Bait for spybots

I'm currently reading this great piece in the NYT about Egypt's political blogging scene.

I think I've written more than once in this blog about how interesting it is, to watch the Egyptian people coming around to the idea that they don't have to take it anymore.

I'm especially interested by this account of the April 6 protests last year. I remember being pissed off that I had to cancel class, because my students warned me about this:
When Rashid headed out toward Tahrir Square, she was shocked to see police and military vehicles blocking off streets; soldiers and police officers, it seemed, were everywhere. As Rashid approached the Kentucky Fried Chicken, she found it was surrounded by police.

The old AUC campus is in Tahrir Square; my old office was across the street from the KFC. I didn't go to work that day.

I'm typing carefully here, because I don't feel like going to jail. You know, tonight. Hopefully they've got bigger fish to fry.

And I've noticed this too, and it's exciting:
But “Facebook revealed a liberal undercurrent in Egyptian society,” Nawara said. “In general, there’s this kind of apathy, a sense that there is nothing we can do to change the situation. But with Facebook you realize there are others who think alike and share the same ideals. You can find Islamists there, but it is really dominated by liberal voices.”

I like to think that this is true, that all my frustrations with Egypt and her people are just that - frustrations born of bad traffic, lousy internet service, and quarter-hours that last much longer.

A friend of mine ran a project bringing Egyptian bloggers to the US to blog about our election. Check it out - it's good stuff, and a great start.

Makes my blog look like the rantings of a self-possesed lunatic. ;)