Archive for
May 7th, 2007
Stories
Estonia: On Food (and Peace)
The buzz surrounding Tallinn's Bronze Soldier is gradually subsiding, but it is still too early to speak of peace: Estonia's police are preparing for possible unrest on May 9, pro-Kremlin youth groups are still marching in Moscow, and politicians as well as bloggers continue arguing about the situation.
While the previous Global Voices translation dealt with the violent events of April 26, below is a completely amicable entry, written on May 3 by Tallinn-based LJ user orang-m (RUS):
On food
I've been shooting at the Best Estonian Product exhibition today.
While they were all away at the conference hall, I wandered around expo tables laid with food.
We've got some very beautiful and delicious products: grilled sausages with wondrous sauces, and kholodets [jellied meat], and various meat creations, and puddings, and zephir [sweets], and cheese breads, […], and juices, and marzipans.
When I was done shooting it all, I sat down in the corner on a window sill, chewing on a sausage.
A woman in her 60s, dressed in [Estonian] national dress, came up to me: a consultant on meat products.
We chatted about various tasty recipes.
Then she heard me speaking on the phone, in Russian.
She said: “Look, I'll feed you now. Because they'll all come running here during the break, and there'll be nothing left for you.”
She spoke in Russian to me, even though we communicated in Estonian before that.
And - she filled me up with food.
It is really very tasty what we are producing here.
Why am I writing all this.
Any mess begins inside one's head.
When a person sees others as enemies - he is the one who's got problems.
And no doctor is going to help him.
Why is it that I only run into good people, huh?
And here is one of the comments to this post:
ulixes: I keep wanting to write something nice and encouraging to you these days. But it's you who ends up writing encouraging things. Thank you.
[Mir] (both peace and world [these two translations of the Russian word mir are written in English in the original]) is built on this very thing - human relations. One person's attitude toward the other and vice versa, that is :) And suddenly this [world/peace] is crashed with that huge thing called “state politics” - and one starts feeling like a helpless idiot. But then I read your posts and realize that all is okay, the [world/peace] is still there, and so are the relations between people. Take care of yourself, all of you over there.
***
LJ user kocmoc has posted photos from the Bronze Soldier's new location at Tallinn's military cemetery - here.
Colombia: Uribe's Bittersweet Visit to Washington
On 2 May, Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez started a three-day visit to Washington, seeking support for Plan Colombia and the Free Trade Agreement's approval in U. S. Congress. But he wasn't really that welcomed. On the first day, Uribe came across dozens of demonstrators outside the American Center for Progress. He wanted to “discuss” issues with them… an attitude quite different than the one he holds towards the opposition in his own country. The same man, who said he’d be a “guerrilla man” and a “paramilitary” with a gun, not a mediocre one, all the same week, was called by the demonstrators an ‘assasin', accusing him of being responsible for the deaths of around 400 union leaders in Colombia.
Tefiloca, writing in a blog called Analisis de la interpretacion en RCN noticias [ES] devoted to criticize Colombian network RCN, (which some call the Fox News tropical equivalent), says:
Lo “mejor de todo” es que la periodista si se puede llamar así, porque ultimamente solamente aparece como presentadora, Vicky Dávila hace el comentario de que aparentemente los exiliados colombianos tienen una mala informacion de nuestro país. Dando a entender que en Colombia vivimos en un paraiso y que aquí no sucede nada.
The “best of all” is that the so-called journalist, because she’s lately appearing only as a presenter, Vicky Dávila makes this comment that apparently Colombian expatriates have bad information on our country, giving to understand that we in Colombia live in a paradise and that nothing happens.
