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Monthly Archives: April 2005

All I Want…

29-Apr-05

…for my birthday–which, yes, I’ll confirm is today and I’ve now entered my third decade–is, as ever, a banana guard.
Though a bamboo bike would be cool, too.
Come to think of it, what I really need is a nice stripey. (”Key characteristics: somewhat fitted, vertical lines, the top two buttons undone. Worn with jeans […]

Sand Storm in Iraq

27-Apr-05

My buddy Brad H., who is a badass and flies FA-18 fighter jets in Iraq, sends along these incredible photos of a recent sand storm that enveloped his base. He writes:
“I just thought I would send a quick note with a couple of pictures from a sandstorm that rolled through the base this afternoon. […]

The Future of Weblogs and Journalism

26-Apr-05

The Economist: “Is Rupert Murdoch right to predict the end of newspapers as we now know them?”
OJR: “Advertising, editorial lines blur as bloggers’ salaries tied to traffic.”
Business Week: “Blogs Will Change Your Business
Also, as an aside, I discovered recently that Bluffton, South Carolina, right down the coast from my home town of Beaufort, is doing […]

Ecuador Wrap-Up

25-Apr-05

A few more items re: Ecuador. I think this’ll be my last Ecuador-related post for a while.
First, an on-the-ground report from my Ecuadorian friend Dennis P. I emailed him to ask what he thought about all the turmoil. To paraphrase Dennis’s response in Spanish, he said this:
“It’s all a mess. I don’t know. I […]

Checking in on Ecuador

25-Apr-05

Jordan L. points out this interesting photo essay in the Ecuadorian daily El Comercio.
And as for the ousted Lucio Gutierrez, the AP tells us that he has taken refuge in Brazil.

Another Ecuador Analyst Weighs In

22-Apr-05

Mike A. is another gringo friend of mine who knows a lot about Ecuador. I lived with him briefly duing his year in Cuenca. He writes:
“I was surprised to see [Lucio’s ouster] happen when it did, but I’d imagine that Febres Cordero and/or (likely and) Nebot cut a deal with Palacios or believed that they […]

More from Mike F. in Ecuador

22-Apr-05

Mike says:
“Here are a couple of visuals for you. The first one, angry, is the Prefect(left arrow) of Pichincha and the mayor of Quito (right arrow) on the 6th ofApril. They have been leading the charge to oust Lucio. Is it any wonderwe have descended into the debacle that is now […]

More Ecuador Coverage

22-Apr-05

Miami Herald editorial: “Politics-by-mob claims another victim.” Key passage:
“It’s hard to feel sorry for President Lucio Guti�rrez of Ecuador, the latest victim of the ominous slide of democracy that is roiling the Andes, because he has no one but himself to blame for the blatant power grab that produced his downfall. Still, Mr. Guti�rrez, […]

Ecuador: the Day After

21-Apr-05

For the third time in eight years, Ecuadorians woke up to a new president this morning.
Before we get to the media coverage, here’s my quick take on the situation. Someone just asked me what’s “the story” here, and whether the new president will be any better than Lucio. Here’s what I told him:
—The story is […]

My Buddy Mike F. in Cuenca, Ecuador Writes…

21-Apr-05

“I commend you on your journalistic integrity innot saying that Lucio was gone until he actually was,that was more than one could ask of the local press.As the gangs of youth stormed past the recentlysidelined cops and militaries, commentators abruptlystarted calling him ex-presidente. Perhaps the bestscene of the day was in the congress (tucked […]

The President of Ecuador Has Been Overthrown

20-Apr-05

Lucio Gutierrez, the President of Ecuador, has been ousted. Vice President Alfredo Palacio Gonzalez has been sworn in. Just got word via Publius Pundit.
Here’s what the wires are saying:
AP: “Ecuador’s Congress Votes to Remove Embattled President From Power After Week of Protests.”
MSNBC: “Ecuador�s Congress fires president; Vice president named to replace embattled Gutierrez”
Reuters: “Ecuador’s Congress […]

Who I’ve Seen Recently

20-Apr-05

I’ve been remiss in mentioning the fine friends of mine I’ve seen since I’ve been back in the USSA. It’s been about three weeks since I returned from Taiwan, and I’ve had the pleasure of catching up with (in relatively chronological order, excluding family members):
In Augusta, GA: Jordan M. and her betrothed, Charles M.; Karl […]

Lucio G.: Hangin’ Tough

20-Apr-05

The chaos continues in Ecuador.
Washington Post: “Radio Is Blamed For Unrest In Ecuador: Small FM Station Is Fomenting Protests, Officials Contend.”
AP: “Ecuador’s Embattled President Says He Won’t Quit Despite Growing Demonstrations.”
And the Miami Herald has a nice profile of Ecuador’s ex-president Abdala Bucaram:
“It’s easy to see what makes people uncomfortable about Abdalá Bucaram, the […]

Ecuador: “A Vacuum for the Rule of Law”?

19-Apr-05

Here’s the latest on the situation in Ecuador:
Miami Herald: “After a long and confusing special session, Ecuador’s Congress has hashed out new legislation with one clear impact: The country is without a Supreme Court, and may remain so for days or even weeks to come.”
AFP: “In an interview with foreign journalists earlier on Sunday, Gutierrez […]

Ecuador Auto-Golpe Watch

18-Apr-05

It’s funny. I’ve prematurely announced Ecuadorian President Lucio Gutierrez’s imminent demise many times before. And despite his most recent troubles–which are enumerated in this impressive Weblog post, as well as in this NY Times piece–I just don’t feel it in my bones this time. But I could be wrong. Just ask Jordan L. about pissing […]