One of my favourate blogs that I havent visited in a while is 3rd World View, a Bengali blog by Rezwan.

In another life I had a relationship with Bangaldesh when I used to teach 16 to 19 year old Bengali students in London’s East End.  The kids were great and we had a lot of fun together.   However the education they were being given was a second rate trip to nowhere and I would like to think that I did my best to subvert that and teach them about the historic reality of their lives and introduce them to alterative ways of thinking and viewing the world.

Back to Rezwan who has a story about a Bengali woman called Gurudasi Mondol who "gave herself up to madness in 1971" as a means of survival.  She now wonders the streets "unafraid and scornful of authorities". Possibility! Madness as a revolutionary tool.

Rezwan also has a comment on George Galloway’s recent appearance at the US Senate Committee. Incidentally Galloway is now MP for Bethnal Green and Bow which is where I taught in the early 90s.

Kenyan Democracy Project -  just go there.

Black Star Journal praises King Mohammed VI of Morocco for the launch of a project "to improve quality of life in the country’s urban slums, a prime recruiting ground for radical Islam".  He describes Mohammed VI’s Morocco as "arguably the most progressive and most democratic country in the Arab world (its occupation of Western Sahara aside)." Definitely do not agree with this analysis – first of all how can an occupation be described as an "aside"?

Not a blog but check out the Merka Art Gallery by Somali artist, Mohammed Osman

Finally Thinkers Room celebrates "GUNNERS FOR LIFE" as the mighty Arsenal once again win the FA cup and contemplates the possibilty of Manure’s Old Trafford  being turned into a potato farm – if only!

Oh happy day!

Coming back from my "wackabout" in the Maghreb I have the usual difficulty getting back into the stride of blogging after being away.  Its not just "writers block" that I have to overcome but the whole motivation thing like what is the point of all of this and am I deluded by thinking my blog and others are actually useful informative media.  I decided one way to overcome my inability to write was to go through all the blogs on my FeedDemon list.  Initially I found no inspiration there which is pretty sad until I got to Global Voices Friday blog roundup which gave me the idea of doing a blog roundup more for my benefit than anything else as a way of easing myself  back in the frame.  Their blog roundup goes across the globe but of special interest to me is the Sweet Mother Tour reported by Kenyan Pundit ………

"This is an example of what the new Africa is/will be about.  Reclaiming our continent"

Yesterday I posted a short piece on Thomas Mapfumo’s new album which will no doubt be banned in his home country where there is now a desperate shortage of blood.   Sokwanele, a Civil Action blog from Zimbabwe has an urgent appeal for blood donors.

Ethan Zuckerman  has a post on Children’s Drawings from Darfur.  The drawings which are powerful representations of the children’s experiences and speak to the truth of what Human Rights Watch have been reporting for the past two years on what is really happening in the Sudan.

How Black is your hair? Sisters Talk reports on a post by Startle the echoes "nappy knowledge" a discussion on the ‘politics of black hair’ – a great read.  If you are interested in this subject Hair Story: Untangling the roots of Black hair in America by Ayana Byrd and Lori Tharps is a kind of history of Black hair and the culture behind the changing styles and more – worth reading / for US readers  Powells Books .   

Startle the echoes develops  the discussion with "hair today gone tomorrow"  Check out the blog, I like it.

Cafe au lait  gives up on the smoking trip – give her your support please!  and finally Mshairi has a list of things that make her mad which includes people who make liking making lists – maybe this is just a one off eh?

Well I managed that so tomorrow shouldnt be too difficult to continue – just worked out that we drove 5179 kilometers in 4 weeks in our "new" 15 year old Ford van which is why I am wiped out so lots more sleeping time needed.