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Thailand: The Question of Democracy

Does general election ensured a truly democratic government? Is it a necessity? Or an election could come down to a level of merely a tool to keep certain people in power?

The answer, when in come to current political crisis in Thailand might be difficult, and it depends on which side are you on.

Simon Saunders over at One Stop Chiang Mai Blog wrote a long post about Thailand's “Growing pains of democracy”

He asked that:

“A year after sweeping to an unprecedented re-election victory Thailand's PM has called a snap election in the face of growing calls for his resignation. So what went wrong?”

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Quo vadis, Philippines?

Connie Veneracion · 13:47 · East Asia

The lifting of Proclamation 1017, or the State of National Emergency, has not done much to quell the political unrest in the Philippines.

Joseph Estrada, the president booted out of office in 2001 after a failed impeachment trial, finally took the witness stand in his trial for plunder. Willie Galang says it is a charade… and madness. He says:

For added showmanship, I won’t be surprised if Estrada flip-flops (again) and suddenly refuse to acknowledge (again) the authority of the court and then “fire” his lawyers (again) just to further stall the trial while he waits and sees if his Magdalo soldiers can spring a surprise and actually manage to win a putsch this time so he can be installed as the leader of a civilian-military junta. (And yes, Cory Aquino and Fidel Ramos can both sit at his right hand. They’re all allies now, I remember?)

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The Lebanese Bloggers This Week: Less Politics, More Diversity

Mustapha · 11:06 · Middle East & North Africa

This week has seen a flurry of varied and interesting posts in the Lebanese Blogosphere. It seems a month of observing the dull and disappointing national dialogue has left the Lebanese bloggers wanting to break away into the realm of more exciting material.
So if you want to know more about the Lebanese Jews and Homosexuals in the Middle East, conspiracy theory taxi drivers, transliterating Arabic into English for SMS, and why the Lebanese in Brazil might be driving down the reading rate, read on.

First, Desmond from A View From A Bar Stool In Beirut gives us an idea on why the Lebanese bloggers are sick and tired of politics:

I seem to have lost interest in any headline or supposed news story - maybe it's just that there is absolutely nothing happening or I'm feeling thoroughly marginalized by the Olympian level of inertia practiced by the ruling class of our fair state.

Another glimpse of desperation from Doha in The Lebanese Bloggers:

I wonder what all these politicians meeting for the n-teenth time around a round table dubbed a national dialogue do for a living. Really? Have we ever asked ourselves this question. They have so much spare time on them, so much time, to schedule a meeting after another that garners absolutely no tangible results.

No wonder everyone is looking elsewhere for more “fun” stuff. Take Jamal from Jamal’s Propaganda Site. He writes about the wild imagination and fickle character of Lebanese taxi drivers:

I rode with the improvisational poetry champion on “Almumayazoun”, another time I had a driver fall asleep at the wheel. Of course there is the regular fight on where the drop off point is. Also, always be ready for the indecisive driver who tells you to get in and then changes his mind half way to your destination and just tells you to get out.

Jamal also snipes at the Lebanese love for titles in a different post.

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The Magic of Food: A Global Edible Review

Melissa De Leòn Douglass · 10:05 · Middle East & North Africa , East Asia

#1: From the UK, Blog Jam

The traditional pickled pig's feet dish is one of our favorites. Of course you may have at least a dozen good excuses why you "think" you don't like them. Just forget for a moment where they come from, send to the back burner of your imaginary stove the picture of the cute little piggy. Please??? IF they are cleaned and cooked properly they could be an amazing tantalizing and satisfying dish. Pure protein goodness, and with a side of fresh greens or salad it would be an unforgettable delicacy. A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to sample it in a very innovative way prepared by Panamanian Chef Jorge Jurado, he removed the bones and chopped the meat. This was a dish he served at a gourmand's pool party, and to tell you the truth it was a total hit. It was loved to the last bite! Oh yes :)

Now, we are sharing a delicious recipe and thoughts from the UK, to prepare stewed PigsFeet.

