Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Monday, October 30, 2006
Blog On #8
Tags: Blogs & Bloggers, Singapore, Wee Shu Min, Venezuela, Weblog, Bahrain, Weblog, Blogger News, Freedom of Speech, Cyber-Activism, Internet & Telecoms
Photo from BlogStock 2006, hosted by Los Guaros on October 7 and 8 in Barquisimeto. But this was no local bloggers reunion. A caravan was organized that picked up blogger-partier passengers in Caracas, Maracay, and Valencia.
Closer to home: Voted Best Blog 2006 by the city of Cohoes, NY. Mr. Friendly humbly accepts this honor as he attempts to stamp out retardation in our lifetime!
MR. FRIENDLY SAYS SO:
I initially began the blog so that I might have an outlet to denigrate my poker buddies, vent my work frustrations, but most importantly, get a few laughs. Despite very few references to pop culture, national politics, and porn, I think I have succeeded. If you use me as a barometer, Mr. Friendly Says So is the lazy man's way of spitting up your coffee on an irregular basis. Don't rely on my opinion, ask one of my five readers (e.g. theHost, ag, Shamus, The Phoenix, or McBlogger).
Despite low traffic, I enjoy the experience. It's a nice outlet for my less than insightful thoughts. I think if I can keep the laughs up, traffic will follow. Please feel free to pimp, sorry, ask, your readers to stop by. If they are interested in religion, H1B visas, office life, poker, or bad song parodies, mrfriendlysaysso.blogspot.com may be the place for them. BTW, although my politics are a little right of my fellow capitol regionites, don't let that stop you!
The blog lives until I can't find anymore funny or outrageous behavior worthy of comments. Hopefully that is a long time.
Thanks for asking for my contribution. I will feel like a big wheel for the next five minutes.
BLOGS BANNED IN BAHRAIN:
Mahmood’s Blog (http://mahmood.tv/) will be blocked effective immediately, by the orders of the Bahraini Ministry of Information.
Together with 6 other web sites (listed below), the official memo was delivered to all the ISP’s in Bahrain...
http://www.annaqed.com/
http://freecopts.net/
http://arabchurch.com/
http://www.ladeeni.net/
http://www.albawaba.com/
http://kurdtimes.com/
http://mahmood.tv/
SINGAPORE: Teen blogger counselled for her 'elitist' remarks
From Ms Wee’s blog:
http://www.suchvividnothing.blogspot.com/
Thursday, October 19, 2006
mom’s friend sent her some blog post by some bleeding stupid 40-year old singaporean called derek wee (WHY do all the idiots have my surname why?!) whining about how singapore is such an insecure place, how old ppl (ie, 40 and above) fear for their jobs, how the pool of foreign “talent” (dismissively chucked between inverted commas) is really a tsunami that will consume us all (no actually he didn’t say that, he probably said Fouren Talern Bery Bad.), how the reason why no one wants kids is that they’re a liability in this world of fragile ricebowls, how the government really needs to save us from inevitable doom but they aren’t because they are stick-shoved-up-ass elites who have no idea how the world works, yadayadayadayada.
i am inclined - too much, perhaps - to dismiss such people as crackpots. stupid crackpots. the sadder class. too often singaporeans - both the neighborhood poor and the red-taloned socialites - kid themselves into believing that our society, like most others, is compartmentalized by breeding. ridiculous. we are a tyranny of the capable and the clever, and the only other class is the complement.
sad derek attracted more than 50 comments praising him for his poignant views, joining him in a chorus of complaints that climax at the accusation of lack of press freedom because his all-too-true views had been rejected by the straits times forum. while i tend to gripe about how we only have one functioning newspaper too, i think the main reason for its lack of publication was that his incensed diatribe was written in pathetic little scraps that passed off as sentences, with poor spelling and no grammar.
derek, derek, derek darling, how can you expect to have an iron ricebowl or a solid future if you cannot spell?
if you’re not good enough, life will kick you in the balls. that’s just how things go. there’s no point in lambasting the government for making our society one that is, i quote, “far too survival of fittest”. it’s the same everywhere. yes discrimination exists, and it is sad, but most of the time if people would prefer hiring other people over you, it’s because they’re better. it’s so sad when people like old derek lament the kind of world that singapore will be if we make it so uncertain. go be friggin communist, if uncertainty of success offends you so much - you will certainly be poor and miserable. unless you are an arm-twisting commie bully, which, given your whiny middle-class undereducated penchant, i doubt.
then again, it’s easy for me to say. my future isn’t certain but i guess right now it’s a lot brighter than most people’s. derek will read this and brand me as an 18-year old elite, one of the sinners who will inherit the country and run his stock to the gutter. go ahead. the world is about winners and losers. it’s only sad when people who could be winners are marginalised and oppressed. is dear derek starving? has dear derek been denied an education? has dear derek been forced into child prostitution? has dear derek had his clan massacred by the government?
i should think not. dear derek is one of many wretched, undermotivated, overassuming leeches in our country, and in this world. one of those who would prefer to be unemployed and wax lyrical about how his myriad talents are being abandoned for the foreigner’s, instead of earning a decent, stable living as a sales assistant. it’s not even about being a road sweeper. these shitbags don’t want anything without “manager” and a name card.
please, get out of my elite uncaring face.
posted at 12:08 PM
*******************************
Derek Wee’s original commentary which prompted Ms Wee’s response above.
By Derek WeeOct 12, 2006
When I read the Straits Times article (dated 24 Sep) on PM Lee calling the young to be committed and make a difference to Singapore, I have so much thought about the issue.
I am 35 years old, graduated from University and gainfully employed in a multinational company. But I cannot help but feel insecure over the future of Singapore. Lets face it, it’s not uncommon to hear, “when you are above 40, you are over the hill”.
The government has been stressing on re-training, skills upgrading and re-adapt. The fact is, no matter how well qualified or adaptable one is, once you hit the magical 40, employers will say, “you are simply too old”.
We have been focusing our resources and problem solving on low unskilled labour. But in reality, our managerial positions and skilled labour force are actually fast losing its competitiveness.
I travel around the region frequently for the past 10 years. It didn’t take me long to realise how far our neighbours have come over the past decade. They have quality skilled workers, and are less expensive. When I work with them, their analytical skills are equally good, if not better than us. It’s not new anymore. Taxi drivers are fast becoming “too early to retire, too old to work” segment of the society. I like to talk to taxi drivers whenever I am heading for the airport.
There was this driver. Eloquent and well read. He was an export manager for 12 years with an MNC. Retrenched at 40 years old. He had been searching for a job since his retrenchment. Although he was willing to lower his pay expectations, employers were not willing to lower their prejudice. He was deemed too old. I wouldn’t be surprised if we have another No. 1; having the most highly educated taxi drivers in the world.
On PM Lee calling the young to be committed and make a difference. Look around us. How dedicated can we be to Singapore when we can visualise what’s in store for us after we turned 40? Then again, how committed are employers to us? But we can’t blame them. They have bottom lines & shareholders’ gain to answer to.
Onus is really on the government to revamp the society. A society that is not a pressure cooker. A society that does not mirror so perfectly, what survival of the fittest is.
But a society, where it’s people can be committed, do their best and not having to fear whether they will still wake up employed tomorrow. Sadly, Singapore does not offer such luxuries and security anymore.
On the issue of babies. The government encourages us to pro-create. The next generation is essential in sustaining our competitive edge. Then again, the current market condition is such that our future has become uncertain. There is no more joy in having babies anymore; they have become more of a liability. It’s really a chicken and egg issue.
Many of my peers, bright and well educated have packed up and left. It’s what MM Goh called “quitters”. It’s sad but true, Singapore no longer is a place where one can hope to work hard their lives and retire graciously. It’s really the push factor.
A future is something we sweat it out, build and call our own. Unfortunately, people like me, mid 30’s going on 40’s, staying put by choice or otherwise, we can’t help but feel what lies ahead is really a gamble.
To PM Lee and the Ministers, we are on a different platform. Until you truly understand our insecurity, the future of Singapore to me remains a question mark.
*******************************
Her reply to a guy who posted the entire thing in full on his blog:
i apologise if i have distressed you with my tendency to rant. while i will not dispute some of the points you make in response to what i have written, i would like to bring to your attention the fact that the post in question was never meant to be a cogent response to the specific points raised in derek wee’s article. it is, quite obviously, a rant in the heat of the moment. in addition, i don’t believe that my blog has the wide readership of derek wee’s, or even your own, and my intention was more to vent my own frustrations than public denouncement.i’d also like to clarify my use of the word “elite”. while i understand how misinterpretation may have arose, i intended to use it in irony, as a label that people assume i enjoy, and not one that i take particular pleasure in.finally, i admit that i was harsher than i should have been, although the the crux of my belief in self-improvement and self-determination has not changed. once again, i apologise if my words have unintentionally offended you - i was under the rather naive impression that nobody reads my blog
******************************
lamerooze then makes this most prolific statement:
I wonder if the future of Singapore belongs to people like her.
Previously: Blog On #7
Photo from BlogStock 2006, hosted by Los Guaros on October 7 and 8 in Barquisimeto. But this was no local bloggers reunion. A caravan was organized that picked up blogger-partier passengers in Caracas, Maracay, and Valencia.Closer to home: Voted Best Blog 2006 by the city of Cohoes, NY. Mr. Friendly humbly accepts this honor as he attempts to stamp out retardation in our lifetime!
MR. FRIENDLY SAYS SO:
I initially began the blog so that I might have an outlet to denigrate my poker buddies, vent my work frustrations, but most importantly, get a few laughs. Despite very few references to pop culture, national politics, and porn, I think I have succeeded. If you use me as a barometer, Mr. Friendly Says So is the lazy man's way of spitting up your coffee on an irregular basis. Don't rely on my opinion, ask one of my five readers (e.g. theHost, ag, Shamus, The Phoenix, or McBlogger).
Despite low traffic, I enjoy the experience. It's a nice outlet for my less than insightful thoughts. I think if I can keep the laughs up, traffic will follow. Please feel free to pimp, sorry, ask, your readers to stop by. If they are interested in religion, H1B visas, office life, poker, or bad song parodies, mrfriendlysaysso.blogspot.com may be the place for them. BTW, although my politics are a little right of my fellow capitol regionites, don't let that stop you!
The blog lives until I can't find anymore funny or outrageous behavior worthy of comments. Hopefully that is a long time.
