Archive for
November 27th, 2007
Stories
Kuwait: Trips, Travel and More
Kuwaiti blogger continue to blog about their activities, within and outside their country.
Forzaq8 checks out the Kuwait book fair and reports on it as follows:
Well i went there, bought some books, and took some pictures :)
If you are looking for English books there isn’t much there, its mainly Arabic
Q over at Kuwaitism talks about new newspapers in Kuwait. He writes:
There have been several new newspapers in the market. A friend was commenting a couple of days ago about the lack of creativity in their production, basically they all followed each other,
Also, some bloggers are back from GulfRun - some of them with photographs and reports on the car race held in neighbouring Bahrain.
The Stallion from The Stallion’s Stable of Thoughts and Experiences updates us about his road trip to Bahrain.
As most of you already know GulfRun 3 took place last weekend! My older brother and I drove down to Bahrain in my Land Cruiser while towing his trailer that had 300 liters of gasoline, 8 tires, brake pads, oils, fluids, and tools!
Marzouq over at zdistrict
posts (among other posts) about the transportation of cars to participate in GulfRun.
I have to say that I was impressed with the way they were handling things for this whole event, there was a lot taking place and for the return trip they had to prepare a lot especially since going through the Saudi Border is like going through hell for them. They make it as difficult as possible, but the organizers are the only ones handling the cars and not the transporters.
Kuwait Advertiser, meanwhile, introduces us to antique shops in Kuwait.
I was invited by a Kuwaiti friend to one of his friends, who owns an Antique Shop. (Actually he owns four.) I was excited because my wife and I love antiques and have quite a collection at home.
We continue our weekly trip in the Kuwaiti blogosphere with Hellraiser, who is covering his trip on a motorbike on his blog Kuwait to Beirut. He is still in Lebanon but planning to hit the road soon.
In my younger year we used to spend 5 weekends a year in Sannine, the last time we stayed there was prior to the Lebanese war in 1974
Last but not least, Bo9agr has come across a strange find in a local supermarket. He writes:
I saw this in our co-op (jam3iya) , it says Afghani Hashish Oil !! they didn't specify what is it used for, for hair? body? or to inhale??
Syria: A Protest Against Censorship
To crown the two months of rapid internet censorship, last week the Syrian government decided to block Facebook (The popular social network site) and Shabablek, a very popular local forum for young people, among other websites. And it seems that many have had more than enough of this, and calls for immediate action have risen. Many responses came from the blogsphere, and it seems that a plan of action is in the making.
Many of the organizers are bloggers themselves who are fed up with the censorship on all blogspot blogs.
Razan, a key promoter of the campaign, published the first real output on her blog, this petition, that tried to list all the known censored sites in Syria, and was titled “Knowledge is a Right for All People”…
No to blocked of Internet sites in Syria. The most important thing which distinguishes the human being from the rest of living organisms is his private ability to generate and represent knowledge in all its aspects and find appropriate ways to employ them in the service of his life. In spite of various means of conservation and transfer of knowledge through out history, The press and recently the internet from one of the greatest and most forms of containment and transfer of knowledge. And the Internet is the most popular and wide spread mean and it has the ability to interact with people.
In this event page on Facebook, many ideas were put forward:
1- عرض مسرحي لمدة نصف ساحة قبالة البرلمان السوري.
2- تغطية الأفواه بملصق.
3- توزيع ورود على المارة.
4- توزيع دليل توعية بمواقع الحجب على المارة.
5- رفع لافتات تطالب بكف الحجب في سوريا.
6- العثور على صحفيين و قنوات لتغطية الحدث.
7- العمل على كتابة عريضة ورقية والكترونية قانونية.
8- تحريك دعوة قضائية.
9- الاتصال بشخصيات ثقافية لدعم الحدث.
1- Performing a half hour play in front of the parliament.
2- Covering mouths with tape.
3- Distribute flowers to passers-by.
4- Distribute a guide to the censored websites.
