tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88542651116449892762012-01-29T16:02:25.725-07:00clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.comBlogger751100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-4719956539199361902008-07-22T13:31:00.002-06:002008-07-22T13:43:33.768-06:00

Ahhh, finally home. It feels great to be back. I'm not staying here for very long however. By the end of the month I will be up in Boulder, Colorado, where I'll be attending law school in the fall.Since this is a time of big transitions for me, I've decided to take an indefinite hiatus from Thought Progress. I do expect to take this blog up again eventually, but in what direction I cannot say

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-55536981920795706262008-06-30T07:08:00.003-06:002008-06-30T07:51:17.645-06:00

Apologies for the long absence. Since leaving Africa two weeks ago I`ve become a little lazy about blogging ($8/hr internet doesn`t help matters).We`re in Switzerland now, which is sort of bizzaro/opposite-world from Africa. Before that we were in Istanbul, a place that convinced me to be sure to visit the area again as soon as possible. Istanbul is a very interesting place filled with great

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-22605487982570753252008-06-09T07:59:00.002-06:002008-06-09T08:08:25.993-06:00

Visited Robben Island just the other day, and was blown away in several different ways. Its really amazing how similar the prison seems to our current disaster called Guantanamo. Political prisoners at Robben Island fought for years for merely the "privledge" to be called such, and in the end they had to settle with the branding of "security prisoners". I would expect more from my own

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-84253553513870240592008-05-25T07:53:00.004-06:002008-05-25T08:00:33.846-06:00

The news these days in the local Cape Times is both frightening and depressing. Mobs in the townships continue to attack migrants from other parts of Africa, mostly Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Meanwhile, it seems that South African president Thabo Mbeki is practically ignoring the subject. Here in Cape Town township locals gave foreigner "job thiefs" until today to pack up and get out. This

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-52436684422294465202008-05-20T10:44:00.003-06:002008-05-20T10:57:33.200-06:00

A week to enjoy Maputo was a great way of finishing our time in Mozambique before heading off to Cape Town two days ago. Luckily, we were able to stay with some friends we met up in the northern part of the country. The two fellows we stayed with are both Lebanese doctors, so we got a pretty good perspective on a number of things, including the Lebanon conflict, the practice of Islam, and

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-17653385324195276182008-05-16T01:54:00.002-06:002008-05-16T02:17:08.687-06:00

Last weekend we took a trip to MUSART, or Museu Nacional de Arte de Moçambique. We weren't really sure what to expect from it, but ended up very impressed. Free entrance was an added bonus.Throughout the exhibit one is struck as much by the creativity and imagination of the paintings and sculptures as by the stark symbolism and dark implications behind many of the pieces. The dates of the

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-77202836806456726242008-05-09T02:29:00.003-06:002008-05-09T03:00:49.548-06:00

It's been about two weeks since we made our harrowing journey across the Tanzanian border into Mozambique, which means that this post is two weeks overdue. My excuse has been the lack of infrastructure in northern Mozambique and the chaos that has been our schedule (example: it took us three days to realize that Mozambique is an hour behind Tanzania). I guess it doesn't help that we stuck

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-33514992565452356892008-05-09T02:11:00.004-06:002008-05-14T05:45:41.756-06:00

While in Arusha I had a couple of friends stop by to visit. I took them out to the local joint we frequented while there: Hut made out of cardboard where you could get a solid meal of rice, beans and casava greens for about 50 cents. One of my friends, Tara, wrote up a review of it, complete with pictures, on her blog, www.beyondrecipes.blogspot.com. Check it out.CORRECTION: Sorry, I

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-53286555881842061012008-04-22T03:02:00.004-06:002008-04-22T03:34:36.135-06:00

The Terrifying: Trip from Dar es Salaam starts off with the bus driver narrowly missing a taxi pulling onto the road, driving up onto the grassy foot tall median strip and pruning a barely-missed tree before continuing on to the wrong side of the road. Without stopping the bus driver steers back onto the median strip and reenters traffic.The Hilarious: Taking a dug-out canoe back from the

