A Day in San Francisco

Whether it be hiking, working, shopping, or attending conferences, tweets from San Francisco yesterday painted a vivid picture of a day in the American city.

1. 
   onetootwee Bay Area from above seems a lego-city microcosm of (sub-&) urban transportation: highways, bridges, trains, ships, planes, even a blimp 31 Mar 2009 from digsby
2. 
   scoutlabs About to head to the Web 2.0 conference opening reception...and then the early show tomorrow AM. 01 Apr 2009 from web
3. 
   nopayne Nothing scarier than getting pulled into your boss's boss's boss's office for an impromptu conference call. 01 Apr 2009 from web
4. 
   mvergel just saw someone i went to high school with in the video of hideo kojima at the San Fran (downtown) apple store. 01 Apr 2009 from twhirl
5. 
   Alvies I think the warm weather has finally arrived in San Francisco. It's 7PM, sunny and warm. The neighborhood kids are out running around. 01 Apr 2009 from web
6. 
   caylorb Stuck in SF traffic. http://twitpic.com/2nz79 01 Apr 2009 from TwitterFon

A Day in San Francisco

Afghan president legalizes marital rape

Per the Times of India, President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai signed a law legalizing the lack of need for sexual consent between married couples.

The law also restricts married women from leaving their house without permission of the husband. Infuriating women's groups all over the world, the Shia Family Law was put into action in efforts to win over conservative Shia muslims before the upcoming election in August.

Much of the Twitterverse voiced opposition to the passed law.

1. 
   NYUProf (New York, N.Y.) RT @arenda UNCONSCIONABLE! (via @goldlis @susanneure) Karzai backs law to legalize rape of Afghan women w/in marriage http://twurl.nl/3kiieg 31 Mar 2009 from TwitterFon
2. 
   buzz7 (India) New blog post: Afghan women condemn Karzai's decision to sign law legalizing rape http://tinyurl.com/dfbrfd 31 Mar 2009 from Twitter Tools
3. 
   dylanlamb (Dublin, Ireland) Afghanistan's President just passed a bill to 'legalize rape', which a MP has dubbed 'one of the worst bills passed this century'. Ya sure? 31 Mar 2009 from web
4. 
   JanersM (Huntsville, Ala.) The new pro-rape law in Afghanistan is just absolutely appalling. http://tinyurl.com/cqcer3 01 Apr 2009 from web

Some twitterers linked the law back to the U.S. and its responsibilities in Afghanistan.

1. 
   shadowfax_rulz (Undisclosed location) Another Bush accomplishment - legalizing rape in Afghanistan http://tinyurl.com/c9r9qb 01 Apr 2009 from web
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   mrmmosh (Los Angeles, Calif.) Hamid Karzai signs a pro-rape bill into law. This is the Afghanistan we're supporting? Please. We need the troops in Iraq. http://tr.im/i4f9 01 Apr 2009 from web

Afghan president legalizes marital rape

Obama arrives in U.K. for G20 Summit

Per BBC News, U.S. President Barack Obama arrived at Stansed Airport, north of London, ahead of the G20 Summit scheduled to begin Thursday. As MSNBC reports, the trip marks President Obama's, "First Major Foreign Policy Test." The summit comes amid a global economic and financial downturn that is expected to be the focus of the one day meeting.

Some in London tweeted about Obama's arrival, with at least one claiming a close encounter.

1. 
   ttttiff passed obama & entourage in regent's park and felt momentarily starstruck 31 Mar 2009 from web
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   Gaiusf just got home.. I wish i can meet Obama in person here in London... too damn, he has full of tight secret service decorations 31 Mar 2009 from web
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   karinjr Obama is in town! I can feel the hope in the air. Sadly, have thrown out my back, and am on the floor with hot water bottle - but hopeful! 31 Mar 2009 from web
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   dmatyukhin Was surprised how many police was on my way from Standted tonight. just read that Obama landed there. 31 Mar 2009 from Tweetie

Widespread demonstrations and protests are expected during the summit. Breaking Tweets plans to cover these through tweets, TwitPics, and reports live from London from Breaking Tweets Contributing Editor @davidmacdougall.

Londoners are increasingly tweeting their concern over these expected protests:

1. 
   Dave00Rodriguez Home & Tired! Tough day at work today...at least its Dressdown the next 2 days thanx to the possible G20 Protesters... 31 Mar 2009 from TwitterBerry
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   neil_sv Morning itinerary tomorrow seems to unintentional trail the g20 protest route. Let's see what the crack is 31 Mar 2009 from Tweetie
3. 
   graham652 wondering which g20 protest to photograph tomorrow 31 Mar 2009 from web
4. 
   PlanetPositive reading about the G20 London Lockdown tomorrow. What are your thoughts on protest to express need for economic/climate policy change? 31 Mar 2009 from web

Obama arrives in U.K. for G20 Summit

Featured TwitPic: Morning in Nice, France

"Good morning from nice" (Posted by @aplusk, March 31, 2009)

Featured TwitPic: Morning in Nice, France

Germans oust Nazi group

Per ABCNews, German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has banned right-wing organization "Heimattreue Deutsche Jugend" (HDJ), condemning the group for spreading Nazi propaganda to the youth of Germany.

Per BBC, the Homeland-Faithful German Youth (HDJ) reportedly taught children as young as six-years-old that foreigners and Jews posed a threat to the "German nation", officials said.

Most Germans are pleased about the ban:

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   JusosMV (Schwerin, Germany) Heute wurde die HDJ-Heimattreue Deutsche Jugend verboten. Das war gut und richtig. Aber Nazizeltlager wird es wohl weiter geben. (Today, the HDJ-fidelity home German Youth prohibited. That was good and right. But Nazi camp will probably pass.) 31 Mar 2009 from web
2. 
   Gruene_Th (Thüringen, Germany) Und heute wurde endlich die HDJ (Heimattreue Deutsche Jugend) verboten. Das war längst überfällig! (And today finally the HDJ (hometown loyalty German Youth) are prohibited. That was long overdue!) 31 Mar 2009 from TwitterFox
3. 
   danielakolbe (Undisclosed) freut sich über HDJ-Verbot, Mehdorn-Rücktritt und Sonne. Gute Kombination. (Pleased about HDJ-ban, Mehdorn-Resignation and sun. Good combination.) 31 Mar 2009 from web
4. 
   Nadim_A (Solingen, Germany) HDJ verboten. Besser spät als nie, Herr Schäuble. (HDJ prohibited. Better late than never, Mr Schäuble.) http://is.gd/pOmD 31 Mar 2009 from Power Twitter

Still some Germans want more action against such groups:

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   GerdKotoll @fdrohsel (Hamburg, Germany) HDJ-Verbot reicht nicht - stimmt. Die ganz Links-Extremen müssen ebenfalls verboten und ausgetrocknet werden. (HDJ-ban is not enough - true. The very left-wing extremists have also been banned and will be dried up.) 31 Mar 2009 from web in reply to fdrohsel
2. 
   JusosGreiz: (Greiz, Germany) Verbot der HDJ reicht nicht aus! (Prohibition of HDJ is not enough!) http://is.gd/pQSp 31 Mar 2009 from web

Other Germans see potential problems with ban:

@tradem: (Germany, Hannover) Auch wenn das Verbot d. HDJ mehr als nur gerechtfertigt sein mag, ist der Begriff "Rattenfänger" in d. Kontext nicht minder populistisch. (Even if the ban d. HDJ more than may be justified, the concept of "Pied Piper" in the context d. no less populist.)

Germans oust Nazi group