5- Raising slogans demanding to stop the censorship.
6- Inviting the press to cover the protest.
7- Filling out a paper and online legal petition.
8- Preparing to press for a law suit.
9- Contacting cultural figures to support the protest.
The event is getting more popular and more support everyday. One organizer announced today that the scripts for the play will be ready tomorrow. It is making a buzz and making it's way to the pages of Syrian news sites. It is a real breakthrough for Syrian civil society, for few campaigns that involve protesting against the regime have reached this far. The organizers are still weary though, and are trying to make this as public as possible, and trying to avoid politicizing the event as to alleviate any threats by the Syrian government to the members of this protest.
I will try to keep you up date with what will happen.
Malaysia: Indians in Malaysia Demand Equal Rights
Malaysian Indian activists made their way through traffic jams, blocked roads and closed train stations to rally in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday for equal rights in Malaysia.
Police in the city closed roads and two train stations near the British High Commission in anticipation of the rally organized by the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF). They used tear gas and water cannons laced with chemicals to disperse the crowds, effectively splitting the protest into different parts of the city. Protesters were dispersed along Jalang Ampang, near the Batu Caves (the site of a large Hindu temple) and near the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), an area around the famed Petronas Towers. Protestors began gathering at KLCC as early as 7:30am and reports say that police were trying to disperse a crowd at the gates of the Batu Caves as late as 11:00pm.
Photo from Flickr user lastham
Jelas.info blogger describes his first experience with tear gas on Jalan Ampang:
I was near the front, and inexperienced with tear gas, so it caught me a little unawares. Oh by God it hurt.
I thought I was going to suffocate.
It was all I could do to walk slowly away with the fleeing crowd. I wasnít sure if thereíd be FRU beating us from behind as we left.
Because the crowds were so dispersed, estimates of how many protesters attended the rally varies. The BBC, which reported from outside the British High Commission , said that more than 5,000 protesters rallied. The Associated Press (via The Telegraph in India) reported the crowd at over 10,000. Asia Times estimated that over 20,000 rallied, while the online news site Malaysiakini says 30,000 rallied.
The New Straits Times reports that 136 protesters now face charges. Three HINDRAF leaders were arrested on sedition charges on Friday before the protest, then released on Monday when the charges were dropped.
HINDRAF was denied a permit to march to the High Commission and submit a memo that calls on the British to pay US$4 trillion in reparations for bringing Indians to Malaysia as laborers before the country won its independence in 1967. Protesters said that Malaysia's laws are discriminatory to the country's large, mostly Tamil population. There are over 2 million Indians in Malaysia who are often denied business licenses, property and higher education due to quota systems which favor Malays, protesters said. Many in the crowd carried banners with images of Queen Elizabeth and Mahatma Gandhi.
Police near the British High Commission
But protesters also said that they were rallying to also get the attention of the Malaysian Indian Congress, whose president YB. Dato Seri S. Samy Vellu has led the party since 1979. Many protesters expressed disappointment in the party's longtime inaction to help raise the status of Indians in Malaysia.
Colour Blind blogger Ronnie Liu said protesters were calling for Samy Vellu to step down
MIC Leader S Samy Vellu must step down now. That seems to be the common sentiment of the 30,000 protesters today. Every single Indian brother and sister I met today wanted Samy to go. So Mr Samy Vellu, have you heard their voices?
Disquiet blogger and president of the National Human Rights Society Malik Imtiaz Sarwar compared the reaction by police to the HINDRAF protest to their reaction to a protest in June by UMNO Youth.
I do not necessarily agree with the manner in which HINDRAF has decided to espouse its cause. Though I recognize the point HINDRAF is making, I believe that we should be fighting for the cause of all underprivileged and marginalized Malaysians. Having said that, the apparently inconsistent stance of the Police and the Government where rallies are concerned can only lead one to a conclusion that there may be some truth to what HINDRAF is saying.
