Appreciative acknowledgment to one Sam Riesland for getting that survey running. Because so many of you are interested, I'll let you know what the problem was. Sam had to write a Java servlet to database all the responses from the survey, and he is doing me a favor by hosting this on his webspace. However, not only is his webspace provider running an outdated version of Resin (the Java compiler), but it's running an old version of Java. As Sam codes only in the newest and the sleekest, we had a number of "permission" errors.
Now you know, and knowledge is power!
I have no idea what any of that means.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Never too soon for an update
No more than 5 minutes after posting that last entry, I was greeted at the office door by a wall of car horns and people banging on their doors, hoods, and any other resonant surface within arm's length. It would appear that the former mayor from before the coup has successfully regained his status as man on top.
But I could be wrong. I've seen weirder shit happen around here.
But I could be wrong. I've seen weirder shit happen around here.
Vote for me and I will make you happy that you don't have a woman and you will not cry
The first round of elections are over, allowing me a month or so reprieve from bullhorn-strapped cars driving around town at all hours of the night blasting one of the following, in decreasing order of frequency:
The Wali (governor) of Dakhlet Nouadhibou casting his vote.
The obligatory interview.
Men queuing outside of a voting station.
Women queuing outside of a voting station. Cultural note: men and women never stand in line together. Their genitals might accidentally touch.
EU election supervisor.
Should you be interested in poorly researched facts, here's what I know. There are somewhere in the realm of thirty parties running candidates for the series of three elections in Mauritania. This election covered the mayor and a few legislative posts. The parties are largely divided along racial lines. Some represent people who were in power before the 2005 coup, some are Islamist, and 95% have thrown the word "Democratic" into their name. Considering I hang out with mostly black Mauritanians, most of the political arguments to which I was privy concerned whether or not they should vote for a black candidate or the person who had been mayor of NDB before the coup. It is reported that he A) didn't put up with people who didn't take their job seriously - this includes corruption, and B) was responsible for most of the city's modernization that has occurred to date.
Candidates are given roughly two weeks to campaign, immediately followed by elections. Specifically, campaigns commenced on the 3rd of November, and ended with yesterday's elections. Campaigning consisted of the aforementioned car-noise-bombing and the ubiquitous erection of enormous tents. The tents also produced an impressive volume of Bob Marley, but other than that, I really never saw anything happening in them. Ads ran in newspapers, and unfortunately I have almost no access to television, so I didn't have a chance to see how it was used.
I personally know one of the legislative candidates who was running for the DIN - Democrates Independants de Nouadhibou - party. When I pressed her on the pertinent issues to which a voter should be attuned, however, she had no answers. At that time (three days into the campaign) they had yet to identify a platform. I also know one of the main campaign organizers for the DIN, who, asked about his party's platform, gave the following explanation (to translate and paraphrase):
Reading the look on my face (the one that said, "you really didn't answer my question at all"), he smiled and admitted that the mayoral candidate is an old friend, and that his heart's not really in the election so much as it's in helping out a friend. I don't condemn that, but I'd like to underline that this is a major campaign organizer in one of the most popular parties.
Anyway, I wasn't nearly as involved in observation and information gathering as I intend to be for the next set of elections (somewhere around January-February). The campaigns came and went rather quickly. Filter me out and extrapolate what you will about new found democracy. I think things went pretty well, but it became strikingly clear that just handing choice to people doesn't mean that they're going to make an informed decision.
- No Woman, No Cry
- That relatively new Shakira song
- Something Mauritanian (I can't distinguish one song from the next)
Conceivably, these roving noise machines could be used to spread the message/platform for one of the plethora of candidates. Mostly, according to translation by a few Mauritanian friends, they promised that voting for "so and so" will make your life nicer and happier. Coupled with Bob Marley's classic song of, um, not crying about not having a woman(?) or Shakira's latest muy caliente tune (I've heard this so many times I'm just going to assume it's the national anthem), I personally can't fathom why you'd even consider other candidates.
Sarcasm aside, things did seem to go off pretty smoothly in NDB. One of my friends up here is a reporter for a national paper, and he was covering the election for our fair city. Unfortunately, I was/am forbidden to have anything to do with politics around here, and was discouraged from even showing my face anywhere near the voting locations. Respecting the rules, I bravely lent him my camera so he could snap a few for the "Nouakchott Info."
