Archive for
May 18th, 2007
Stories
Peru: Just Say No! to the OLPC
· 22:52
The Peruvian Minister of Education, José Antonio Chang, recently announced that Peru would participate in the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project. With only a model of the XO in hand, he said, “This will permit the children to have access to technology from all parts of the country and improve their learning skills.” However, details were still far from clear, and some Peruvian bloggers took to the task by asking some hard questions. The following two articles were written by Marco Sifuentes on the blog Utero de Marita [ES] (Marita's Womb) Translated by Eduardo Avila.
The Strange Case of the $100 Laptop (link to original article)
…that in reality could cost $175 USD
And for the moment, the only machines that exist are the prototypes, which are the ones that the Ministry of Education showed to the press during the announcement. Regardless, the Peruvian government will purchase these machines (how many? No one knows.)
In addition: the Education Minister (who read all the information from a piece of paper, see the video of the press conference here) said that the agreement will be signed with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). False. It will be signed with the private organization OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) founded by ex-members of MIT’s Media Lab. For certain, our conceited Garrido Lecca, who was present at the press conference, is also a graduate of MIT. I say no more.
The first to sound an alarm was Eduardo Villanueva, whose concern reached the point where he created a blog to exclusively follow this case and raise various questions that the Minister has yet to clear up.
During the week, El Comercio and La Ventana were looking for answers from the Ministry, but they went around and around, until the Ministry called a press conference.
El Morsa provides us with a crucial detail: Max Ugaz, the man that acted as “private expert” hired by the Ministry, is nothing more than a salaried employee of Minister Chang at the University of San Martín de Porres, or in other words, he holds no independence and no credibility as an “external consultant.”
As one could see, the press conference of the Private Council for a Digital Agenda was unfortunate. These men received a pair of prototypes on Wednesday and the next day they were capable of giving approval for the purchase, with money from our taxes – and the price could fluctuate between 43-100 million dollars.
Here there is plenty of cloth to cut. It is not in terms of technology, because the XO is wonderful, but in terms of educational, logistical and the expense to the state (read the column written by León Trahtenberg).
One of the many unanswered questions: Do you know how many computers have been stolen from the Lima schools with the Plan Huascarán? Did Chang coordinate some study with the Interior Ministry? What are they going to do to avoid the predictable destiny of these marvelous laptops in the hands of easy victims like primary school children?
OLPC: One Week Later (link to original article)
In revisiting the topic of the $100 laptop that in reality costs twice that amount, this time more information is presented with the opinions of bloggers specialized in technology.
Surprisingly, in spite of the marvelous technology gadgets, the local “geek” community is completely not in favor of the purchase (personal note: it is encouraging that our hackers are able to see this, which is something that is lacking from their Latin American counterparts).
I recommend the posts of two of the authority figures on this tipo: Arturo Goga and Gustavo Picón. The first succinctly details some of the technical repairs that the “independent auditor” and employee of Minister Chang, Max Ugaz failed to mention. On he other hand Picón put to rest any illusion that someone could have regarding the purchase of the OLPC machines: his long post should make the rounds in the Ministry of Education, let's see if someone puts a stop to the nonsense.
The debate continues on the ad hoc blog of Eduardo Villanueva
In the meantime, Franc Canaza raises an alarm for a possible leap into the unknown with the education of Peruvian children: Satellite Education in Peru? (“…shouldn't they develop the content for distance education, if they don't buy content to be seen (television, antenna and decodifier).”
We have yet to escape from the controversy and Minister Chang is getting involved with another empty and expensive project. So much enthusiasm for this project is very suspicious: corruption in the related purchases of technology is one of the hardest to prove. There was a reason why Coqui Toledo was one of the most enthusiastic of Plan Huascarán.
8 comments · »»Africa: Blog This Poem!
· 21:23
The African blogosphere is rapidly expanding, bringing more voices online in the form of commentaries, opinions, analyses, rants…and poetry. Blogs have created a new space for African poets to share their creative and imaginative works with a wider audience. Today, I will introduce you to a few poems written by African bloggers.
My Voting Dilemma is a poem by Kenyan Poet (based in Nairobi, Kenya):
This paradox of how a piece of paper
With X and ticks marks like an exam paper
To examine my literacy and disarm my prayers
Malcolm X and Nike labels
Tick no and X or cancel yes
No I don’t want yes
My answer is no
And so I will cancel
This sycophancy of how symbols and signs
Of Cocks and bananas, roses and oranges
Determine my choice and taste of changes
I am a vegetarian and don’t fancy cocks
For over 24 years, shoved down my throat
Fruits are healthy but the hawkers too many
Roses, who is saint Valentino?
My answer is no
And so I will cancel…
Jah Guide, a Rastafarian blogger from Sudan writes, Someone:
I was searching underneath the depth of my mind
With a heavy load in my heart
Crushing
Melted memories
Ghosts
That hug and whisper
Am I crazy?
Where is my home?
Some one to understand
How can just one man remember it all?
I want to be normal
Stupid
But….
Here they come
I have found them for you
I am bleeding
Take my hand
Lead this tortured soul
To the other side
This wall must fall
Where is my home?
My semi Sahara
Underneath it
The ancients planted my seed
Dont…is a poem by Kenyan Expressions dedicated to “all parliamentary and civic aspirants”:
don’t give me the title deed today
because you want my vote tomorrow
for the day after…you’ll leave
and I will be left in sorrowdon’t make me promises
that you know very well
you will not keep
you fooled me once
you fooled me twice
but this time I will not weep
Broken Diamonds by ON DRIFTING, WAVY WORDS was written in honor of the victims of the American embassy bombing in Nairobi in 1998:
They were born,
On a day in the past,
And lived their lives,
Till that fateful day,
Seventh of August.The scene was aghast,
After the blast,
The blast that claimed them,
And what a mayhem it caused.The glasses flew,
As if they knew,
Where they were going;
They cut deep in the skin,
And the memory,
Remains deeply etched in our hearts.
Rethabile Masilo from Lesotho writes Lerato in Poéfrika, a group blog of creative Africa-inspired writing:
you left
for work
without
a word/
and I just
felt nuts,
smoking
the cleft
of a day/
a bird
is caught by
morning till
twilight
wraps my
thought and
the feathers
fly home/ I
start feeling
nuts again,
then you tap
the padauk
door, which
I stagger to
and open
with the
other hand.
He also writes, Pissin' in the forest, on his own blog, Sotho:
We head home
by a trail round
the lower villages
to avoid stopping
for a drink at
Moselantja’s place,
your cheeks
red in spring air,
a sense of life
darting through
your blood. I’mwalking for health,
your young quack
thinks I’m as good
as in the tomb, wants
to haul me back
out–he shoulda met
Niclas when he was
around. But you
added your voice
to his and so here
we are, sweating
Sunday afternoon.We turn right after
the villages and
head for the woods,
the sound of hoof
on twig deserting us.
It’s all I can do
not to pee on a tree,
your only proof
to tell whether or not
I been drinkin’. It’s
all I can do not to think
of my babyhood dream,
pissin’ in the forest.