While many English-language bloggers and the international press, including AlJazeera and the BBC, focused on police methods of dispersing the crowd, Malaysian newspapers The Star and The New Straits Times highlighted injured police officers and protesters' violent behavior.
Kenya: American political strategist stirs up Kenya election scene
Dick Morris, an American political consultant who worked with the Bill Clinton 1996 re-election recently caused a mini stir in Kenya.
He arrived in Kenya and was unveiled by an opposition leader, Raila Odinga, who is the fore runner in the Kenyan presidential elections that will be held on 27 December 2007. But Morris appears to have left the country a day later, leaving behind varied comments on his role and possible impact on the upcoming elections.
The blog Somewhere in Africa in a post titled “ Old political hacks don't die” notes that;
Morris working prop bono (without pay) is a clever way of avoiding having to secure a work permit in Kenya, which, as I can tell you from experience, is perhaps only marginally less complicated and time-consuming than contesting the presidency.
And adds that;
The campaign of Kenyan president aspirant Raila Odinga could be Morris's greatest political challenge yet. It's almost unheard of for an incumbent head of state to be unseated in an election in Africa, although Raila is leading most pre-election polls.
In a somewhat related post at the same time Where the African woman Thinks, laments the treatment of Kenyan authorities of a fellow African (from Senegal) and asks why it is so difficult for Africans to travel and do business with other African countries
The blog,A Nairobian’s perspective, highlights Morris' past tax troubles and notes that the Kenya Government made it clear that he was not welcome in Kenya.
The President Mwai Kibaki did not fail to mention that Dick Morris had been misguided by the opposition and that he would be of no consequence in the elections while The Government spokesman, Alfred Mutua, mentioned that Morris risked facing deportation as he had visited the country on a tourist visa and had no valid work permit as a political strategist.
The Morris debate takes on a racial, colonial angle at Kenya Stockholm Blog where Okoth Osewe draws a parallel to Kenya's own embassy in Sweden where he says non Kenyan (whites) occupy senior posts as translator, accounts assistant, and local head of the kenya tourist board – jobs that could be handled by Kenyans.
He notes that:
Kenyans in Stockholm (are) crying wolf - they are well aware that at the Kenyan embassy in Stockholm, white Swedish nationals are occupying sensitive positions, not because there are no Kenyans who can take up their jobs but because the Kibaki government has decided to retain them at the Embassy after they were hired by the former dictatorship of Daniel arap Moi. Dick Morris bashers have never raised a finger at these foreign and white Embassy staff who continue to swagger along Embassy corridors like neo-colonial conquistadors who are there to stay.
But the most comprehensive discussions came from the Kenya Imagine forum, which posed the question Does Dick Morris Matter? in a post that pointed out;
Morris will work for almost anyone. His presence in the party as an advisor shows either a desire to inaugurate a campaign of dirty tricks or that we are being taken over from the outside by unknown forces.
Comments to that post included;
Stephen Wanyama:
Raila is panicking, and that can only mean he is fully aware of his slipping fortunes. No one in the USA would have him (Morris) work on their campaign, do you hear?
MimiMzalendo:
I'm in shock to see racist-veneer comments from elites who may have benefited from foreign academic or working sabbaticals BUT have the audacity to come here and play that ukabila/rascist card. Global talent, be it political-economic-technological, etc is always mobile.
Githush:
believe NARC saw it fit to rely on South African strategists in the 2002 election and wonders if Morris strengths as a media consultant, with a penchant for negative advertising, work in Kenya? We shall see.
Mzalendo Pia:
why Dick Morris is working ‘pro bono' in Kenya when he has no known interests is one any Kenyan should ask themselves. Why do we still think that foreigners know what's best for us or even, God forbid that they have our best interests at heart.
Seline:
And by the way, there is a second consultant ain't sure but I think he's from Argentina, why aren't we focusing on him?
Serah:
Both Dick Morris and Dick Berg emanate from the same axis, political and economic hit men; there is a tendency among the colonized peoples to suffer from inferior complex complexes.
