bangladesh: Shab-E-Barat festivities
Dhaka Dweller Shahnaz describes how the Muslim ritual Shab-E-Barat (night of forgiveness) is celebrated in Bangladesh and posts pictures and narratives of the traditional food culture it entails.
Latvia: Soviet Murals
Three photos of Soviet-time murals in Latvia – at Arnis Balcus’ Photo Blog.
Czech Republic: “Memories of the Russian Invaders”
“Memories of the Russian Invaders” – at The Czech Daily Word.
Russia, Georgia: Oil and War
Window on Eurasia writes about the oil factor in the Russian-Georgian conflict.
Russia: Three Anniversaries
Window on Eurasia writes about “the lessons of three anniversaries”: “Today is the 10th anniversary of Russia’s default on its international financial obligations and the 17th anniversary of the launch of the failed coup against Mikhail Gorbachev that precipitated the end of the Soviet Union, and tomorrow is the 40th...
Georgia: A War Diary
Natalia Antonova links to a war diary by George Lashkhi, commentator on Georgia’s Channel 1, published at GlobalComment.com.
Jordan: Uranium Anybody?
“I just stumbled upon this on Amazon! Believe it or not, you can actually buy some good old radioactive Uranium Ore from Amazon.com. yes, its true,” writes an excited Bakkooz from Jordan.
Egypt: Parliamentary Fire Reactions
People's reactions here are really confusing ... ehm ... and amusing as well. Ok, believe it or not, but some people here were really happy that a fire has destroyed Egypt's iconic Parliamentary building.
Jordan: Ants and Soda
From Jordan, Moey found ants in his soda.
Environmental concerns a priority for Pacific Island bloggers
Outside of denouncing military rule in Fiji, environmental concerns top the agenda as South Pacific leaders gather this week in Alofi, the capital of Nieu.
Kenya: Software developers need support from ICT Board?
Al Kags discusses software development in Kenya. He asks,”Do local software developers need support from ICT board?”
Ghana: Oil exploration with a plan
Sokari writes about plans by the government of Ghana to embark on oil exploration arguing that it looks as if they have learned some lessons from Nigerian and Gabon.
