Stories about Ideas from October, 2008
Trinidad & Tobago: Building Walls
As the government of Trinidad and Tobago begins construction on a wall they say is part of a beautification project, but which many view as a tactic for hiding the squalor of a disadvantaged community, Attillah Springer says: “Build walls because, yes, this is what the nation needs. More division....
Japan: Thoughts on Itochu trading scam
On October 10th, Itochu Corporation announced that it had paid close to one hundred billion yen in false transactions valued at nearly 100 billion yen to Mongolian suppliers for construction machinery and materials. One blogger and chartered accountant offers their thoughts on what happened inside Itochu.
Japan: Spam mail from a chimpanzee
id:crystaline reports [ja] that she discovered a spam mail with the title: “It might seem unbelievable, but I am a chimpanzee”. The ‘chimp’ explains: “At first, I thought I was a human. Like the other humans around me. However, I acquired knowledge, and realized that I was different. And I...
Cambodia: Hero of the Year nominee
Nuon Phymean from Cambodia is one of the nominees for the CNN Hero of the Year Award. She has helped a lot of children in Phnom Penh by providing free education and job training.
Ibero-America: Campus Party in El Salvador
This week in El Salvador, hundreds of technology fanatics have assembled to take part in the latest edition of Campus Party. Participants from 22 member states are divided into one of a broad range of areas including: Astronomy, CampusBot (robotics), Innovation, Modding, Campus Create, Digital Leisure and Digital Inclusion. The participation of bloggers have captured the feeling of being in a room with their fellow technology enthusiasts through their blog posts, photos and videos.
Trinidad & Tobago: The Price of Progress
Maximilian Forte, writing at Review of the Indigenous Caribbean Center, posts a video of Trinidadian calypsonian King Austin's song Progress, which he calls “a critique of the ideology and practice of progress, from the vantage points of environmental unsustainability, exploitation, inequality, and the resultant social strife.”
Japan: Why is Halloween not popular in Japan?
id:nakakzs writes about the lack of interest in Halloween among Japanese people [ja] compared to other imported holidays such as Christmas and Valentine's Day, noting that many people only know that Halloween takes place “sometime in autumn”. id:nakakzs traces the lack of popularity to a number of factors: bad timing...
Egypt: Swingers Use Internet to Arrange Rendezvous
There are secrets behind closed doors. But to say that Egypt was shell shocked as news about its first swingers club emerged would be an understatement. And there is a small technicality - the couples first met online before arranging to meet face to face in cafes.
Palestinian Football History
Palestinians made their own football history, being the only team - in the words of one blogger - with a stadium but no country. It was a day of national pride and despite the setbacks, bloggers hailed it as a day of victory.
How to Drive in Morocco
From Warp to Weft writes some rules on how to drive in Morocco.
Haiti, D.R.: Rediscovering Atlantis?
The Haitian Blogger is a tad sceptical about the scientific theory that Haiti might be “the site of the ‘lost Civilization’ of Atlantis.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Not Adding Up
“Last month the record 2008-9 budget of nearly TT$50 billion was based on an assumed oil price of $75 a barrel. At the time, the price was well above that. A month later, it’s below $64. So even the richest economy in the Caribbean either has to make some serious...
Bermuda: Gambling with the Future?
As the government considers introducing internet gaming to the island, both FreshieBlog and Vexed Bermoothes think that it is a bad idea, saying that it “could taint Bermuda’s reputation as a serious business jurisdiction.”
Morocco: Halloween Not Just for Expats Anymore
The Halloween tradition is a muddled one; with traditions in an ancient Celtic celebration, Halloween started in Europe and made its way to the United States, where it has been embraced as a holiday for children. In recent years, however, the American version of Halloween has spread to the rest of the world, with Morocco being no exception.
China: Shanghainese
Fauna from ChinaSMACK translated a long discussion and debate in Tianya forum on Shanghai people's attitude towards outsiders.
Japan: 10 rules for debating, from students in Finland
id:takerunba follows a trackback [ja] to an article by blogger Oika [ja] about five rules for debating apparently conceived of by 5th-year students in Finland. Oika highlights points #1 (“Don't cut in when other people are talking”) and #7 (“Listen carefully [to what people say] until they finish”). The blogger...
Barbados: MSM & Democracy
Barbados Underground says that “the current fast food diet of journalism being served up by the local media” poses a threat to the country's democracy.
Jamaica, U.S.A.: Race to the White House
“Let's be real… you want him to win because he's black…”: Stories of Me thinks that “it's no coincidence that most of Jamaica supports Obama for President, and wish they could vote. Only a fraction of those ‘supporters’ know much of Obama's policies, or fully understand the impact of an...
Japan: Net users versus mainstream media on Governor Hashimoto
id:Chikirin observes that lately a pattern of estrangement has developed in Japan between the tone of existing mainstream media and public opinion on the net [ja], one that can be traced to a generation gap. The blogger takes the case of Osaka Governor Tōru Hashimoto, recently in the news for...
Trinidad & Tobago: Carnival Crisis?
“Perhaps, finally, the scales may be tipping in the masquerader's favour”: Discover T&T Blog examines the potential impact of the global financial crisis on Trinidad and Tobago Carnival.
Jamaica, U.S.A.: Political Differences
Voting on Amendment 8 gets Jamaican diaspora blogger Geoffrey Philp thinking about “the difference between American and Jamaican politics.”
