Egypt

I received this photo via email (thanks Yehiya!)

The Arabic sign is بيع الدواجن المذبوحة for which the correct translation is "Sale [of] Slaughtered Chicken", meaning that they are not sold alive, already killed according to Islamic law.

The creative translator of the sign decided to use "Sale of Chicken Murder", not knowing how to express that they are already slaughtered.

حديقة الحيوانات بمصر

يحكى أن فتاة اسمها ثناء حاصلة على بكالوريوس تجارة 1998 ظلت لعدة سنوات تبحث عن عمل دون جدوى
فأشار عليها أحد أقاربها بالذهاب معه لمقابلة مسئول يعمل بحديقة الحيوان ليسأله عن عمل مناسب لها
فاعتذر لهم المسئول ولكنه بعد تفكير قال لثناء أن زوجة الأسد ماتت وأن الحديقة لن تأتى بأخرى الا بعد شهور بسبب الإجراءات الروتينية
وعرض عليها أن ترتدي جلد زوجة الأسد وتجلس في القفص مكانها يوميا من الساعة الـ 9صباحا حتى الساعة الـ 2 ظهرا لقاء مرتب جيد
وطمأنها أن الأسد في قفص ملاصق لها وان بينهما باب مغلق وظلت ثناء على هذا الوضع لمدة شهر

The BBC has an article on how the Military in Egypt is still seen as a savior and hopes for it to intervene. This even comes from educated classes and intellectuals, not just the general populace.

If the "hereditary scenario" plays out, where Gamal Mubarak being installed as president in a "charade dressed up as a democratic vote", some are hoping for the army to interfere and prevent such a thing from happening.

Optimism — the expectation of a better tomorrow — is universal, according to a new worldwide Gallup poll. Around the world, 95 percent of people expect their lives in five years to be as good as or better than they were five years ago.

Notable by the pessimism of its people is Egypt. Joining Egypt are Bulgaria, Haiti and Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe and Haiti are understandable, the former having witnessed severe economic and political strife recently. The latter is the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere.

One of the culture phenomenons everywhere is the emergence of unlikely entertainers suddenly, gaining fame in a short time, and everyone listening to their music/performances.

In the USA this is often a result of a mighty marketing machine behind mediocre talent, coupled with tabloids gossiping about the latest juicy rumor (e.g. Britney Spears).

A word of caution for female tourists visiting Egypt: be careful of the many of the men working in tourist areas in Egypt.

Although the vast majority of Egyptians have a high sense of honor and good conduct, it seems that tourist areas seem to attract a relatively high concentration of people with lax morals, who would exploit tourists in many ways. It can manifest itself as persistent aggressive begging, peddling cheap goods, charging 10X the normal prices for services and goods, and what this article focuses on: exploiting female tourists.

There are lots of changes at the OLPC project lately. A top executive shakeup has happened, and it seems to coincide with a ship in direction from being Open Source to allowing Windows as an alternative.

Walter Bender, President of Software and Content for the OLPC was first sidelined then resigned from the project.

Due to the inflation and soaring cost of living in recent months, there is general discontent in Egypt by the majority of people there.

Although this is nothing unusual in itself, given the stagnant economy for close to three decades, it seems that it has reached a point where most people have had enough and want to send a message to the government.

An American exchange student from Maine stayed with Coptic Christian family in Alexandria, Egypt.

He weighed 155 pounds upon arrival, and returned only at 97 pounds.

He claims that he was not given enough portions to eat, and that the Christian Coptic mandate to fast 200 days a year (with no animal protein) made it happen.

His Egyptian host family denies the allegations. Shaker Hanna says that it is "a lie", with the boy's parents planning to recover some of the costs of his stay.

The local TV news had a short video about an Indian company called Nadir Ali and Co. (NAC). The company is currently run by Managing Director Aftab Ahmad, who is over 70. It is based in Meerut, Utar Pradesh, where it has been operating since 1885.

The company makes musical equipment including horns, trumpets, and drums for many armies around the world as well as famous jazz performers.