GOOD MORNING MYANMAR…
2030 by Jeff Hess
While freedom fighters from a number of independence groups are fighting Myanmar’s regular troops, the violence in the streets has come from government, not protesters. For the first time in nearly three years a bomb detonated in the capital city of Naypyitaw, killing 40-year-old Naw Gay Lar, an ethnic Karen woman.
There were no immediate claims of responsibility. The government has not blamed any group, but the news report said terrorists were smuggling explosives into the country to carry out bombings.
Authorities warned the public to be vigilant against terrorists and to cooperate with officials by informing them of suspicious activities and turning in the suspects, the report said.
From reports I’ve read so far there is no suggestion that Gay Lar might herself have been the person carrying the explosive although the circumstances suggest that as a possibility.
That the government immediately sought to place blame on outside forces reminds me of our own reaction to the Oklahoma City bombing when broadcast talking heads were quick to suggest Islamic extremists were to blame and not the home grown christian white supremacists that were ultimately found to be responsible.
Naypyitaw is in a remote area 400 kilometers north of Yangon, the country’s old capital and biggest city. It became the country’s new administrative capital and main military stronghold in November 2005 and is heavily guarded.
The most deadly terrorist incident in recent years in Myanmar took place in May 2005, when three bombs went off almost simultaneously at two upscale supermarkets and a convention center in Yangon. About two dozen people were killed and another 162 injured.
Several small bombings occurred in the country last year, causing minor damage and injuries.
The government often blames political opponents and ethnic rebels for the bombings, though no firm evidence has been produced. Government opponents deny carrying out attacks on civilians.
Do you think this is an isolated incident, a violent escalation or an attempt by the generals to justify further oppression?
Just as a reminder that buying local doesn’t end in winter, I went to the Shaker Square farmers’ market this morning and bought a loaf of multigrain bread from 
I’m constantly tossing interesting websites into what I call my blogpile. Some of them find their way here in the form of regular posts, but more often than not they languish and get buried deeper in the pile. The end result is that I have to go back and do a bit of shoveling. Today’s item is 
I could never bring myself to forward all the email jokes, cartoons and other Internet comedy that land in my inbox. But then I started posting the ones my dad sends me. Judging from my comments and emails, my dad has become one of my greatest blogging assets. So for your morning blog chuckle I present: 
My name is Jeff Hess and I’m a biblioholic. I own hundreds of books. Not valuable books, mostly Science Fiction paperbacks and text books, tomes rescued by the bag from library book sales. A few years ago, in the interest of not burying myself, I began reading more books from the library and taking notes. 
Back on Tuesday 