Thanks for asking for my contribution. I will feel like a big wheel for the next five minutes.
BLOGS BANNED IN BAHRAIN:
Mahmood’s Blog (http://mahmood.tv/) will be blocked effective immediately, by the orders of the Bahraini Ministry of Information.
Together with 6 other web sites (listed below), the official memo was delivered to all the ISP’s in Bahrain...
http://www.annaqed.com/
http://freecopts.net/
http://arabchurch.com/
http://www.ladeeni.net/
http://www.albawaba.com/
http://kurdtimes.com/
http://mahmood.tv/
SINGAPORE: Teen blogger counselled for her 'elitist' remarks
Straits Times Tuesday, October 24, 2006lamerooze posted entries from the blogs on Solitaire Joker :
By Ken Kwek
A teenage blogger has found herself in the soup after comments she made in her online journal were criticised by many Internet users for being insensitive and elitist.
Raffles Junior College student Wee Shu Min, a daughter of MP Wee Siew Kim, sparked a heated debate on the Internet when she derided another blogger, Mr Derek Wee, for his views on the anxieties of Singapore workers.
Both Miss Wee's father and the principal of RJC told The Straits Times yesterday that she had been counselled for using insensitive language.
Miss Wee, a second-year student on RJC's Humanities Scholarship Programme, has since shut down her blog and apologised for her comments, though not directly to Mr Derek Wee.
Mr Wee, 35, a Singaporean who works for a multinational corporation, had written in his blog on Oct 12 that he was concerned about competition from foreign talent and the lack of job opportunities for older workers here.
He urged the Government to understand Singaporeans' plight.
Last Thursday, Miss Wee responded to him on her blog, calling him old and unmotivated and said he was overly reliant on the Government.
From Ms Wee’s blog:
http://www.suchvividnothing.blogspot.com/
Thursday, October 19, 2006
mom’s friend sent her some blog post by some bleeding stupid 40-year old singaporean called derek wee (WHY do all the idiots have my surname why?!) whining about how singapore is such an insecure place, how old ppl (ie, 40 and above) fear for their jobs, how the pool of foreign “talent” (dismissively chucked between inverted commas) is really a tsunami that will consume us all (no actually he didn’t say that, he probably said Fouren Talern Bery Bad.), how the reason why no one wants kids is that they’re a liability in this world of fragile ricebowls, how the government really needs to save us from inevitable doom but they aren’t because they are stick-shoved-up-ass elites who have no idea how the world works, yadayadayadayada.
i am inclined - too much, perhaps - to dismiss such people as crackpots. stupid crackpots. the sadder class. too often singaporeans - both the neighborhood poor and the red-taloned socialites - kid themselves into believing that our society, like most others, is compartmentalized by breeding. ridiculous. we are a tyranny of the capable and the clever, and the only other class is the complement.
sad derek attracted more than 50 comments praising him for his poignant views, joining him in a chorus of complaints that climax at the accusation of lack of press freedom because his all-too-true views had been rejected by the straits times forum. while i tend to gripe about how we only have one functioning newspaper too, i think the main reason for its lack of publication was that his incensed diatribe was written in pathetic little scraps that passed off as sentences, with poor spelling and no grammar.
derek, derek, derek darling, how can you expect to have an iron ricebowl or a solid future if you cannot spell?
if you’re not good enough, life will kick you in the balls. that’s just how things go. there’s no point in lambasting the government for making our society one that is, i quote, “far too survival of fittest”. it’s the same everywhere. yes discrimination exists, and it is sad, but most of the time if people would prefer hiring other people over you, it’s because they’re better. it’s so sad when people like old derek lament the kind of world that singapore will be if we make it so uncertain. go be friggin communist, if uncertainty of success offends you so much - you will certainly be poor and miserable. unless you are an arm-twisting commie bully, which, given your whiny middle-class undereducated penchant, i doubt.
then again, it’s easy for me to say. my future isn’t certain but i guess right now it’s a lot brighter than most people’s. derek will read this and brand me as an 18-year old elite, one of the sinners who will inherit the country and run his stock to the gutter. go ahead. the world is about winners and losers. it’s only sad when people who could be winners are marginalised and oppressed. is dear derek starving? has dear derek been denied an education? has dear derek been forced into child prostitution? has dear derek had his clan massacred by the government?
i should think not. dear derek is one of many wretched, undermotivated, overassuming leeches in our country, and in this world. one of those who would prefer to be unemployed and wax lyrical about how his myriad talents are being abandoned for the foreigner’s, instead of earning a decent, stable living as a sales assistant. it’s not even about being a road sweeper. these shitbags don’t want anything without “manager” and a name card.
please, get out of my elite uncaring face.
posted at 12:08 PM
*******************************
Derek Wee’s original commentary which prompted Ms Wee’s response above.
By Derek WeeOct 12, 2006
When I read the Straits Times article (dated 24 Sep) on PM Lee calling the young to be committed and make a difference to Singapore, I have so much thought about the issue.
I am 35 years old, graduated from University and gainfully employed in a multinational company. But I cannot help but feel insecure over the future of Singapore. Lets face it, it’s not uncommon to hear, “when you are above 40, you are over the hill”.
The government has been stressing on re-training, skills upgrading and re-adapt. The fact is, no matter how well qualified or adaptable one is, once you hit the magical 40, employers will say, “you are simply too old”.
We have been focusing our resources and problem solving on low unskilled labour. But in reality, our managerial positions and skilled labour force are actually fast losing its competitiveness.
I travel around the region frequently for the past 10 years. It didn’t take me long to realise how far our neighbours have come over the past decade. They have quality skilled workers, and are less expensive. When I work with them, their analytical skills are equally good, if not better than us. It’s not new anymore. Taxi drivers are fast becoming “too early to retire, too old to work” segment of the society. I like to talk to taxi drivers whenever I am heading for the airport.
There was this driver. Eloquent and well read. He was an export manager for 12 years with an MNC. Retrenched at 40 years old. He had been searching for a job since his retrenchment. Although he was willing to lower his pay expectations, employers were not willing to lower their prejudice. He was deemed too old. I wouldn’t be surprised if we have another No. 1; having the most highly educated taxi drivers in the world.
On PM Lee calling the young to be committed and make a difference. Look around us. How dedicated can we be to Singapore when we can visualise what’s in store for us after we turned 40? Then again, how committed are employers to us? But we can’t blame them. They have bottom lines & shareholders’ gain to answer to.
Onus is really on the government to revamp the society. A society that is not a pressure cooker. A society that does not mirror so perfectly, what survival of the fittest is.
But a society, where it’s people can be committed, do their best and not having to fear whether they will still wake up employed tomorrow. Sadly, Singapore does not offer such luxuries and security anymore.
On the issue of babies. The government encourages us to pro-create. The next generation is essential in sustaining our competitive edge. Then again, the current market condition is such that our future has become uncertain. There is no more joy in having babies anymore; they have become more of a liability. It’s really a chicken and egg issue.
Many of my peers, bright and well educated have packed up and left. It’s what MM Goh called “quitters”. It’s sad but true, Singapore no longer is a place where one can hope to work hard their lives and retire graciously. It’s really the push factor.
A future is something we sweat it out, build and call our own. Unfortunately, people like me, mid 30’s going on 40’s, staying put by choice or otherwise, we can’t help but feel what lies ahead is really a gamble.
To PM Lee and the Ministers, we are on a different platform. Until you truly understand our insecurity, the future of Singapore to me remains a question mark.
*******************************
Her reply to a guy who posted the entire thing in full on his blog:
i apologise if i have distressed you with my tendency to rant. while i will not dispute some of the points you make in response to what i have written, i would like to bring to your attention the fact that the post in question was never meant to be a cogent response to the specific points raised in derek wee’s article. it is, quite obviously, a rant in the heat of the moment. in addition, i don’t believe that my blog has the wide readership of derek wee’s, or even your own, and my intention was more to vent my own frustrations than public denouncement.i’d also like to clarify my use of the word “elite”. while i understand how misinterpretation may have arose, i intended to use it in irony, as a label that people assume i enjoy, and not one that i take particular pleasure in.finally, i admit that i was harsher than i should have been, although the the crux of my belief in self-improvement and self-determination has not changed. once again, i apologise if my words have unintentionally offended you - i was under the rather naive impression that nobody reads my blog
******************************
lamerooze then makes this most prolific statement:
I wonder if the future of Singapore belongs to people like her.
Previously: Blog On #7
Violence Against Women, Egyptian Style
Tags: Middle East & North Africa, Breaking News, Egypt, Weblog, Children, Development, Economics, Education, Gender, Human Rights, Protest, Religion, Youth, Politics
An UPDATE to this article has been posted HERE.
This cannot be tolerated! A mob of sex starved Egyptians decided to celebrate Eid by attacking and sexually harassing women on the streets of Cairo. The first the incident was made public was during a television show, posted on You Tube by Egyptian blogger Wael Abbas. There's another link to the story w/video HERE.
Check out the COMMENTS section on kalb-baladi.
ميم التحرش تصيب برنامج العاشرة مساءا
What a Shame
Now, it's not about the Niqab or Hijab.
An UPDATE to this article has been posted HERE.
This cannot be tolerated! A mob of sex starved Egyptians decided to celebrate Eid by attacking and sexually harassing women on the streets of Cairo. The first the incident was made public was during a television show, posted on You Tube by Egyptian blogger Wael Abbas. There's another link to the story w/video HERE.
Check out the COMMENTS section on kalb-baladi.
“We saw a large number of men whistling and running in the direction of Adly Street. We went with them to see what was happening. I was surprised to see a girl in her early 20s falling on the ground and a mob of men gathering around her, feeling up her body and tearing her clothes off her. I didn’t understand or rather I couldn’t comprehend what was happening. The girl got up and ran into a restaurant and hid inside. Some boys surrounded the restaurant and wouldn’t leave until one of them shouted that there was another one coming. All of them ran towards Talaat Street again and there I saw a girl who was completely surrounded by a mob of hundreds of men trying to touch her body and take off her clothes. This girl was rescued by a taxi driver, who pulled her into his taxi. But the boys would not allow the taxi through and formed a circle around the car...”Other Keyboards: my life as the molested
ميم التحرش تصيب برنامج العاشرة مساءا
What a Shame
Now, it's not about the Niqab or Hijab.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Global Hit: FreshlyGround
South African super-group FRESHLYGROUND is certainly worthy of your interest! I was introduced to their music earlier today at an internet cafe. Here is a band with the diversity of their nation built into their every note. Freshlyground is a 7-piece "ensemble" Afro-Fusion band that was formed in Cape Town. The music is original and energetic with a 'fresh mix' of musical styles and influences - from indigenous African folk music and jazz, to "contemporary" (whatever that is).They combine traditional pop instruments such as bass, keys and guitar with the mbira, a traditional African "thumb piano." Plus, they spice up their stage performance with traditional, loosely-choreographed African dance routines.
