Flying Yangban

Egad

I just switched to Typepad's free service and they stuck me with a very unYangban-like design.  I will have to see what I can do to improve things a bit around here.

UPDATE:  This old theme will have to do for now.  For some reason, this thing survived the switch to the free service but the theme I was actually using did not.

Changes at the ol' blog

Just a couple of programming notes.

• My new public issues-oriented blogging home is over at Asian Correspondent.  Please adjust links accordingly.  I plan to keep this blog just for more personal posts (as a kind of halfway between my Facebook account and my serious writing.  If you are one of the handful of people who still drop by from time to time, please adjust your links.
• The sister blogs for this site (Republicans Abroad-Korea and South Korean Politics and Elections) are going to be closed in early December as I switch programs at Typepad.  Some of the sidebar content and perhaps a couple of posts from them will be transfered to here.

That is all.

Link to Freeware Home

Maybe I could use some of these:

http://freewarehome.com/

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)

Republicans Abroad Korea Thanksgiving dinner 2008

Members of Republicans Abroad and guests celebrated Thanksgiving on November 29 at the VFW Canteen in Seoul.  About 24 people came out. 

Special guest "Bernard" Cho Jae-hyeong, Director of Strategic Projects for the Jeju Free International City Development Center briefly talked about how Jeju province is developing itself as a modern regional business center for Asia.  We appreciate Mr. Cho's taking the time to join us.

Thanks to Bob Gilbert for arranging the food purchase and John Lee for picking it up.  Thanks also to the volunteers who brought additional food as well as the cutting board and two rice cookers.

I would also like to thank the folks at the VFW for giving us a hospitable welcome to the Canteen and for their cooperation in setting it up.

Here are a couple of pictures.

  Republicans Abroad-Korea members and guests enjoying Thanksgiving dinner at the VFW Canteen.

  Guest speaker Cho Jae-hyeong speaks to RAK members and guests.

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