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-90841210069763163672008-04-10T08:35:00.003-06:002008-04-10T08:48:47.287-06:00

...but actually concerning Uganda, here are two anecdotes, one of which is (verifiably) true:1) A year ago the Ugandan transportation minister was invited by his German counterpart to visit for an exchange of ideas. The German minister showed his guest his beautiful house, situated on the top of an expansive valley. The German minister took his friend out to his veranda and said,"Do you see

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-70953024960121188922008-03-24T07:58:00.004-06:002008-03-27T09:04:50.562-06:00

Let me begin by saying that since learning that the so-advertised "non-religious" charity organization I am currently working with is actually extremely Christian (maybe, if I had looked closer, I would have noticed one of their school's names: Camp Joshua Christian School"), I have tried to be as open minded and diplomatic as possible about the beliefs and teachings of educators at the various

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-22765821000529523232008-03-22T06:12:00.002-06:002008-03-22T06:41:04.666-06:00

It took me a little time to notice it, but there seems to be a thriving mural industry in Arusha. Business fronts are covered with pictures illustrating their goods or services. Barbershops and record stores advertise this way most frequently. The quality of painting varies, but I've been astounded at the creativity and artistry of many of these paintings. More often than not the artists

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-78923117604329577342008-03-19T05:29:00.005-06:002008-03-22T05:50:56.520-06:00

Since its been on my mind I thought I'd catalogue the ongoing repercussions of Friday night, by category:Emotional/Psychological: Probably the most affected. The first day or two I found distracting myself with anything helped avoid the chilling memory of waking up to my door crashing open. Such distractions included reading my book, doing work for LOHADA, even sleeping (when I could). Now

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-27884690414112678542008-03-17T06:05:00.004-06:002008-03-17T06:16:13.442-06:00

What follows is merely a snapshot account of what happened last Friday night. I lack the motivation and skill to paint a more embellished picture:Who can say for sure how long they were there, or how long they actually took trying to get in. The first thud I remember being cognizant of was an almost imperceptible point on the horizon of my mind’s sleepy eye. The second tapped against my

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-9401236645976895772008-03-10T05:46:00.003-06:002008-03-10T06:10:42.619-06:00

In Luganda it is common when greeting someone to say "jebaleco," which translates roughly as "good work" or "way to go." It is appropriate to say this even if the recipient is doing nothing in particular, i.e. just sitting or standing around. In response, the recipient should reply "kale," which means thank you (or your welcome, depending on context), thus affirming the other's observation and

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-90981914213371067142008-02-27T03:06:00.004-07:002008-03-01T07:05:12.552-07:00

I own a uniform. This uniform, of the upmost utilitarian composition, consists of the following:ONE green beach hat- to protect my sensitive mzungu skin from the harsh raysONE red (tuesdays and thursdays)/ green (monday wednesdays and fridays) light synthetic long-sleeve shirt- same purpose, dark colors hide coat of dirt wellONE pair of green zipper cargo pants/shorts- light material with many

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-50650665013228019252008-02-17T03:26:00.004-07:002008-02-17T04:22:01.682-07:00

Out of the many experiences I've had in the last three months that have exemplified aspects of modernity in contemporary Africa, perhaps one of the best occurred yesterday when I went to do my laundry. Allow me to set the scene:Having recently arrived in Arusha, Tanzania, I begin my three month "voluntourism" stint with a local orphanage. Among my many tasks at said orphanage is to convince the

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-63858045326459283072008-02-11T06:25:00.000-07:002008-02-11T06:41:37.693-07:00

Last week I found myself in a conversation with one of the many local Safari hawkers here in Arusha (actually, it was a ploy to get him off the subject of selling me a safari trip). His contention was that Kabila was to be faulted for the violence in Kenya because it was he who rigged the December elections. I agreed with him, but urged him to consider that by not choosing non-violent tactics

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-65310619699117043722008-01-24T09:06:00.000-07:002008-01-24T09:20:22.885-07:00