Freshlyground sing in English and African languages and they have a following that cuts across the "rainbow nation's" racial and cultural divides. Lead singer-songwriter Zolani Mahola says that musically they're equally all over the place, and perhaps that's part of their appeal: Zolani comes from a small town in the Eastern Cape. She sings in either Xhosa or English about the challenges facing modern-day South Africa.
Freshlyground's unique sound has attracted scores of listeners in Europe. The group has been nominated for Best African Act at the MTV Europe Video Music Awards that will be held in Denmark. Vote for them to win here .
Their album "Nomvula" (After The Rain) is a passionate collection of catchy songs ("Doo Be Doo") and heartfelt ballads, including the phenomenal, "I'd Like." Buy the CD at this South African online store.
mp3 Castles (Remix) 3 from YouTube: FreshlyGround "Nomvula" FreshlyGround "Doo Be Doo" FreshlyGround "I'd Like"
Oct 30: Rally for Change with President Bill Clinton
link
If I didn't have prior commitments tomorrow, this is where I'd be:
Rally for Change: President Bill Clinton will campaign with John Hall at a rally sure to help motivate voters all over the Hudson Valley.
When:Monday, Oct. 30, 2006Doors Open - 2:45 PM
Where map Colonial Terrace Main Ballroom 119 Oregon Road Cortlandt Manor, NY
If I didn't have prior commitments tomorrow, this is where I'd be:
Rally for Change: President Bill Clinton will campaign with John Hall at a rally sure to help motivate voters all over the Hudson Valley.
When:Monday, Oct. 30, 2006Doors Open - 2:45 PM
Where map Colonial Terrace Main Ballroom 119 Oregon Road Cortlandt Manor, NY
Windy
The weather forecasters are predicting a blustery day. A perfect day for taking a long walk, reflecting on ones' life, thinking, planning. Why so introspective? Today is my birthday. By the time you're out of your 20's it's just not a big deal anymore. I can recall amost every past birthday (plus gifts) from the time I was 4 until I was about 18 or 19. when I was a kid, I always wanted to be "older." Now that I AM older, I'm happy!Many things to do this morning. I'm an early riser, as you can see by noting the time of day this was posted. That long walk in the wind will have to wait until early afternoon. I have things to do... Sundays I always read The New York Times, The Albany Times-Union and The Saratogian. I like to cook a big lunch. After that, I'll walk. I'm to meet with friends at an internet cafe around 2.30 and after that it's off to the bowling alley. I should be home by 6. I always try to catch the TV news, and there are a couple of shows I watch Sunday nights, although this being my birthday, I suspect I may be out, so I'll just record them.
Thanks for the emails! If you'd like to contact me, you can get my email addy by mousing over my picture in the sidebar. Thank Google for G-Mail! Yesterday my total incoming email tally was 371. Google correctly identified and filtered out 355 "spam" emails! Every blogger should have a G-Mail addy, and if you'd like an invitation, just ask me! Yes, you've noticed some political entries on this blog... I did mention previously that with the 2006 and 2008 elections here in the USA, you'll see many more politically-charged posts. Don't be surprised if you see posts appearing regarding savings, investments, and other financial topics. These will involve direct experiences I'm having as I search for ways to better manage and control my cash!
I'm listening to Art Bell on the radio, and Art says a SUPER Typhoon is bearing down on Southeast Asia (Art's show is live from Manila). Art says the funny thing about it is that if something like that were happening in the USA there would be all sorts of warnings and preparations, but where he is, NOTHING.
So, a new year of my life begins! Gasoline here in Albany is $2.39 at nearby stations. Wonder what it will be by January 2007? For awhile it looked as if ( 'experts' said so ) gas would hit nearly $4 a gallon. Is that still a possibility? Comments welcomed!
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Blog On #7
Tags: Blogs & Bloggers, Blogging
HORATIO:
I started iSaratoga for two purposes, first to vent my building frustration with the media and politics in Saratoga Springs, as well as the Capital Region, and second, to add to the mix a community-based forum, where people an discuss the aforementioned in a constructive fashion.
Admittedly, the later hasn’t panned out as well as I had hoped –I had initially envisioned broad discussions among users, which is something that hasn’t materialized much. Then again, the blog is relatively young at the present and could eventually blossom into what I had envisioned.
As for continuity, I try to write at least four new posts a week, but given my work and life schedule, this can be burdensome at times. And baring unseen circumstances, I’ll probably keep up this pace until my material become stale or the local media and politicians start doing their jobs correctly. In other words, I plan to keep it up for a long time.
TAWNYA:
I started my blog as a way to be creative. I love to read and write. I have a lot to say even if most of it is mundane. I actually had another blog that I just deleted with over 300 posts to start again with ~Smile!~ You're On Candid Camera. If I can relate to something that one person has gone through or is going through and it helps them, I am happy. My life hasn't been pretty, and I have left another life behind. If I inspire someone to make a change all the better. Tawnya
Bint Masreya (Egyptian Girl), is drumming up support for readers to vote for a blog on Torture in Egypt for the Reporters Without Borders Award.
Nuha is the only one responsible for the blog. She digs up the news she posts. I really thought that the blog, which is updated daily, was run by a group of human rights activists or an army of journalists. Vote for Nuha not because of all I have said about her but because torture in Egypt is an issue which needs to be highlighted. This will encourage Nuha to continue when she sees positive reaction to her labour. There are also great Arab and Egyptian bloggers vying for the award. Go there and vote for them. The truth is choosing a blog is difficult. May God be with them.
Previously: Blog On #6
HORATIO:
I started iSaratoga for two purposes, first to vent my building frustration with the media and politics in Saratoga Springs, as well as the Capital Region, and second, to add to the mix a community-based forum, where people an discuss the aforementioned in a constructive fashion.
Admittedly, the later hasn’t panned out as well as I had hoped –I had initially envisioned broad discussions among users, which is something that hasn’t materialized much. Then again, the blog is relatively young at the present and could eventually blossom into what I had envisioned.
As for continuity, I try to write at least four new posts a week, but given my work and life schedule, this can be burdensome at times. And baring unseen circumstances, I’ll probably keep up this pace until my material become stale or the local media and politicians start doing their jobs correctly. In other words, I plan to keep it up for a long time.
TAWNYA:
I started my blog as a way to be creative. I love to read and write. I have a lot to say even if most of it is mundane. I actually had another blog that I just deleted with over 300 posts to start again with ~Smile!~ You're On Candid Camera. If I can relate to something that one person has gone through or is going through and it helps them, I am happy. My life hasn't been pretty, and I have left another life behind. If I inspire someone to make a change all the better. Tawnya
Bint Masreya (Egyptian Girl), is drumming up support for readers to vote for a blog on Torture in Egypt for the Reporters Without Borders Award.
نهى هى المسئولة الوحيدة عن المدونة.. هى اللى بتجيب الاخبار وهى اللى بتنزلها.. وانا بصراحة كنت متصورة فى الاول ان المدونة دى وراها مجموعة من المهتمين بحقوق الانسان وكده.. وان جيش من المحررين ورا الاخبار اللى بتنزل تقريبا بشكل يومي
صوتوا لصالح مدونة نهى.. مش عشان كل اللى انا قلته ده.. لكن لأن التعذيب فى مصر قضية محتاجة نلقى عليها الضوء.. .. ودا هيشجع نهى تستمر لما تلاقى مننا رد فعل او صدى للى هيا بقالها شهور بتعمله
فى كمان اصدقائنا المدونين فى قسم “افضل مدونة بالعربى” هتلاقوا مدونين عرب ومصريين جامدين اوى.. ادخلوا صوتوا لهم.. بصراحة الاختيار بينهم صعب اوى :) ربنا معانا ومعاهم
Nuha is the only one responsible for the blog. She digs up the news she posts. I really thought that the blog, which is updated daily, was run by a group of human rights activists or an army of journalists. Vote for Nuha not because of all I have said about her but because torture in Egypt is an issue which needs to be highlighted. This will encourage Nuha to continue when she sees positive reaction to her labour. There are also great Arab and Egyptian bloggers vying for the award. Go there and vote for them. The truth is choosing a blog is difficult. May God be with them.
Previously: Blog On #6
Friday, October 27, 2006
Blogging Conferences: Changing Lives
Tags: GodBlogCon, Pop Culture, China, East Asia, Weblog, Internet & Telecoms, Media
Right now, many of the "A List" bloggers in the USA including LaShawn Barber and Hugh Hewitt are attending GODBLOG CON 2006. On the other side of the planet, the Chinese Blogger Conference will take place in Hanzhou this weekend. To prepare for the conference, the organizers announced a submission of posts on “How blogging has changed my life?” Hey! That sounds like what my Blog On series is all about!
Right now, many of the "A List" bloggers in the USA including LaShawn Barber and Hugh Hewitt are attending GODBLOG CON 2006. On the other side of the planet, the Chinese Blogger Conference will take place in Hanzhou this weekend. To prepare for the conference, the organizers announced a submission of posts on “How blogging has changed my life?” Hey! That sounds like what my Blog On series is all about! Keso has reviewed the posts and yesterday announced the best two. The two bloggers, Zola and Xiao Mei, were awarded with two free tickets to the conference.
So how blogging has changed their lives?
Zola: Transformed by Blog: A story of blogger nicknamed Zola
没 写Blog之前，认识我的人不会超过1000人。写了几年BLOG后，我估计知道我的名字的人超过了1000人，我也因 BLOG认识了许多同龄人和前辈，阅读量大了许多，社交范围也大了许多，Gtalk上的联系人名单都有927人，这927人里有些是向我要过GMAIL邀 请的，有些是我在BLOG上公布GTALK联系方式后加上我的，虽然没有多少人找我说话，但我相信，他们中间至少有一半是知道我的名字的人。
Before I wrote blog, there are less than 1000 persons know about me; after a few years writing blog, I know that the number has exceeded 1000. Through blogging, I have met many friends of my generation, also from the older generation. I read much more than before, and my social circle has extended. Now I have 927 contacts in my Gtalk, some of them are gmail friends, some got my gtalk contact from my blog notice. Although not so many of them have initiate chatting with me, I believe, at least half of them know my name.