In contrast, a blogger signing as Editorial at Con Ojos de Estudiante [ES]stands favorable to the democratically elected president:
El duro día del Presidente Uribe también incluyó una débil manifestación que ofrecieron unos cuantos mojigatos afuera del Centro Americano para Progreso. Como se acostumbra, nuestro honorable Presidente Uribe decidió enfrentarlos para ver si sus críticas tenían algo de fundamento pues alegaban la muerte de centenares de sindicalistas desde principio de la década de 1991. Al preguntársele, los infames manifestantes no tenían la menor idea de lo que estaban hablando. Parece ser que una vez más la oposición internacional habla sin fundamento. Es el deber del gobierno y del país entero, hacer saber cuál es la realidad que vive nuestro país ensangrentado por la violencia de una minoría. No es la primera vez que pasa, sucedió la semana pasada también en el fallido encuentro con el cuasipolítico-actor de Gore. Lo mismo sucede con cientos de ONG internacionales que dicen apoyar la causa ‘revolucionaria’ de las FARC y mostrar un retrato del Ché, pensando que están de acuerdo con su filosofía por que se vieron “Motorcycle Diaries”.
President’s tough day also included a weak demonstration offered by some prudes outside the American Center for Progress. As usual, our honorable President decided to face them to see if their criticisms had any basis because they were alleging responsibility in the death of hundreds of unionists since the early 1990s. When he asked (them), the infamous demonstrators had no idea of what they were talking about. It seems that again the international opposition speaks with unfounded allegations. The government and the entire country must make known about the reality in which our country lives, bloodstained by the violence of a minority. It’s not the first time this happens, it occurred last week during the failed meeting with the quasi-politician-actor [Al] Gore. The same happens with hundreds of international ONGs who claim to support the FARC’s ‘revolutionary’ cause and show a portrait of Ché [Guevara], thinking they agree with his philosophy because they watched “Motorcycle Diaries”.
On 3 May, Uribe met U. S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic Congresspeople, trying to discuss the FTA. Instead, Ms. Pelosi asked about prosecution for military allegedly involved with paramilitaries:
It is essential that the Colombian government investigate and prosecute such officials, including those at high levels. Those within Colombia who are calling for full disclosure about paramilitary influence should be commended for their constructive efforts to build a stronger democracy.
Journalist and blogger Felipe Zuleta writes [ES] that “in the United States the impertinent ‘arriero' provides no results, he can go with that boastful manner of speaking to some other place” and asks his readers whether the paramilitary chiefs are going to be extradited (they haven't been extradited thanks to the Justice and Peace Law).
Meanwhile, Colombia mainstream media seems to try to minimize the negative results of Uribe's visit by publishing a poll claiming that Uribe is even more popular than before (75%), and that opposition senator Gustavo Petro's negative image actually soared. The controversy is served. Zuleta slams the media [ES] for ‘covering up' the ‘disastrous' Uribe's visit to Washington, says Colombian journalism. It “is a shame” and asked the citizens to access the blogs and denounce. In a comment [ES], o-lu from Sociología para novatos [ES], which has dealt with the poll issue, claiming that Gallup polls are inaccurate because they are made by phone in a country where only 54% of the homes have a telephone line, says:
El manejo de Jorge Londoño de esta encuesta confirma la impresion de que el hombre tiene un sesgo previo. En efecto, el encuestador hace coincidir la fecha de aparicion de sus resultados […] con el dia D para Uribe en el Congreso de USA, donde como bien sabemos -pese a que algunos medios de comunicacion NO informaron- le fue muy mal. Esto le da pretexto a los mismos medios para enredar la noticia de USA, que es la importante. Mientras la independencia politica de este encuestador en particular siga siendo tan cuestionable, sera dificil tomar esos resultados como datos fiables.
The way Jorge Londoño (president of pollster Invamer-Gallup) manipulates this poll confirms the impression that this man is biased. Actually, the pollster makes the results' publishing date to match […] with Uribe's D-day in U. S. Congress, where as we all know, despite what some mainstream media DID NOT report, the visit went really poor. This gives the media a pretext to complicate the U. S. news, which is the important one. As long as this pollster's political independence remains so questionable, it will be hard to take these results as reliable data.
