Global Voices Online

Get this: “a Turkish percussionist who's a veteran of New York's salsa scene.” Don Ball Carbajal introduces Ayhan Sicimoglu and his fusion of Turkish-Latin rhythms.

Jeff Barry introduces Maria Kodama: “Maria Kodama, the widow of Borges
María Kodama is a well-known figure among porteños but those not familiar with the life of Jorge Luis Borges, who died in 1986 at the age of 86, may be surprised to know that his widow is still very much alive.”

Veteran Argentine blogger Mariano Amartino celebrates five years of Uberbin [ES], waxing nostalgic in geek speak: “with respect to content management systems (while today we fight against comment spam, content thieves, and gurus who sell “respectable” air), Movable Type launched its first version one week before I began blogging; but the “geek option” was blogger with remote publication and the “non-geek” version was Pitas.com.”

My Chronicles... on Islamophobia and America. “Certainly, Muslims have an identity of their own and need to display it just like Christians, Jews, Hindus, etc. To fear Muslims for displaying their symbols and identities is not correct and only creates wrong perceptions of America in the eyes of Muslims.”

Ukraine List links to a Flickr set of photos of Pirogovo, the open-air museum of Ukrainian folk architecture.

“Dog's Own Country?” lists issues that pose challenges in the state of Kerala. “Though Kerala has been able to achieve the standards of developed countries in relation to human development, the physical infrastructure and the manufacturing sector is more or less stagnant. This calls for effective and timely government intervention so as to increase infrastructure which will in turn promote investments in the state.”

United We Blog! on the issues posed by the large scale presence of the Maoist camps all over the country. “In the bizarre scenario of two large armies bubbling inside barracks to explode in a country which doesn’t require one, or if it needs one for something which neither of them can do, the challenges to the people and their leaders are many.”

Ukraine List writes about a Ukrainian folk song that's been Anglicized and become a ubiquitous Christmas song in the West: “Carol of the Bells” aka “Shchedryk.”

indi.ca on inflation in Sri Lanka and how burying money in the backyard is a better investment than saving it in a bank. “In Sri Lanka the surest investment seems to be burying your money in the backyard or putting it on a plane. This month inflation is almost 20%.”