Zones of Unparalleled Interest

International borders and crossing them by means other than a car (such as walking or swimming across them), provide a source of newfangled preoccupation in my life. The derivation of my new interest probably dates back a few years ago, when I attempted (successfully) to walk from Poland to Germany. Yes, whilst it is true that I misunderstood heavily armed Polish border control officers who were yelling at me in incomprehensible Polish and had to undergo scrutiny once again once on the other side in Germany, that moment made me realize that border-crossing can provide a very different source of entertainment. Thus, my last unusual border crossing involved swimming from Germany to France, across the river Rhine. During this near-fatal last attempt (I nearly drowned), it dawned on me that this trend could very well turn into a new sub-category of "must-do"s on my list of things to do before I die.

Many areas of exceptional borders exist throughout the world, the famous swim across the Channel from England to France (or vice versa) being a very popular one. Yet, that comes off to me as too much of a cliché goal to add to my list. Thus, I have decided on making it my mission to cross (or attempt to cross... or just visit in case of certain death) some of the most bizarre international borders on the planet. Below are some of the most daring ideas (listed in order of increasing difficulty to cross):

1.Baarle-Nassau/Baarle-Hertog: the Netherlands/Belgium

Baarle-Nassau belongs to the Netherlands. Baarle-Hertog, completely surrounded by Baarle-Nassau, belongs to Belgium. Some zones in Baarle-Hertog also contain parts of Baarle-Nassau. The result? An extremely complicated border between Belgium and the Netherlands in which sometimes even a single building may lie half propped in Belgium, the other in the Netherlands. (In the picture, NL = the Netherlands, B = Belgium) 

2. Derby Line: U.S.A./Canada

Similar to the situation in Baarle-Nassau and Baarle-Herzog, Derby Line, a small town in Vermont straddles the U.S.-Canadian border. A very interesting border since, some buildings were intentionally built on the border. For instance, both the Haskell Free Library and Opera House both sit right on the border. The Opera House's stage is in Canada but the entrance and most of the seats are in the U.S., making it have two separate addresses, one American, one Canadian. Again, as with the Belgian-Dutch border, there exists a chance that someone takes a shower in one country and sleeps in another.  

3. Ceuta: Spain/Morocco 

The autonomous city of Ceuta, politically part of Spain, sits on the border with Morocco. Separated from the rest of continguous Spain in continental Europe, Ceuta and the autonomous city of Melilla can be found in North Africa, facing the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Morocco, since these cities sit so closely, claims them as its own. This led Spain to erect a 3meter-high, barbed wired border fence around Ceuta.

4. Tumen River: North Korea/China/Russia

The Tumen River runs on the border of North Korea, China, and Russia, immediately south of Lake Khasan. It starts in North Korea, runs up through China and ends in Russia and you could walk along this path, crossing three different countries in just a few kilometers. You could hypothetically do it, but it would be extremely dangerous and attempting it may result in getting shot. North Korean military guard this area very carefully to make sure there are no defectors, since North Koreans frequently attempt to escape using this border.

 

5.  Korean Demilitarized Zone: North Korea/South Korea

The Korean DMZ divides North and South Korea. The most heavily militarized border in the world and attempting to cross it would be unthinkable if not near-impossible. What makes this border particularly interesting, aside from the near-impossibility to cross it? Since the actual border is 160 miles (258km) long and 2.5 miles  (4km) wide and since no people live there, it has developed into a nature reserve. Many highly endangered species now live in this area and some speculate that their populations may actually be increasing. Technically the DMZ can't be called a "border" since the two Koreas merely agreed to a ceasefire in 1953 and a peace treaty was never signed between them. So they are still technically at war. A MDL (Military Demarcation Line) is the "de facto" border, completely surrounded by the DMZ. At the MDL, a one-room building for rare North and South Korean military/official communication straddles the "border", with one half in South Korea and the other in the North. This "room" is the only "room" where anyone can be in both Koreas at once and soldiers hold on to each other while there to prevent being pulled over to the other side.

Today's Random Picture: 

Days Off Around the World

I'm job hunting at the moment since, while working at the coffee shop is all right, I figure it might be better to get some other type of work experience (and something that pays a little more since tuition + living costs for next semester are going to be a slight problem). On the topic of work, I can't complain too much since even at my current job, I have flexible hours and pretty decent vacation days, things I would have a harder time getting in other countries. 