MimiMzalendo:
Kibaki Camp running for re-election and blasting the “voluntary services” of a foreign political strategist and he completely forgot that in 2002 he himself hired a foreigner as a political strategist on communications.
The man was MARCUS COURAGE and he co-led Kibaki's campaign adverts, policy formulation and communications.
Innovative Tools: Live Bicycle Radio
Cross-posted at Rising Voices.
Via Juliana Rincon we learn about a special bicycle in operation in Caquetá, Colombia:
“It seats two and carries with it a complete radio broadcasting system, able to send out Wi-max signals and be heard not only through the Andaquí Community Radio, but live through Internet as well“.
Radiocicleta [ES] is a community communication project which is breaking down the walls between the studio and the town itself:
“It is sustainable, it is cheap to maintain, it is environmentally sound, it is human instead of fuel powered, it allows for innovation and investigation, it can reach many different places and can be brought inside homes and it brings people together, working as members of a team,” Juliana says.
Affordable internet kiosk with mobile internet
Bangladesh has a population of more than 140 million. Its tele-density was very low only a decade ago because of the inadequate land phone infrastructure (it did not have penetration in rural areas). But thanks to the growth of the mobile phone companies now the number of mobile phone users has risen to 32 millions in a few years and the coverage is across the country even in the remotest of places. The growth rate of the cell phone industry is close to 25% which is remarkable.
In a country where the internet users are less than 1% (only a million) these mobile networks have brought an excellent opportunity for the nation to be connected to the internet which would not be possible with the current network of traditional landphones or expensive dsl cable connections. Some of the operators even support EDGE technology which offers data transfer speeds of up to 128 kb/s.
Using this mobile internet facility people in rural Bangladesh are building telecenters or internet cafés for use of mass people. From this website we learn that the technology required for such internet kiosks is very simple:
“There's only one PC, which functions as a server: each of the other workstations is powered by a small device, not much bigger than a cigarette packet. For another, there's no wired connection between the server and the outside world. The clue to how it's done is provided by a Motorola clamshell mobile phone connected by a USB cable to the server. The Centre is getting its Internet connection via an Edge-enabled mobile phone!”
Using Ndiyo-type thin-client networking in combination with Open Source software dramatically reduces the Total Cost of Ownership of Internet cafes, networked classrooms and small office systems. In the process, it makes it possible for entrepreneurs like Abu Sufian, the proprietor of the Fultola CIC, to make investments which earn revenues for them by providing services to local people and organizations.”
I believe these successes of innovative technologies based on internet can be replicated in all developing countries in the world.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Japan: Blog Queen takes a break
Gravure idol, talento and blog queen Wakatsuki Chinatsu (若槻千夏) announced yesterday that she would be taking time off from blogging. Wakatsuki's official blog, “Maaboudoufu wa Nomimono Desu” (マーボー豆腐は飲み物です) [ja], made famous in part for her tendency to write about celebrity figures and her own love life [ja], has attracted more hits than any other on the popular Ameba hosting service. The blog hit a record [ja] earlier this year when it drew more than 7500 comments [ja] in a single day.
The final post at her blog today attracted thousands of comments (over 4500 at last count) from fans offering their support. In the post itself, she writes:
頭の中がごちゃごちゃしていて、自分らしいblogが書けそうもないので、少しblogをお休みさせて頂きます。
楽しみにしてた人も、そうでない人もごめんね。
時間ください。
The entry was posted just after 8 am yesterday, and within seconds reactions began pouring in from fans. A writer named Hiyoko made the first comment:
大丈夫だよo(^-^)o待ってるからね！
In a comment titled “I understand”, another commenter named Nao-san gives some advice:
ゆっくり休んで
くださいね♪+ﾟ
Shortly thereafter, commenter Aa-san writes:
そうゆう時ありますよね
人間にはお休みが必要な時もあります
ゆっくり休んで下さいねｯ
There are times when people need to take a break.