Snow Fall
Tags: Freedom, liberty, politics
The snow is falling, in New York and Colorado. Before you leave this post, be sure to watch THIS.
In New York, today is the first day of the rest of Comptroller Alan Hevesi's political life. Governor George Pataki is expected to make an announcement as to whether the state needs to give Mr. H the official heave-ho. For those unfamiliar with the story, Hevesi had a state employee drive Mrs. Hevesi around on errands and doctor visits etc. to the tune of 80+ thousand dollars. Mr. H paid the money back, alas, a little too late. The guy who would have been a shoo-in on election day could face Federal charges of defrauding the government.
Also, a decision apparently originating at network HQ in New York, and confirmed for me this morning by Matt Drudge, American's right to free speech is being compromised. Is this a sign Bush intends to invoke Martial Law? STAY THE COURSE, EVERYONE! Here's a piece of what Matt Drudge writes (I am not providing a URL - the one Matt has up at the moment looks like it will be temporary):
Colorado has gotten the real winter blizzardy white stuff. For some odd reason, I have a gut feeling that the Capital Region of New York is going to have a relatively snow-free winter... we'll see if I'm right. I'm not too good when it comes to picking lottery numbers; I wonder if my weather forecasting is much better...
The snow is falling, in New York and Colorado. Before you leave this post, be sure to watch THIS.
In New York, today is the first day of the rest of Comptroller Alan Hevesi's political life. Governor George Pataki is expected to make an announcement as to whether the state needs to give Mr. H the official heave-ho. For those unfamiliar with the story, Hevesi had a state employee drive Mrs. Hevesi around on errands and doctor visits etc. to the tune of 80+ thousand dollars. Mr. H paid the money back, alas, a little too late. The guy who would have been a shoo-in on election day could face Federal charges of defrauding the government.Also, a decision apparently originating at network HQ in New York, and confirmed for me this morning by Matt Drudge, American's right to free speech is being compromised. Is this a sign Bush intends to invoke Martial Law? STAY THE COURSE, EVERYONE! Here's a piece of what Matt Drudge writes (I am not providing a URL - the one Matt has up at the moment looks like it will be temporary):
NBC and The CW Television Network have taken a stand against the Dixie’s Chicks new documentary “Shut Up & Sing” a behind-the-scenes look at the incredible political and media fallout that occurred in 2003 after the Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines said that she was "ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas." “Shut Up & Sing” opens in theaters in NY and Los Angeles on Friday and in theaters nationwide on November 10th.This is really disheartening. Let's see if the freedom-fighters at Pajamas Media have anything to blog on this!
NBC responded to a clearance report submitted by the Weinstein Company’s media agency saying that the network “cannot accept these spots as they are disparaging to President Bush.”
The CW Television Network responded that it does “not have appropriate programming in which to schedule this spot.”
Famed litigator David Boies stated, “It is disappointing and troubling that NBC and The CW would refuse to accept an otherwise appropriate ad merely because it is critical of President Bush."
Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Company stated, “It’s a sad commentary about the level of fear in our society that a movie about a group of courageous entertainers who were blacklisted for exercising their right of free speech is now itself being blacklisted by corporate America. The idea that anyone should be penalized for criticizing the president is sad and profoundly un-American.”
Colorado has gotten the real winter blizzardy white stuff. For some odd reason, I have a gut feeling that the Capital Region of New York is going to have a relatively snow-free winter... we'll see if I'm right. I'm not too good when it comes to picking lottery numbers; I wonder if my weather forecasting is much better...
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Blog On #6
Tags: Izzy, Sarong Party Girl, Singapore
One of my very favorite bloggers is a gal from Singapore. Nope, it's not XiaXue, not this time! Izzy a/k/a Sarong Party Girl, has had more than her 15 minutes of fame. She's a top "celebrity blogger" in Asia, famous (infamous) for her nude photos. But she's so much more than that! I interviewed Izzy on my old radio show (one day I'm going to post that interview on the web... just wait!) and besides being a real sweetheart, she is very talented journalist who has written some riveting posts! Welcome Izzy to the Blog On series!
IZZY!
The thing I love about blogging is that you realize how many people there are, out there, who are just like you. Who believe in the same things that you do, who agree with your moral philosophy, who find encouragement in what you write because they identify with you. For me, blogging is about telling your readers what new things about life you've discovered, whether it's a good book, or an insight into your search for romance, or how you feel about some distant tragedy in the Middle East, gay priests, Stem Cell rights, etc. My favourite blogs are blogs written by people who constantly reveal to me things about life I wasn't previously aware of. Of course blogs are all about personal opinions, but I don't think it's good enough to just have an opinion. Good blogs don't just say things to stir up shit and make people angry, I think they have to enrich the lives of their readers. They've got to get them to consider seeing things in a different way. Lots of blogs don't have that. The bloggers say a bunch of stuff, "I feel this way", "I did this", but they seldom tell you why. Or they are incapable of telling a story about something that happened to them honestly enough so that you understand the context of the situation, and can figure out for yourself why the blogger said what she said or did what she did.
I think good blogs can be very powerful because the reader really gets to know someone over months and months, and gets to see the progression (or maturing) of her ideas. I think, deep inside me, I hope my readers kinda get to explore life a little more after they read my blog. We all need people to tell us things we don't know, and to test the water for us when it comes to trying out things in life we would otherwise me too afraid to test. And even if we are still too afraid, or it is something that we can never do, it's just damn amazing seeing how someone quite different from you, but with the same hopes and fears, living out the life he's chosen. I will always find being drawn into someone else's life, in real time, just amazing.
Amazing indeed! Thanks, Izzy! Our next stop is something called "Googlebombing." What is it? Here's a FAQ. I learned about Googlebombing via Michelle Malkin!
Previously: Blog On #5
One of my very favorite bloggers is a gal from Singapore. Nope, it's not XiaXue, not this time! Izzy a/k/a Sarong Party Girl, has had more than her 15 minutes of fame. She's a top "celebrity blogger" in Asia, famous (infamous) for her nude photos. But she's so much more than that! I interviewed Izzy on my old radio show (one day I'm going to post that interview on the web... just wait!) and besides being a real sweetheart, she is very talented journalist who has written some riveting posts! Welcome Izzy to the Blog On series!IZZY!
The thing I love about blogging is that you realize how many people there are, out there, who are just like you. Who believe in the same things that you do, who agree with your moral philosophy, who find encouragement in what you write because they identify with you. For me, blogging is about telling your readers what new things about life you've discovered, whether it's a good book, or an insight into your search for romance, or how you feel about some distant tragedy in the Middle East, gay priests, Stem Cell rights, etc. My favourite blogs are blogs written by people who constantly reveal to me things about life I wasn't previously aware of. Of course blogs are all about personal opinions, but I don't think it's good enough to just have an opinion. Good blogs don't just say things to stir up shit and make people angry, I think they have to enrich the lives of their readers. They've got to get them to consider seeing things in a different way. Lots of blogs don't have that. The bloggers say a bunch of stuff, "I feel this way", "I did this", but they seldom tell you why. Or they are incapable of telling a story about something that happened to them honestly enough so that you understand the context of the situation, and can figure out for yourself why the blogger said what she said or did what she did.
I think good blogs can be very powerful because the reader really gets to know someone over months and months, and gets to see the progression (or maturing) of her ideas. I think, deep inside me, I hope my readers kinda get to explore life a little more after they read my blog. We all need people to tell us things we don't know, and to test the water for us when it comes to trying out things in life we would otherwise me too afraid to test. And even if we are still too afraid, or it is something that we can never do, it's just damn amazing seeing how someone quite different from you, but with the same hopes and fears, living out the life he's chosen. I will always find being drawn into someone else's life, in real time, just amazing.
Amazing indeed! Thanks, Izzy! Our next stop is something called "Googlebombing." What is it? Here's a FAQ. I learned about Googlebombing via Michelle Malkin!
Previously: Blog On #5
Bosnian Pyramids
A friend of our family who hails from Bosnia likes to yak about the "Bosnian Pyramids." (Right-ee-oo!) We entertained the idea but didn't think it was real. We were wrong!
It’s been over a year since the whole Bosnian pyramid media fuss started. Still, many talk about the possible discovery of Europe’s first step pyramid complex. The event is significant for Bosnia & Herzegovina’s recovery, as it brings positive media attention and money into this poor and wounded country. Some disagree that the pyramid exploration followed by unique Balkan patriotism could be positive. After the findings proving that the structures below the hills had been made by humans, this part of the globe received additional media attention. Just 30 kilometers northwest of the capital city Sarajevo, in Visoko area, an archeological park has been set up. Founder of the whole undertaking, Semir Osmanagic, says the pyramid is at least 2,500 years old and may even date to the last ice age.
Sean Markey of the National Geographic began his report by saying this about Osmanagic:
This material originally appeared in a post by Ljubisa Bojic at GlobalVoices.
It’s been over a year since the whole Bosnian pyramid media fuss started. Still, many talk about the possible discovery of Europe’s first step pyramid complex. The event is significant for Bosnia & Herzegovina’s recovery, as it brings positive media attention and money into this poor and wounded country. Some disagree that the pyramid exploration followed by unique Balkan patriotism could be positive. After the findings proving that the structures below the hills had been made by humans, this part of the globe received additional media attention. Just 30 kilometers northwest of the capital city Sarajevo, in Visoko area, an archeological park has been set up. Founder of the whole undertaking, Semir Osmanagic, says the pyramid is at least 2,500 years old and may even date to the last ice age.Sean Markey of the National Geographic began his report by saying this about Osmanagic:
He’s been called a Balkan Indiana Jones. Others label him a dreamer, or worse, a pyramid buff with loony ideas.
Genijalci narrates the beginning of the story that shook the whole Bosnia (BIH):
Long time ago people at Visoko built the pyramids. The pyramid of the Sun is located at Visocica hill while the pyramid of the Moon is placed below Plesevica hill and the third pyramide of Bosnian Dragon is on the right side. Research aiming to prove the theory is being carried out at the moment. […] Detailed examination started on April 14, 2006. In April 2005, Semir Osmanagic, a US-based [businessman] and explorer paid a visit to the Visoko museum. Professor Senad Hodovic explained everything concerning the medieval Bosnia. He told him about the rocky remains of the old Visoko town and the legend about the three thrones of kings; the hill has a rare pyramidal shape which is an atypical phenomenon. Semir Osmanagic got interested in the affair. As an explorer, Osmanagic visited many locations throughout the world with similar sets of pyramids. He then acquired a license to conduct drills. He saw numerous anomalies pointing there might be a pyramid below the surface of the hill.