Sarcasm aside, things did seem to go off pretty smoothly in NDB. One of my friends up here is a reporter for a national paper, and he was covering the election for our fair city. Unfortunately, I was/am forbidden to have anything to do with politics around here, and was discouraged from even showing my face anywhere near the voting locations. Respecting the rules, I bravely lent him my camera so he could snap a few for the "Nouakchott Info."
The Wali (governor) of Dakhlet Nouadhibou casting his vote.
The obligatory interview.
Men queuing outside of a voting station.
Women queuing outside of a voting station. Cultural note: men and women never stand in line together. Their genitals might accidentally touch.
EU election supervisor.Should you be interested in poorly researched facts, here's what I know. There are somewhere in the realm of thirty parties running candidates for the series of three elections in Mauritania. This election covered the mayor and a few legislative posts. The parties are largely divided along racial lines. Some represent people who were in power before the 2005 coup, some are Islamist, and 95% have thrown the word "Democratic" into their name. Considering I hang out with mostly black Mauritanians, most of the political arguments to which I was privy concerned whether or not they should vote for a black candidate or the person who had been mayor of NDB before the coup. It is reported that he A) didn't put up with people who didn't take their job seriously - this includes corruption, and B) was responsible for most of the city's modernization that has occurred to date.
Candidates are given roughly two weeks to campaign, immediately followed by elections. Specifically, campaigns commenced on the 3rd of November, and ended with yesterday's elections. Campaigning consisted of the aforementioned car-noise-bombing and the ubiquitous erection of enormous tents. The tents also produced an impressive volume of Bob Marley, but other than that, I really never saw anything happening in them. Ads ran in newspapers, and unfortunately I have almost no access to television, so I didn't have a chance to see how it was used.
I personally know one of the legislative candidates who was running for the DIN - Democrates Independants de Nouadhibou - party. When I pressed her on the pertinent issues to which a voter should be attuned, however, she had no answers. At that time (three days into the campaign) they had yet to identify a platform. I also know one of the main campaign organizers for the DIN, who, asked about his party's platform, gave the following explanation (to translate and paraphrase):
"There are the people who held power before the coup. They are running in an attempt to reclaim that power. There are also people at the other extreme who are running solely because the first group should not have power. Our party [the DIN] is moderate. We are interested in the well-being of the people of Nouadhibou, and not simply in power or defeating the other parties."
Reading the look on my face (the one that said, "you really didn't answer my question at all"), he smiled and admitted that the mayoral candidate is an old friend, and that his heart's not really in the election so much as it's in helping out a friend. I don't condemn that, but I'd like to underline that this is a major campaign organizer in one of the most popular parties.
Anyway, I wasn't nearly as involved in observation and information gathering as I intend to be for the next set of elections (somewhere around January-February). The campaigns came and went rather quickly. Filter me out and extrapolate what you will about new found democracy. I think things went pretty well, but it became strikingly clear that just handing choice to people doesn't mean that they're going to make an informed decision.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Remember that time you slept on Wyoming Avenue?
If I had a 40 (Steel Reserve, High Gravity - of course), I'd pour one out for Rummy. Then I'd hose off the driveway and try to imagine a world in which he had never existed.
A slightly belated congratulations to one Tim Persico and, as long as I'm tossing them around, his political man behind the curtain, Patrick Murphy, for making PA's 8th district a nicer shade of blue. Tim, I feel much more comfortable with the American political machine now that you're a cog.
That will be all.
A slightly belated congratulations to one Tim Persico and, as long as I'm tossing them around, his political man behind the curtain, Patrick Murphy, for making PA's 8th district a nicer shade of blue. Tim, I feel much more comfortable with the American political machine now that you're a cog.
That will be all.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Your patience please
More to come. You can click on that survey all you want; it doesn't work yet. But seriously, go for it to your heart's content. It's still better than doing the work you're inevitably being paid to do at the moment.
