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Mexico: Much More Needed Than a March

lingua → es · zht · zhs

Photo by Edgar Blancas and used under a Creative Commons license

Thousands of Mexicans in attendance for the march in Mexico City protested against the government's inability to halt kidnappings and violence against citizens. Similar marches were held in other cities around the country. Already some citizen's media videos have already been posted. Now, bloggers from the capital and in other cities across the country provide their reflections and reactions to the march. However, many do not see that much will change without other actions by civil society.

El Nahual of Mexico Para Los Mexicanos [es] is one that doesn't think that the march will make an immediate difference, but what is needed is a continued effort by all:

La marcha por si misma no resuelve las cosas y sólo es una señal de presión hacia el gobierno, pero esta presión social hacia el gobierno si es de sólo un día no funciona, debe de ser continua y a todos los niveles para que funcione. Salir, vestirse de blanco y encender una velita en la noche, es muy loable, pero no suficiente. Se necesita que todo el tiempo y continuamente le exijamos al gobierno, en todos sus niveles y expresiones, que realice su trabajo y que lo haga bien; y que nosotros cumplamos las leyes y señalemos a quienes no lo hacen. Se necesita que despierte la sociedad civil.

The march itself will not solve things, and it is only a sign of pressure on the government, but this one-day pressure on the government does not work, it should be continuous and at all levels for it to work. Taking to the streets, dressing in white and lighting a candle at night, is all very commendable, but it is not enough. What is needed is that we demand from the government at all levels, that it fulfills its job and it fulfills it well' and that we respect the laws and draw attention to those that don't. Civil society needs to wake up.

Ana, a commenter on the blog Ocho Cuartos [es] responded to the question whether readers attended the march:

Yo quería marchar no pq creyera en la marcha (dejé de creer en las marchas y los efectos “cambia la realidad y el gobierno ya” desde los tiempos del olvidado mosh y todo ese dismother que armó alla abajo en el df) sino pq creo en méxico y quería manifestar esa opinion.

Lei los periodicos y me senti confundida. Muchos marcharon por convicción, pero otros marcharon pq el amigo, la novia, etc estaban ahi -en otras palabras por evento social-.

I wanted to march not because I believed in the march (I stopped believing in marches…), but because I believe in Mexico and I wanted to state that opinion.

I read the newspapers and I felt confused. Many marched out of conviction, others marched because the friend, the girlfriend, etc. were there - in other words because it was a social event.

JC Cortés of Cargamento [es] is extremely cynical about the value of such a march and thinks that it will take years before things change, when this generation of criminals disappears:

En este país, la protesta causa molestia… ¿no es ese el comportamiento habitual del mexicano frente a una manifestación?… ¿no son unos nacos los que se manifiestan?… ha habido infinidad de marchas y nunca sirvieron de nada.

Las hubo para exigir justicia, para evidenciar corrupción, para acusar fraudes electorales, para mejorar el ambiente social. Ninguna sirvió, esta no será la excepción

In this country, protests cause annoyance. Isn't that the customary reaction by Mexicans when they see a protest? Aren't the ones who protest just some idiots? There have been an infinite number of marches and they never were worth anything.

There have been marches calling for justice, to uncover corruption, to accuse of electoral fraud, to improve social environment. None of them worked, and this won't be any different.

Carlos Garduño of Vivir México [es] is another that felt that the march did not accomplish much, and what is needed to fight against crime and against organized crime is “to attack the foundation that sustains them: the economic foundation that supports them and corruption.”

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Chrome Welcomed with Accolades and Controversy in the Middle East

Jillian C. York · 16:13 · Middle East & North Africa

lingua → fr · es · mk

On Tuesday, Google joined the browser game by launching its very own browser, Chrome, to positive accolades and a bit of controversy. The free browser, which is currently only available for Windows, caused not only a media storm, but a blog storm as well, from nearly every corner of the globe. The Middle East and North African blogosphere, always quick to react to big stories, immediately began buzzing about Chrome yesterday, and haven't stopped since.

The Fans

The vast majority of bloggers love the browser, at least so far. iKuwait's enthusiasm about Chrome just keeps building:

i can get used to this, click on the picture to find out more about Chrome.
i even love the icon
update: you guys must try this, its just perfect, i finally found my soul browser (soul mate browser)

Also from Kuwait, SOME contrast thinks Google made a smart move:

As the title suggest, google made a browser. Smart move, google. They said in their introduction that since everything we do online nowadays is within a browser; emails, chat, sites..etc. then they might as well make their own browser and build it from a scratch.