This material originally appeared in a post by Ljubisa Bojic at GlobalVoices.
Barack Obama
Tags: 2008, Barack Obama
"He is the embodiment of the American Dream, people coming from nowhere, and through their hard work and the opportunities afforded them has become a success.Recently there's been a lot of talk of him becoming the Democrat candidate in 2008."
Can Illinois Junior Senator Barack Obama Take America Where We've Never Been Before? -- New York Magazine
WATERVLIET, N.Y. (AP) _ NEW YORK SENATOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON SAYS IT'S ``GREAT'' THAT FELLOW DEMOCRAT, SENATOR BARACK OBAMA, IS THINKING ABOUT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.
POLLS SHOW CLINTON IS THE FRONT-RUNNER AMONG POTENTIAL 2008 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDERS. CLINTON WAS ASKED ABOUT OBAMA DURING A CAMPAIGN STOP AT A SENIOR CITIZENS' CENTER JUST NORTH OF ALBANY.
POLLS SHOW CLINTON FAR AHEAD OF HER REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER IN NEW YORK, FORMER YONKERS MAYOR JOHN SPENCER.
CLINTON, DURING A DEBATE FRIDAY NIGHT AGAINST SPENCER IN ROCHESTER, SAID SHE HAS BEEN THINKING ABOUT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, BUT HAS MADE NO DECISION ABOUT THAT.
OBAMA SAID DURING AN APPEARANCE ON NBC'S ``MEET THE PRESS'' YESTERDAY THAT HE'S THINKING ABOUT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.
Related Blogs:
US Senator Barack Obama Podcast - Senator Barack Obama's audio reports on issues affecting Illinois, the nation and the U.S. Senate.
Is Barack Obama the AntiChrist?
Wait, So Barack Obama Is Black?
George Clooney Welcomes Barack Obama's Presidential Bid
"He is the embodiment of the American Dream, people coming from nowhere, and through their hard work and the opportunities afforded them has become a success.Recently there's been a lot of talk of him becoming the Democrat candidate in 2008."Can Illinois Junior Senator Barack Obama Take America Where We've Never Been Before? -- New York Magazine
WATERVLIET, N.Y. (AP) _ NEW YORK SENATOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON SAYS IT'S ``GREAT'' THAT FELLOW DEMOCRAT, SENATOR BARACK OBAMA, IS THINKING ABOUT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.
POLLS SHOW CLINTON IS THE FRONT-RUNNER AMONG POTENTIAL 2008 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDERS. CLINTON WAS ASKED ABOUT OBAMA DURING A CAMPAIGN STOP AT A SENIOR CITIZENS' CENTER JUST NORTH OF ALBANY.
POLLS SHOW CLINTON FAR AHEAD OF HER REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER IN NEW YORK, FORMER YONKERS MAYOR JOHN SPENCER.
CLINTON, DURING A DEBATE FRIDAY NIGHT AGAINST SPENCER IN ROCHESTER, SAID SHE HAS BEEN THINKING ABOUT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, BUT HAS MADE NO DECISION ABOUT THAT.
OBAMA SAID DURING AN APPEARANCE ON NBC'S ``MEET THE PRESS'' YESTERDAY THAT HE'S THINKING ABOUT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.
Related Blogs:
US Senator Barack Obama Podcast - Senator Barack Obama's audio reports on issues affecting Illinois, the nation and the U.S. Senate.
Is Barack Obama the AntiChrist?
Wait, So Barack Obama Is Black?
George Clooney Welcomes Barack Obama's Presidential Bid
Payola Didn't Die...
Tag: Payola
Two Universal distributed labels (Blackground and the band Nickleback on Roadrunner) reportedly tried to influence chart positions by buying late night ads on NY radio that feature more than 60 seconds of the song. This banned practice tricks computerized airplay reporting tools! [more from hypebot...]
Two Universal distributed labels (Blackground and the band Nickleback on Roadrunner) reportedly tried to influence chart positions by buying late night ads on NY radio that feature more than 60 seconds of the song. This banned practice tricks computerized airplay reporting tools! [more from hypebot...]
Ramadan SHOCKER!
Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer dives into uncharted waters! The Alexandria law student doesn’t mince words when he announces to his readers that the Holy Month of Ramadan was the month of hypocrisy.
Unhappy with the practice, he says he shunned the Islamic ritual of not eating and drinking from dawn to sunset for a month for the first time in his life. While many Muslims may frown upon the public announcement, Kareem seems at ease with it.
Unhappy with the practice, he says he shunned the Islamic ritual of not eating and drinking from dawn to sunset for a month for the first time in his life. While many Muslims may frown upon the public announcement, Kareem seems at ease with it.
للمرة الأولى منذ أن كنت فى الخامسة أجد فى نفسى الشجاعة الكافية لرفض صيام شهر رمضان هذا العام ، على الرغم من كافة المصاعب والعوائق والتحديات التى صاحبتنى أثناء تنفيذ هذا القرار الذى أعاد لى قدرا من إرادتى التى كانت مسلوبة منى عندما كنت أجد نفسى مضطرا للقيام بممارسات وأعمال عن غير إقتناع كامل بها لمجاملة من حولى ليس إلا .For the first time since I was five, I find the courage in myself to refuse fasting Ramadhan this year despite all the problems, obstacles and challenges which I faced in implementing this decision. This has given me back a sense of achievement as I am now in control of what I do rather than having to do things I am not totally convinced of just to please those around me. I have come out of this successful experience with a new insight to the society of fantasia we live in and which imposes upon people to be hypocrites to win the satisfaction of those around them - even if what was inside them was totally different.
ولقد خرجت من هذه التجربة الناجحة بتصورات جديدة عن مجتمع الفاترينات الذى نعيش فيه والذى يحتم على المرء أن يبدى قدرا من من النفاق للمجتمع الذى يعيش فيه حتى يحظى برضا من حوله حتى وإن كان من داخله مختلفا معه تمام الإختلاف .
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Blog On #5
Tags: blogs, bloggers, blogging, blogosphere
Blog On continues... if YOU keep a blog, feel free to email me your experiences! Mouseover and click on my picture for my email addy!
My blog is http://drummergirl4jc.blogspot.com/
Ellen Fields has been reviewing Latin America-focused weblogs in English for quite a while now. Here is a list of every blog she’s reviewed so far.
Bloggers are NOT perfect. Like journalists, they make mistakes, but because bloggers usually answer to no one, they're less likely to check for accuracy. Alexpappas in Japundit blogs about cruelty during World War II, but the authenticity of some of the material is challenged. Even "A-list" bloggers like Michelle Malkin make mistakes: In a post entitled "Help a milblogger" By Michelle Malkin · October 24, 2006 08:47 PM. the usually sharp Ms. M blogs: Dave Lucas writes that a milblogger who served in Afghanistan, SPC Reid Stanley, needs help. She's apparently made this mistake before: there's a n entry elsewhere on Thirdwavedave's blog where he writes "Dave Lucas?" To err is human!
Previously: Blog On #4
Blog On continues... if YOU keep a blog, feel free to email me your experiences! Mouseover and click on my picture for my email addy!
I started blogging just because it was the "in" thing to do. Little did I know soon after that blogging has increased my faith a Christian as I befriend other Christian bloggers.
It's like a big fellowship of believers in the virtual world. You're just relating deeply to people you haven't met but known through blogging. You get encouragement to press on with you journey of faith and you too get to encourage others as well.
It's like a big fellowship of believers in the virtual world. You're just relating deeply to people you haven't met but known through blogging. You get encouragement to press on with you journey of faith and you too get to encourage others as well.
Besides all that, blogging helped me to stay sane, too!
Ellen Fields has been reviewing Latin America-focused weblogs in English for quite a while now. Here is a list of every blog she’s reviewed so far.
Bloggers are NOT perfect. Like journalists, they make mistakes, but because bloggers usually answer to no one, they're less likely to check for accuracy. Alexpappas in Japundit blogs about cruelty during World War II, but the authenticity of some of the material is challenged. Even "A-list" bloggers like Michelle Malkin make mistakes: In a post entitled "Help a milblogger" By Michelle Malkin · October 24, 2006 08:47 PM. the usually sharp Ms. M blogs: Dave Lucas writes that a milblogger who served in Afghanistan, SPC Reid Stanley, needs help. She's apparently made this mistake before: there's a n entry elsewhere on Thirdwavedave's blog where he writes "Dave Lucas?" To err is human!
Previously: Blog On #4
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Advice for Kirsten Gillibrand
Tags: Elections 2006, Congress, John Sweeney, 20th CD Race, Kirsten Gillibrand
I read on 20TrueBlue that there will be NO debate between Congressman John Sweeney and challenger Kirsten Gillibrand. Perhaps Ms. Gillibrand would be wise to borrow a move from John Hall(NY-19) and debate an empty chair! Think about it. Even if her campaign just did a mash-up mock-up debate for her TV spots, it would stick in people's heads! Whattaya think, Kirsten?
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtLVxcTos1I "Sue Kelly runs from RNN cameras"
Pictured: Sue Kelly, Mike DeWine, and Pamela.
I read on 20TrueBlue that there will be NO debate between Congressman John Sweeney and challenger Kirsten Gillibrand. Perhaps Ms. Gillibrand would be wise to borrow a move from John Hall(NY-19) and debate an empty chair! Think about it. Even if her campaign just did a mash-up mock-up debate for her TV spots, it would stick in people's heads! Whattaya think, Kirsten?VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtLVxcTos1I "Sue Kelly runs from RNN cameras"
Pictured: Sue Kelly, Mike DeWine, and Pamela.
Happy Eid Mubarak!
Tags: Eid, Middle East & North Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Weblog, Humor, Religion, Entertainment
It’s Eid in the Arab world and Arab bloggers are celebrating the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan with a riot of activity on their blogs.
MysticSaint extends greetings...Metroblogging Lahore (Pakistan) wishes all a Happy Eid by posting a picture. Órange ju¡ce extends greetings with picture and verse. The same sentiments are shared by Te3meh from Egypt, who also posts a graphic design. Fa6Ma blogs from Saudi Arabia that Eid is [Glue].