So please rest and relax.
At 8.15am, Mayumayu writes:
ちなっちゃん、大丈夫？！わかったぁ！待ってるけどぉ、すごぃちなっちゃんのブログ大好きだから、あんま長くは待てません(笑)嘘です。ファンだから待ってます(＾＾)ﾉｼ
At 8.16am, in a comment titled “I really like Chinatsu-san” (千夏ちゃん大好き), commenter Mao writes:
めっちゃぁ寂しいけど、わかった。
またいつか更新するのん待ってるね！
ブログが一番 千夏ちゃんとつながってるような気がしてたから寂しいけど、
千夏ちゃんらしいblogが出来る日まで待つね♪
ブログ更新されんでもめっちゃぁ応援してます★
あと、無理しなぃでね！
I'll be waiting for when you update [your blog] again!
Your blog is number one. I have a feeling like I am connected to you, so I feel lonely, but
I'll wait until the day when you can blog as yourself again ♪
I still really support you even if your blog is not being updated ★
And don't push yourself too hard!
Next minute, Tentomushi wishes the blog queen a good morning:
ちぃちゃんの心の休息♪
とても 大切なこと(^-^)
忙しいなかでのブログの更新は大変なんじゃないかって いつも心配してたんよ。
あたしもブログしてる身だから わかるの！
That's a very important thing (^-^)
I always worry that updating a blog while you are very busy must be really hard.
I'm also somebody who blogs, so I understand!
ゆっくり休んでね。ブラウン管でのちぃちゃん見られるから♪
うちらはだいじょぶよ(^-^)v
So I'll be okay (^-^)v
また 更新される日を まってるね～（´(ェ)｀）
Many fans expressed confusion. The next minute a commenter writes:
どうしたの？ よく分からないけど頑張って下さい！！ずっとずっと応援してます！！復活するの待ってるよ(^o^)
At 8.20 am, another commenter provides some advice:
ブログは自由だよ。
無理に書かなくてもいいと思う(o^∀^o)
I don't think you should force yourself to write (o^∀^o)
ちなっちゃんらしいブログ書けるようになるまでゆっくり休んでね。
待ってます(b^ー°)
I'll be waiting (b^ー°)
Many fans were worried about what had happened. One person writes:
あらま。
心配です。
I'm worried.
もし…やらなきゃいけないことがいっぱいなら、
やらなきゃいけないことを紙に書き出すと良いらしいです。
I've heard that it's good to write down what you have to do on paper.
落ち着いたらﾌﾞﾛｸﾞ再開してください☆
A little later, someone named Sesuku makes their first comment:
初コメントです。
ﾁﾅｯﾃｨのブログにはお世話になっています。
面白いので笑わせてもらったり…
書き方を参考にさせてもらったり…
そして時々ある(笑)真剣なコメントで勇気づけられました！
Your blog always helps me out.
It's interesting so it makes me laugh…
I draw on the writing style…
And sometimes there are (LOL) serious comments which bring me encouragement!
いつになってもいいので、元気に必ずや復活してね。
There are many, many, many more comments. To read the full list (in Japanese), see the comment box at Wakatsuki Chinatsu's blog.
Links for Tue, 2007-11
Our Man in Gdansk writes about a collection of stories by translators of Ryszard Kapuściński: “It was to have been birthday present, but Kapuściński died before it appeared. The contributions vary widely in subject matter, some not referring at all to translation making it less than essential reading for the student of the subject. But for the student of colourisation there are some pearls.”
The beatroot and his readers share favorite jokes about Polish cops.
The beatroot writes about the recent Spanish royalty cartoon scandal and the Polish google bomber's case - as well as the church's initiative to make “chastity trendy” in Poland.
The beatroot reports on the recent “policy statement” speech by Poland's new prime minister: “Tusk drones on for three hours […] Meanwhile Kaczynski, Gosiewski and Dorn lose consciousness, as did most of Poland. It was agony. Like listening to paint dry.”
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