Sometimes, I’m one of them.
Most of the time, I find it a relatively pleasant place. Mostly harmless, even.
Then, I read the news.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh: All Road Leads To Shahbagh (Global Voices)
Bhutan
One Joke Too Many? Bhutanomics Satire Blog is Suddenly Blocked (Global Voices)
Brazil
Solidarity Rises from Southern Brazil’s Sunday Flames (Global Voices)
Brazil in Mourning After the Tragic Fire in Santa Maria (Global Voices)
Cambodia
Cambodia: Funeral of King Father Sihanouk (Global Voices)
Canada
Canadian businesses lobby for the right to infect peoples’ computers with viruses and rootkits (Boing Boing)
New Canadian coin features the incredibly badass Quetzalcoatlus — and it glows in the dark (i09) — So, now I need to go find myself some Canadian currency because, DUDE, dinosaurs.
Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan invests in Internet surveillance company that backstops notorious dictatorships (Boing Boing)
Chile
Chile: Controversial Campaign of a Presidential Candidate (Global Voices)
China
China: Cartoon-Costumed Migrant Workers Protest Unpaid Wages (Global Voices)
Hacking Incidents Ignite Fears Over China (Moderate Voice)
China: Police Pressure Whistleblower to Expose Source (Global Voices)
Ancient strain of rice rediscovered in China (Boing Boing)
Ecuador
Ecuador: Humour and Election Time (Global Voices)
Egypt
Egypt: Prime Minister’s ‘Bad Boobs’ Speech Transcribed (Global Voices)
Dignity, Courage and Hypocrisy: Egyptian Man Stripped Naked by Police (Global Voices)
Egypt Silent on Sinai Flooding (Global Voices)
Gambia
It’s Four-Day Week In Gambia (Global Voices) – Now, if the US would just get behind this sort of idea…
Guinea-Bissau
Panic and Terror Walk Hand-in-Hand in Guinea-Bissau (Global Voices)
Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s Parents Turn to Obama Over Baby Formula Shortage (Global Voices)
Iran
Iran Sent One Monkey Into Space and Another Came Back (Global Voices)
Iran: Will Thieving Officials Also Have Their Hands Chopped Off? (Global Voices) – Punishments should be irregardless of class and money don’t you think? Might keep them from getting… out of hand, as it were.
Mystery of the Iranian Space Monkey (Boing Boing) – Nice to see Iran focusing on something like exploring the stars. Whether it’s going as well as they’d like to present, I cannot say.
Japan
Japan’s Corporate Slaves Put Humor to Hard Work (Global Voices)
On Whale Bacon, and changing attitudes toward whales as food in Japan (Boing Boing) – We can only hope that soon Greenpeace won’t have to block whaling ships any longer.
Mali
Mali: Threats All Around (Global Voices)
Mexico
Boy, 16, shot 11 times in the back at Mexico/US border fence (Boing Boing)
Mexico: Shock and Speculation after Blast in Pemex Headquarters (Global Voices)
Pakistan
Why Death for Distributing Polio Vaccine in Pakistan? (Global Voices)
Papua New Guinea
Burnt alive! (Post Courier) – Really? Really? Sorcery? Murdered by a town for “sorcery”?
Paraguay
Paraguay: Presidential Candidate Dies in Helicopter Crash (Global Voices)
Paraguay After Presidential Candidate Lino Oviedo’s Sudden Death (Global Voices)
Portugal
Portugal: Authorities Bring Charges Against Women Activists (Global Voices)
Russia
RuNet Freedom: a Pirate’s Revenge (Global Voices)
Russia’s Internet Censorship “Experiment” (Global Voices)
Sleeping judge fired (Boing Boing)
The End of Russia’s Thaw Hurts Medvedev, Navalny, & Friends (Global Voices)
Russian Teacher Briefly Fired for Defending LGBT Rights (Global Voices)
Escaping Russia’s “Vulgar, Primitive” Secularism (Global Voices)
Spain
Corruption Case Threatens Spain’s Ruling Party – and Its Economy (Moderate Voice)
Spain’s Scandal-Hit Royals Pin Hopes on Prince (Moderate Voice)
“Hands up! This is a robbery!”: Protests Continue in Spain (Global Voices)
South Korea
South Korea’s Spy Agency Takes Criticism to Heart .. and Court (Global Voices)
Taiwan
Taiwan: Who Misled Noam Chomsky? (Global Voices)
Thailand
Somyot Case Ignites Lese Majeste Debate in Thailand (Global Voices)
Trinidad & Tobago
Death Knell for Trinidad and Tobago Carnival? (Global Voices)
Trinidad & Tobago: Questionable Résumés (Global Voices)
Tunisia
Secular Politician Shot Dead, Protests Erupt Across Tunisia (Global Voices)
Turkey
Turkey Suicide Bomber Hits US Embassy, Guard Killed (Moderate Voice)
In Istanbul, Tourists Seek Their Dream Moustache (Moderate Voice)
United Kingdom
U.K. “beef lasagne” made entirely of horse meat (Boing Boing)
Where’s The Beef? Burger King Finds Horsemeat In Its U.K. Patties (ontd_political)
Surrey woman left without care dies in hospital (ontd_political)
Briton Finds ‘Rare Whale Vomit’ Worth 50,000 euros (Moderate Voice)
Richard III unexpectedly pretty (Boing Boing) – Imagine! He looks like his painting. (Minus the hunch)