From India, Dina Mehta wishes all a Happy Diwali AND Eid Mubarak!
More: Arabisc: Secret Meetings and Eid Greetings | Significance of Eid ul Fitr | Eid @ Wikipedia | Etymology of Eid ul Fitr | The Eid
It’s Eid in the Arab world and Arab bloggers are celebrating the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan with a riot of activity on their blogs.MysticSaint extends greetings...Metroblogging Lahore (Pakistan) wishes all a Happy Eid by posting a picture. Órange ju¡ce extends greetings with picture and verse. The same sentiments are shared by Te3meh from Egypt, who also posts a graphic design. Fa6Ma blogs from Saudi Arabia that Eid is [Glue].
From India, Dina Mehta wishes all a Happy Diwali AND Eid Mubarak!
Omani blogger Zaid Al Saidi has a few questions about Eid.
دائما و في كل عيد أسأل نفسي لماذا يفرح الناس أو يتظاهرون بالفرح يوم العيد ، ماذا يميز العيد ؟ و لماذا لا نفرح بطول أيام السنة ؟
Every Eid I ask myself why do people celebrate Eid and why are they happy with the occasion. What distinguishes Eid? Why can’t we be happy every day of the year?
Osama, from the UAE, too is celebrating Eid, which has opened his eyes to a new practise.
الكل يريد أن ينال نصيبه من كعكعة العيد….
محلات الخياطة….
محال بيع الخضار والفاكهة….
معارض الشكولاتة و الحلويات…
حتى الحلاق..قرر أن يضاعف أجره بدون إنذار…و فوق كل ذلك طلب بخشيشا!!
محلات الخياطة….
محال بيع الخضار والفاكهة….
معارض الشكولاتة و الحلويات…
حتى الحلاق..قرر أن يضاعف أجره بدون إنذار…و فوق كل ذلك طلب بخشيشا!!
Everyone wants his share from the Eid cake…the tailor..the grocer..the chocolate and candy stores..even the barber. He has increased his fees without prior warning. Add to this, he also asks for his tip!!
Writing from Bahrain, Saudi bloggerSara talks of her experiences in the island kingdom near home.More: Arabisc: Secret Meetings and Eid Greetings | Significance of Eid ul Fitr | Eid @ Wikipedia | Etymology of Eid ul Fitr | The Eid
Fulla
Tags: Eid, Fulla
Last month I referenced a previous post about the Muslim doll Fulla and I received emails from several blogders unable to get any response from the URL, so, here is the entire post! (Originally posted January 11, 2006).
(EGYPT) The Arab answer to Barbie has been selling like hot cakes for Eid Al-Adha*, the most important holiday in the Muslim calendar, not least because it is cheaper than its American rival, although both are made in China.
Fulla is not the first Islamic doll but none of her predecessors have taken the regional market by storm like she has, selling about two million since its creation two years ago by the Emirates-based NewBoy Design Studio.
Saudi Arabia's religious police had then just banned "Barbie the Jewish doll", whose "revealing clothes and shameful postures, accessories and tools are a symbol of decadence to the perverted West".
Fulla, named after an Arabic word for a type of jasmine, was initially sold in the Gulf in a similar pink box but in more modest attire, such as the traditional abaya overdress and complete with a little prayer mat.
"Her wardrobe had to be widened to adapt to the Egyptian market. In other words, she became more modern," said Ahmed, a sales clerk at City Stars, Cairo's largest shopping mall.
Fulla can now dress her perfect albeit slightly less busty figure with tight t-shirts and jeans and wear the same colourful head scarves donned by most young Egyptian women today.
Eid Al-Adha*
*The holy day is celebrated by Muslims who cannot make an annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, one of the five duties of the religion and commemorates the prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son. The holy day also serves to remind Muslims of their personal commitment to their faith:
Eid ul-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى) occurs on the tenth day of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijja. It is one of two Eid festivals that Muslims celebrate. Eid ul-Adha is celebrated by Muslims worldwide as a commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son for God.
ORIGINAL POST:
Moral decay is happening all around us. We witness it on a daily basis. Our children need toys that deflect the worldliness and greed. In 2005, I posted a blog entry about a doll that has taken the Middle East by storm: Fulla! The creators of Fulla recognized the need children have for toys of good character: "...Our advertising is full of positive messages about Fulla's character. She's honest, loving, and caring, and she respects her father and mother." With black hair, auburn eyes and a wide selection of head scarves, she's Mecca to Barbie's Malibu. In the Fulla television ads I've seen on satellite, the doll has a sweet high-pitched voice, and sings in Arabic. She is also shown baking a cake for her friend, praying and reading before bed. Fulla is the direct opposite of that greedy fashion-conscious Barbie! A little envy here, as I wish the Fulla-type doll was marketed and embraced here in America.
I found Fulla and other items of interest on e-Bay (HERE)...
The NY Times had just gotten wind of two original news articles about Fulla, both of which appeared in the St. Petersburg Times Floridian, around the same time I posted my original blog entry. The following is derived from both sources:
DAMASCUS, Syria, Sept. 21 - In the last year or so, Barbie dolls have all but disappeared from the shelves of many toy stores in the Middle East. In their place, there is Fulla, a dark-eyed doll with, as her creator puts it, "Muslim values."
Fulla's creator, NewBoy Design Studio, based in Syria, introduced her in November 2003, and she has quickly become a best seller all over the region. It is nearly impossible to walk into a corner shop in Syria or Egypt or Jordan or Qatar without encountering Fulla breakfast cereal or Fulla chewing gum or not to see little girls pedaling down the street on their Fulla bicycles, all in trademark "Fulla pink."
Fulla is 11-1/2 inches tall, like Barbie, and has long black hair with dramatic burgundy streaks. But her look is more demure - a few mascaraed lashes frame big brown eyes and a hint of fuchsia tints her dainty mouth.
Young girls here are obsessed with Fulla, and conservative parents who would not dream of buying Barbies for their daughters seem happy to pay for a modest doll who has her own tiny prayer rug, in pink felt. Children who want to dress like their dolls can buy a matching, girl-size prayer rug and cotton scarf set, all in pink.
Fawaz Abidin, the Fulla brand manager for NewBoy, tells the newspaper "This isn't just about putting the hijab on a Barbie doll, You have to create a character that parents and children will want to relate to."
Though Fulla will never have a boyfriend doll like Barbie's Ken, Mr. Abidin said, a Doctor Fulla and a Teacher Fulla will be introduced soon. "These are two respected careers for women that we would like to encourage small girls to follow," he said.
On the children's satellite channels popular in the Arab world, Fulla advertising is incessant. In a series of animated commercials, a sweetly high-pitched voice sings the Fulla song in Arabic ("She will soon be by my side, and I can tell her my deepest secrets") as a cartoon Fulla glides across the screen, saying her prayers as the sun rises, baking a cake to surprise her friend Yasmeen, or reading a book at bedtime - scenes that, Mr. Abidin said, are "designed to convey Fulla's values."
A series of commercials seems more familiarly sales-oriented, starring young Syrian actresses who present Fulla silverware, Fulla stationery, Fulla luggage and, of course, new accessories for Fulla herself. "When you take Fulla out of the house, don't forget her new spring abaya!" says one commercial.
In Damascus, a Fulla doll sells for about $16, in a country where average per capita income hovers around $100 per month. And yet, said Nawal al-Sayeedi, a clerk at the Space Toon toy store in the city's upscale Abou Roumaneh neighborhood, Fulla flies off the shelves.
When Iman Telmaz took her two young daughters back-to-school shopping recently, disaster struck. Ms. Telmaz had promised the girls, 10-year-old Alia and 5-year-old Aya, new pink Fulla backpacks for the start of the school year, and the stores were sold out.
Ms. Telmaz resolved to keep looking. "The children love their Fulla dolls," she said. "Aya is starting school for the first time, and has specially asked for a Fulla backpack. For these girls, it has to be Fulla."
It has to be FULLA for bloggers, too--- several have had knee-jerk reactions to the NY Times piece. Most are very mean-spirited or make fun of the dolls. No wonder many of the good Muslim people have stopped speaking out in their own defense!
RELATED: A young girl's response to anti-Islamic sentiment...
Last month I referenced a previous post about the Muslim doll Fulla and I received emails from several blogders unable to get any response from the URL, so, here is the entire post! (Originally posted January 11, 2006).
Fulla Re-visited
(EGYPT) The Arab answer to Barbie has been selling like hot cakes for Eid Al-Adha*, the most important holiday in the Muslim calendar, not least because it is cheaper than its American rival, although both are made in China.Fulla is not the first Islamic doll but none of her predecessors have taken the regional market by storm like she has, selling about two million since its creation two years ago by the Emirates-based NewBoy Design Studio.
Saudi Arabia's religious police had then just banned "Barbie the Jewish doll", whose "revealing clothes and shameful postures, accessories and tools are a symbol of decadence to the perverted West".
Fulla, named after an Arabic word for a type of jasmine, was initially sold in the Gulf in a similar pink box but in more modest attire, such as the traditional abaya overdress and complete with a little prayer mat.
"Her wardrobe had to be widened to adapt to the Egyptian market. In other words, she became more modern," said Ahmed, a sales clerk at City Stars, Cairo's largest shopping mall.
Fulla can now dress her perfect albeit slightly less busty figure with tight t-shirts and jeans and wear the same colourful head scarves donned by most young Egyptian women today.
Eid Al-Adha*
*The holy day is celebrated by Muslims who cannot make an annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, one of the five duties of the religion and commemorates the prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son. The holy day also serves to remind Muslims of their personal commitment to their faith:
Eid ul-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى) occurs on the tenth day of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijja. It is one of two Eid festivals that Muslims celebrate. Eid ul-Adha is celebrated by Muslims worldwide as a commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son for God.
It is celebrated on the 10th day of the month of Dhul Hijja (ذو الحجة) of the lunar Islamic calendar, after Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. This happens to be approximately 70 days after the end of the month of Ramadan.
Muslims believe that God revealed in a dream to Ibrahim (Prophet Abraham) to sacrifice his son Isma’il. Ibrahim and Isma’il set off to Mina for the sacrifice. As they went, the devil attempted to persuade Ibrahim to disobey God and not to sacrifice his beloved son. But Ibrahim stayed true to God, and drove the devil away. As Ibrahim prepared to sacrifice his son, God stopped him and gave him a sheep to sacrifice instead. The story is also a part of the other Abrahamic religions (see the Binding of Isaac).