This morning I listened to an excellent BBC radio piece on African footballers who try to get to Europe to play. The whole phenomena sounds chillingly like a juncture between colonization methods of a hundred years ago and modern issues of a globalizing economy. Also throw in this mix the notion that a lot of what goes on is actually human trafficking and it's really enough to utterly disgust

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-91612981922197996582008-01-23T02:42:00.000-07:002008-01-23T02:46:50.455-07:00

Before I forget, I should add that I've set up some of my players with their own blog, which I'm hoping they will be able to use as a learning tool and as a way of stayin in touch with me. Check it out, any support and signs up encouragement would go a long way in terms of keeping them interested: kawempeboys.wordpress.com

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-85540540940753540372008-01-23T02:13:00.000-07:002008-01-23T02:39:08.308-07:00

Study #1: Mobile PhonesUganda is a country where over half the population owns mobile phones. You can buy time by the second. It is customary for someone to call and then hang up, because it costs nothing to receive a call an they will expect you to call them back. Many people own phones and go weeks, even months without buying time. A man in the village my organization works in owns a phone

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-82430741191078710922008-01-12T01:34:00.000-07:002008-01-12T01:39:39.734-07:00

The past couple of days I've spent more time than I probably should wondering what to term my latest African charity expense. I've decided that the best politically correct title would be "extra-legal expenses." A harsher but potentially more truthful name would be "bribe money." I've even toyed with putting down the simple generalization "African fee." Whatever you want to call it, I've

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-89816170289624449392008-01-06T10:29:00.000-07:002008-01-06T11:07:19.486-07:00

My general perspective on healthcare in Uganda this past week can be summed up in a few of the following inner-dialogue thoughts I've had recently (though I won't limit myself to just them):"Is this treatment going to hurt more than the illness?""That's not what the last physician/nurse told me""I may be going crazy right now, but I'm pretty sure you are too"Allow me to provide a chronology of

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-10303652499471855722008-01-01T00:51:00.000-07:002008-01-01T01:09:40.787-07:00

Kampala's Daily Monitor has front page coverage of the violence going on in Kenya in the aftermath of the recent presidential elections there. Apparently local Kenyan media is reporting 124 deaths so far. Police have swarmed the country's city streets after the Kenyan election committee announced that incumbent Mwai Kibaki had won the election by some 200,000 votes. Opposition candidate Raila

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-45140502222558000182007-12-31T04:50:00.002-07:002008-01-01T01:52:25.890-07:00

Apart from sunrise, sunset is my favorite time of day. So as I sit on the porch of the medical clinic, waiting the thirty minutes for my Malaria test results to come back, I enjoy streaks of the day's waning light against the passers by. The busy dirt street this evening is for me ubiquitously Ugandan, with its boda bodas zipping to and fro, men and women carrying their loads, and children

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-53741967220944463142007-12-25T00:41:00.000-07:002007-12-25T01:15:49.742-07:00

Today actually seems quite festive here, with Christmas music and decorations abounding. Unfortunately, my mood at the internet cafe isn't as festive due to the poor connection speed.Several factors, including the nature of consumerism and consumption here, the book I'm reading (Thoreaux's Walden) and news about local and national environmental events back home, have got me thinking about what

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-75060679372591376332007-12-19T07:54:00.000-07:002007-12-19T08:10:16.224-07:00

Over the last few weeks I've become introduced, through clips and snippets of conversations, to the topic of witchfract in Uganda and Africa. I've yet to watch the video Big gave me on the subject, but he swears by all that is good that it will convince me of their powers. For instance, apparently there is a way to tunnel underground or under water to attain great material wealth and riches.