Lascia ch’io pianga, partly inspired by the Italian opera, Rinaldo is written by Mshairi (a poet in Swahili):
in the melancholic hour before dawn
oppressive memories torment the senses
tangled sheets bear testament to another sleepless night
another search for succour in vain
in anguished silence the forlorn inconsolable heart
softly whispers to the bleak darkness to
let me weep
let me weep for
vanished yearning dreams
unfulfilled wishes
let me weep for
unshared laughter
extinguished hopes
the song unsung
the words forever unsaid
let sorrow break these chains of agony
for pity’s sake if nothing else
let me sigh for love’s respite and release
let me weep for stories untold
and grieve for the soul’s troubled woes
misery without endLet me weep
Lascia ch’io pianga
Snapshot of the soul writes The Fog :
It's been countless hours since my last taste
what a sadly ironic way to go to wastebut I'm getting better now
roughed the darkness redefining my rhythm
clearing you out of my system
and waking's still not easy
believe me
still gotta pry these eyes open
every single morning of each day
knowing there'll be no surprises, no point in hoping
just phantoms forming every which wayYou are in the thick of the fog
grandmaster's obokano's poem, Noose-Reactions, was written following Saddam Hussein's death by hanging :
For the hanged
mixed reactions
Saddam is hanged
jubilation life in the western bush
consolation and weeping in the east
i see no life in the rest.
Poet Mutiso, blogging at POETRY BLOG - SEEKING HIGHER SOLITUDE, writes Visitors of the night:
They moved stealthily,
Through the thickets,
Like the shadows of the unknown.They were not welcomed,
Neither accepted but they came,
Not boldly, but with covered faces,
And painted bodies.They didn't knock,
Nor open they broke through,
That's what they liked,
It was their pleasure.They entered like thieves,
But they never stole property,
They stole bodies;
Stripping your flesh leaving naked bones,
And dust.They? Who were they?
They were them
Send by who was after us.
All… we don't know.
Endi's World remembers the people who have lost their lives in pipeline fires in Nigeria in And the darkness…:
‘Twas a hushed tale
Of a commonwealth flowing home
We've gone to stake a claim
A search for light before dusk was dueOn an empty stomach rumbling with greed
We came; with diverse vessels
Seeking a path through our poverty
A fare for a seasonal ritualIn the grassland; a carcassland
Of torn engines and the living dead
Our fate hung on a light
Around this tempting pool of darknessOur eyes had sought the Rocks light
Hoping it will make us light
From the yolk of a penuric existence
It came though; with it a scorching comfortAnd it came, a light came
Through nowhere, like a spirit
And it dawned on us
That dawn's come, then 'twas darkness again
And finally, Sandra Mushi from Tanzania recalls her First Time:
6 comments · »»The music is merry and right
The room is shiny and bright
Your kind eyes dance as they smile at me
I am nervous, scared as tense as I can be
You approach me, over me is your big frame
To agree to come myself I start to blameThe earth seems to shake with my fear
My heart beats you can almost hear
My body is numb with such fright
Thinking of you entering where it is so tight
As I lay back my muscles with dread do tighten
The sight of the tool you will use does frightenI try to look for an excuse to leave
As you refuse to be swayed a sigh I heave
The music is supposed to be soothing
But now in my young ears sounds so brooding
Fast and faster my heart beats also pump
From my mouth my heart will jumpWith a warm smile, you ask me if I’m afraid
Bravely I shake my head, nervously toying with a braid
You have had more experience, you calmly say
Finding the right place, your finger does play
You probe deeply and I shiver; my body tenses;
I moan, groan, tears sting, as you bring down my defensesYou are as gentle as you had promised you’d be
Looking deeply within my eyes, my fears you see
Urging me to trust you, you beg me some more
Saying you have done this many times before
I open wider to give you more room for an easy entrance
The pain is so intense I seem to be in a tranceBegging you to hurry I begin to plead
You slowly take your time I can’t stand the deed
Gentle and slow you must be, you say
So not to cause me much pain as you pray
Your gray hair and tobacco smell reminding me of Daddy
To your fatherly figure I then give in gladlyPressing closer, going deeper, trying to hold you at bay,
Suddenly I feel the tissue rip and give way;
Throughout my little body excruciating pain does surge
I feel the slight trickle of blood as on you urge
You looks at me concerned and asks me if it’s too painful
My eyes filled with tears I try to be as brave as a bullI shake me head and bravely nod for you to go on
My braids with pink ribbons shake as I tremble and moan
You begin going in and out with such skill
But I am now too numb you within me to feel
I feel something after a while bursting within me
You pull it out of me, I lay panting, glad its over and I’m freeMy little body shudders a sigh of relief that its over
Smiling warmly over me your big frame does hover
I have been your most stubborn yet most rewarding experience
You say with a chuckle, sweet stubborn body of brilliance
Straightening my wrinkled school skirt I get up
With a wink, you reward me with a lollipopLick
Lick
Slurp
Slurp
Noisily I lick away at the delicious swirl of sweetness bout
My cute little lips no longer in an annoyed sulking pout
I smile and thank my dear old dentist as I merrily hop out
It was my first time to have a tooth pulled, have no doubt
Serbian “Prayer” Wins Eurovision Song Contest
· 21:11
Serbian singer Marija Serifovic performingMolitva (”Prayer”), the winning entry of the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest (photo by Indrek Galetin)
Just a few days ago, major news outlets reported that the main course of discussion at the Serbian Assembly session was to determine which political party is supported by the 2007 Eurovision winner, Marija Serifovic. Milutin Mrkonjic, who presided at the meeting, invited the singer to visit the parliament. When she came in, Mrkonjic said, “Fellow deputies, please turn around and greet Marija Serifovic. We will be having a short break. Let all of us go to the lobby to have a juice with our Marija.”
At B92 blog, Maja writes (SRP):
She was persistent to succeed in the world she created; she managed to show me again how it feels good to be a Serb!