While Eid ul-Fitr is considered to be three days, Eid ul-Adha is supposed to be four days. The first day is the primary holiday, on which men, women, and children are expected to dress in their finest clothing and perform prayer (Salah) in a large congregation. Muslims who can afford to do so sacrifice domestic animals, usually sheep, as a symbol of Ibrahim's sacrifice; this sacrifice is called "Qurbani." The meat is distributed amongst their neighbors, relatives, and the poor and hungry. The charitable instincts of the Muslim community are demonstrated during Eid ul-Adha by the concerted effort to see that no impoverished Muslim is left without sacrificial food during this day. Coming immediately after the Day of Arafat (when Muhammad pronounced the final seal on the religion of Islam), Eid ul-Adha gives concrete realization to what the Muslim community ethic means in practice. (from Wikipedia)
ORIGINAL POST:
Moral decay is happening all around us. We witness it on a daily basis. Our children need toys that deflect the worldliness and greed. In 2005, I posted a blog entry about a doll that has taken the Middle East by storm: Fulla! The creators of Fulla recognized the need children have for toys of good character: "...Our advertising is full of positive messages about Fulla's character. She's honest, loving, and caring, and she respects her father and mother." With black hair, auburn eyes and a wide selection of head scarves, she's Mecca to Barbie's Malibu. In the Fulla television ads I've seen on satellite, the doll has a sweet high-pitched voice, and sings in Arabic. She is also shown baking a cake for her friend, praying and reading before bed. Fulla is the direct opposite of that greedy fashion-conscious Barbie! A little envy here, as I wish the Fulla-type doll was marketed and embraced here in America.
I found Fulla and other items of interest on e-Bay (HERE)...
The NY Times had just gotten wind of two original news articles about Fulla, both of which appeared in the St. Petersburg Times Floridian, around the same time I posted my original blog entry. The following is derived from both sources:DAMASCUS, Syria, Sept. 21 - In the last year or so, Barbie dolls have all but disappeared from the shelves of many toy stores in the Middle East. In their place, there is Fulla, a dark-eyed doll with, as her creator puts it, "Muslim values."
Fulla's creator, NewBoy Design Studio, based in Syria, introduced her in November 2003, and she has quickly become a best seller all over the region. It is nearly impossible to walk into a corner shop in Syria or Egypt or Jordan or Qatar without encountering Fulla breakfast cereal or Fulla chewing gum or not to see little girls pedaling down the street on their Fulla bicycles, all in trademark "Fulla pink."
Fulla is 11-1/2 inches tall, like Barbie, and has long black hair with dramatic burgundy streaks. But her look is more demure - a few mascaraed lashes frame big brown eyes and a hint of fuchsia tints her dainty mouth.
Young girls here are obsessed with Fulla, and conservative parents who would not dream of buying Barbies for their daughters seem happy to pay for a modest doll who has her own tiny prayer rug, in pink felt. Children who want to dress like their dolls can buy a matching, girl-size prayer rug and cotton scarf set, all in pink.
Fawaz Abidin, the Fulla brand manager for NewBoy, tells the newspaper "This isn't just about putting the hijab on a Barbie doll, You have to create a character that parents and children will want to relate to."
Though Fulla will never have a boyfriend doll like Barbie's Ken, Mr. Abidin said, a Doctor Fulla and a Teacher Fulla will be introduced soon. "These are two respected careers for women that we would like to encourage small girls to follow," he said.
On the children's satellite channels popular in the Arab world, Fulla advertising is incessant. In a series of animated commercials, a sweetly high-pitched voice sings the Fulla song in Arabic ("She will soon be by my side, and I can tell her my deepest secrets") as a cartoon Fulla glides across the screen, saying her prayers as the sun rises, baking a cake to surprise her friend Yasmeen, or reading a book at bedtime - scenes that, Mr. Abidin said, are "designed to convey Fulla's values."
A series of commercials seems more familiarly sales-oriented, starring young Syrian actresses who present Fulla silverware, Fulla stationery, Fulla luggage and, of course, new accessories for Fulla herself. "When you take Fulla out of the house, don't forget her new spring abaya!" says one commercial.
In Damascus, a Fulla doll sells for about $16, in a country where average per capita income hovers around $100 per month. And yet, said Nawal al-Sayeedi, a clerk at the Space Toon toy store in the city's upscale Abou Roumaneh neighborhood, Fulla flies off the shelves.
When Iman Telmaz took her two young daughters back-to-school shopping recently, disaster struck. Ms. Telmaz had promised the girls, 10-year-old Alia and 5-year-old Aya, new pink Fulla backpacks for the start of the school year, and the stores were sold out.
Ms. Telmaz resolved to keep looking. "The children love their Fulla dolls," she said. "Aya is starting school for the first time, and has specially asked for a Fulla backpack. For these girls, it has to be Fulla."
It has to be FULLA for bloggers, too--- several have had knee-jerk reactions to the NY Times piece. Most are very mean-spirited or make fun of the dolls. No wonder many of the good Muslim people have stopped speaking out in their own defense!
RELATED: A young girl's response to anti-Islamic sentiment...
Blog On #4
Tags: blogs, bloggers, blogging, blogosphere, Tunisia, Middle East & North Africa, Weblog, Freedom of Speech, Arts & Culture, Education, Governance, Human Rights, Law, Media, Protest, Religion, Politics
The major issue attracting the attention of Tunisian bloggers over the last three weeks: the campaign against the Islamic veil launched by the Tunisian regime to wipe out what senior officials describe as “sectarian dress”. This last depiction finds its roots in the decree “108″, pioneering legal bans on the veil, issued in the early 80’s at the height of the confrontation between the authorities and Islamists.
This time, before persecuting women of flesh and blood, and before forbidding them to wear veils in schools and government offices, the Tunisian regime has inaugurated the new academic year by cracking down toy shops across the country in search for, Fulla, the dark-eyed doll. The doll with “Muslim values” which has been introduced in November 2003 has quickly swept Middle East markets, replacing American Barbie and becoming a best-seller all over the region, The New York Times said.
The hunt against the hijab-clad doll was actually an introduction to the harassment and persecution of real women with headscarf at schools, universities, work and even on streets. This development has enflamed the debate over the veils, not only among bloggers, but elsewhere on the Internet, television and newspapers. Even Aljazeera TV channel has broadcasted a hot debate between pro- and anti-veils (watch the video [AR]).
Inside the Tunisian blogsphere (more…)
This post by Sami Ben Gharbia originally appeared on GlobalVoicesOnline.
Previously: Blog On #3
The major issue attracting the attention of Tunisian bloggers over the last three weeks: the campaign against the Islamic veil launched by the Tunisian regime to wipe out what senior officials describe as “sectarian dress”. This last depiction finds its roots in the decree “108″, pioneering legal bans on the veil, issued in the early 80’s at the height of the confrontation between the authorities and Islamists.This time, before persecuting women of flesh and blood, and before forbidding them to wear veils in schools and government offices, the Tunisian regime has inaugurated the new academic year by cracking down toy shops across the country in search for, Fulla, the dark-eyed doll. The doll with “Muslim values” which has been introduced in November 2003 has quickly swept Middle East markets, replacing American Barbie and becoming a best-seller all over the region, The New York Times said.
The hunt against the hijab-clad doll was actually an introduction to the harassment and persecution of real women with headscarf at schools, universities, work and even on streets. This development has enflamed the debate over the veils, not only among bloggers, but elsewhere on the Internet, television and newspapers. Even Aljazeera TV channel has broadcasted a hot debate between pro- and anti-veils (watch the video [AR]).
Inside the Tunisian blogsphere (more…)
This post by Sami Ben Gharbia originally appeared on GlobalVoicesOnline.
Previously: Blog On #3
Monday, October 23, 2006
Alberto al-Fernandez
Since posting Context, Translation, I've received several emails. Michelle Malkin blogs an excellent, informative follow-up.
Those of you new to this blog, please visit the main page, scroll down and check out my "Blog On!" series. Perhaps you would like to contribute?
Those of you new to this blog, please visit the main page, scroll down and check out my "Blog On!" series. Perhaps you would like to contribute?
Things Go Better With
Tags: YouTube, Pop Culture
Here's a cute Coke ad being shown on Chinese TV: Through the magic of YouTube, watch "Ringtone"!
Here's a cute Coke ad being shown on Chinese TV: Through the magic of YouTube, watch "Ringtone"!
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Blog On #3
Tags: blogs, bloggers, blogging, blogosphere
Shamus O'Drunkahan Has Issues...
Shamus O'Drunkahan is a local blogger from Greenville NY:
My friend gave me some Siberian mushrooms she had grown in the garden. I woke up 2 days later and the first coherent thought I had was something I had read on CNN about a thing called "blogging". I logged onto Blogspot that day and started my blog. So I guess it was kind of a spiritual thing.
Q: WHY are you continuing to blog?
Have you seen how much a professional, certified psychotherapist charges these days? Blogger is much cheaper. And Blogger never says, "Looks like our time is up..."
I find it comforting to see there are other folks in the world besides me who make flash judgments about people, places and things and then write about them. It's a real feeling of community that you just can't get in the real world. Well, unless you go to church or something like that.
UARIDI:
The issue of my identify as a blogger has not bothered me greatly – I remain who I am even when blogging, although my alter-ego does all the talking, this does not change who I am.
My blog is my alter ego – a place where I am learning about this new persona hidden in my subconscious, but not a place where I explore my subconscious, my reason for being, my faith, sexuality or politics. Although I must admit I enjoy reading serious blogs like Black Looks or Mshairi's poems or bloggers that talk about their personal life, although I myself am not able to write serious posts. Once in a while I will blog about these things, but mostly I want to write about life in general: things that amuse me, touch me or interest me. [READ THE ENTIRE POST]
Scribez has an exhaustive post about start-ups in the Web 2.0 space in India. It seems like there is an Indian version of digg, and other social network sites. This is a nice post to catch up on what is happening in India.
Nitesh Gautam has a nice write-up about Onyomo, an Indian search engine company. This new search engine which is still in beta mode has an SMS feature that might just be the ticket for Indian users.
Vandana Ahuja highlights in her post how head hunters and recruiters are harassing the latest technology, including web 2.o, to recruit talent.
