Bhutto, in a nutshell

From Ahmed Rashid’s column in today’s Washington Post:

In recent weeks, she had publicly taken on the Taliban extremists — something Musharraf has not dared to do, despite all his bluster and bonhomie with President Bush since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. With Bhutto gone, there is no one who can play such a role.

Plain and simple, folks.

Update: But which book?
Coming Anarchy found an article from Hindustan Times that claims, “In 2002, [Bhutto] sent a book by Robert D Kaplan [to Indian Opposition Leader LK Advani] as a gift, writing a note saying she thought of him when she saw the book.”

I must know.

a study in comparisons

I’ve been trying for weeks to come up with something snarky to say about this, but I think the following speaks for itself.

Exhibit A, Kampala, Uganda:

Exhibit B, London, England:

Virgin Atlantic Limobikes

What is Virgin Limobike?
It’s a passenger motorbike. Based in London, it provides the quickest and one of the most glamorous ways to get from A to B. Celebrities use it, business people use it, in fact people from all walks of life use it, whether it be to get to the airport quickly regardless of how bad the traffic is or to glide from one end of London to the other.

MS Uganda final report, a la Pernille

Pernille, formerly of I Have Left Copenhagen but now writing at Louder than Swahili, has published her final report on the two years she spent in West Nile as an information advisor with Sudanese refugees for MS Uganda. The report, in addition to being a fascinating, intensely honest look at development work, is beautifully laid out with photos and clips from Pernille’s blog. You can download it here.

Ugandan breakdancer featured in Oxfam video

You may remember Abramz. He’s the rapping, breakdancing activist I’ve written about here and here. Also here. And this time. Here too. And that one. And here. Clearly, I think he’s terrific.

Apparently, so does Oxfam.

At the United Nations Climate Change Conference currently taking place in Indonesia, Oxfam released a video of testimonies from around the developing world. The people featured are primarily subsistence farmers. Climate change, in the form of floods, droughts, heat and pollution, has devastated their livelihoods. Driving their message home at the end of the film is Abramz:

If you want to help, check out Oxfam’s pledge to fight climate poverty.

GVO Uganda: Ten questions with the Comrade

My latest piece is up at Global Voices Online:

Beloved by the blogren for his prolific, provocative comments and his endless, passionate devotion to North Korea, the 27th Comrade was until recently one of Uganda's most active bloggers.


Self Portrait
27th Comrade

Two months ago the Comrade decided to take a hiatus from his blog Communist Socks and Boots, limiting his writing to the occasional post on the group blog The Kampalan. His decision was met with surprise, sadness and well-wishing on the part of the blogren, and this blogger missed his manifestos so much that she sought him out for a conversation about writing, reggae and, naturally, Communism.

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