Dusan is somewhat less emotional:
I can’t believe how much euphoria was provoked by the victory of Serbian [representative] at Eurovision contest. All of a sudden, everybody is proud to be Serbian!?! And all of that about one not so important thing for the country and its citizens. I consider this win a simple political fix-up, in the moment when Serbia turns its back to the EU, as the great fuss was produced by nominating [Tomislav Nikolic] as the chairman of the parliament??? So, the western courtiers had to show us how much they love us, at the time when they plan to take away Kosovo, and to blackmail us on our road to the EU. It is like: we took Kosovo from you, but we still like you. […]
Kredibilitet writes:
[…] People with such capital as the first place at the Eurovision Song Contest (with all the drawbacks of the voting system) have a credibility to say what they think and invest the credibility in what they believe. Marija believes this is the beginning of a new Serbia, and that gesture when she raised three fingers, and her parliament visit, are all good for Serbia. She placed her face in front of us, and we started spitting at her. Luckily, our comments disturb her as a horse is disturbed by a fly on his butt. […]
At another B92 discussion corner, Jeca writes(SRP):
I am glad Marija from Serbia won. That means, we will be organizing the next contest, which enables us to promote our country. […] Those who decide to visit Belgrade, no matter how many of them, will obtain, I hope so, a more positive picture of Serbia, about Belgrade, because they have a lot of prejudices about us, when taken into account all the [terrible] events of the nineties. […]
Vlad man states:
It is not all about politics, nor is everything related to Serbs negative. […] The Eurovision win is really positive, and everybody should salute the […] girl from Kragujevac, who achieved the top recognition of her profession, by using her own voice. She set a good example for everyone. […]
Gorana Secibovic:
[…] I consider this a great chance for positive PR of our country. In Norwegian media, Serbia is mentioned only in relation to [Ratko] Mladic [suspected war criminal], [Tomislav] Nikolic [ultra-radical politician who was leading the assembly for a few days], Kosovo [a painful issue as the Albanian minority wants to separate], and the mass graves around the region [consequences of civil wars that occurred during the last decade of turmoil]. Just a few days ago, a Norwegian lady asked me if the army preserves peace on Serbian streets, if military vehicles are patrolling around, and etc. […]
Neven Andjelic says:
Eurovision is the last shelter of romantic people who are against globalization. […] First, the economy collapsed, and then ideology of the East. It happened around 1989, together with privatization process, mass unemployment, when young generation lost driving force, and the older got totally disappointed. The hardships resulted in widespread emigration to the West, where engineers from [some Russian city] became plumbers in Birmingham, teachers from Belgrade went to improve their skills as painters in Amsterdam, journalists from Sarajevo went to wash cars in Paris, etc. […] But now, the poor European states from the east win, and they feel well. […] [Because of the voting system, which enables similar small countries to give more points to each other] at once, Bosnia Herzegovina, Serbia, Ukraine, Latvia turned out to be the superpowers of European singing. […] They can make some changes in the voting system, but the final say is with the people. The true democracy and the east always win. The poor, the lowest caste of untouchables prevails, like in Indian province, during the last election. […] Eurovision Song Contest is the victory of democracy. When French, Italians, and Luxemburg people won, the West was ok with it. When the East became dominating factor, at least in singing, people started talking about fixes, scam, and labeling the competition as stupid one. […] They wanted to make numerous Diasporas from the east societies, now the expatriates vote for their home countries. The east is on the roof of Europe. It deserved the recognition. Remember that you read it here. I am posting this a minute before the voting, as a proof, my expectations turned out to be true.
Trotter says:
Thank you Marija for promoting my Serbia this way! Thank you very much!
Srdan Kusovac responds to this post:
[…] There has always been politics in the Eurovision contest, or even more politics than music, because that is why the manifestation was initially established, because of the politics. The contest is, in this new time, I guess, the only opportunity when the “new Europe” manages to show it is “equal” or “important”. […]
At his blog, Dragan Vargic states:
[…] I think Marija Serifovic is a very good thing for the [country and its people]. Her talent, hard work, and the will to participate produced great effect. This is a pretty important event for all those defeatists [so called retrograde persons spreading negative energy] which I know and have to listen to all these years.
JustMe comments:
I have read remarks made by forum dwellers coming from former Yugoslav republics. I don’t know should I laugh or cry… I thought I wasn’t reading comments about Marija Serifovic Eurovision victory, but the latest X Files – a conspiracy theory edition about how Serbia stopped the win of the Croatian representative in Finland!
According to the “theories,” Serbia:
1. ‘Got' traded the trophy for Kosovo (?!)…
2. Led an anti-Croatian campaign in Finland, this stopping the victory of Dada Topic (?!)…
3. Won because only Serbs voted in the whole of Europe (?!). I suppose, the rest didn’t have the money for mobile phone…
4. Received 12 points from Croatia, because, again, only Serbs voted (neither Croatians had money for mobile phone bills)…
5. Won because the country selected a person of unidentified gender, so they received votes of the gay population…
6. Won because the singer pleads Europe by naming her song “The Prayer” […] (?!)…The “theory” list is long enough, but because of their stupidity, there is no reason to list them all. […]
Acca posts the Molitva song in English:
Prayer (Destiny) - English
I'm wide awake
An empty bed drives my dreams away
Life melts like ice
Disappears in the twinkling of an eyeI'm losing my mind,
Pushing reality out of sight
Our lips are touching softly
You're the one I believe blindlyI walk around like crazy
Falling in love frightens me
Days are like wounds
Countless and hard to get throughPrayer…
It burns my sore lips like a fire
Prayer…
Thy name is something I admire
Heaven knows just as well as I do
So many times I have cried over you
Heaven knows just as well as I do
I pray and live only for youI can't lie to God
as I kneel down and pray
You're the love of my life
That's the only thing I can say
The English version of “The Prayer” can be downloaded here.
2 comments · »»Kazakhstan: A President for Life
· 20:51
On 18 May the Parliament of Kazakhstan adopted the changes into the Constitution in the second reading. According to one of the amendments, the first president of Kazakhstan will no more have limits on how many times he can run for the president's office. Let us see how the Livejournal users in Kazakhstan reacted on the day when the news broke.
Nazarbayev for life. I'm in shock. A new Turkmenbashi :) I always used to say that the most democratic country in the whole CIS is Kyrgyzstan. The rest have a sort of medieval monarchy.
On the other hand, I do understand why it cannot be otherwise in Central Asia. The politicians are inexperienced in foreign policy. Maybe I am not the one to speak. But it is visible. Congratulations to Russia on good politics in the last days (the hydrocarbons).
Today I was woken up by a hectic phone call: “Nazarbayev! Nazarbayev!”.
Nazarbayev did not shy away. But this is neither an extension of the duties, not a maniac will for power, but a result of internal fights we don't know about. It is a symbolic gesture, possibly, a declaration of war. He probably doesn't think about the forth term. Though maybe he looked at Berdymukhammedov this weekend and got jealous…It is surprising how this was announced on Khabar - the message was blurred, boring, it was not the news of the day (the main news was the Israeli strikes even after parliament voted). Those who do write about it, even the opposition media are doing it unwillingly and without much moralism.
megakhuimyak thinks that this would prevent Kazakhstan from becoming the OSCE chairman.
Russian blogger kroopkin comments: Congratulations on a life-long term… Now it is interesting to see the “totalitarization” of the country…
megakhuimyak: The thing is that he can choose to run, or not. There are different tendencies here - the increase of the role of the parties and at the same time the strengthening of the president's real power.
sarimov: You have to have a f… fantasy to find a space in the constitution to increase your powers. The strife for perfection is never ending!
sibariana: We only have to make Putin life-long - and we'll be friends forever. The presidents will be, for sure. And then there is also eternal Fidel.
Bastards! They decided the fate of the whole country in just 17 minutes!.. The unfortunate amendments came yesterday; 84 deputies of the Senate and the Mazhilis voted “for”. Mostly those who were “for” were from Nurotan. The wording is plain simple: “the first president of the Republic of Kazakhstan is not limited with the two terms rule”. The motive is funny: taking into account his historical role in political and socio-economic reforms and to let him finish what he started.