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-84011228313781977712007-12-04T10:46:00.000-07:002007-12-04T11:00:01.905-07:00

My top ten favorites so far in Uganda:#10) Hanging out on my front porch listening to the BBC.#9) Watching the Kawempe street traffic from the third floor internet cafe terrace.#8) Playing Scrabble with the boys on my soccer team.#7) Watching the fire flies on the path to my house at dusk.#6) Rolexes/Kikommandos.#5) Sunday brunch at 1,000 Cup coffee shop in Kampala.#4) Sipping a Nile

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-4873724171930032522007-12-02T02:57:00.001-07:002007-12-02T03:09:39.693-07:00

NOTE: This should be up on my website but because I'm having problems accessing it right now I thought I'd put it here and link to it later.The team that has been called the TASAAGA Football Club informally for the past two months since its formation now has an official name: Christian Alexander Football Club. I wasn't initially happy with the choice, but I've since been convinced that it was

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-48137727275945130642007-12-02T02:34:00.000-07:002007-12-02T02:56:36.862-07:00

Of all the curious comparisons one could make between Uganda and the US, I think that it is those things here that most imitate what I wish were true at home that I find the most interesting. An example demonstrates how Africa influences my ideas about my utopian America.This week I graveled to the Sesse Islands, located on Lake Victoria. The islands are located fairly near to Entebbe, and hold

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-49275963719688434282007-11-27T08:24:00.001-07:002007-11-27T08:32:29.932-07:00

The places: Home, the office, the youth center, the soccer pitch. Kawempe stage, “downtown,” Sitebale, the hilltop.The people: Bruhan, Big, Violet, Moses, Rashida, Kayanja John, Patience, Roy, Stevie, Franka, Max. Of course there’s also Sarah, the “kazungu.”Slowly the list of names and places grow as the number of days here lengthen. First a small number of names for a large number of faces.

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-87434847732778430932007-11-22T08:27:00.001-07:002007-11-22T08:54:51.972-07:00

Out of the maze of topics I could write about I'm choosing a few quick ones based mostly on whim.David Weinberger's recent article on Facebook advertisement defaults. It's an insidious plan to be sure, but what would you expect from a profit-driven business? Also, Facebook on the users' side? I guess so, although not by default but rather by necessity. If it hadn't been for a major outcry

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-27878630998022386322007-11-17T04:13:00.000-07:002007-11-17T04:37:12.891-07:00

As of last week I live in Kawempe, Uganda. I work as a soccer coach and youth coordinator. That means lots of things. I teach kids soccer. I teach kids English. I teach my assistant coach English. I try to learn Luganda: Oliyotya Sebo! Nzay Christian. Ellinyalyo qwani? Webale nyo! Welaba!There's no set learning time, and there is no designated teaching time. Most often someone will

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-82090384735784054812007-11-10T05:37:00.000-07:002007-11-10T05:57:22.798-07:00

I'll start by saying that the 50 or so hours in transit from Ari's in Chennai to Kampala Uganda were some of the most harrowing of the trip. For instance, accidentally throwing away my passport in Ari's garbage and not realizing it until I had arrived at the airport to depart was a classic "Bohn" moment. Luckily, thanks to the regularity of flight delays in that country, my hour-long taxi ride

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-88220568412365264732007-10-31T03:31:00.000-06:002007-10-31T04:31:53.689-06:00

It's true that I've only been in India for about a week, but already I feel that I'm making headway in terms of understanding the lifestyle and rhythm here. In Shantaram, the novel set in India that I'm currently reading, the author/protagonist describes Indian life as dictated by necessity, and I'm beginning to like that definition more and more. A perfect example of this phenomenon is the

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-51162779234341271512007-10-26T06:38:00.000-06:002007-10-26T06:48:25.052-06:00

Well, we've finally made it to India. After 25 straight hours in the Bangkok airport, one 25+ hour flight delay, one missed train and a total of 50+ hours from the time we left our hostel we landed in New Delhi at around 9:30 yesterday evening. Almost immediately after we got on the Air India flight the transition we were making hit us like a punch to the face. India is very different from the

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-84000558907184548322007-10-24T08:37:00.000-06:002007-10-28T21:31:49.339-06:00

