Global Voices Online

Trinidadian diaspora blogger Jumbie's Watch is unimpressed with an Independent Senator's vote in favour of postponing local government elections, saying: “It is most enlightening to hear her say that the role of the Independents is not to ‘thwart government policy’. Is it then the role of Independents to support government policies? Why be titled as ‘Independent’ then?”

On the heels of a less-than-flattering U.K. documentary on Jamaica, Abeng News Magazine publishes one reader's view “that the Government…consider a few simple precautions before granting foreign nationals the tools needed to damage our fair land”, while including this caveat: “We do not support encumberment of media workers.”

The decline in remittances from Salvadorans living abroad which has been making up 1/6 of the country's economy is a big threat writes Tim Muth.

Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp writes about “bad” words and the art of storytelling.

Signifyin' Guyana writes an I-poem.

LJ user Anton Nossik posts [RUS] a personal reflection on Russian dissident writer, Vasily Aksyonov, who passed away in his Moscow home yesterday.

Ianyan reports on the recording of a song sung in English and Farsi to show solidarity with the Iranian people. The blog notes that joining Jon Bon Jovi for the song is Iranian-Armenian pop star Andy Madadian. Unzipped also covers the release of the song.

Ianyan, a new blog-based e-zine presents its first bi-weekly column, Overheard on the Net, a humorous and irreverent look at how Armenians are often referred to online by others.

Aliza Hausman, better known by her blogging handle “La Jewminica” is the winner of a contest sponsored by the Jewlicious blog that asks readers to respond to the question: “Are you an American Jew or Jewish American?” (The complete responses can be read here.)