Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying

The nominees for the 3rd annual Asia Blog Awards have been selected. To my surprise I found out that I have been selected as a nominee for Best Bangladesh Blog Q1 2006/2007.  The complete list of nominees for Best Bangladesh Blog are:

• Bengali Fob
• Electrik Blues
• Mac’s Savory ChorChoriz
• Mystic Saint
• Imperfect World
• Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying
• Rajputro
• Unheard Voices

Visit the Asia Blog Awards website for a list of all the categories.

I believe voting begins in September. I am supposed to campaign for votes so here is my campaign slogan: if you don’t vote for me, the terrorists win!

On a more serious note, visit the Awards website for links to some great blogs from Asia, about Asia, or by Asians. There is a surprising variety of blogs to choose from and enjoy.

As for me, I never win anything, so I am working on my concession post at the moment. Seriously, I never win anything. A while ago I was in Atlantic City, I picked one of two available slot machines in a casino I was donating money to, and just as I sat down, two guys dropped a few coins into the one I decided not to play, and you guessed it, they hit the jackpot.

Good luck to all the nominees. Enjoy some interesting reading.

Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of the web…the thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat…the human drama of athletic blogging…this is Mash’s Wide World of Blogs!

While the world watches Iraq fall apart and Lebanon being bombed back 20 years, bloggers keep the beat with poignant prose and sometimes even humor. This week’s worthy reads are:

Jon Swift

Jon reached a milestone this week. His blog surpassed 100,000 visitors. To mark the occasion, he takes a walk down memory lane to bring us a wonderful selection of comments and emails that he has received since he started blogging. To fully appreciate Jon Swift you must read not just his posts but also the comments associated with them. Congratulations Jon on hitting the big six figure mark in blogging. Don’t forget us little people. (Oh wait, I also crossed 100,000 this week thanks to the Commander-in-Chief’s rear guard offensive against the German Chancellor!)

Jon also tells us this week why World War III is not such a bad idea. I must admit that after reading his post I too am looking forward to World War III. Just like him, I say "Bring it on!" and bring some butter for the popcorn.

Blogger Round Table

Ingrid has a list of peace rallies that are taking place this week against the violence in the Middle East. Eventually with voices of peace multiplying this madness will stop. But in the meantime we will have needlessly lost too many innocent lives.

Things and stuff

Yohay Elam writes from Tel Aviv. He has a very interesting post about his evolving feelings about the current war with Lebanon. I believe many in Israel and Lebanon share his feelings and his mixed emotions about this war. His justified outrage at Hezbollah’s brazen kidnapping is balanced with his concern about civilian deaths in Lebanon. Ultimately his is a triumph of reason over fear. Voices like his will need to win the day if there is to be peace in the Middle East.

Beirut Spring

Thanks to Ingrid for introducing me to this blog. Mustapha blogs from Tripoli, Lebanon. His blog is a must read for some sane commentary on the situation in Lebanon. In particular, he wrote two posts, a day apart, that I find the most revealing. His posts illustrate the folly of the current Israeli campaign against Lebanon. in the first of the two posts, dated July 12th, he chastised Hezbollah for the capture of the Israeli soldiers and writes that the Lebanese hate Hezbollah more than ever. In the second post however, dated July 13th, he calls for the Lebanese to rally around Hezbollah to resist the Israeli onslaught. He writes that there will be an accounting for Hezbollah at some point, but not while Lebanon is under attack. It is a remarkable turn around, and yet, quite predictable.

The Heathlander

Jamie writes about Israel’s escalation and America’s moral culpability. His post is aptly titled "Smart bombs, dumb leader". Succinct and to the point.

Inside Zebster

I am not sure I want to be inside Zebster, but I sure do like his blog. Zebster does a Pink Floyd tribute by quoting from The Final Cut. He makes it quite clear that our leaders today have learned nothing from the past. With overgrown infants in charge is it any wonder that they are throwing shit at each other? As my daughter would say, "poo poo diaper heads", the whole lot of them.

Ask A Ninja

I have been suffering withdrawal since I haven’t seen a post from my favorite ninja, Jeremiah Bullfrog, in more than three weeks! So, I have had to seek out other ninjas to feed my ninja addiction. I must confess that I have been consulting with the ninja advice columnist at Ask A Ninja. He gives sound advice for everyday people from a ninja point of view. This week the ninja answers a viewer’s question about the number 3. Beware though, because ninja math can kill you. Go on over to Ask A Ninja and feel free to seek advice on whatever ails you.

