Flying Yangban

Europeans are some car-driving fools

Despite the conventional wisdom of Europe being some kind of mass transportation nirvana, it appears that folks in the old continent also love their cars:

Figure 3 illustrates the dominance of the car as the major form of motorised travel in Europe - and particularly in GB where we have the second highest mode share (88%). This trend has remained constant for more than a decade.

The related chart shows that 12 of the 15 European nations studied had a car usage rate (per person, per kilometer) of over 80% and the other three had a rate of over 70%.

Hit tip to FurturePundit, who has an interesting post on transportation.

Politics like a drunk frat boy

OK, this is funny (NY Post):

The American voter's party preference is no more fixed than a drunk frat boy's taste for girls majoring in English vs. pre-med.

Where's the love for MB?

 

With president Obama bowing to the King of Saudi Arabia, President Lee Myung-bak (far left) must be wondering how he can get that kind of love.

Hammer time in the National Assembly

I get quoted periodically in the MSM but it still happens rarely enough that I get giddy when I am quoted myself in major publications.

A case in this article in the LA Times of last December's fighting in the National Assembly:

"Many fighting politicians really do believe that if they lose their battle, democracy itself will be in danger," said Andy Jackson, a political columnist for the Korea Times.

Most South Korean lawmakers, he said, would rather fight than switch their votes: "The attitude is that if you're not fighting, you're not trying. So you pull off the gloves and you go at it."

South Sudan information

I just want to get some links up on South Sudan.

Media:

• Sudan Tribune
• Juba Post
• All Africa, Sudan (mostly Darfur news these days)
• Sudan-related press releases (African Press Organization)
• Sudan Watch (blog on Sudan-mostly cut-n-pasted articles)
• Gurtong Peace/Media Progamme (lots of articles, links and updates) 

Government of South Sudan (GoSS) and other governmental links:

• GoSS offic in South Africa
• GoSS mission to the USA
• Official South People's Liberation Movement website (South Sudan majority party)

Reports and Other Information:

• 2007 Report on South Sudan and self governance (from National Democratic Institute for Democratic Affairs

• 2008 post on South Sudan (Center for American Progress)

• Sudan's Fractured Internal Politics (Council on Foreign Relations with links to other CFR articles on Sudan)

NGOs and other organizations that are working or may be interested in South Sudan:

• List of South Sudan NGOs (via Gurtong Trust)
• International Foundation for Electoral Systems (getting ready to start work in Sudan)
• International Republican institute (Sudan Page)
• National Democratic Institute (Sudan page)

Other links

• Sudan trip photos of Peter Ricketts (Head of the British Diplomatic Service)

Ethiopian links

It is that time again.  Here are some links to help me research on Ethiopia.

News Links  (links from Standford U Library)

Addis Voice:  "A pro-democracy voice for Ethiopia"

Africa Monitor:  Part of the Daily Monitor independent newspaper company of Addis Ababa established in 1993.

AllAfrica.com - Ethiopia:  From the long established Africa News Service, founded by Reed Kramer.

EthioMedia:  "An alternative source of Ethiopian news and views."

Ethiopian News Agency:   Official government news agency.

Ethiopian Review (Washington, D.C.):  Current news, events and rallies for the Ethiopian Diaspora.

Nazret.com Ethiopian News Portal:  News and links

Walta Information Centre:  More news and links

Yahoo's Ethiopia News:  Just like it says

Organization to check up on:  National Information Security Service

Ethiopia's Team
- Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister
- Girma Wolde-Giorgis, President
- Kuma Demeksa, Minister of National Defense

Foreign Ministry
- Seyoum Mesfin, Foreign Minister
- Ato Dawit Yohannes, Ambassador to the UN
- Getachew Metaferia, Political Attaché in Europe
- Sahel-work Zewde, African Affairs Directorate General
- Desalegn Alemu, International Organizations Directorate General
- Girma Temesgen, Economic and Business Affairs Directorate General

November 22: V.I. Day

Read herebefore making a comment.  As noted in the linked post, violence has been reduced to levels more analogous to that of the South during reconstruction than to an active war.

In related news, the Zaytun Unit will complete its withdraw from Iraq by the end of December.

HT:  Army Wife, who reports that many folks report being 'bored' on their current tours.  Perhaps it is time to start withdrawing after all.

Fear McCain

I usually don't post vulgarities, but this is just too cool to pass up:

 

Original here.  It was made in response an attempt at running an intentionally bad portrait of McCain byAtlantic Monthly (and the distasteful photo altering by the photographer of some of the images she took of McCain).  Frankly, I think the cover photo (chosen to highlight McCain's age) makes McCain look like a BMF.

Read the second link for details but all you really need to know is that it is so bad that the writer of the Atlantic Monthly's story on McCain felt the need to cover his own backside:

"I don't know Greenberg (I count this as a blessing) and I can add nothing to what James Bennet told the Post except to say that Greenberg is quite obviously an indecent person who should not be working in magazine journalism. Every so often, journalists become deranged at the sight of certain candidates, and lose their bearings. Why, this has even happened in the case of John McCain once or twice. What I find truly astonishing is the blithe way in which she has tried to hurt this magazine."

Can these folks really be this stupid?

The collective agony of thousands

 

Good luck to Tom Brady on his recover from an ACL injury.  Tens of thousands of fatasy owners are out for the season as well.

Namibian and African media (and research links)

Here are a few links for researching Namibian news.

• AllAfrica.com (African news aggregater)
• Namibia Economist (Good source for development news)
• The Namibian (local paper)