30 August 2009

Stories from 30 August 2009

Israel: Social Media Advances Jewish Identity

How can social media enhance identity? eJewishPhilanthropy reports: “For a people who have fretted over a loss of identity for generation after generation… innovations like Twitter and Facebook are nothing...

30 August 2009

Israel: When Translations Go Wrong

Literal translations aren't always your best bet when moving between Hebrew and English, explains How to Be Israeli. She writes that the movie title “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?” which...

30 August 2009

Israel: Hollywood in the Holy Land

September is a major month for Hollywood in the Holy Land. Israel will welcome Madonna, Leonard Cohen, Faith No More, Julio Iglesias, MGMT, and Dinosaur Jr. Both Madonna and Cohen's...

30 August 2009

Hungary: St. Stephen

Hungarian Spectrum writes: “Because there are so many references to St. Stephen nowadays in Hungary I thought I ought to write a post on what ‘Hungary’ looked liked in his...

30 August 2009

East Timor: “Happy Day” of freedom vote

Timorese bloggers have celebrated the 10th anniversary of the popular referendum which led to the territory's formal independence. One commemorates the "happy day", another recalls his determination to drive out the Indonesian military occupiers, and yet another uses the day to question the current moment in Timor.

30 August 2009

Bahrain: One Ramadan and One Eid

The beginning of the holy month of Ramadan depends on the actual sighting of the new moon, resulting in different dates for its start among the various Muslim sects. This year Sunnis and Shi'ites in Bahrain kicked off the month on the same day - and one blogger celebrates this rare unity.

30 August 2009

Ecuador: All Aboard the Trolley Bus

The trolley bus system in Quito, Ecuador has been helping to alleviate traffic congestion. A recent experiment invited the city's twitterers to submit live news about riding on this form of public transportation.

30 August 2009

Arab World: Welcoming Ramadan

Ramadan is an important month in the Muslim calendar. Bloggers writing in Arabic celebrate the month, already in its first week, in this post, where we share some of the artistic creations used to greet their readers on the month.

30 August 2009