Camilo Galán, from leftist Colombia Hoy [ES] blog, remarks that:
Nunca en la historia reciente de Colombia habíamos visto a un Presidente de la República presentarse ante un grupo de congresistas de una potencia extranjera para dar explicaciones. La reunión con Pelosi y sus compañeros de bancada, más que un dialogo constructivo, como se quiere presentar en Colombia, fue un interrogatorio al presidente colombiano sobre la parapolítica. […] Una cosa es el lobby y otra muy diferente es pisotear la dignidad presidencial. A ese tipo de situaciones no se puede prestar un presidente. […] Una vez más Uribe nos ha demostrado que la soberanía de Colombia hoy está en otro lugar. El presidente colombiano no le da explicaciones satisfactorias a los colombianos, pero sí se las da a los congresistas de los Estados Unidos. Uribe irrespeta a la prensa colombiana, pero es diligente con la de los Estados Unidos. Uribe irrespeta a la oposición legítima de Colombia, pero es “suavecito” y genuflexo con el partido de oposición de los Estados Unidos.
Never in Colombia's recent history have we seen a President of the Republic to turn up before a foreign power's Congressional group in order to give them explanations. The meeting with Pelosi and her fellow Democrat congresspeople, which was more than a constructive dialogue, as it's being presented in Colombia, was an interrogation for the Colombian president on the parapolitical scandal. […] One thing is to lobby and it is another different thing to stomp on presidential dignity. […] Once again Uribe has shown that Colombia's sovereignity is somewhere else. Colombian president gives no satisfactory explanations to Colombian people, but he does give them to U. S. Congresspeople. Uribe is disrespectful to Colombian press, but is diligent with U. S. media. Uribe is disrespectful to legitimate opposition in Colombia, but is “soft” and knelt down with U. S. opposition party.
Julio Suárez Anturi entitles his post “Uribe [came back] with his hands empty [ES]” and tells us about a interview with CNN en Español's Ángela Patricia Janiot which was finally cancelled. The quote is from Ms. Janiot, who said that in the report on Uribe's visit. Colombia leader told [ES] journalists that he'd talk with “all 535 U. S. Congresspeople if necessary” in order to achieve FTA's approval, and he will be back in June to insist on it, in spite Bush's support.
Pakistan: Blog-o-comments
Like phoenix rising from the ashes, I return renewed, refreshed and rejuvenated into a new, enthused blogger self. Actually, that is a slight exaggeration, it is more like panic rising from a crisis, I return depleted, drained and depressed added to my existing procrastinating blogger self. Not wanting to disappoint my legion of admirers from around the world (it could happen!), I write this insightful post not just to highlight the riches from the Pakistani blogosphere but to give something back to my fans that have given me so much (anonymous insults, veiled threats and colourfully worded hate mails) over the years.
In this post, I shall be revealing my successful techniques and etiquette for commenting on blogs. But before I get into that, Glass House details the recent blatant censorship incident in Pakistan.
Confronted by the sight of thousands of Punjabis hailing the arrival of the Chief Justice apparently proved to be too much for the Establishment – Aaj, both channels of ARY and all three channels of Geo suddenly disappeared off our screens.
On reading a uniquely enjoyable and well written blog post, it is imperative that one must shower the author with praise in order to encourage the blogger to remain committed to producing excellent content. For female bloggers (between the ages of 20 to 40), I prefer to comment thus, “I love you and I think we should start a family, immediately!” For all other bloggers, I comment, “Oh, c'mon, you can do better than that!”
Teeth Maestro, puts the blame squarely on the shoulders of MQM for the TV censorship.
For posts that one considers ‘average', it is considered good blog manners to comment on the content and give constructive feedback to the blogger to improve his/her writing skills. I choose to be subtle when commenting on such posts; “Try a photoblog next time, Shakespeare!”
Fountainhead expertly pens his latest piece on the situation in the Middle East.
Unless pulled back, the world is now at the very brink of entering one grizzly global battle. The battle ground is the Middle East. And the two chief adversaries in this upcoming battle are the Muslims and the Western forces marshaled by the Zionist Jews.
Raza Rumi delves into Pakistan's past to highlight Kafka-esque moments in the country's history.
On occasion, one encounters a blog post that is so below par that it results in headache and nausea even upon a brief perusal. For such posts, it is still proper etiquette to point out the shortcomings to the blogger in a polite, appropriate manner. I prefer, “You are dumber than an opossum's IQ. Perhaps you should consider giving up blogging and take up a career at Fox News.”
