• Blogs Wot I Read - Hot Off The Presses

    You Are My Witnesses: Thugs Attack Mothers Union Meeting

    Ruth Gledhill – Times Online – WBLG: Zimbabwe: The devil came late today. Ruth Bakare, wife of the interim bishop of Harare, was the main speaker at a Mother’s Union meeting at an Anglican church in Zimbabwe. Over 3200 women had arrived for the day’s activities and Mrs. Bakare was partway through her talk, which included commentary on a text from Isaiah, “You are my witnesses.” The Mother’s Union is one of those Anglican bodies that evokes images of ladies drinking tea and enjoying a nice day out with educational speakers and fun activities. Not a rout with bully boys…

  • Blogs Wot I Read - Hot Off The Presses - Politics, Schmolitics

    Please Don’t Send Lawyers, Guns and Money

    Rift Over Zimbabwe Unity Plan – New York Times But on Wednesday, The Herald, the state-run newspaper often used as a mouthpiece for Mr. Mugabe and the ruling party, described the country’s political dynamics as “so distorted that holding a free and fair election runoff in the immediate term is literally impossible.” Swiftly disavowing that position, Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga told the BBC on Wednesday that the editorial had not been sanctioned by the government, and that the ruling party, ZANU-PF, was still gearing up for a runoff. Hey, here’s a handy definition of electioneering, ZANU-PF style:  Gearing up…

  • Hot Off The Presses

    Zimbabwe: More Details Emerging

    The Times – Bob’s Mad Scramble For Weapons The Sunday Times has established that this week’s Chinese shipment of arms turned away from Durban harbour on Friday was just one of several botched attempts by the embattled Mugabe regime to buy arms this year. One well-placed Zimbabwean defence industry official told the Sunday Times: “In the first three working days after the election, there were queues of people outside (arms procurement) offices — police, the presidential bodyguard unit, army, the CIO. There’s lots of stuff happening today… it’s amazing, frankly, how many people all over the world are mobilizing to…

  • Blogs Wot I Read - Hot Off The Presses

    Zimbabwe: An Yue Jiang Lost, Stolen, or Strayed?

    The An Yue Jiang, the Chinese ship that’s supposed to be carrying tons of arms for Zimbabwe left Durban for port or ports unknown; some thought it was headed for nearby Mozambique, but the Mozambicans pulled an Amy Winehouse and denied it access (after first denying it was headed their way, hmm). Now it’s thought to be headed to Angola (there’s a lovely thought, how much of the cargo will actually stay in whatever port eventually accepts it?). The BBC News site has some smuggled video footage (they are banned from officially reporting from within Zimbabwe, but get around it).…

  • Uncategorical Weirdness

    Passover for the Impatient

    My husband David and sundry other relatives will enjoy this. A PASSOVER SERVICE FOR THE IMPATIENT. By Michael Rubiner Opening prayers: Thanks, God, for creating wine. (Drink wine.) Thanks for creating produce. (Eat parsley.) Overview: Once we were slaves in Egypt. Now we’re free. That’s why we’re doing this. Four questions: 1. What’s up with the matzoh? 2. What’s the deal with horseradish? 3. What’s with the dipping of the herbs? 4. What’s this whole slouching at the table business? Answers: 1. When we left Egypt, we were in a hurry. There was no time for making decent bread. 2.…

  • Uncategorical Weirdness

    The McDades Are Coming!

    Through one of those felicitous Internet things, I just found out that Canadian Celtic/fusion band The McDades are coming to Chicago’s Abbey Pub, and my husband David and I might get to see them. I happened upon them at a Chicago Celtic Fest a couple of years ago, bought the CD, and have enjoyed it on my iPod and now iPhone ever since. Comments on that post are closed (I should think about re-opening old comments…), but one of them contacted David, probably by doing a whois. Anyway, we might get to go, if things work out. They have a…