The following will shortly be submitted to www.sleepinginairports.com15:10Arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok two hours before 17:20 non-stop flight to New Delhi, India.15:16Locate Air India ticket counter for check-in.15:17Ticket counter agent informs us that our tickets state that our flight will be leaving at 17:20 the following day.15:18- 15:30Curse our travel agent (for not following

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-43271875659951563642007-10-22T20:35:00.000-06:002007-10-22T20:39:33.507-06:00

It’s what I’m getting used to being: Hot and Wet. From Hong Kong, to Singapore, to here in Bangkok, from morning to evening, and even sometimes continuing on through the night. The constant struggle to stay hydrated, stay in the shade, find the air-conditioned shop or metro never strays far from my mind. The overhead fan in our room remains constantly twirling from the second we enter to

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-38126946052375309242007-10-13T19:58:00.000-06:002007-10-13T20:06:56.528-06:00

I’m not sure what it is about vending machines that interest me so much. I think it has to do with the way it represents an attempt to completely automate, mechanize, etc., society. It’s the epitome of desocialized consumer interaction. This example is a soda cup machine found in Little India, complete with ice! These machines are more interesting than ours; they fill a cup up, rather than

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-294004056902559092007-10-08T07:24:00.000-06:002007-10-08T07:31:01.283-06:00

I don’t think there is a better place anywhere in the world for a US citizen to experience a comfortable transition to not-North America than Hong Kong. The clichéd idea of East and West enmeshing cannot help but capture this city precisely. Everything- signs, menus, warning labels- is displayed in English and Chinese (often both Manderin and Cantonese). By my uninformed estimate I’d say about

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-35823659607666537392007-10-01T11:49:00.000-06:002007-10-01T12:10:47.211-06:00

Well, since I have about a billion year lay-over in San Francisco, I guess this will be my first travelblog post. And how fitting that so far I've found a couple of items that fit right in to my technic-oriented blog. First, I encountered a pretty awesome exhibit walking through the SF Airport. It's all about several dozen recent inventions by bay-area companies. The exhibit displays the "

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-72067084144040475572007-09-28T20:44:00.000-06:002007-09-28T21:25:33.037-06:00

When I first began blogging over two years ago, I had specific goals in mind. I wanted to use this electronic medium in a dynamic way, enmeshing discussion of my topic within the scope of the subject itself. And while I've wrestled from time to time with the focus and scope of this blog, I'm happy about the space it has created for me to further delve into the issues spawned it in the first

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-43863344903038711062007-09-17T17:20:00.000-06:002007-09-17T17:54:20.660-06:00

The Berkman Center recently announced their newest project, Internet and Democracy. The project will focus on the Middle East and include both research and the development of Internet tools for democratic activists in these areas. A graduate student and researcher for the project contacted me a little while back about the project to get some input and tips on the blogging situation in Iran.

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-82377772560583849202007-08-28T11:39:00.000-06:002007-08-28T11:50:16.366-06:00

Newsweek's recent article got me thinking...I still remember the slightly haunting image that greeted me the first time I signed on to Facebook. The ubiquitous literal face of the site (later I learned it was that of Facebook’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg), filtered through a haze of binary code, gave off the creepy sense that one had entered a secret community maintained by omniscient hands.

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-39809584457281918592007-08-24T11:41:00.000-06:002007-08-24T12:01:56.103-06:00

Wow. I can't believe that UNICEF actually went along with this advertisement campaign. I guess I could see someone thinking it was a clever idea if they were really oblivious to the deeper implications of such depictions and unaware of the racist history of "blackfacing," but really, there's no excuse for it.I think that critics are right when they state that many in the US and Europe can't get

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-52207748573840008372007-08-15T13:28:00.000-06:002007-08-16T11:15:12.516-06:00

I use Wikipedia pretty regularly for all sorts of things, and despite all the criticism about its open-source nature (which I whole-heartedly agree has some drawbacks), I think that it generally can be a good source of information.But especially interesting is the transparency of the site. You can look up discussions about edits, and apparently also locate the sources of edits. Of course, as