Finally, I'd like to highlight my recent post about a Pakistani play that was banned by the government. After reading this post, the only appropriate comment you should post is, “Wow! That was such an insightful and interesting article that I'd like to immediately wire transfer large sums of money to your personal bank account.”
Morocco: Linguistics, Music Videos, and the Merits of Hymenorrhaphy
Arabic music videos became the hot topic of the week when blogger Cat in Rabat became ill and was forced to watch TV for a few days. She wrote a fantastic critique of the Lebanese and Egyptian style of video clip entitled “How to Become a Millionaire.”
Upon discovering the videos, Cat in Rabat said “Never in my life had I witnessed such visually stunning, ground breaking works of art, each video a bare-souled musical labyrinth of complex subtleties, subtle complexities, and raw human emotion that explored the human condition as no other genre had previously attempted. Was Peter Gabriel somehow behind these?” She then summarized the general format that all Arabic music videos seem to follow.
Blogger Cory Driver, an American who lives in Morocco, shared a secret in response: “I love Arabic music videos. we're talking more than like. LOVE. they help me learn Arabic, and it's another part of culture I can share with some of my artisans.”
Also related to languages, Everything Morocco blogged about the languages of Morocco this week in a post called “In Morocco you say what?” The linguistic history and use of various languages is discussed, with Everything Morocco concluding:
Maybe it's their history or the way their brains work or just a need to communicate, but Moroccans seem predisposed to picking up multiple languages and using them freely. They don't harbor the language prejudices or pride so commonly seen in other cultures and are more than willing to be the one to facilitate communication. It all gives new meaning to the expression finding someone who speaks your language.
After reading a post in Marock Magazine, a popular Moroccan online forum that asked “Accepteriez vous se marier avec une meuf non vierge?” (”Would you marry a woman who is not a virgin?”) to which 74% of respondents gave a positive answer, it was surprising to find a post by Myrtus entitled “The Need to Have One's Hymen Resewn.”
Responding to a Reuters article which discusses the choice of a 19-year-old Moroccan woman to have her hymen reconstructed, Myrtus asks: “Wow, there are backroom hymen-attachment clinics in Casablanca?? And let's face it, it's youth who get this procedure done. I mean, who looks for a 40-yr. old virgin? So now let's ask ourselves … how many options do young women and teens have?”
The Morocco Report's taamarbuuta agreed with Myrtus, saying, “I’m sure you can guess my opinion on this, but just in case…I find it absolutely absurd that a woman must risk her life in an illegal clinic just so that her future husband’s masculinity and ego can get a little boost when he makes love to her for the first time and finds that she has bled (but in this case, because unhygienic string sutures have been ripped from her vagina).”
Lastly, and also in the vein of the Moroccan medical profession, The View From Fez posted a heart warming article praising Moroccan doctors for their quick response and gentle care of a friend who was recently ill. The author says, “It is worth reflecting that in a lot of so-called developed countries he could well have died while waiting for medical assistance.”
Arabeyes: Muslim Evangelists; Somali Poets; Death on Amman's Roads and More
Today's round up of Arabic language blogs takes us to the United Arab Emirates, where a Muslim blogger gets an email from Africa urging him to embrace Islam and then to Somalia, where we get to learn a bit about Somalian poets. We also make stops in Jordan, where the death toll from road accidents equals the loss of life in a civil war; in Algeria, where a blogger wonders about the absence of a Moroccan blogger; and finally in Morocco, where we hear straight from the horse's mouth why he isn't ‘that' keen on blogging any more.
Muslim Conversions
Emirates-based blogger Ben Kerishan received an email calling him to embrace true Islam. So far so good. The only catch is that the blogger is already Muslim and the call comes from the depth of Africa.
It is obvious that Ben Kerishan isn't taking this evangelistic approach lightly and takes us through examples of how the practise is widespread in the oil rich countries in the Gulf region.
He also recalls an example he experienced himself and vents some of his feelings.
Somalia's Poets
From the UAE, we move to Somalia, where Mohammed Al Amin Mohammed Al Hadi briefs us about poetry and poets in his country.
Death on Wheels
Away from poetry and poets, we move to Jordan, where blogger Batir Wardam laments the daily carnage on Jordan's streets.