Enjoy the journey!

Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of the web…the thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat…the human drama of athletic blogging…this is Mash’s Wide World of Blogs!

After a long absence the blog reviews are back with a vengeance. Here are this week’s worthy reads:

Independent Opinions

Robbie from San Diego has started a new blog specifically covering politics. His other blog, Greetings From America’s Finest City, will now focus exclusively on sports. Check out his latest post on the Hamdan decision of the Supreme Court at his new blog.

Great Power Is A Blunt Object

Calling all Muslims! Musclemouth has a clip of a video entitled Girls Gone Wild Baghdad posted on his blog. He wants to know if Muslims find this clip offensive. His question is a sincere one and if you are a Muslim please view the clip and offer your feedback in the comments section of his post. I have already left my comments on the clip. Please don’t read the comments before posting your views so that he can capture your first impression. So, if you are a Muslim, or know a Muslim, check out the post or refer others to it. I am looking forward to reading everyone’s feedback - it will be an interesting cultural experiment!

Sabbah’s Blog

As Israel’s "Operation Summer Rain" continues to rain down on the people of Gaza, Sabbah asks "What can they do, kill us?" Read the side of the story we rarely get in the United States. We also learn today that Israel has bombed the Palestinian Prime Minister’s office. I am not sure why the American press thinks this is a surprise after completely failing to cover the story that Israel had notified Mahmoud Abbas by letter that they would assassinate the Palestinian Prime Minister if the kidnapped Israeli soldier was not handed over.

Goddamn I Love America!

Jeremiah Bullfrog not only loves America, he also loves the environment. He shows off his scientific side by debunking the Global Warming myth and keeping the world safe to breathe in. For those of you waiting to exhale, this is just the post for you.

Jon Swift

Jon is still quite upset by this week’s Supreme Court decision in the Hamdan case. He think he knows how the Bush Administration can get around this nuisance of a decision. He recommends that the President declare the Supreme Court justices "Enemy Combatants". It’s a novel and out-of-the-box approach to solving this bump in the road to Guantanamo.

Enjoy the journey!

Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of the web…the thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat…the human drama of athletic blogging…this is Mash’s Wide World of Blogs!

Ok, since I have yet to get any complaints, I feel like I have a mandate to carry on. This week’s worthy reads are:

Donkephant

To kick off Torture Awareness Month, Donkephant offers a refresher course to the Bush Administration on good manners (as adopted by the United Nations in its Convention Against Torture). This post is a good place to start for all of us. I would especially recommend the post to Mr. Gonzales at the Justice Department.

Blogger Round Table

Ingrid discusses the effect torture has on the torturer. She recalls Stanley Milgram’s obedience experiments and how they showed how easy it is to slide incrementally into cruelty and lose one’s own moral compass. It is a glimpse into what our leaders are doing to our men and women on the front lines by their tortured and legalistic justifications of torture.

Thoughts From A Flyover State Refugee

I don’t know what they are doing over there in Kansas! They have decided to dress Keith Olbermann up in tights. Now, don’t get me wrong - I like Keith and I watch him every night, but one has to draw the line somewhere. Go check out the ghastly sight. And while you are there you can also read about how Keith filleted the Big Giant Head over some "fair and balanced" reporting on the atrocities at Malmedy. (And, guys, Olbermann has two N’s)

Life from the trenches….literally

Paul has a video message for the President accompanied by the music of Pink. It is poignant and powerful, as are all his videos. Watch and listen to it in quiet surroundings - it will make quite an impact.

The Bengali Fob Says…

The Fob has World Cup Fever and so do I. Go to her blog and watch Nike’s Juga Bonito video for five minutes of fun. As most of the humans on this planet know the FIFA World Cup begins on June 9th in Germany. If you don’t already love The Beautiful Game (Football or Soccer, if you prefer), here’s your chance to catch the fever. For those who are still not converted, I give you the Antonin Scalia greeting. I am a soccer Fanatic, with a capital F. All through the next month, I will be soccer crazed. So be forewarned that more than once a soccer post may appear on this blog.

That’s it for now. The astute observer will note that I have not highlighted Jon Swift’s latest post this week about the big brains at DHS. That is because I don’t want to become too predictable

Enjoy the journey!

Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of the web…the thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat…the human drama of athletic blogging…this is Mash’s Wide World of Blogs!