Today two people voted against, one abstained. As far as I know, Bulat Abishev was against (this is for sure). Another one was either Amalbek Tshan, or Tokhtar Aubakirov…
(…)
The discussion of the whole package of the amendments and the voting only took 17 minutes!
Kyrgyz blogger azzzik reflects on the news from the neighbors:
How many years did we moan about our “pocket” parliament, that it can adopt the laws and change the constitution as the president desires. Here we go with the Kazakhstan's example :)
The Constitution of Kazakhstan has a new amendment, according to which the first president of the country, Nursultan Nazarbayev, can run for presidential elections unlimited number of times.
The Kazakhs might be right - a person who did so much for the country (or NN thinks so himself), can afford it.
Now it is important not to cross this thin line, after which you can become an analogy of Turkmenbashi, the eternal president of Turkmenistan.
P.S. Our Akayev either didn't manage to reach this point or he didn't want to.
The 101almatinec community is busy discussing the news, LJ user dass writes: Who is good at politics? Is Nazarbayev forever now?
zerlegmuur: Nope. Only for life…
pacifisttt: It's horrible.
dass: Why?
pacifisttt: Because I don't want to live in a backward country with a life-long monarchy and have absolutely no freedom of choice. Because I don't like when a corrupt and shameless person has a power, and he doesn't even think it is necessary to hide his greed and his longing for power. Because I don't want my children to live in such a country. Because then we shouldn't have laughed at Turkmenistan. We are going towards it. We'll rename Almaty into Nursultan city.
dass: You want to live in a legal state? They say there you have to be responsible for words like “corrupt and shameless” - in court.
pacifisttt: And you don't have to be responsible for thefts? For murders?
dass: Surely.
pacifisttt: Well, I'd like to try living in such a state.
voronxxi: I am afraid you are not lucky then… the whole world is like that. The countries differ only how the corruption is organised there, and some are better at presenting themselves … KZ is not so bad! At least, you still don't have to eat the genetically modified food, your children are not fed with the toxic pills against the syndrome of under-development, if they - children - do not want to accept that the families of two dads are no good…
chernyi_sobak: Interesting, does he steal from your own pocket? And overall, I am just interested, does anyone prevent you from working? Are you discriminated on sexual or national grounds? You don't have a right to leave the country?..
If you wanna live better, work better. Cause everyone is used to sitting on the benches and chatting about “how we have so much oil in Kazakhstan, we should live like in Emirates and have the servants”…
pacifisttt: Yes. You pay the taxes, they buy yachts. I am often harassed on the grounds of nationality. I cannot make a career in state bodies with my surname. They are bringing me the papers from the government in a language I don't understand and they don't want to translate. I can keep listing. You know, I have other interests, besides eating and going to the toilet. That is why I am not satisfied with the level of culture in this country, the level of self-consciousness, I don't like when they lie looking into my eyes, without even blinking. Not everything is measured in money.
4 comments · »»Morocco: Fighting ignorance, injustice, and irrationality
· 20:08
Numidia Tin-Ass is an Amazigh girl of 4 months whose father is still fighting to record her first name with the Consulate of Morocco. Moroccan law does not permit its citizens to record a first name that does not appear on a list established by the Moroccan government. The girl is already recorded in the family record book in the town hall of Roubaix, which shows that she practically has more rights and freedoms in France than in her father’s country of origin.
Lhoussein Azergui, the father of the girl and independent journalist and author explains in amazighblog (fr), saying:
Dès que l’officier de l’Etat civil découvre le prénom, Il tend sa main machinalement au tiroir pour y sortir un tas de feuilles désordonnées et usées. Il me dit : «Je vais voir si le prénom existe sur la liste !». Il commença alors à chercher. La loi des prénoms mise en place par le gouvernement marocain, rappelle-t-on, est toujours d’usage. Celle-ci interdit aux citoyens de donner des prénoms non arabes et non islamiques à leurs enfants.
Lhousein Azergui also gives an appeal in his post (fr), saying :
N’étant que l’une des nombreuses victimes de ce comportement anti-amazigh des autorités marocaines, je tiens à exprimer ma solidarité avec toutes les familles privées de donner des prénoms amazighs à leurs enfants.
Enfin, j’appelle tous les esprits libres, épris de justice et de démocratie, à m’appuyer dans ce combat pour la dignité et contre l’absurdité, et à dénoncer l’attitude arbitraire des autorités marocaines.
Lhoussein Azergui has been subjected to an act of absolutism based on ideas of racism and ignorance.
Speaking of ignorance, Amina Talihmet expresses herself in a poetic tone in her blog (fr), saying :
L'ignorance…
Quand les mots ne viennent pas. Quand la Raison devient déraisonnable. Quand le sens tourne au non sens. Quand politique rime avec gâchis, liberté avec sottise. Quand tout se brouille, oui, il y a effectivement une terrible injustice. Oui, le Napoléon d'Orwell avait raison: certains animaux sont plus égaux que d'autres… parce qu'ils aiment les livres. Lire en fonction de l'humeur du moment. Et sur ce blog l'humeur est à “L'Ignorance” de Kundera. Milan Kundera.
When the words do not come. When Reason becomes unreasonable. When sense turns to nonsense. When politics rhymes with waste, freedom with foolishness. When all is muddled, yes, there is indeed a terrible injustice. Yes, Napoléon d'Orwell was right : certain animals are more equal than others…because they like books. Reading depends on the mood of the moment. And this blog owes its mood to the “Ignorance” of Kundera. Milan Kundera.
Mahdi (fr) commented, saying, “Kundera remains a rare writer, his writing is charged with universalism which surpasses divisions of time and space.”
Neither good sense nor religion has supported ignorance throughout history. In Red@blog (fr), the author has just posted a video featuring Quiradawi, a famous Egyptian Islamic scholar who pontificates on female masturbation. Reda also comments on a recent article which highlights the risks of oral sex:
Les filles ont une autre raison (scientifique celle-là) pour ne plus se prêter à l’un des exercices que les gars aiment le plus. En effet, on apprends qu’on court plus de chance de développer un cancer de la gorge en ayant des relations bucco-génitales avec plusieurs partenaires qu'en fumant ou buvant, d’après des chercheurs américains.
Je me demande ce que ‘Quiradawi’ en pense?
There is only one way to change ignorant thinking; that is to get involved, and the way to do that in Morocco is by voting in the next parliamentary elections. Ange Bleu agrees, and says in her blog (fr):
J'espere que vous aller être nombreux à participer au vote que je viens de mettre sur ce blog et qui a pour but de tester es opinions de participations aux prochaines éléctions législatives prévues au maroc au mois de Septembre. bon courage.
China: Citizen blogger treading new ground?
· 18:30
Wasn't the point of web 2.0 the hole it was to tear in monolithic traditional media, with bloggers crowding in to pick up the slack and make the story go viral? Like NewAssignment.net, the Reuters-backed venture which sought to revolutionize news media through open-source reporting, yet after months of hype is still asking itself what it wants to do.