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-68650477365230879842007-08-14T14:22:00.000-06:002007-08-14T14:33:09.523-06:00

It's a little old, but I was struck by this article that I happened across recently. The government's actions are perfectly in line with their other attempts to censor the net, but trying to get 100,000+ active bloggers to register? How are they planning on doing that I ask? It would have been much simpler to start off with a registering system, but of course that is part of the systemic

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-80557822549307759992007-08-06T16:00:00.001-06:002007-08-06T16:11:28.940-06:00

Today is "Malaria Monday" for me. For the next three weeks I'll be taking the antimalarial drug Lariam for a test drive to see if I have any negative side-effects. As the nurse who proscribed me the pills said, "if you start seeing pink elephants and no one else is, we'll need to talk." Apparently the drug can cause a small percentage of people to have "night terrors" and other hallucinations.

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-64675314780269904842007-08-01T10:25:00.001-06:002007-08-01T10:41:29.407-06:00

I just came upon this BBC interview of a group of Congolese from the Katanga. It's interesting because it's a group interview conducted in real-time with questions coming in via the Internet from all over the world. Similarly to the much hyped YouTube US presidential debate, it brings a new perspective to the issue at hand, the then upcoming DRC national elections, by presenting questions not

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-80863653333522639542007-07-30T12:09:00.000-06:002007-07-30T12:14:25.856-06:00

It is fairly commonplace both in academic circles and political polemics to argue over the merit, motivations, and benefits (or consequences) of “Western” involvement and interest in Africa. I just came across a recent incarnation of this debate, with different sides taking aim at the recent “trendy-ness” of humanitarian work in Africa. Attention paid to Africa by celebrities such as Bono and

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-75037112821037378042007-07-27T11:41:00.000-06:002007-07-30T10:51:17.191-06:00

Farid just forwarded me a link to the GVO interview with View From Iran's Tori Egherman. Her blog is one of my favorites- an insightful, thought-provoking and accessable blog about Iran from the perspective of an American.Apparently, she has decided to publish a book based on her experiences in Iran during her stay there with her husband the past three years. I'm ordering a copy today or

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-60740948861098744862007-07-23T18:51:00.000-06:002007-07-26T12:16:57.262-06:00

Wow, time flies. I've been spending much of my free time re-introducting myself to webpage development. I just finished a page about my impending trip around the world and in Africa. It's simple, but I'm happy with it.I've also been reading Lewis Mumford's Myth of the Machine. While I've been praising to no end the rewards and promise of technology in the developing world, I've forgotten to

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-35948714125560374322007-07-14T11:31:00.000-06:002007-07-14T11:41:00.915-06:00

A little over a year ago I posted a PDF link to my thesis on my old blog. That link is no longer active, and anyway the post attached to it no longer exists either. So here it is again (PDF format still). Enjoy.

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-47927149250337188402007-07-09T10:40:00.000-06:002007-07-09T11:13:41.068-06:00

Lately I've been delving into more academic texts about the status of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Africa. Most of the stuff I've read so far has been at least a couple of years old, but it's still been very informative and somewhat inspiring. Take this for instance. It talks about setting up a low cost non-profit ISP in rural Uganda. Sounds like a great project, if a

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-55361061064377331532007-07-03T11:53:00.000-06:002007-07-03T12:13:00.572-06:00

What to make of the Iranian government's new Press TV? Its a recent 24 hr English tv news channel produced by the Iranian government. I learned of it through an article from the New York Times. Whether it was my server acting up, or something more sinister, I could not visit the new station's website myself, but I did visit a cached link by Google. The results: pretty much what you would

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-9160047061147677192007-07-02T09:37:00.000-06:002007-07-02T09:47:09.391-06:00

It's a bit old, but I just ran across this post by a Swedish traveller about censorship in Iran. It has some interesting pictures, as well as some thought-provoking commentary on the role of censorship in various societies today. His point is that Americans are subject to censorship just as the Iranians are, it is simply a more subtle form. In fact, he suggests that in Iran, at least the