حوادث السير هي ثاني سبب للموت في الأردن بعد الأمراض القلبية، وهي في الواقع أكثر أهمية من كل السجالات السياسية والثقافية والاقتصادية التي تملأ حياتنا ووسائل الإعلام، ولا بد من شن حملة توعية وعقوبات قوية جدا للحد من هذه المخاطر.
هناك حادث سير واحد يتم التبليغ عنه كل 5 دقائق، ومواطن يقتل في حادث سير كل 10 ساعات، وخمسة أطفال يموتون أسبوعيا. في العام الماضي تم تسجيل 98 ألف حادث نجمت عنها 885 حالة وفاة بعد زيادة مقدارها 17% في عدد المركبات في الأردن في العام الماضي وحده لتصل إلى 800 ألف مركبة لشعب يتكون من 5 ملايين مواطن ومليون زائر
Wardam calls for a serious clampdown on this road menace, regardless of whether those who break the rules enjoy tribal or social immunity.
Missing Blogger
From Algeria, blogger Essam Hamoud is concerned that Moroccan blogger Mohammed Saeed Hjiouij has been missing from the action in the Arabic blogosphere.
احجيوج غائب عنا منذ مدة.. والسبب انشغلات الحياة اليومية العادية..
سبب غير منطقي بالنسبة لي..
اظنه نوع من الملل والسأم من التدوين.. أو أسبابًا أخرى خارجة عن النطاق
هل توافقونني؟
Calling for Cooperation from Bloggers
Hjiouij takes the cue and makes a come back, explaining why is he away from blogging.
صحيح أن المرصد لن يكون له في الفترة القريبة أي سلطة تنفيذية، غير أن أهميته كوسيط إخباري لا يجب الاستهانة بها.
مثلا، قبل يومين تعرضت مدونة محمد ملياني للحجب داخل السعودية. قد يكون الحجب بسبب خطأ تقني فقط. غير أن ردود الفعل من المدونين السعوديين كانت متعددة وفورية. لكن ولا واحد منهم، وبعضهم يعرف بأمر المرصد، اتصل بالمرصد ليعلمه بالخبر!
المرصد لن يكون يومًا وصيًا على المدونين، بأي شكل من الأشكال. وتجاهل الاهتمام به، كوسيط إخباري، من طرف المدونين، يجعل جهدي، وربما جهد جحا.كم كذلك ومساهمات محمد الأمين وعصام حمود، مجرد جهد ضائع لا أثر له ولا فائد
Predictable Politics - Not Much Happening in Armenian Parliament Pre-Election Campaign
“Less then a week to go” for the elections, says Onnik Krikoryan finding himself sitting in a restaurant with other foreign journalists, “Nobody is expecting post-election street protests to achieve anything if only because the opposition is divided”, and also because the people attending the “impressive rally in Liberty Square last week” are middle aged people and pensioners - you just don’t do revolutions with those people.
ICHD blog (am) is literally disgusted by how predictable these elections are going laying out the scenario of just how everything will look in Armenia on May 13, 2007 - the day after elections:
Rulling elite: a couple of cosmetic changes []
TV: soap opera; soap opera; news: a couple of reports on official meetings and news from abroad; some scare movie
Public life: troubled faces thinking of making a living[] …and slumber: steady and absorbing.
“Not much happening” says Notes from Hairenik, “political climate is pretty boring” - and gives an account of what the biggest Pro-Government parties are up to:
The Republican Party of Armenia is being very arrogant in its confidence that it will by far win the majority of seats. Prosperous Armenia also feels it will win a sizable share, but seems to be more humble in its claims as its leader, Gagik Tsarukian, who is arguably the richest man in Armenia, is a fairly down-to-earth guy. []The ARF-Dashnaktsutiun had another rally yesterday in front of Moscow Cinema claiming that it promises to raise the minimum wage and the average monthly pension…
Oneworld Multimedia is of course much more eloquent on reporting the elections, covering all sides of the political spectrum with stunning photos and commentary, although I don’t think all these boring talking heads of different parties are worth any of Onnik’s efforts. Some of the recent campaign trails covered by the blogger are On The Campaign Trail — Heritage [party] - about which Onnik says “Given the small number of people in attendance it’s hard to believe that Raffi Hovannisian or Heritage could become the controlling party in the National Assembly after 12 May”; On The Campaign Trail — Republican Party - where the blogger notes, that “as the 12 May poll draws ever closer, we’re still not sure as to the real level of support for the ruling party in Armenia with some polls indicating it might be as high as 34 percent, while others say 13 percent”; Radical Opposition Rally Attracts Thousands - remarking about this joint rally of Impeachment block, Republic and New Times parties: “RFE/RL says that the event, held to prepare opponents of the government for post-election street protests, was the largest held by any party to date”. This last rally surely did attract a lot more attention also from other bloggers, some sounding exalted like Aramazd(am), some unimpressed like the freedomfight777(am) and E-channel(am).
