Archive for
February 21st, 2006
Stories
Non Violence, Conservatism & Human Rights
Fanousian , a collective blog, has done an interview with Dr. Brian Martin writer in nonviolence, and associate professor in Science, Technology and Society at the University of Wollongong. This blog has already focused on non violence movement for couple of months. It is fascinating that bloggers not only provide information but they take initiatives too.
Andishe No (means New Thought) fears that country was pushed back (Persian) to pre Khatami’s period concerning censorship. He believes that even if many books get banned in twenty first century, government can not stop people getting information. Government wants to control weblogs in Iran and put them in a guideline.
For Abthai (Persian) human rights questions are not in contradiction with National Security. He says in Khatami’s period at least oppressed could express themselves but in past few months there is not anymore the case.
The Spirit of Man, Canada based blogger wants to create a list of Iranian conservative blogs. Blogger defines the meaning of Conservatism as follow:
“I am in its classical essence a conservative, a liberal and secular conservative, meaning I believe in smaller government, free trade, less taxes, self governance, believing in traditional values and I do believe in separation of Mosque from State and I ultimately believe in individuals' freedoms. But let me make it clear that I am not a Conservative in a way that most people think of when it comes to Iran and Iranian conservatisms.”
Behnoud (Persian) says Iranian government by selling gas & oil for 100 Billion dollars to China wants to buy their veto in Security Council to avoid sanctions related its nuclear activities.
KenyanSphere this week
Bankelele is moving house, and is finding it more time consuming and frustrating than he had thought — the ranks of real estate agents are stuffed with crooks and conmen
The number of con people out there also is troubling. I have seen houses, which I later found out, were not available for rent, or which the owner was unknown, or out of the country
Keguro has an interesting take on muscled toned bodies … is there really a difference between one achieved through manual labour and one from several visits to the gym?
The Mad Kenyan Woman reflects on age as a fetish in Kenyan politics, where the older politicians are accorded almost god-like status on account of their age, and are therefore seldom questioned. She then goes on to indicate why this is beginning to unravel
According to most senior officials in Kenyan government, in this administration or any other, anybody under fifty is a mere “kijana.” (Kijana is a young boy or girl in Kiswahili)
Charles at Kenya Beyond 2005 analyses the recent resignations of Kenya’s Finance, Energy and Education Ministers, and asks what next.
In the crackdown yesterday on the vendors (free subscription) and proprietors of a weekly daily over allegations that some of its content inappropriately touched on the President and First Family, the Kenyan Analyst takes the Government Spokesman to task.
In recollection of all the allegations and denials from State House over the president having two wives, he observes:
The moment Kibaki turned his family woes into a national issue he invited journalists to not only write about his personal life but also speculate about it in the days that have followed.
Mama JunkYard remembers Lynden David Hall
Mshari is urging everyone to eschew unpaid overtime and work their proper hours
Adrian shares pictures of his Safari Walk
Rombo questions the ideal of the beautiful woman
The silencing of Cayman Cop
Finally — a Caribbean blogging controversy. Involving a blogging policeman, a local newspaper and a witch hunt by an irate constabulary. In — of all places — the mild-mannered Cayman Islands.
On February 18, popular Jamaican blogger Mad Bull, who lives in Grand Cayman, reported that the activities of two Caymanian bloggers had made the front page of the Caymanian Compass, a local newspaper. The article, published on February 16, was entitled “Cayman blogs stir interest” and stated that:
One of [the] blogs, called Cayman Cop, is written by a British police officer with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service [RCIPS] who calls himself Cayman Bobby, while the other blog is called Cayman Islands Blog Man, and is written by someone who calls himself Rufus T. McGilicutty. . . .
The Cayman Cop blog mixes humour and general interest posts with commentary about the RCIPS and the Cayman Islands. The blog started in October, and had its 100th posting from the author this week.
The author states in his website header that the comments on the site are only his opinions and do not represent the official line of the RCIPS.
“The RCIP[S]. . . ,” the article continued, “does not approve of the blog.” In a written response to the Compass, the RCIPS called Cayman Cop:
. . . one of multiple examples around the world, which exists to criticize the way organizations are managed and operated. . . It is highly unfortunate that this individual has seen fit to operate this site about the RCIPS.
and offered this interpretation of the nature of the “blog culture”:
The essence of blog culture is to be able to make anonymous comments, many of them cynical and destructive which may be considered libellous and are highly derogatory to colleagues, fellow employees and to the institution itself.
The Compass reported that the Commissioner of Police found the blog “insulting”, on the grounds that “it is impossible to determine the genuine from the malicious information.”