Well, leave it to a young Hunanese vegetable farmer-blogger with social conscience and hunger for fame to throw down his basket, grab a camera and head off to any number of Chinese internet bars to blog one of the biggest news stories in China of 2007 and, by doing so, establish a precedent and a step-by-step guide for NewAssignment, Reuters and many others to follow. One just needs some sisu, thick skin, no hesitation in asking people for money and then spending it. No tax declarations or NGO status to worry about doesn't hurt either. And, in contradiction to an earlier blog post, Zola—one of the earliest contributors to China's latest blog buzz initiative—is not even China's first citizen reporter, he's just the first to bring it mainstream.
What's it take?
-a blog
-a digital camera
-map of all the netbars in the area
-a portable picasa account
-a twitter account
-even a live broadcast feed
-a ping-pong paddle and blogger friends all across the country
Picking up from his final nailhouse post, Zola takes a long look back at the two weeks he spent in Chongqing covering the Nailhouse, reflects on what his motivation is—getting famous is a large part of it—and starts making the first of several declarations to head home back to Hunan and the family vegetable stall. From his post dated April 3:
总而言之，我认为目前得到了一个完善结局。虽然很多长期压抑的愤怒让人们以为有一场官民的冲突暴发，但居然平静地度过了，而我本人，做了一件被众人以为有危险的事情，然后，我的运气极好，我极顺利的完成了报道，并且功成名就全身而退。以后，我确实有更多的社会资源可用了，我一定会好好卖菜，成就一番事业。我对时事把握的眼光还可以，呵呵。。
陌生人是我一个令人讨厌的爱出风头的愤青，可是常读我的BLOG的人却不会这样认为。所以，我一点都不担心网上面的负面评论对我有什么影响。
我的使命完成了，终于等到了建筑的拆迁，并且很高兴看到这一个和平的方式解决了开发商和拆迁户之间积累了几个的矛盾。我可以安稳的睡觉而不用担心错过有新闻价值的细节了，我用我的图片和视频为网友们提供了现场的信息，满足了部分人对此事的好奇心，还成功地体现了个人媒体在社会事件中的作用，把个人媒体这个词推向了中国新闻人的眼前，让他们不再忽略网络日志的个人媒体的作用。这证明在技术将带来新的传播手段和市场，也给企图”统一思想”的共产党带来新的挑战，也给普通平民带来新的传递自己的声音的机会。我这个中国网络日志作者的出现是技术发展后的必然，个人媒体必然参与社会事件，履行舆论监督的权利。但是，很不幸的，中国是一个利用新闻来宣传的国家，他不会允许个人拥有不受他们控制的强大的影响力，很巧合的是，当吴苹和开发商达成协商的当天，我的 weblog也无法在中国境内访问了。我无法在国内建立网站的原因是：如果我将网站放在国内，按照中国的法律制度，我必须备案登记，如果备案后网站主人写了与时政有关的内容，就会接到”通信管理局”的电话让我们删除相关文章，如果联系不上网站主人，”通信管理局”就会通知网络接入商（ISP）在主机上删除站点导致人们无法访问这个网站。所以，我拒绝备案登记并使用国内的主机。今天，我的weblog被屏蔽了，当人们访问我的网站里的weblog时，就会出现一个空白页面，如果是有经验的网民，他们知道，我的BLOG被GFWed了。我的影响力就从此不会在普通网民中扩大了。
本来，我打算在成名后投身娱乐行业的，可是我的网站里最精彩的内容被屏蔽了，无法让普通民众来熟悉我从而支持我了。
好了，我的网站总算被屏蔽了，我早知道有这么一天，来得也不算太早，网络日志被屏蔽也意味着我终于成名了，至少引起GFW的注意了，这是我的荣耀。还有四份报纸和国外的媒体采访我，我竟然真的实现”一夜成名”了！我就说我猪年”诸”事顺利，心想事成嘛。你看，有《南方都市报》、《湘声报社》、《21世纪经济报道》、《潇湘晨报》、《杭州都市快报》、美国《新闻周刊》、美联社、法新社、伦敦BBC、江西都市频道、台湾中国时报、中天电视这些传统媒体的记者联系过我，至少有四份报纸出版提到了我，其中有《南方都市报》、《潇湘晨报》、《杭州都市快报》、《21世纪经济报道》，其中《21世纪经济报道》将在明天有卖，我今天在重庆已经买到了，配的图是hidecloud拍的，文字是吴红缨写的，写得不错，网上 有电子版，新浪财经 有转载，不过，她在说我的手指受伤的事来娱乐大众的事时，可能没仔细看链接里的图片下的文字，我已经说明是接电话时手插错了口袋才划伤的，那个电话是《湘声报社》的谭君打的，我回湖南再找她算帐去。很高兴的是，吴红缨转达了我的观点：”出名不是坏事，只要在公益事业和商业益之间找到平衡。”虽然吴红缨不写关注 BLOG，但她这篇文章写得还是不错的。
我要离开重庆了，我继续回小镇上过我的日子。我讨厌城市生活。这些天已经让真的让我”废寝忘食”了，每天的平均睡眠时间不足5个小时，想睡也睡不着。我回家乡后，我可以继续像以前一样无忧无虑的睡16个小时。
我真的有理想吗？我真的没有理想吗？我也不知道，我觉得像现在这样偶尔出一把风头挺爽的，习惯平淡的生活又能保持激情，一张一弛，生命真精彩。
Do I really have ideals? Do I really have no ideals? I don't know either. I guess the occasional attention I get now is pretty sweet, but if I can get back into the quiet life I'll be able to maintain my passion, moving between the tense city and the relaxed country. This way life will be that much more brilliant.
No qualms about loving the limelight, and a healthy lack of fear of repercussions, as seen in Zola's April 4 post following an interview with Voice of America:
我的电话公布在网上，很多人可以很方便的找到我。美国之音也找上我了，我接受了电话采访，但后为有人告诉我，接受美国电话采访是会被当成政治犯的，我想，这是什么年代的事啊，再说，他们采访难道会陷害我？所以，他们没有告诉我正在录音，我也没有告诉他我在录音。昨天BBC电台打电话给我时，我知道他们在录音棚跟我讲话，可是我忘了录音BBC的音了。
对方的录音在这, 这里的22点的时候有我的录音，我听人家说的。
By this point, the Zola celebrity citizen blogger cross-country tour is well on its way. His next stop? Guiyang, capital of central China's impoverished Guizhou province.
