Posts Tagged ‘China’
Image Thanks to the Tomahawk Take
Everybody loves an underdog…errr, bird: the Cardinals come back and win the World Series!
Twitter, China, and Human Rights
Who has student loan debt? A Colorlines infographic breaks it down.
When do Halloween costumes cross the line?
China’s ruling party has decided that it is not a “friend” to social media.
News reports are coming in that the notoriously strict censors in China are going to crank it up a notch.
Their targets: Micro-bloggers and social media devotees.
This will be a big job. The Guardian reports
The number of registered users on domestic services reached 195 million by the end of June, triple the figure of six months earlier, according to the China Internet Network Information Centre.
Will the great firewall of China succeed? The cartoon above has its own take. (cartoon by KAL)
Drunken moose in apple trees?! What’s going on, Sweden?
For many who celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, today will be sadly bereft of mooncakes.
A happy ending to a scary story.
Thanks to Zimbio
Don’t add “diplomat” to Justin Bieber’s repertoire. Pop star might be ruining relations in Israel.
Long road ahead; President Obama lays out 12 year plan to cut spending and borrowing.
Environment or economy? China weighs their options.
Republican governors will be Republican governors: Labor supporters angered by Florida’s GOP governor.
The international community is united in its condemnation the violence taking place in Libya today. What should the world do about the troubles? That is a subject of far less agreement.
Two countries are preaching restraint in this situation. The cartoon above gives an interpretation of why… (cartoon by KAL)
Oh, Egypt. You’re such a trendsetter.
The successful revolution in Egypt which forced long term leader, Hosni Mubarak, out of power is now being replicated in several different countries.
We told you about the fire of revolution spreading around the Middle East a few days ago, but it’s not limited to just the desert anymore.
One of the latest countries to toss its hat into the revolutionary ring is China. After a website called for protests in 13 cities in China, the police have cracked down on political activists- before the protests even started.
The protests that were supposed to happen never did. Political analysts say it’s because of China’s immensely powerful and organized police force and censorship system. China has since erased all online discussion of revolution or protests, with President Hu Jintao calling for stricter censorship.
Human error? Watson stumbles on final jeopardy.
Come to papa: President Obama calls for an “Adult Conversation” on U.S. budget.
Government cracks down as protests pick up in Iran.
There is a new number two in the economic world.
And, your grocery bags might be able to get you to the grocery store.
Sargent Shriver, member of the Kennedy Family and original director of the Peace Corps, dies at 95.
The U.S. and China have a lot to talk about in the coming days.
And, for today’s Snark attack here’s Howard Stern who it appears doesn’t like Jay Leno one bit.
If you need a laugh on this Monday morning, see why Dave Barry thinks that 2010 was the worst year ever.
Is one of your new year’s resolutions to get a job? Prepare for the interviews with these super hard and kind of weird questions!
Leprosy isn’t just a Biblical thing of the past. Learn about life inside a Chinese leper colony.
Read evidence for how equality is actually good for the soul and the health.
So you think you can dance? Research shows how guys can dance well.
The great wall of solar panels? Clean energy technology grows in China.
Pope protects Quran. Vatican issues statement opposing burning of Islam’s holy text.
Thanks to Wikicommons.
We’ve all tried to join exclusive clubs (and if you’re like US Democrazy you’ve been kicked out of most of them).
Last week South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma stated his countries goal of joining one of the newest (and hippest) clubs on the global stage, BRIC.
Not to be confused with the construction material BRIC is creatively named for its members, Brazil, Russia, India, and China. This group informally has friendly relations (and has pot luck dinners once a month).
Why is BRIC such a hip group? Well for one thing it’s members are using tons of bricks to grow their economies at impressive rates, especially China which recently became the world’s second largest economy.
The question that’s being asked is South Africa economically strong enough to join? …read more.
Africa
30 people have died in a terrorist attack in Somalia. Al-Shabab (the same organization behind the recent bombings in Uganda) claims responsibility for the attack, in which gunmen entered a popular hotel and killed everyone there.
Asia
Think your morning commute is bad? Drivers in China have faced a 10 day long traffic jam. Yes, you read that right. 10 days.
North America
This Sunday will be the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which ravaged the Gulf states in 2005. Though strides toward improvement are being made, recovery is still a long process.
South America
In Chile, 33 miners have defied the odds and are alive after 17 days of being trapped in a mine. Officials say it could take 3-4 MONTHS to rescue the miners.
Thanks to Wikicommons.
Fishing Fuels Fued? North Korea seizes South Korean fishing vessel after claims of fishing in Northern territorial waters.
Tragedy strikes aid workers. Ten people involved with providing medical care to Afghanistan’s remote areas slain by Taliban.
Floods continue to strike Asia. With Pakistan flood waters still high mudslides and floods kill 127 in China.
Africa
Rwanda has elections coming up next month, and several opposition leaders have been attacked and murdered. Despite this, the current president, Paul Kagame, insists that Rwandans have the freedom to vote as they choose. Human rights groups question Kagame’s statement, seeing as how one of his opponents was buried during his speech.
Asia
Just as the U.S. gets good news about the oil spill in the Gulf, China has its own oil spill. The environmental organization, Greenpeace, captured the picture above of a firefighter being rescued after he tries to fix the underwater pump. Not surprisingly, Greenpeace was asked to leave soon afterward.
Europe
This month is the 15th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, which took place during the Bosnian war. The New York Times has an interesting blog post about Bosnia’s present day political situation, shown through photographs.
North America
Three words: Man. Girdle. Monkeys.
South America
The president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, exhumes the body of Simon Bolivar, a Venezuelan independence leader, claiming that he was murdered. Chavez, a huge admirer of Bolivar, tweeted, “”Bolivar lives… We are his flame!” The Venezuelan president’s opponents responded by calling the exhumation ridiculous.
Thanks to Wikicommons.
Yesterday was one of America’s most important days. On that day the Founding Fathers declared independence from England. We celebrate this famous day in the most American ways possible: with hot dogs, fireworks, and American flags.
These three things, however, may not be as American as we think.
The hot dog was a German invention brought over by immigrants:
Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany, is traditionally credited with originating the frankfurter. However, this claim is disputed by those who assert that the popular sausage – known as a “dachshund” or “little-dog” sausage – was created in the late 1600’s by Johann Georghehner, a butcher, living in Coburg, Germany.
Fireworks were invented in China later brought into Europe and then into the Americas:
Fireworks originated in China some 2,000 years ago. The most prevalent legend has it that fireworks were discovered or invented by accident by a Chinese cook working in a field kitchen who happened to mix charcoal, sulphur and saltpeter (all commonly found in the kitchen in those days). The mixture burned and when compressed in an enclosure (a bamboo tube), the mixture exploded.
Okay maybe those two aren’t strictly American but what about the Red, White and Blue? Surely the American flag is purely American?
The original, yes, but today over 80% of flags are imported from China.
Of course maybe these three facts don’t make these things any less America. The USA is a mixing pot of immigrants each brining their own foods, fun, and culture. As far as imported flags the US has always been a proponent of free trade so what is wrong with importing our flags from China?
In case you want something “really” American the hamburger seems to be our idea (despite its German name).
So as you recover from this years Fourth why don’t you post what American activities you did to celebrate the day.
