Stories from 11 January 2007
Guadeloupe: “Poll-o-phile” President
TiToto says of President of Guadeloupean Regional Council Victorin Lurel (Fr): “Suffering from “poll-o-philiac opinionmania,” Lurel often attempts a real personalization of public opinion, a creation of a fictitious political and social image which claims to represent the Guadeloupean people. … He says “Guadeloupeans have said x” everytime he seeks...
Haiti: Year in Photos
Collectif Haiti de Provence recently posted (Fr) a slideshow of important Haitian personalities and events of 2006.
El Salvador: The biggest pupusa in the world
Tim Muth has an entertaining link to photos of “the biggest pupusa in the world” from Olocuilta, El Salvador.
Bolivia: “War Zone” in Cochabamba
A breaking news update from Jim Shultz in Cochabamba: “As I write this the Center of Cochabamba has just become a war zone. Crowds of hundreds of, mostly young men, armed with heavy sticks, are in open conflict on the block below our office and throughout the Center of Cochabamba....
Argentina: Buenos Aires Tango Festival
Stay in Buenos Aires has a primer on the upcoming Buenos Aires Tango Festival.
Ukraine: Accordion Music
Ukraine List writes about Ukrainian accordion musicians.
Ukraine: “Unreal Estate”
Orange Ukraine writes on the situation with land and real estate in Kyiv and the rest of the country.
Ukraine: Lugansk and Other Problems
Foreign Notes reports on the tariffs war fallout in Lugansk and other problems clogging Ukrainian politics.
Russia: “The Hounds of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk”
White Sun of the Desert writes about Yuzhno-Sakhalinks dogs – and posts a photo of a pack of strays living in his backyard.
Slovenia: “We Don't Want Your Money”
In a country that has just switched to a different currency – Slovenia – money seems to have become a really relative notion, writes The L Files.
Hungary: “Bovine Indifference”
Further Ramblings of a N.Irish Magyar on life in Hungary: “But adaptable guy that I am, I’ve been able to adjust to the fact that the “Customer Assistant” in the post-office would rather gun me down with an AK47, than to take the risk that her face may crack by...
India: The Hindu Economics
Mdeii Life explains how a mainstream newspaper – The Hindu works the money factor out. “But Mr. Ram, we know is a proper Capitalist who researches, manufactures, and markets Communism. So he does the sensible thing, and discovers that the only way people will continue to buy his papers is...
Serbia: Boring CNN Ads
Serbia's promo ads appear on CNN, and Belgrade 2.0 posts a review: “Honestly, it looks pretty boring and unimaginative. Lots of static pictures, not enough life and it doesn’t really strike you as something to remember. Hopefully we’ll get some odd naive tourist that falls for this kind of advertisement.”
Romania: Best of Everything
Csikszereda Musings presents the Best of Romania Awards 2007.
Haiti: 203rd Year of Independence
Reflecting on the festivities for the 203rd anniversary of Haitian independence and the clan-like disputes that colored them, Ailleurs Vu d'Ici writes (Fr): “Everyone knows that our society's disease is the unlimited thirst for power. And this pathology … has adopted recurrent forms along our history. It is definitely one...
Nepal: Wireless in Nepal
Wagle Street Journal celebrates wireless in Nepal. “Laptop owners lined up since yesterday in front of the Nepal Telecom stall as the Kathmandu Post had carried news about the card on front page.”
Moldova: Short History
Mihai Moscovici writes about the history of Moldova as viewed by the country's embassy in the United States.
Nepal: Eyes on Nepal
International eyes on developments in Nepal. More at Nepal Monitor. “The newly-appointed UN General Secretary BAN KI-MOON proposes a 12-month UN Mission in Nepal to monitor the peace process and the Constituent Assembly elections. The UNSC is expected to ratify his report soon.”
Russia, Belarus: “Friendship” Pipeline?..
Further Ramblings of a N.Irish Magyar thinks that it's time for the Druzhba (“Friendship”) pipeline to be renamed.
The Balkans: Popularity in Centimeters
Novala, Europa measures the Balkan states’ popularity in centimeters.
Croatia: Democracy for the Rich
Neretva River on democracy according to the Croatian government's spokesman: “…the poor should not be permitted to hold public office […], home ownership, possession of two cars and 50,000 Euros in a savings account should be a precondition for entering political life…”