Tunisian blogger Subzero Blue, also a clear fan of the product, explains its interface:

The browser uses the WebKit rendering engine, the V8 JavaScript Virtual Machine, an optimized approach to tabs, a homepage presenting most visited websites, and a number of security and privacy options; in addition to other interesting features.

I think this is a really promising product from Google; and I can't wait to see where they take it, and what it will do for web apps.

Also from Tunisia, Au Monde des Merveilles [fr] is impressed:

Après avoir testé Google Chrome, je conclus qu’il est le seul vrai concurrent de Firefox.

After testing Google Chrome, I conclude that it is the only true competitor to Firefox.

The Critics

Other bloggers have concerns about Chrome. Moroccan tech blogger Thinkervine notes its issues:

My first thoughts on the browser: light and fast, sober and user friendly. But it still has a lot of improvements to get before maturity. Still lot of bugs (javascript and SSL/Certificates handling), still missing lot of options (Java VM, extentions and theming, bookmark organization, own proxy management, RSS,).

The blogger concludes:

I will be waiting for the next betas in order to see how it improves but it is still far from being mature enough to replace Firefox as my default browser.

From Qatar, AmmarTalk [ar] lists concerns about the browser. A few:

2- عدم دعم Google Chrome لخاصية الملخصات أو rss feed.
3- هناك العديد من الاخطاء الإملائية لدى فريق الترجمه بشرح مزايا المتصفح وأقصد الشرح الذي نزل على ملفات فيديو بصفحة تنزيل البرنامج.
4- فكرة التسويق عن طريق قصة جميلة جداً لكن أعتقد أن المتصفح يجب ان يسهل مواصفاته للمستخدم العادي بوضع صور توضيحيه لا الإطاله بقصة ابتكرت طريقاً في التسويق ونست أن المتصفح قد لايكمل مشوار القراءة.

2- Google Chrome does not support rss feed.
3. There are a lot of spelling mistakes made by the translation team explaining the browser's features and I mean here the explanation about downloading videos
4. The idea of marketing it through a story is a lovely idea but I believe that the browser's features should be clearly illustrated to the user - and not through a marketing story which the user may not read to the end.

Jordanian Bakkouz likes Chrome but has a few reservations:

However, Google chrome does need a little getting used to, the interface is very simplistic to the point that it can get a little bit confusing, for example, the “Home” button is by default removed from the U.I, and you’d have to go into settings and add it manually. Another thing that might be confusing to beginners and new users is the absence of the traditional menu bar altogether (file - view - edit - tools, etc…). Another thing is the lack of a drop-down bar for the last visited websites, Chrome compensates that by the use of the auto-completion feature that will automatically try to complete the URL you’re trying to get to once you type in the first few letters, but still this could be somewhat of a nuisance.

For more reviews on Chrome outside of the mainstream media, one must only point one's browser to Palestinian blogger Memories Documented (a definite fan), who shares a smattering of reviews from around the globe and proclaims:

I am totally in love with Chrome, in fact, it has replaced all my other browsers as my #1 browser. I'm already using it alone on all my machines

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Oman: Ramadan Unusual

Riyadh Al Balushi · 14:31 · Middle East & North Africa

lingua → pt · fr · bn · mg · es

You might think that the recent activity at the Omani blogosphere is mostly about the religious atmosphere of the holy month of Ramadan, but strangely the majority of the posts are anything but Ramadanic.

The notorious Muscat Confidential blogger recently posted a blog post about how to have sex in Muscat. His blog seems to get hits through searches for sex-related keywords, and I quote:

You know, I get a lot of hits from guys (I'm assuming here) in Oman searching for Filipino girls, Muscat girls, how to get girls in muscat, muscat sex, sex omani girls, prostitutes muscat, gay sex muscat, etc etc etc. Sex is clearly, like the rest of the world, on the mind of a lot of people in Muscat. Oh yes.

Expat wife Angry in Oman does not like her colleagues at work, does not like the people on the road, and surely is not happy about staying Oman. Some tell her it is a transition period and she will eventually like it here, but until that happens, the suffering continues. Here is the starting paragraph of her latest misadventures:

It always happens that when I think things can't get any worse, they of course do.

I now have a toothache to the point the whole right side of my face hurts and my bosses wife's driver came round to the office last night and took the keys away.

