No Justinsomnia in Ghana

I got an email from Terrie in Ghana the other day who told me my blog was being blocked by MTN, a mobile telecom provider in many countries across Africa and the Middle East. But get this. The stated reason why my blog is blocked: because my site falls under the “child abuse content” category. Yikes!

MTN: content filtering access denied screenshot

How did I get on that list? And what other lists am I on? I mean, I might have posted the occasional NSFW photo in the past (L’Origine du monde and Christy Turlington come to mind), but “child abuse”? And the real kicker is, I’ve been to Ghana! Back in 2004, I spent two weeks working in Accra and had the opportunity to visit Kakum National Park and Elmina Castle.

Ghana tro tro observers are worried — Ghanaian “tro-tro” with an apt slogan

Anyway, I sent an email to MTN Ghana’s customer care department. I’ll be curious to see if I get a response.

Wow, This American Life brings down Judge Amanda Williams

Black rhino airlift

It’s not just a great band name. It’s also an incredible photo.

Airlifting a South African black rhino away from poachers, photo by Michael Raimondo — Airlifting a South African black rhino away from poachers (by Michael Raimondo)