我们在感叹，Blogger之间的信任真的很好，也许我们可以实现
blogger大串联。当地Blogger只负责介绍旅店和组织娱乐活动就可以实现面对面交流了，我说，我的wealog.com说不定可以用这种模式实现最佳效果的征婚交友目的。
And be it for pent-up frustration, too many hours hunched over a keyboard, or your blog having just been blocked, Zola shows us the leisure game of choice for the hardcore blogger:
Speaking of which, leisure time aside, there are those things that happen to Chinese bloggers who blog too much:
被GFW后的对应策略:
1. 经查实，我的网站里只被GFW屏蔽了zuola.com/weblog/这个URL，也就是说， 任何含有zuola.com/weblog/ 的请求在路过中国的GFW的边境线的时候都会被Reset，连这样的URL都被RESET： http://www.r-mail.org/?rss=http%3a%2f%2fwww.zuola.com%2fweblog%2ffeedrss2.asp&mailto=zuola.com%40gmail.com
2. 很多人发现GFW影响Google Reader用户订阅我的FEED( 1、 2)，有朋友被迫退订了我的BLOG的FEED，HideCloud告诉我一个办法：”在reader里使用All items可以解决zola日志被GFW的情况”，还有一个办法就是改用https： https://www.google.com/reader/view
3. 我用R-mail.org的邮件定阅将邮件订阅到zuola.com@gmail.com，然后转发到 emailfeed@googlegroups.com，这样就把我的最新日志放到了 http://groups.google.com/group/emailfeed这个任何人可加入的讨论组中，然后任何人加入这个讨论组即可实现订阅我的网络日志，如果你觉得这样的订阅方式适合你的话；
4. 我在宣传我的国内镜像BLOG http://zola.bullog.cn 虽然这个站的界面不符我意，页面代码和URL很乱，但总比让那些偶然知道我的人搜索 周曙光后什么也看不到要好，技术细节不便透露，让网监们去费心猜吧。我知道网监的大叔们可能在关注我，并且可能认得我，他们
已经给我照顾了，没有完全封掉我的域名，我也许应该感谢他们；还要感谢 罗永浩为我提供国内镜像服务；
5. 我弄了一个 http://www.zuola.com/blog/ 来避免zuola.com/weblog的封锁，国内的人们应该还能用这个来看我的BLOG，这个URL是临时的，我不会舍弃我的 zuola.com/weblog/这个目录的PR值和反向链接，我还期待着有一天网监的人会解除封锁，因为我相信共产党会越来越开明，除非共产党敢于反对全球一体化进程，并且不打算办2008的运动会了；
6. 感谢网监也看我的BLOG，欢迎继续看，希望你们能认识到你们的工作不仅仅是为了养家糊口，而且是有价值的像我一样可以回家向父母炫耀功劳的劳动；
7. 谢谢所有为我提供软件和服务的公司和个人，我会像你们一样去帮助真正需要帮助的人。
8. 谢谢所有为我提供精神支持和物质支持的公司和个人，我会像你们一样去为其他人提供精神支持和力所能及的物质支持。
By this point it's the May Day week-long national holiday in China, and Zola heads home to Hunan to reflect on what his motivations are:
回家一个多星期了，我也想安守本分，可是有人告诉我应该进一步炒作让自己成为名人才会更安全，也有人告诉我如果硬是要努力成为”维权”分子的话，那只有一句话送给我：”维权有风险，投身请慎重”，我也在想啊，我要成名其实也简单，我去北京找找木子美聊聊性自由，找FRJJ聊聊审美自由，找二月丫头聊聊精神自由，找大纪元聊聊信仰自由，然后再找丧祖德签下生死壮，搞一场自由博击，顺便搞稿全程网络直播， 然后再找找许戈辉、陈鲁豫聊聊天，我就可以正式进入娱乐圈了，成名得利之后，我就有更多的机会与黑社会的老大老二们打交道了。
…
我不想当拆迁户的免费代言人，我也不想让维权成为我的生活的主要内容，不想让自己的随性的BLOG成为维权阵地。但是，应该做的公益我还是会做，属于商业的还是按商业来做，如果成功帮助别人维权，我还是会收费的。维护公民权利是政府应该做的事，我作为个人没有义务去做，我才不会像蠢得要死的深圳歌手从飞一样去做公鸡下蛋的看上去很英雄的事。谁也别逼我当英雄，你们自己的利益自己争取，权利来自意识的觉醒，没有英雄要为你们自己的权利负责。
Is Zola someone worth investing in? Compared to the booming Chinese stock market? In any case, Zola has quickly worked out exactly which direction he hopes to take his citizen journalism-blogging gig:
这次”一夜成名”的目标的达成，纯粹是我这个平民在直觉的引领下，一个人熟练运用网络技术，利用自己三年来通过BLOG建立的人际关系网来努力炒作自己的结果。没有任何幕后支持团队，如果说有支持者的话，那就是无数熟悉的和陌生的网友的自发的支持。
我觉得很有必要交待一下我为什么去重庆,在重庆干了些什么,用到了哪些技术和产品，于是写了下面这些：
I think there's a need to explain why I went to Chongqing, what I did there, what technology and products I used, so I've written the following:
我为什么去重庆?
1. 我鄙视传统媒体很久了。他们步调一致，同进共退，受”相关部门”的要挟，能报道什么，不能报道什么，他们听命于人，据说他们是被”道德总局”胁迫的。当我看到新浪的一个某房地产中介弄的一个滚动报道重庆的BLOG被删除后，又看到网易的关于钉子户的专题报道被删除后，我意识到这是一个敏感新闻，传统媒体没有获得”道德总局”的许可而不能报道。我是不属于体制内的中国公民，没有公职，我不怕打压报复，我去报道这些事情是完全没有风险的，于是我去了；
2. 很想出风头很久了。我从小就知道我不是普通人，我爱出风头，善于出风头，不相信权威，特立独行，坚定信仰个人自由，信奉”未被禁止的就是许可的”的规则，反对极权主义下的”未被允许的就是禁止的”的规则，相信 哈耶克自由主义，认定社会不需要一个独裁者来帮助每一个人进行对错的判断，反对政府对人们的精神世界进行”宏观调控”，在众多麻木的声称不谈政治的人中间，我显然是一个异类，所以我早就准备了一个”周曙光全球官方网”，以便让陌生人相信我是一个已经有很多很多Fans的大明星；
3. 我没有职务，也没有老婆孩子，和父母分开住，没人管我，没有工作，唯一的工作就是卖菜，我做任何事都没有后顾之忧，我的卖菜计划搁置了好久了，我有时间去重庆玩，我本来是打算当成一个Flash Mob的，计划到杨武的房顶上自拍一张就算完成任务。
1. I've long despised traditional media. They all act walk the same step at the same pace; receiving coercion from “the related departments”, what can they report on? They're dictated to, threatened and harassed by the “morality administration”, so they say. When I saw a report on Sina about a rumble some real estate company had stirred up had been deleted, and when I saw that the Netease section on Nailhouses had been deleted, I realized that this was some sensitive news and that traditional media hadn't been given approval to report on it by the “morality administration”. I'm a Chinese citizen who's not inside the system, I have no government job. I'm not afraid of being beaten or sought for revenge. Going to report on this incident was completely risk-free, so I went.
