Stories from 1 August 2010
India: Stereotyping The Middle Class
Anirban at It's A Miracle stereotypes the Indian middle class in 15 points.
Taiwan: Dolphin surviving after entanglement
The Taiwan pink dolphin known as TW-36 was entangled in a rope in September 2008. Save the Taiwan Humpback Dolphins reports the dolphin has recently been sighted again and is free of the entangling rope.
Taiwan: Problems for bicycle commuters
OzSoapBox gives seven reasons why bicycle commuting doesn't work in Taiwan.
USA: Debating Essence Magazine Hire of Ellianna Placas, First White Director
On Jul 19, Essence, America’s premiere black women’s magazine and a media institution, announced that it has named Ellianna Placas as its new Fashion Director. Placas is a renown fashion editor, she is also the first white woman to be hired at this position. Bloggers debate the social and cultural implications of the hire.
Russia: Photos from Opposition Rally in Moscow
LJ user zyalt published the pictures [RUS] from the opposition rally in Moscow that happened on July 31.
Russia: Influential Internet Company Plans to Go Public
Digital Sky Technologies, an influential Russian Internet company that recently bought ICQ from AOL, plans to start selling 25 percent of its shares to the public in 2011. This can create a precedent for other Russian Internet firms that remain mostly private, The Moscow Times reports [ENG].
Thailand: Comment on Thailand politics
Tony Hedges comments on Thai political crisis. He compares Thailand to an “Isaan house, on stilts, with a huge hole in the floor. Everyone knows there is a hole in the floor, but they generally walk around it giving it a wide berth.”
Indonesia: “Social networks as the fifth estate”
Unspun links to an article published at futuregov where a commissioner of the Indonesian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority was quoted as saying that social networks are Indonesia's fifth estate.
Indonesia: Gossip shows and sex change declared forbidden
Indonesia's highest state sponsored Muslim clerical organisation, the Majelis Ulama Indonesia, has issued a fatwa (ruling) declaring gossip shows and sex change operations as haram or forbidden. The government is not obliged to apply the fatwa into law.
Indonesia: Absentee legislators
Multibrand wants absentee legislators in Indonesia to be investigated after the publication of a report about the declining attendance in the House of Representatives.
Nigeria: ICT and the Nigerian film industry
Ethan blogs about a workshop on ICT and the Nigerian film industry: “(I asked a set of Ghanaian friends about online piracy and Ghallywood films – were they using BitTorrent to download films? They laughed at me – while the level of net connectivity in Ghana is generally higher than...
Uganda: The Glorious Rwenzori Mountains
Kabozi writes about the Rwenzoris mountains in Uganda: “They are also often referred to as the mountains of the moon…I hope I kindle more interest in this mountin range, one I have promised myself to climb….before global warming wipes out the ice cap.”
Japan: JET Program in danger of being cut
Amidst cost-cutting pressure, the government-run JET (Japan Exchange & Teaching) Program is in danger of being cut. Many JET alumni are speaking up, such as Bahia, who explains how the program provides essential foreign exposure and helps improve English proficiency. The Jetwit site provides background details. The 23 year old...
Africa: 5 Things You Did Not Know About Africa
A list of 5 Things You Did Not Know About Africa by Tolu Ogunlesi: “When Western tourists talk about Africa somehow it seems to me that what they really mean is East and Southern Africa, places like Namibia and Kenya and Botswana and parts of Uganda where you will find...
Zambia: Comments on Draft Constitution 2010
The zambian National Constitution Conference is consulting the public on the Draft Constitution 2010. Zambian Economist blog has a special page of public comments on the document.
China: Sex workers demand legalization, organizer detained
If prostitution doesn't violate contemporary cultural norms, sex activists argue, then why doesn't the law reflect as much? Just a few days after a group in central China took to the street to gather support in a fight for social status for sex workers, the organizer has been detained by police.
Japan: Is it wrong to climb Mount Fuji empty-handed?
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it matter if it made a sound or not when the tree was doing its own thing? A Japanese blogger ponders mountains, morals, and messages in a Japanese post titled "Is it wrong to climb Mount Fuji empty-handed?"
Russia: Towns and Villages on Fire
Hundreds of forest and peat fires are raging across central Russia. The organization of the firefighting effort has been inadequate in many cases, and local residents often choose to self-mobilize and defend nearby towns and villages with whatever means they happen to have at their disposal.