Ok, so the Wide World Of Blogs did not die an ugly death last time. It’s back with another installment and getting stronger. Here are today’s worthy reads:

Bloggers Against Torture

I joined Bloggers Against Torture this week in support of Torture Awareness Month. Elendil of Rummy’s Diaries started this growing alliance of bloggers to help focus attention on one of mankind’s ugliest sides. This is a worthy endeavor that I ask all who visit to consider joining.

Grad Student Madness

I discovered this blog through Bloggers Against Torture. Apart from offering insights on Presocratic philosophers (that is, standup comedians), this blog offers some very well written and thought provoking posts. One post I would like to call attention to is a post that discusses the politics of torture. This post is a must read for anyone concerned about the state of affairs these days. I am certain that you will not only be rereading this post many times but you will be referring this post to others. It is a good place to start to spread Torture Awareness.

Goddamn I love America!!

On the other side of the torture debate is Jeremiah Bullfrog of Goddam I love America. Jeremiah loves George W Bush and he loves torture. He is also uniquely skilled in the way of the Ninja. He has declined an invitation from Elendil to join Bloggers Against Torture and has in fact labeled the alliance a bunch of terrorist lovers. He has strong opinions that he inherited from his daddy and he is not afraid of sharing them. He also has uncovered an insidious plot by suicide torturees that must be stopped at all costs. Jeremiah’s torturous ways extend to the (ab)use of the English language, but nonetheless he is worth a read.

Serious Golmal

"Golmal" means "trouble" in Bengali. This is another worthy blog from across the pond spiced with a South Asian accent. He has found what may very well be the secret weapon in the War on Terror - music. Not just any music but music from opposite sides of the religious/political divide. If these guys can rock than the rest of us should be able to roll. (Note, one of the songs is not in English, but I’m not sure it matters. The title of the song translates to "I’m busted" and he is singing among other things about his wandering eyes.)

Jon Swift

Yes, I know he was here last week too. But I can’t help it because this week Jon has whipped out the Race Card and he is not afraid to use it. I also should mention that before you read another book you should read Jon’s book reviews. I have stopped reading books since I started to read Jon’s book reviews and I am sure the reviews will have the same effect on you too.

Enjoy the journey!

This post is so big that it needed its own banner! Just like ABC’s Wide World of Sports, I have been spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of the web…the thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat…the human drama of athletic blogging…this is Mash’s Wide World of Blogs!

This is the first post of its kind…and it may be the last…or it may become a regular feature…

I wanted to highlight some fun and worthwhile blogs that I read on a fairly regular basis. Here’s what’s worth reading today…

Jon Swift

This is by far the funniest blog on the Internet. Unfortunately, however, today Jon is suffering from CFS and needs your help. His doctor says that he has something called the "inner Patton" and it needs to be surgically removed. Visit his site and offer him some moral support during his time of need.

Greetings From America’s Finest City

This is where Robbie offers news and views from just north of the border. Today he has a roundup of the nice things people are saying about all things foreign as the immigration debate heats up. By reading his post today I learned the alarming news that the Chinese are poised to invade from the South.

Polimom

Polimom is a Houston blogger whose posts always contain a large dose of common sense. Today’s post is an update on a day laborer center funded by the city of Houston. Day laborer centers all over the country have increasingly become targets of anti-immigration groups like the Minutemen. In my neck of the woods (in Herndon, Virginia) there was a major controversy over a day laborer center that made national news a few months ago.

 Pickled Politics

This blog offers an interesting window into race relations and immigrant issues in Great Britain. It offers a South Asian perspective on the issues of the day with a decidedly progressive twist. Today’s post discusses the extreme views of Ayaan Hirsi Ali who is either a champion of women against Islam or a hatemonger and an opportunist, depending on where you sit. Regardless of what you think of Ali, she is certainly part of the debate that is raging all over Europe about Islam and its place in the Western World.

Debbie Schlussel

No blog roundup of mine would ever be complete without a little taste of Debbie Schlussel. Debbie is single-handedly keeping the world safe from Islamo-fascists and Muslims in general. Through her vigilance she has kept Detroit from being overrun by the Muslim horde. Her latest act of defense of the Fatherland includes hounding an Islamo-fascist loving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. Debbie is well on her way to purging our Government of its Muslim loving ways.

Enjoy the journey and feel free to add your own in the comments.