At the time of writing, Cayman Cop contains only two farewell posts, though Cayman Bobby doesn't seem to have lost his edge. The blog's header now reads “Cayman Cop has taken early retirement” and the second-to-last post, filed on February 16, says:
Sadly there have been too many loose lips and the service is now on a real witch hunt for my identity. I have no option but to pull the plug on this blog. Afterall, to quote a song from the Italian Job, “It's a self preservation society”
To my regular readers - a big thank you for your support and comments.
To all the bosses of the RCIP - In a way I'm glad you found this site as I hope that you now have a real idea of just how low morale really is within the service.
To all the girls and guys of the RCIP - keep up the good work and don't let the management get you down.
To all the expat Bobby's - keep focused, stay keen and be as professional as you were in Blighty.
To all you non cops out there - Rispek de Babylon
Cayman Bobby's second-to-last post attracted 45 comments, most of them sympathetic and many questioning whether freedom of expression existed in the Cayman Islands. Cayman Bobby noted in the comment thread, however, that he does moderate comments and had discarded about 30%, some of which he deemed likely to “incite racial hatred”.
In his final post, dated February 18, Cayman Bobby takes a swipe at the Compass (”Booo! You whistle blowers!) and provides a list of other sites which have linked the blog. He closes with this warning:
Please be aware of cheap imitations, or bloggers pretending to be Cayman Cop. Whilst I'm aware that imitation is the best form of flattery, please don't use my name on your site. I'm in enough sh*t as it is!
Cayman Cop Returns IS NOT being run by the author of this site.
Meanwhile, Cayman Islands Blog Man, the other site mentioned in the Compass article, is having a field day. Likewise for Little Eye on The World, which — riffing off the gay cruise that recently landed in Grand Cayman amidst much controversy — claims that Cayman Cop “was persuaded to ‘ride the other bus'.”
Reflections on Blogging with Fernando Flores
Chilean Senator Fernando Flores has been an active promoter of blogs in Chile. He's introduced them in a serious context. In this interview, he reflects about blogs, posts, comments, opinions, and how to build progressive common worlds through language.
Part 1
Fernando, lets talk about your blog and its difference from other types of blogs?
On occasions people write to me and ask, why don’t you give opinions on your blog, others complain about why I “copy and paste”?
The main feature of my blog is to disclose worlds, so I can bring into the blog issues with out making an opinion. My work is to disclose, not to be an opinionated person. My policy is not to give opinions. I choose themes, and even if I have a negative opinion of them, I have selected them because I think them important, worth mentioning to share them with others. I believe other people do other things, they have biased opinions, it’s not the style of my blog and not the style of me as a senator.
I think that I am good at watching what goes on in the world, so I share issues that I discern as important, within a certain line. So, I share 4 or 5 themes such as technology, education, digital vanguard. I read around 1000 posts per day; where I find a lot to share. I do a selection labour and a lot of readers appreciate it. The other reason for doing “cut and paste” is that I am a Senator and I don’t have time to write five articles per day.
Links for Tue, 2006-02
Christian Garbis writes his thoughts and observations on Armenian logic.
Vilhelm Konnander turns a critical eye to ICG's recent report on Uzbekistan.
Ukraine, faced with threats now from Turkmenistan that it will raise gas prices, is reacting aggressively, reports neweurasia
Peter at neweurasia reports on the destruction of seaside homes in the city of Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan.
The Golden Road to Samarqand writes about Kyrgyz funeral customs.
Was 1905 in Estonia a prelude to 1917 or the year Estonia's independence movement was born? Bonjour l'Estonie links to a review of a photo exhibit capable of shedding light on this neglected and potentially divisive historical period: “Manors are Burning!: The 1905 Revolution in Estonia.”
Bonjour l'Estonie links to an article in Free Estonian Word about how the choices made more than 60 years ago still reverberate today: “People defend and excuse collaboration with the Nazis while condemning any sort of contact with the Soviets. Others, including prominent members of Estonia's political life, take the opposite view and defend collaboration with the Soviets. And all the while, they all maintain that their collaboration was in fact intended to help Estonia. Perhaps the truth is that it helped only themselves instead.”
Aleks at All About Latvia writes about the controversy surrounding March 16 in Latvia: “For the last few years, every year on March 16, Latvian uberpatriots march in Riga and the Western Latvian city of Liepaja. Every year, Russian uberpatriots march to protest against the new found spread of fascism in the Baltic states. Russian TV arrives. Takes the footage. Viewers in Russian cities watch what those Balts think of the grandpappy who died in World War II. The Russian government becomes irate and says that a EU member state should not allow Nazis have any liberty to demonstrate. And eventually, we forget about it.”
The concept of arranged marriages in India puts an extra pressure on women to not only succumb to being a certian type but also attempt to marry a man who falls into certain “types”. More on the marriage blues by Sakshi.
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