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-9228405030013878002007-07-01T21:46:00.000-06:002007-07-01T22:01:51.497-06:00

I saw this recent article in my local paper a few days ago. Apparently this mickey mouse-like character committed suicide on an episode for Palestinian children. I think it goes to show how far the culture of violence and martyrdom have gone in Palestine. It's a shame that neither side can come to terms with the other. How have some groups managed to get over this, while others cannot? No

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-61733112180268767502007-06-29T17:41:00.000-06:002007-06-29T18:40:55.666-06:00

"You're going to give starving kids in Africa computers? What are they going to do with it, eat it? Maybe you can give them some CD players too." This was the response from my brother about my idea of bringing over a number of computer laptops to Africa with me in the fall. It was a typically zippy remark from him, bringing to light the utter idiocy of what I had previously considered an

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-85805364995140401112007-05-30T22:31:00.000-06:002007-05-30T22:55:35.963-06:00

Reflecting on some of the topics I nearly wrote my undergrad thesis on, I recently recalled that one of the things that initially interested me most about Africa was the interesting consequences of convoluting modern technology and science with Euro-American cultural bias in the context of colonial/postcolonial Africa. What so often has passed for "science" introduced in Africa by Europeans (and

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-2573840321879333772007-05-25T17:19:00.000-06:002007-05-25T17:28:41.887-06:00

Stop the Clash of Civilizations? A new YouTube clip, produced by a NGO called Avaaz, cought my attention the other day. Interesting for a number of reasons. First, do they mean to perpetuate the bankurpt theories of Samual Huntington? The "Clash of Civilizations is the idea that the conflicts of the perceivable future will be centered around irreconcilable differences between stagnant

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-84592946884203223582007-05-15T12:49:00.000-06:002007-05-15T12:57:27.522-06:00

A conversation with an old acquaintance earlier this week sparked a series of meditations on some strangely connected topics. We were talking about the “lawlessness” of the internet, with its disjointed structure and relative lack of overriding governance. Hackers, thieves, and disreputable people roam the web, making it a modern day wild (wild) west. The two features that truly popularized

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-27386205883758205972007-05-09T18:29:00.000-06:002007-05-09T18:34:10.788-06:00

This is exactly the type of work I think I might want to be involved with on my travel, although on a more integrated and grass-roots level. Computers are an area that I have (admittedly somewhat limited) knowledge of and access to. As I think I've said before, I'm thinking of bringing some computers over when I travel and use them as part of a computer education training course. Linking up

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-91766864111806564392007-05-06T17:38:00.000-06:002007-05-06T17:46:52.390-06:00

Digging a little bit more into the Ugandan/Sub-Saharan Blogosphere the last couple of days has been lots of fun! This last post on Living Zach's Utopia was good for me. I had read a little about a deforestation project going in Uganda on GVO, but this put the issue more in the perspective of an environmental issue rather than a social/ethnic/whatever conflict. While I've always been concerned

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-1552196652455375452007-05-05T15:56:00.000-06:002007-05-05T16:00:37.198-06:00

Just stumbled on this blog: A Ugandan Blogumentary. It’s authored by a group of Danish students who are working on a documentary about blogging in Uganda. They’d like to show the greater diversity in Africa’s socio-economic makeup, deconstructing the view many outside of Africa have of the continent as a whole. In one post they give some of the terms local Ugandan “blogren” use. I also liked

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-2783199752312669282007-05-01T11:19:00.000-06:002007-05-01T11:21:05.058-06:00

Hello again. After a rather lengthy break I've finally worked up the courage to post an update. There were a number of reasons for the intermission, including lack of time and lack of a clear vision of what I wanted to do with this space. Originally I had hoped to continue my investigation of the Iranian blogosphere. While I am still of course interested in this group, I have expanded my

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-85908076215921888202007-01-17T20:45:00.000-07:002007-01-17T21:30:07.993-07:00