Monday, November 06, 2006
6 letter word that begins with “F” and ends in “iller”
/Part1/Listen/Superlatives>
Beautiful Celebration of the Perverse:
Neutral Milk Hotel – King of Carrot Flowers Part One
Xiu Xiu – Clowne Towne
Sufjan Stevens – John Wayne Gacy, Jr.
If I Drive I Get Kicked out of the Country:
Vitalic – My Friend Dario
Mylo – Muscle Cars (Reform Reprise)
The Party Must Commence:
Black Leotard Front – Casual Friday
Royksopp – Poor Leno
Gwen Stefani – What Are You Waiting For?
Intensity in 10 Cities (in increasing order of said intensity):
Jason Forrest – Spectacle to Refute All Judgments
Vitalic – La Rock 01
Death From Above 1979 – Little Girl
M83 – Unrecorded
Death From Above 1979 – Go Home, Get Down
Primal Scream – Kill All Hippies
Misc. Good Listening:
The Books – Lemon of Pink Part 1
Serge Gainsbourg – Melody
DJ Crystl – Mind Games
Fennesz – Transit (featuring David Sylvian)
Proper acknowledgment flows in a fraternal direction for introduction to much of this music.
Music I Still Require:
DJ Shadow – The Private Press
FC Kahuna – Hayling
Depeche Mode – John the Revelator (The Beav, I know Ariel has this. Email it.)
Telefon Tel Aviv – What Is It Without the Hand that Wields It?
/Part2/Look/PhotosNDB>
S&E live in the tallest building in Nouadhibou. One day I took some photos from the roof. Here are a few.
This is the “Carrefour Cansado,” perhaps the busiest intersection in NDB. This is the place to find cabs to go to either of the two other main neighborhoods of the city – Cansado and Numerwoatt. Notice the lack of any signage or persons controlling traffic in any manner. I cross this street an average of four to six times daily, and each time consider the fact that I could be run over.
One of the various shantytowns consisting of people wishing to get the hell out of Africa. I intend to get a closer look and some better photos eventually, but I am waiting for a Mauritanian friend to escort me. Something about being the white guy wandering aimlessly with a camera worth more than a year’s wages keeps me from going it alone.
Beautiful Celebration of the Perverse:
Neutral Milk Hotel – King of Carrot Flowers Part One
Xiu Xiu – Clowne Towne
Sufjan Stevens – John Wayne Gacy, Jr.
If I Drive I Get Kicked out of the Country:
Vitalic – My Friend Dario
Mylo – Muscle Cars (Reform Reprise)
The Party Must Commence:
Black Leotard Front – Casual Friday
Royksopp – Poor Leno
Gwen Stefani – What Are You Waiting For?
Intensity in 10 Cities (in increasing order of said intensity):
Jason Forrest – Spectacle to Refute All Judgments
Vitalic – La Rock 01
Death From Above 1979 – Little Girl
M83 – Unrecorded
Death From Above 1979 – Go Home, Get Down
Primal Scream – Kill All Hippies
Misc. Good Listening:
The Books – Lemon of Pink Part 1
Serge Gainsbourg – Melody
DJ Crystl – Mind Games
Fennesz – Transit (featuring David Sylvian)
Proper acknowledgment flows in a fraternal direction for introduction to much of this music.
Music I Still Require:
DJ Shadow – The Private Press
FC Kahuna – Hayling
Depeche Mode – John the Revelator (The Beav, I know Ariel has this. Email it.)
Telefon Tel Aviv – What Is It Without the Hand that Wields It?
/Part2/Look/PhotosNDB>
S&E live in the tallest building in Nouadhibou. One day I took some photos from the roof. Here are a few.
This is the “Carrefour Cansado,” perhaps the busiest intersection in NDB. This is the place to find cabs to go to either of the two other main neighborhoods of the city – Cansado and Numerwoatt. Notice the lack of any signage or persons controlling traffic in any manner. I cross this street an average of four to six times daily, and each time consider the fact that I could be run over.
One of the various shantytowns consisting of people wishing to get the hell out of Africa. I intend to get a closer look and some better photos eventually, but I am waiting for a Mauritanian friend to escort me. Something about being the white guy wandering aimlessly with a camera worth more than a year’s wages keeps me from going it alone.
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