Cut the trotters in half, length-ways, at the joints and once at the bone. The idea is to make bite-size pieces you can roll around in your mouth. Wield a very big cleaver (wear goggles to enhance the effect) or have your butcher do it. Rinse & dry trotters to remove bone fragments.

Enjoy!

#2: From New York / Israel, In Mol Araan

Eating While Sleeping discusses the story of Saint Veronica, who practiced various forms of extreme asceticism her whole life and at one point miraculously fasted for five years. During this period, the devil was occasionally seen to take Sister Veronica’s form late at night and pretty much raid the icebox, or whatever the seventeenth-century-icebox-equivalent was, at the Capuchin convent of Città di Castello.

I have often wondered what to make of this detail of Saint Veronica’s biography. It seems likeliest that she had some kind hybrid sleeping and eating disorder very similar to what many folks are suffering now. On the other hand, it may have been that this extraordinarily accomplished and ambitious leader was one of a number of sincere believers who feel that a certain amount of deception is excusable, and even necessary, for the sake of the greater truth.

And on the third hand, maybe it really was the devil.

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African women blogging this week

Sokari Ekine · 06:06 · Sub-Saharan Africa

It is that time of the year for those of us in the Diaspora, long nights and dark days in Europe set the heart and mind to thinking of life at home. Mshairi expresses her homesickness through a poem “Home (Again)”

I want to stand by the shore as graceful
long-necked women with great fish baskets on
heads arms outstretched teach me to rain dance and to draw and
weave bold mystic symbols on walls and cloths I am the wild laughter of
urchins tripping along valleys and hills

In a post entitled “An African Lesson for American Women” Concoction offers some lessons to American women. She explains that in the forth coming Zambian elections a women's NGO “Women for Change” is mobilizing rural women to be active participants and urging them to vote for women.

Their brave and bold argument is that educated or not, women are better managers and it is time that they take charge of political decisions.

Molara Wood's post on women's day ” honouring african women - marie fatayi-williams” is published in the LIFE magazine section of last week's Nigerian Guardian. Congratulations to Molara for an excellent piece on a couragous woman who we also honour today Mother's Day.

Gussaurus also offers a poem, this time in honour of her “best friend's birthday” and motherhood (Mothers Day)

I refuse to conform to any notion of having a hero
But you, my friend, are the closest that I ever come to having one

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL MUMS IN THE WORLD (Especialy YOU that read this blog)

Adefunke on Adefunke comments on the Nigerian census which has been taking place over the last week…There have been reports of violence around the country and Adefunke reports on rumours that a hosue was robbed by people masquerading as census enumerators. She feels it might be untrue due to the area Ikoyi with its high gates and guard dogs…So

Please! Don't be suprised when the population of Lagos state is declared and it is such a ridiculous number there is a nationwide perhaps planet-wide outcry and the census board tells us that the number is so due to the fact that the high and mighty in Ikoyi refused to be counted when one of their number was robbed on day 1 of the census exercise!

Acoustic Motorbike comments on the ongoing rape trial of South Africa's deputy President, Jacob Zuma. Daily demonstrations by mainly women supports of Zuma and the complainant, Khwezi have been taking place outside the courtroom. A survey by a local newspaper came up with some suprising results. The majority of those surveyed were abusive and accused Khwezi of being a liar. Acoustic writes

I cannot believe the misogyny of some women. Have we so bought into the male view of the world that we hate ourselves that deeply? If a black who buys into white domination is dubbed an Uncle Tom, what does one call a woman who buys into male domination? Where are the African feminists? Is there a future for an African women’s movement? Why are we women our own worst enemies?

Pilgrimage to Self talks about her love for books and bookshops.

I compulsively buy books. I love books that are bound beautifully, printed in particular fonts and on thick, luxurious paper and are hardback. All these features catch my eye first before the actual content or the name of the author. As a result of this unconventional approach to buying books, I have a weird and wonderful collection of books sitting on my bookshelves. From books on poetry to meditation to books on French cooking, candle making and more. And don’t even get me going on books whose titles start with ‘1001 ways to…., 21 steps to…, 100 methods of ….,

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