Spurred by the fact that weblog stimulates open discussion among people who have common interest, Cambodians take their concerned issues online to share with the world who are listening to them. Is weblog community an open space for debate? In what way can this new tool enhance the way citizens get into discussions, have their says, and learn more what’s going on in their community? In this weblog post, Cambodia bloggers talked about nationalism, marriage, youth issues and Khmer boxing on podcast.
Vireak asked ‘how much do foreigners know about Cambodia?’ The 21-year-old weblogger recalled his experience in Singapore four years ago. After spending several years with other Singaporean classmates, he was more and more familiar with many weird questions they asked him about his home country.
Previously: Blog On #1, Blog On #2
Shamus O'Drunkahan Has Issues...
Shamus O'Drunkahan is a local blogger from Greenville NY:
My friend gave me some Siberian mushrooms she had grown in the garden. I woke up 2 days later and the first coherent thought I had was something I had read on CNN about a thing called "blogging". I logged onto Blogspot that day and started my blog. So I guess it was kind of a spiritual thing.
Q: WHY are you continuing to blog?
Have you seen how much a professional, certified psychotherapist charges these days? Blogger is much cheaper. And Blogger never says, "Looks like our time is up..."
I find it comforting to see there are other folks in the world besides me who make flash judgments about people, places and things and then write about them. It's a real feeling of community that you just can't get in the real world. Well, unless you go to church or something like that.
UARIDI:
The issue of my identify as a blogger has not bothered me greatly – I remain who I am even when blogging, although my alter-ego does all the talking, this does not change who I am.
My blog is my alter ego – a place where I am learning about this new persona hidden in my subconscious, but not a place where I explore my subconscious, my reason for being, my faith, sexuality or politics. Although I must admit I enjoy reading serious blogs like Black Looks or Mshairi's poems or bloggers that talk about their personal life, although I myself am not able to write serious posts. Once in a while I will blog about these things, but mostly I want to write about life in general: things that amuse me, touch me or interest me. [READ THE ENTIRE POST]
Scribez has an exhaustive post about start-ups in the Web 2.0 space in India. It seems like there is an Indian version of digg, and other social network sites. This is a nice post to catch up on what is happening in India.
Nitesh Gautam has a nice write-up about Onyomo, an Indian search engine company. This new search engine which is still in beta mode has an SMS feature that might just be the ticket for Indian users.
Vandana Ahuja highlights in her post how head hunters and recruiters are harassing the latest technology, including web 2.o, to recruit talent.
Spurred by the fact that weblog stimulates open discussion among people who have common interest, Cambodians take their concerned issues online to share with the world who are listening to them. Is weblog community an open space for debate? In what way can this new tool enhance the way citizens get into discussions, have their says, and learn more what’s going on in their community? In this weblog post, Cambodia bloggers talked about nationalism, marriage, youth issues and Khmer boxing on podcast.
Vireak asked ‘how much do foreigners know about Cambodia?’ The 21-year-old weblogger recalled his experience in Singapore four years ago. After spending several years with other Singaporean classmates, he was more and more familiar with many weird questions they asked him about his home country.
Previously: Blog On #1, Blog On #2
Flu Shot Deaths
French vaccine manufacturer Sanofi Aventis under scrutiny after four people died as a result of getting flu shots... (developing)
The Tube Taketh Away
YouTube hitting the "delete" key: 29,549 video archives containing music videos, cartoons and Japanese films have been wiped clean after officials decided the materials were on YouTube without the consent of the respective owners. Expect a "mass delete" of English YouTube clips any day now...YouTube deletou 29549 arquivos de vídeo com clipes musicais, desenhos e filmes japoneses, que haviam sido colocados no site sem a autorização de seus proprietários, essencialmente emissoras de TV.
Embora o portal tenha uma política de sempre remover material ilegal quando avisado, executivos das empresas se mostraram irritados com a necessidade de vigiar o serviço em busca de cópias irregulares de seus materiais.
Bill Clinton to the Rescue!
Tags: Elections 2006, Congress, John Sweeney, 20th CD Race, Kirsten Gillibrand
U.S. Rep. John Sweeney, R-Clifton Park, had a 14-point lead (53-39) over his Democratic challenger Kirsten Gillibrand in the 20th CD, down from 19 points (53-34) in August, according to a recent Siena College Poll. Siena's results came out BEFORE Sweeney's campaign got sidetracked by that Pacific Island trip thing...
Countdown to Election Day (post #2)! From the Glens-Falls Post-Star comes word that former President Bill Clinton is coming to upstate NY to stump for Kirtsen Gillibrand. The Gillibrand-Sweeney race (20th District - click on map to enlarge) is getting closer, but I still think Sweeney has the lead, UNLESS he gets dragged down by public perception of Bush-Republicans in general, which may be happening. Otherwise, it would take a knockout punch to dislodge Sweeney from his seat (some say there is a "k.o." out there, waiting in the wings). For a little background, check out my previous post, "Crunch Time For the Republican Party" HERE.
Whether or not you are able to or choose to vote next month, you owe it you to keep abreast of what's happening in the political arena, and educate yourself regarding the candidates and the issues. Never know when something might impact YOU!
You may have read the shorter, AP version... Now, here's the original story written by the Post-Star's MAURY THOMPSON:
More to read: Gillibrand and Sweeney on Iraq, Kirsten Gillibrand live-blogging!
U.S. Rep. John Sweeney, R-Clifton Park, had a 14-point lead (53-39) over his Democratic challenger Kirsten Gillibrand in the 20th CD, down from 19 points (53-34) in August, according to a recent Siena College Poll. Siena's results came out BEFORE Sweeney's campaign got sidetracked by that Pacific Island trip thing...Countdown to Election Day (post #2)! From the Glens-Falls Post-Star comes word that former President Bill Clinton is coming to upstate NY to stump for Kirtsen Gillibrand. The Gillibrand-Sweeney race (20th District - click on map to enlarge) is getting closer, but I still think Sweeney has the lead, UNLESS he gets dragged down by public perception of Bush-Republicans in general, which may be happening. Otherwise, it would take a knockout punch to dislodge Sweeney from his seat (some say there is a "k.o." out there, waiting in the wings). For a little background, check out my previous post, "Crunch Time For the Republican Party" HERE.
Whether or not you are able to or choose to vote next month, you owe it you to keep abreast of what's happening in the political arena, and educate yourself regarding the candidates and the issues. Never know when something might impact YOU!
You may have read the shorter, AP version... Now, here's the original story written by the Post-Star's MAURY THOMPSON:
Former President Clinton is expected to visit the region Thursday to campaign with Democratic congressional candidate Kirsten Gillibrand, Saratoga Democratic Chairman Larry Bulman said Saturday.
"It shows this race is real close," Bulman said. "He wants to take back Washington, and he's coming in to do his part."
Bulman said Clinton is familiar with Gillibrand, who is making her first run for public office but has been involved behind the scenes in Democratic politics for some time.
"I know they're at least acquaintances," Bulman said.
A location and time were still being finalized Saturday evening, said a member of Gillibrand's staff, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because details had not yet been confirmed by Clinton's staff.
Clinton will be the latest of several high-profile figures who have stumped for candidates in the spirited 20th Congressional District race.
First lady Laura Bush, U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani have campaigned with incumbent U.S. Rep. John Sweeney, R-Clifton Park.
U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., and U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the second-highest-ranking Democrat in the House, have campaigned with Gillibrand, a lawyer from Greenport, outside the city of Hudson.
A Siena College Research Institute poll released Thursday showed Sweeney leading by 14 percentage points.
Bulman, however, said Clinton only campaigns in districts where races are very close.
Gillibrand and Sweeney both campaigned in the region Saturday.
Gillibrand campaigned door-to-door Saturday morning in Clifton Park as part of a neighborhood canvass organized by labor organizations.
About 150 labor union volunteers participated in distributing about 25,000 pieces of literature to homes in the town.
"Races like this are only won on the ground," Gillibrand said in a pep talk to volunteers given standing in the back of a pickup truck.
State Assemblyman Bob Reilly, D-Clifton Park, and Preston Jenkins, Democratic candidate for Saratoga County treasurer, also participated.
Jenkins is running against incumbent Republican Samuel Pitcheralle, who was appointed to the post in August.
Gillibrand also made stops at diners in Halfmoon and Saratoga Springs before speaking Saturday evening to a women's group in Saratoga Springs.
Sweeney campaigned in Washington County on Saturday afternoon, making stops at Skenesborough Central Volunteer Fire Company in Whitehall and the Hartford Fall Festival.
In Whitehall, firefighters who had been replacing the roof on the fire station jokingly suggested Sweeney lend a hand.
"We thought you were going to wear jeans and help us put the roof on," said Mike Putorti, the department's 2nd assistant chief.
Sweeney, dressed in a business suit, didn't provide any manual labor, but he did pledge to support the department's application for a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant to replace an outdated fire truck.
"Let me make some phone calls," Sweeney said, going on to talk about the importance of his position as a member of the House Appropriations Committee.
Sweeney also said he has encouraged area health care organizations to open a 24-hour emergency medical triage center somewhere in Washington County.
"I'm pushing Glens Falls (Hospital) and I'm pushing Saratoga (Hospital) and I'm pushing Hudson Headwaters (clinic system) and I'm trying to get something closer," he said.
Sweeney later spoke at a Washington County Republican dinner in Kingsbury.
More to read: Gillibrand and Sweeney on Iraq, Kirsten Gillibrand live-blogging!
UAlbany Homecoming Weekend
It's Homecoming Weekend at UAlbany (some of you may still call it "SUNY")... There's a dark cloud over the campus this year after three players on the UAlbany football team were accused of rape. Videojournalist Sumi Somaskanda put together a piece for Capital News 9.
It happened at Duke, it happened here in Albany. The most interesting bit of information that has come out of the UAlbany rape case is that UALBANY STUDENTS feel betrayed. They concur that the only way they get NEWS is from radio and TV! (NOT the campus radio station--- they had no clue!)
They say that what they do manage to hear from official sources smacks of "underreporting."
And then there's those "officials."
UAlbany LiveJournal
It happened at Duke, it happened here in Albany. The most interesting bit of information that has come out of the UAlbany rape case is that UALBANY STUDENTS feel betrayed. They concur that the only way they get NEWS is from radio and TV! (NOT the campus radio station--- they had no clue!)
They say that what they do manage to hear from official sources smacks of "underreporting."
And then there's those "officials."
UAlbany LiveJournal
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