Thanks to Paris for responding back to my question about networking literature on Sounds Iranian. I've found an number of interesting articles on the suggested site, Shirky.comI guess the most profound thing about weblogs, which has very slowly and very subtly dawned on me since I first began studying blogs almost two years ago, is the model they have served as a revolutionary source of

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-91547688995454202582007-01-07T17:44:00.000-07:002007-01-07T18:08:32.978-07:00

I'm fairly certain that anyone concerned with studying the dynamics of the blogosphere (including myself) would do well to start with a thorough study of network theory. It seems an obvious but often overlooked starting block. I myself have little specialized knowledge of this field. In any case, I think that the role of composite and summary blogs like GVO would be better understood if

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-13893974435017570422006-12-26T22:09:00.000-07:002006-12-26T22:42:35.433-07:00

When I began thinking about moving from my old home to a new one, I considered using it to practice my Persian, which I took up about a year ago. That plan fell by the wayside, in part because my formal studies ended with my graduation. Running across this site however has once again piqued my interest in attempting to create my own multi-language blog. My discovery of this blog also reminded

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-87737758865082721202006-12-20T21:35:00.001-07:002006-12-20T22:13:00.801-07:00

Today's Wall Street Journal had two op-eds that particularly caught my eye. The first dealt with the question of the suggestion put forth by the Iraq panel that the US begin negotiations with Iran and Syria. The opinion, written by Stanford's Abraham Sofaer, positioned itself as the "Reagan strategy" to hostile countries. I found the general sentiment a sound one. I especially agree with the

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-15838937062697717712006-12-14T18:06:00.000-07:002006-12-14T18:11:37.868-07:00

I am excited to be a part of a new collaborative blog, named Sounds Iranian, that deals with the Iranian blogosphere. I have been traveling the past few weeks and have not had muh time to take a parge part in the discussion. I do look forward to spending more time on it soon, and investigating the work of the other involved bloggers.

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-83934728307294662052006-12-03T12:09:00.000-07:002006-12-03T12:13:47.704-07:00

My continued romp through a rediscovered blogosphere placed me in the links section of Shiva the Spy. There I found a number of interesting Iranian blogs, including this one by an environmental activist from Iran. I'll be sure to go through that one sometime soon.

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-1931666889791448632006-11-29T19:18:00.000-07:002006-11-29T19:27:13.597-07:00

Skimming through the Online Journalism Review website (trying to catch up on all my old links as I upload them to my new home) I revistited the question of blogging as a space for discourse on local social/political/cultural topics. How effective is blogging for this? One of OJR's recent articles looks at the effectiveness of local "grassroots" journalism- which I think of as a form of blogging.

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-48458097301824796902006-11-25T11:28:00.000-07:002006-11-25T13:01:01.532-07:00

Forgive me for mixing metphors, but I thought it was an apt description of the recent meeting between Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and Iran's Mahmood Ahmadinejad. Apparently the two politically isolated leaders are reaching out to each other in an attempt build some sort of unity in the face of Western criticism. Personally, this only delegitimizes Ahmadinejad's position in my mind. Despite his

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-41991686344783500782006-11-23T20:57:00.000-07:002006-11-23T20:59:43.134-07:00

Among the articles I’ve read about in the past few months is one on Paris Marashi, a student at NYU who is working to promote Iranian vlogs (video weblogs). I visited one of her sites and found myself watching a number of her vlog posts from this summer. I am intrigued by this project, which was essentially an exercise in ethnographic participatory cinema. It is amazing how images serve as

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854265111644989276.post-15809901401380815172006-11-22T21:15:00.000-07:002006-11-22T21:18:32.835-07:00

I would like to begin my inaugural post by stating that this weblog is in fact a continuation of a previous blog I authored up until recently. For over a year I wrote about my academic investigation of the Iranian blogosphere in the context of the history of modernization in Iran. I did this as an unofficial part of my undergraduate thesis on Iranian modernization and Weblogestan, which I

clalexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115903892570655621noreply@blogger.com0