2. I've wanted to be famous for a long time. Since I was a kid I've known I wasn't just some ordinary person. I love the limelight and I play it well. I don't believe in authority. I'm a principled and independent thinker. I firmly believe in individual freedom, and I believe in the rule “that which hasn't been prohibited is thus allowed,” I'm opposed to totalitarianism's “that which hasn't been permitted is thus prohibited.” I believe in Hayek Liberalism, and I maintain that society does not need a dictator to come help every person, that this is a mistaken judgement. I'm opposed to the government's use of macroeconomic controls of people's inner worlds. As people are numbed to politics, proclaiming they don't discuss it with others, I seem to be a different species, so for this reason I've long had prepared a “Zola Global Official Website”, to let strangers believe that I'm a celebrity already with many fans.
3. I have no profession, no wife or kids. I don't live with my parents, nobody watches over my affairs. I have no job in that my only work is in selling vegetables. In everything I do I have no fear of what might come later. My vegetable-selling plan has been set aside for quite some time, so I had some time to come have fun in Chongqing. My original plan was to start a flash mob, planning to go to the roof of Yang Wu's house and leave it at that.
我在重庆干了些什么？
1. 和路人讨论吴苹的房子为什么没有拆；
2. 每天拍摄房子的样子；
3. 看工地附近的记者们在干些什么，听他们问些什么；
4. 听外地闻风而来的拆迁维权者们的故事 ；
5. 上网吧发布视频、图片和文字；
6. 坐轻轨看重庆这城市的风景；
7. 网友见面，见到了传说中的 hidecloud；
8. 去解放碑附近的小吃城吃东西，去坐《疯狂的石头》里的那个过江索道，去美术学院吃东西 ；
9. 鼓励并教别人如何成为独立Blogger，例：http://www.limazi.net/
10. 搞搞网友聊天直播，学明星大腕装逼开粉丝见面会，与网友互动，结果互动没搞成，我的站就被封了，接着当天晚上就拆吴苹的房子，弄得我手忙脚乱，还算拍到了不少 精彩照片；
11. 去久仰的重庆邮电大学参观；
12. 在火车站广场遭遇撕钱角的小快餐店，他们企图将我的大面值钞票调包，故意将我给的小面值的钞票的角撕掉一角来逼我换成大钞，我怒了，于是居高临下拍了很多他们的照片，希望更多路过重庆火车站的人不要上当受骗
1. Talked with passerby about why Wu Ping's house hadn't been torn down.
2. Taking daily photos of the condition of the nailhouse.
3. Watching what reporters near the work site were up to, listening to the questions they asked.
4. Listened to the stories of other evictees who came after hearing the news.
5. Went to the internet bar to post my video, photos and reports.
6. Took the lightrail to see Chongqing's scenery.
7. Met with net friends, met the legendary hidecloud.
8. Went to eat at the snack city near the Liberation monument, took the cross-river cablecar seen in Crazy Stone, went to the Art Academy to eat something.
9. Encouraged and taught people how to become independent bloggers, http://www.limazi.net/ for example.
10. Held a live chat with netfriends, held a classy, pretentious fan meeting just like a movie star, usuccessfully interacted with netfriends as my site was blocked. The night Wu Ping's house was torn down I scrambled over and took many spectacular photos.
11. Went to check out the Chongqing Post and Telecommunications University I'd heard so much about.
12. Ran into a scam at the fast-food restaurant at the train station: they tried to give me small bills with ripped corners [making them invalid] in exchange for my large bill. I got pissed off and gave up, but then took a lot of their photos. I hope more people don't end up getting ripped off while passing through Chongqing train station.
我用到了哪些IT技术和IT产品？
Websites (the American server Dreamhost, 20Gs of space, 2TB of bandwidth/month, and blogging platform Wordpress)
A laptop computer
A digital camera
A mobile phone
A memory stick
A Gmail account
Skype
Video sharing websites (Tudou.com first, then Yukou)
Photo sharing websites ( fotolog.com.cn for storage, Picasa for convenient editing)
Net bars (Chongqing net bars don't need you to show any ID)
A blog
An RSS feed (see ” Zuola.com” on blogsearch.google.com, zhuaxia.com for feed delivery)
Chat tools (MSN/SKYPE/Gtalk/QQ)
我得到了哪些人的赞助？
王博 捐赠 100.00(支付宝未付款）
刘衡 一路平安 16.88
刘小超 支持一下 10.00
王焕晓 盒饭 10.00
邱英涛 支持你 50.00
马斌 赞助一下 10.00
彭超 声援钉子户 10.00
刘正东 钉子户事件调查赞助 20.00
陈伯乐 赞助 100.00
夏炎 支持zola 100.00
张海鹰 支持你的报道 50.00
林广涛 赞助地铁费2元 2.00
金大虾 区区20元，不成敬意，喝杯茶 20.00
张晓刚 支持 20.00
尹秉汇 正义感 100.00
everesthiker 赞助重庆报道 100.00
伍新平 eeeeeee 39.00
高月霞 绵薄之力，支持顿饭钱 20.00
刘淼 支持 50.00
钱洲扬 Donation 50.00
北京的詹先生赞助1000元；
美国的周先生赞助2000元；
北京的朱先生赞助3000元，用于购买数码相机；
德国的冯衍先生赞助60元；
陈汉威赞助10元；
重庆市民陈先生赞助100元；
台湾中天日报白德华先生赞助100元；
深圳网友赞助100元电话费；
长沙网友MM赞助50元电话费；
易周赞助100元电话费；
Liu Heng, RMB 16.88
Liu Xiaochao, 10
Wang Huanxiao, 10
Qiu Yingtao, 50
Ma Bin, 10
Peng Chao, 10
Liu Zhengdong, 20
Chen Bole, 100
Herock, 100
Zhang Haiying, 50
Lin Guangtao, 2 (subway fare)
Jin Daxia, 20
Zhang Xiaogang, 20
Yin Binghui, 100
everesthiker, 100
Wu Xinping, 39
Gao Yuexia, 20
Qian Zhouyang, 50
Mr. Zhan, Beijing, 1000
Mr. Zhou, America, 2000
Mr. Zhu, Beijing, 3000 (used to buy a digital camera)
Mr. Feng Yan, Germany, 60
Chen Hanwei, 10
Mr. Chen, Chongqing resident, 100
Mr. Bai Dehua, Taiwan, 100
Shenzhen netfriend, recharged mobile by 100
Changsha netfriend MM, recharged mobile by 50
Yi Zhou, recharged mobile by 100
共计得到7287.88元赞助。如果谁发现上列款项没有列出你的名字，请给我Email: zuolalcom@gmail.com 或留言通知于我。.