Joint Opposition Campaign Rally, Liberty Square, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia for EurasiaNet 2007
So, here’s the last, but not least from Oneworld Multimedia campaign trails: Thousands Attend Another Opposition Rally - about the “Orinats Yerkir” party, which calls itself opposition, and about which Onnik Krikoryan has a lot of kind words:
Although many opposition and civil society activists dislike him, the party led by former National Assembly Speaker Artur Baghdasarian managed to attract thousands.
More significantly and unlike those opposition parties calling for revolution instead of trying to campaign, most of those attending were young.
Probably it is the only genuine pro-Western political party in Armenia.
Well, looks like even the recent spy scandal didn’t hurt Orinats Yerkir. The last word belongs to the voters: May 12, 2007 - is the deadline and let the best win.
Links for Mon, 2007-05
EBRmx [ES] posts a picture of the recent photo shoot that drew 18,000 nude individuals to Mexico City's main square to participate in Spencer Tunick's work of art. Veronique writes about her firsthand experience in the photo shoot in her blog Que alguien me explique [ES].
Bloggings by Boz links to a recent poll conducted by Semana Magazine and Ipsos, which focused mainly on questions revolving around the paramilitary scandal in Colombia and the relationship with President Alvaro Uribe.
Miguel Centellas, formerly of Ciao!, has started a new blog called Pronto*. In his most recent entry, the political scientist is encouraged by negotiations between the opposition and government party around the autonomy issue, but still stands opposed to a proposal for a runoff election for president. He explains why in his update.
Apunta la Placa Plis [ES] is excited about Art Week in Lima that begins on May 7th. In addition to lectures, art exhibits, and concerts, the best part is that all activities are all free.
IT Buda [ES] links to a recent New York Times article about the substitution of “El Guayacolato” in commonly-found medicines, which led to the deaths of close to 400 Panamanians. The Panama Investor Blog writes that earlier many were concerned that these deaths were caused by a rare virus, but now it is becoming apparent that they are due to this counterfeit ingredient.
The Panama Report describes and provides pictures of the 1000 Polleras Festival that takes place on Calle 50 where “(it) might resemble Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade after sniffing one too many whip cream canisters”
Natalia Antonova posts a wonderful tribute to her grandmother on her 80th birthday: “[…] My grandmother and my grandfather knew the meaning of devotion. When I was learning how to talk, I called my grandmother “Tolechka,” because it was the word that she said most often, the word that was an affectionate diminutive for my grandfather’s name. […]”
etcetera on “home”coming. From New York to Madras. “On my first day back, a houseful of relatives encourage me to go take a ‘nap’ at 5 in the evening. I wake up a little after midnight, and for about 15 seconds, I feel how wild party animals probably feel like all the time. 15 seconds is how long it takes me to answer those vital questions: Whose bed is this? Who’s the other sleeping figure in the room? What country am I in?”
Sunny Days is puzzled by someone who scraps telling her that married women shouldn't be on Orkut. “What could I say? I pointed out that people who wished to stay anonymous really have no place in a networking site. I know a whole bunch of people who use pseudonyms, but they usually identify themselves with a pic, at least in their albums. A networking site is for keeping in touch with your friends, or so I always believed. Maybe make new ones. But I suppose a whole bunch of clowns out there sincerely believe it's a place to find women willing to participate in cybersex.”
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