I told #3 yesterday that I NEED to get my check cashed today and that I will be late coming into the office. He was fine about it and when I got here I told him that I made a dentist appointment for Thursday.

Leo Americanus thinks that there is something seriously wrong with the perception of women in the Arab culture. He is surprised by the statements made by the family of the recently murdered Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim:

While female singers have been taken advantage of by rich men the world 'round, I cannot help but feel that there is a special misogyny that surrounds men of power in the Middle East. Alaa al-Aswani's novel “The Yacoubian Building” paints a pretty damning picture of this kind of man in Egypt. The sad thing is that there is a line of thinking that perpetuates such acts.

Popular female blogger Suburban observes the state of hypermarket Lulu (she prefers to call it ‘Zoo-Lu') during the Ramadan. She generally likes it because it is very cheap, but there are a few things that are starting to drive her crazy, here is one of them:

Wonky shopping carts. I am telling you, I have never had a shopping cart there that rolled straight. I am a small girl, and by the time the thing is full, I look like some sort of comic superhero in blue jeans, feet sliding on the lino floors, body inclined to 45 degrees, frantically attempting to navigate the corner of the dairy isle.

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Lebanon: Political Tension Takes Over The Blogosphere

Nash Suleiman · 14:26, September 4th, 2008 · Middle East & North Africa

lingua → fr · bn · zht · zhs

The political tension in Lebanon is escalating to critical levels with each passing day. The latest helicopter downing by Hezbollah managed to add more conflicts between the politicians and the citizens as well. Intense debates and political opinions can be seen everyday on the evening news and now on the blogosphere too. Local bloggers armed themselves with their personal opinions and analysis, taking the “battle” into their web spaces.

Tigermarks' opinion on the current situation in Lebanon focuses this week on General Aoun’s recent comments and press releases post the helicopter downing:

Of course, he is throwing this out there to try to overshadow the Hezbollah killing of the helicopter pilot, whether by mistake or intentionally. He wants his supporters to focus on something else so he cooks up some more rumours and false claims of corruption against the March 14 block. Meanwhile corruption continues to fester in all parts of the Lebanese state and Hezbollah continues to play army in any part of Lebanon it wants to and continues to be the last word on whether we are at war or not.

Targeting the Lebanese Force's recent campaign in the opening of his latest post, Bech writes about the Maronitism and what he perceive as a sign of the downfall of its a political agenda:

Now here comes the interesting part, early in the war, the Lebanese Forces, then a rising organization under Bashir Gemayel, proceeded into killing most of ‘the Tigers’, in effect removing potential rivals on the “Christian arena”. Dany Chamoun was spared till much later, assassinated along with his two little sons, wife, and dog, though maid and daughter could hide in closet. His daughter Tamara vehemently accuses Samir Geagea then and now leader of the LF of having perpetrated the act.

Hanibaal's frustration found its target in the newly elected Lebanese President, Michael Suleiman. Hanibaal posts this news article calling the new president a traitor and a pro-Syrian:

“Slime” was appointed by the Syrian occupation as chief of staff of the army, and when the Syrian army was being evicted out of Lebanon in 2005 by the Lebanese people, this [President] followed his Syrian masters to Anjar to bid them farewell and tell them how sorry he was that they were leaving…How can he be anything but a traitor?
There are no men left in Lebanon - only traitors and more traitors.

The Owuet Front’s blogger N10452 defended the Lebanese Forces against recent claims accusing them in the past to fight against the Lebanese army:

It has come to my attention many people still think that the LF were fighting the Lebanese army back when Aoun was in command. This major misconception is very much exploited by Aounists and lately by Hezbollah who was trying to innocent himself from the murder of Army pilot Samer Hanna by showing the ‘atrocities’ the LF did to the army almost 20 years ago.

Bart Peeters at In the Middle of the East commented on two recent published reports about the political and military situation in the south of the country and draws back the attention to the helicopter incident:

In Lebanon itself, meanwhile, a Hizbullah fighter last week mistakenly downed a helicopter of the Lebanese army, mistaking it for an Israeli one, thereby killing an officer and wounding two soldiers. Considering the Lebanese army owns a whopping total of 3 (three) helicopters, and Israeli aircraft are violating Lebanese airspace on a daily basis, this is not as far-fetched an explanation as it might sound… In any case, Hizbullah has owned up to its mistake and voluntarily handed over the 20-year old fighter to military police. Nevertheless, various parties in the country predictably continue to try and spin a lot out of the incident.

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