David Sasaki

I really need to get a job at that restaurant. (spanish)

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Global Voices Online - June 23, 2006

China: Revolution’s victims’ stories blogged, not forgotten (2/4)

“Chinese blogger-journalist Ran Yunfei has spent a large part of his life researching the stories of those painted, purged and persecuted as right wing elements during China’s Cultural Revolution; unable to have the stories published in any official media, he’s turned to his own well-known blog.” In this second installment of Ran Yunfei’s recent talk at a Chengdu teahouse, we become better acquainted with some of the forgotten intellectuals and victims of the 1950’s Cultural Revolution. It’s also worthwhile to read Yunfei’s thoughts on his city of residence, Chongqing.

Alaa Is Free

They are the three words we’ve all been waiting to read for over a month and a half now. Elijah Zarwan spoke with the award-winning Egyptian blogger just after his release from detention and has summarized some of the reactions from around the Egyptian blogosphere. Here is a victory for free speech and online activism worth celebrating.

In defense of “the world’s least polite city”, Ukraine’s Orange Coalition gets organized, female suicide rates in China, and much more can be found in today’s Global Roundups.

Get the blog buzz from East Asia, South Asia, the Americas, Oceania, Middle East & North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia & the Caucasus.

Global Voices Online - June 21, 2006

Musique Africaine

I have to admit, it has taken Obi Orjiekwe a few posts to convince me that I am a fan of Ghanaian “hip life.” But now the hybrid genre, which mixes North American hip-hop with West African high life, gets ample attention on all of my playlists. Visit Orjiekwe’s African music roundup to see if you, too, will become a convert.

Ukraine: “The Cars” With Ukrainian Voiceover; Local TV

How does a Hollywood cartoon find resonance among Ukrainian movie theater goers? And for those who prefer to stay at home, what (if anything) does Ukrainian TV have to offer? Veronica Khokhlova has the answers with the help of two translated blog posts.

Echoes from the Tunisian blogosphere

A look at the Tunisian blogosphere inevitably reveals several lamentations over their country’s disappointing World Cup performance against Germany. Meanwhile, off the field: cutting down unemployment, the various contexts of “Sbah El Khir,” and a website that offers downloads of Tunisian movies, plays, music, and more.

World Cup Cultural Treasures from the Lusosphere

It’s a good week for Portuguese-speaking football fans, writes Jose Murilo, as “all three Lusophone countries, Angola, Brazil and Portugal, are still in the contest for the World Cup.” Even the Timorese, in the midst of an anguished domestic conflict, are cheering on their linguistic comrades.

Mexico: Teachers Protest in Oaxaca

Teachers in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca have left their classrooms to occupy the city’s central plaza, where they are demanding a 100% pay raise and improved scholastic infrastructure. Those protests turned violent last Wednesday when the police attempted to forcibly evict the striking teachers and their supporters. Bloggers and photobloggers were at the scene to report developments in far greater detail than packaged news stories could ever allow for.

Alaa finally released, Labour Day in Trinidad and Tobago, social obligations in Tajikstan, and much more can be found in today’s Global Roundups.

Get the blog buzz from East Asia, South Asia, the Americas, Oceania, Middle East & North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia & the Caucasus.

"I defy anyone hearing them not to want to get up and get down." True.

Global Voices Online - June 20, 2006

Polish Blogosphere Roundup

Has online activism reached a sufficiently critical mass in Poland to influence policy decisions? At least one blogger seems convinced, write Jordan & Maria Seidel in their update of the Polish blogosphere. Herein are two distinct online movements expressing Polish public dissent. Also, the blame game following Poland’s dismal World Cup appearance.

This Week In Palestinian Blogs: Fire Dancing

“Gaza is on the brink of implosion, and I’m not sure how much more it can take.” That is how one Palestinian blogger described the state of her homeland as she continues a speaking tour across the United States. Unfortunately, searching through Naseem Tarawnah’s review of Palestinian blogs, it is difficult to find evidence of the contrary.

Football & Presidential Election

Moving on from Iran’s quick elimination in this year’s World Cup, Farid Pouya notes that many bloggers focused on the one year anniversary of President Ahmadinejad’s electoral victory. Or, perhaps better put, they offered several theories as to why reformist candidate Dr. Mostafa Moin lost.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s Birthday in Detention

Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is spending yet another birthday in detention, but bloggers ensure that neither she nor her message is forgotten.

Remembering Soweto 30 years later, Slovakia’s Sunday election, dealing with Jamaican police, and much more can be found in today’s Global Roundups.

Get the blog buzz from East Asia, South Asia, the Americas, Oceania, Middle East & North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia & the Caucasus.

Camels, beauty, Urdu, Arabic, and ancient Phoenician.

Global Voices Online - June 19, 2006

Truth and Consequences

More than 40 days have passed since Global Voices first published about the detention of Egyptian bloggers including cyber-activist, Alaa Abd El-Fatah. This is not the first time bloggers in Egypt have been arrested for what they have published online, notes Elijah Zarwan, but unlike last year’s arrest of Abd al-Karim Suleiman, this time around the world is watching. How will the Egyptian government respond to the new online agitators and their globally distributed watchdogs?

China: Blogs for the ladies and the superstars

When you think of the next billion internet users, it’s a safe bet that a large percentage will connect from China. Already, as John Kennedy relates, some of the most popular Chinese bloggers attract readerships of tens, sometimes hundreds, of thousands. But what makes these alpha(female)-bloggers so popular? Kennedy translates three recent posts to give English readers an idea.

Turkey is Typing…

“The global game” has become the focus of global conversation and Turkish bloggers, like most, have their eyes set on Germany and this year’s World Cup. Deborah Ann Dilley has the football rundown and also points us to a campaign by some Turkish bloggers to help an injured countryman return home from the United States.

From Kingdom of Cambodia to United States of America

Long time readers of Global Voices have good reason to stereotype young Cambodian bloggers as intelligent, ambitious, and hard-working. ThaRum Bun gives us even more evidence to support the claim in this interview with Fulbright scholar and blogger, Somongkol Teng.

Haiti: Telecom Wars

What will Jamaica-based, Caribbean telecom giant, Digicel bring to the island of Haiti? Improved coverage? Cheaper prices? More jobs? Regulatory wars? A lack of network interoperability? According to the lucid translations of Haitian blog posts by Alice Backer, the answer could very well be yes to all of the above. And to top it off, in the background of the Caribbean controversy lies the global ambitions of an Irish company and its British competitor. This post is a must read for anyone interested in how a multinational corporation makes waves in a small domestic market half way across the world.

Cricket in New Caledonia, voodoo with a click of the mouse, the World Cup team representing a country that does not exist, and much more can be found in today’s Global Roundups.

Get the blog buzz from East Asia, South Asia, the Americas, Oceania, Middle East & North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia & the Caucasus.

If US advances then I'll be in Rio for US vs. Brazil!

A Prairie Home Companion was and is part of my formative development. I'm an unabashed Garrison Keillor fan and really want to check out the movie.