我花了多少钱？
1. 火车票：湖南到重庆：17+51+53
2. 电话费：250元+4欧元SKYPE电话费
3. 上网费；不记得多少了，每天至少四小时吧，约八块钱
4. 住宿费：共住了一个星期，珠海陈风强先生赞助四天住宿，另三天住宿自己付了180元
5. 买数码相机：2850元
1. Train tickets: Hunan to Chongqing: 17+51+53
2. Phone costs: RMB 250+ EURO 4 (Skype)
3. Internet fees: Not clear. At least four hours a day, so around RMB 8 in total.
4. Accomodation: A week total. Zhuhai's Mr. Chen Fengqiang contributed four nights' stay, and the other three days came to RMB 180
5. Purchase of a digital camera: RMB 2,850
Zola in the news is almost its own category on his blog. In his next two posts, Zola meditates on mainstream media, being in it, and why he thinks he can do it better. He also follows up on some stories of other rights infringement cases in and around Chongqing, and even releases another interview he did at the time: internet video to which he's himself added subtitles. Any takers on the English crossover version?
我决定半年不卖菜了，我去学习相关的法律，去帮拆迁难民建立自己的BLOG，去为他们提供法律支持，还要努力参加各种各样的吸引眼球的娱乐活动，努力炒作自己成为一个娱乐界和IT界的双栖明星，只有我成名了，我才可以在这样一个”和谐社会”里安居乐业，甚至还能名利双收，何乐而不为？这个世道显然国不泰民不安。也许进军娱乐界是一条不归路。也许从此不再卖菜了，但我希望能像阿甘一样，始终不会忘记自己的初衷和梦想。但愿我不会孤独。
From the next post, dated April 19:
我接到来自全国各地十多个家园破碎的难民（拆迁受害者）的投诉电话，他们以为我能帮到他们，他们都遭遇了暴力拆迁和黑社会和”白社会”的威胁和迫害，黑社会给他们的待遇就是拳打脚踢，白社会的穿制服的人给他们的待遇就是以”防碍公务罪”拘留。这些白道的人可以” 根据目测为危房”就可以达到拆的目的。这社会黑。大共产党是好人，可是基层的小共产党都是坏蛋。
Backing up this talk are photos from Chongqing blogger Hidecloud's own blog reports on violent tactics being used to intimidate homeowners in that city:
什么叫社会责任感？为别人说话就是！我们不可以独善其身，不可以明哲保身，不可以冷漠，我们可以给予关注！还可以给予评论，如果你有Blog的话。
From here Zola sets off, first to Changsha, capital of Hunan province, meeting up with bloggers, finding the blogging movement alive and well, strengthening it at the same time. On the way, he plugs into one of the more successful civil society initiatives in China today, 1kg More: “It runs behind the idea of travelers bringing 1kg of inexpensive educational materials in addition to their package to give away to some one that needs it along their journey, e.g. kids that cannot even afford a pencil rubber.“:
我也要向安猪学习，我也有旅游的机会了，全国各地不断有人邀请我去参观难民的生存状态–对不起，我要解释一下，我把家园破碎的非法拆迁受害者称呼为难民– 我也要多背一公斤的书给他们，是法律书，我帮助他们维权和安猪帮助孩子们同样有意义吧，至少同样算是旅行：）当然，我也像安猪一样呼吁更多的 Blogger来记录身边的社会新闻。
But who's calling Zola? From his post May 7 post, ‘I volunteer to continue recording society's news‘:
…广州的一个拆迁户联系上我，他说他花钱请来烂仔帮他守住已经插上国旗的房子来防止黑社会来捣蛋；浙江省舟山市普陀区的阿姨打电话请我去参观村上730亩良田全被征用的壮观场景；福建省福州难民给我发来长长的文章向我描述他的遭遇；深圳的陈建波挂念家乡望城县的乡亲们的安危，希望我去关注一下，今天那些乡亲终于被黑社会打了，可我已经到了舟山市，我只有把潇湘晨报的记者的电话给他，让他报料给报社。
面对这许多的事，我想冷漠也不行了。我只好做一些力所能及的事。法律程序是肯定要走的，我也鼓励他们在家中放一些 石灰或滑石粉来预防被黑社会袭击，有社会关系也要尽量用，有钱的话连烂仔也要请来看家。我呢，就趁机搞搞全国旅游好了，还可以借机拜访各界知名人士，还可以跟人家聊聊OpenID、个人媒体、 web2.0这些概念呢。
…
PS:本文写于舟山，天亮后坐船去上海徐汇区。有空就去若邻网参观参观，我还是wealink.com的VIP呢，他们寄了VIP卡给我。有没有上海的同志想请我吃饭呢？再过几天我去广州，有没有广州的朋友想跟我聊天呢？或者，有没有上海的朋友需要我帮你们捎东西到广州的朋友那里？如果有，那就给我来电话吧。134-67668-333
I've been through so many things, but apathy is out of the question. I can just do my best at a few things. Legal procedures must be followed, but I'm also encouraging people stuck in their homes to prepare some lime and talcum powder to protect themselves from “the mafia's” attacks, to throw it in their eyes if necessary, and to do their best to make use of any power connections they might have. If they have money, they could even hire some thugs to watch their house. Me? I'm just enjoying this chance to tour the county, and visit famous places and people while I'm at it, even talking to people about concepts like real-name registration, web 2.0, things like these.
…
PS This post was written in Zhoushan. At dawn I took a boat to Xuhui district in Shanghai. If I have time I'll stop by wealink.com's offices and check it out. I'm a VIP wealink user, hey. They sent me a VIP card. Any comrades in Shanghai who want to treat me to a meal? A few days later and I'll be going to Guangzhou: are there any friends in Guangzhou who'd like to chat with me? Or are there any friends in Shanghai who need me to take something to Guangzhou for them? If there are, then give me a call [+086] 134 67668 333.
From a post dated May 8:
昨天我到达浙江省舟山市普陀区蒲东村。当地居民在杭州的《都市快报》上看到关于我的报道后，于是上网搜索到我的电话号码，于是他们多次邀请我到舟山玩。先给我寄了600元路费，然后昨天他们跟我聊了一下，原来他们村的732亩基本农田全被政府卖光了，还要求他们迁移，要把他们的房子拆掉让他们住进房地产商建的房子，他们不愿意让出重要位置不说，他们还不乐意住别人的房子还要交租交管理费，他们宁愿自己另找一块地自己建房子。更重要的是，村里的730 亩农田被村里全卖了用来建商品楼，有村民认为，政府的行为涉嫌违反了《土地管理法》和《基本农田保护法》。可是他们内部不团结，不敢和政府撕破脸皮对着干，也担心别人叛变投降，也担心被迫害，所以他们决定暂不让我报道这些。而我只好建议他们写BLOG来记录自己的事情，假如以后事情闹大了，政府要强拆剩余的6户房子，别的新闻记者就可以直接引用他们的BLOG的内容，我还建议让他们让上大学的孩子把自己的BLOG翻译成英文，我呢，就提供技术支持，帮他们买一个域名弄一个BLOG。今天早上，我就离开了普陀区，临走时，他们给了我1000元，我毫不迟疑的接下了，我答应帮他们弄一个网站，虽然成本远低于 1000元，但收1000元也不算太贵，我收钱跟兰成长们的创收行为还是有区别的。
In his next post, Zola writes of going to Shanghai at the invitation of one Chen Jialiang, one of several homeowners in Xuhui district whose properties were levelled before they had a chance to move