An article I recently read in The Economist outlined the number of holidays (vacation days) or days off given to workers (on average) in numerous countries around the world. Thought it would be of interest to some of you:  

Of the seven countries compared, Japan has the most public holidays with a whopping 16. In the UK, there are normally only 8 public holidays (exactly half of Japan) but, thanks to the Royal Wedding this year, we have 9 public holidays in 2011. 

Public Holidays

Bulgaria (13)
France (10)
China (11)
US (10)
Japan (16)
UK (8 + 1)
Germany (10)

So according to this graph, it looks like the UK is the hardest working while Japan is the laziest. Hahaha, don't jump to conclusions yet.

Annual Leave

China (5 -> 10)
U.S. (15)
Bulgaria (20)
France (30)
Germany (20)
UK (28)
Japan (20)
 

In terms of annual leave, France takes the top spot with an entire month (thirty days) of vacation allowed (on average) for each employee. The average in the U.S. is fifteen, but actually, some people have as little as five days (I had only five days of annual leave when I was working at the law firms). On average, China is the hardest working nation of the seven based on annual leave alone with only ten days.

Public Holidays + Annual Leave

China (21)
U.S. (25)
Bulgaria (33)
France (40)
Germany (30)
UK (36)
Japan (36)

So when you combine public holidays with annual leave, China remains the hardest working country of the seven while France remains the most slothful of the group. 

 

Sick Days

UK (6)
Germany (7)
U.S. (0)
France (8)
Bulgaria (22)
Japan (0)
China (0)

Then come the sick days. China, the U.S., and Japan are not required to give their workers paid sick days. Rather, if they miss work because they are sick, the employers usually deduct pay for that day when giving them their remuneration. Bulgaria takes the whole cake in this category with a whopping twenty-two sick days allowed annually. 

Public Holidays + Annual Leave + Sick Days

Bulgaria (55)
France (48)
China (21)
US (25)
Japan (36)
UK (42)
Germany (37)

When all the days off are combined, China stays the most hard working country and it is Bulgaria that becomes the laziest. Perhaps these are remnants of the old Soviet era? There's the old Soviet joke that goes, "They pretend to pay us, and we pretend to work." Of course, Bulgaria is no longer a communist nation, but still, it's interesting how that aspect of the Soviet era still seems to linger around.

Today's Random Fact:  

During the rule of Emperor Claudius in the Roman Empire, there were 159 public holidays per year! Wow! I wish I had that many paid public holidays! It would give me ample time to travel the world and get paid for it!

Predisposed to be Happy?

My French and Romanian friends here in France generally comment on my apparently "bright" personality; they are sometimes surprised, though appreciative of my generally positive and happy predisposition and find it, at times, to be strange. That made me wonder, perhaps I'm predisposed to be happy? For instance, here's the map of the happiness survey (dark-red countries = happy countries, lighter yellow countries = unhappier countries).

If you look at the map, you can observe what seem to be happiness "anomalies". I personally think this map goes to prove that money has nothing to do with happiness. For instance, the Japanese, who are "richer" than most Mexicans, are more unhappy than the average Mexican. Mongolians, who are some of the "poorest" people in the world, are happier than the French, who are on average a lot richer. The happiest country in the world, of course, in Denmark =)! Interesting to note though, during my time here in France, I have to admit that the French worry too much and have a problem with feeling "satisfied". Many French people (not all, of course) complain a lot and fail be thankful for all the luxuries they have in life. Thus, I can understand why the French on average are less happy than the average American. As an American-Swede with Swedish, Mongolian, and Korean roots, a Romanian friend of mine told me I might be genetically predisposed to be happy.

Actually, I don't think genes have that much to do with it. I think it's just your attitude. YOU decide if you're happy or not and it's a matter of choosing to be thankful for all that you have versus complaining about things you don't have. After all, "Utopia" is not a country, it's state of mind. 

OK, wow, my deep, philosophical musing indicate that I should go to sleep. I will leave you with a funny cartoon that a Danish boy e-mailed me today.

Today's Random Picture:

Overpowering Iceland

For those of you who don't know, Iceland is a small island nation geographically located in Europe, Northwest of the British Isles.

Iceland was also one of the countries that was hardest hit by the recent global financial crisis. The country proud of its film industry (which has the highest number of films produced per capita) that also produced pretty prominent artists (Björk, Sigur Rós, among others), it felt that being a participant in the EFTA (European Free Trade Agreement) would keep it cushioned from much of the financial blow. Alas, it proved untrue for the island nation, resulting in massive public protests (people threw yogurt and snowballs at the parliamentary building, oh my!). Currently, Iceland's public debt exceeds the country's GDP by over five times! What does this mean? Bank failures of the three largest Icelandic banks (Glitnir, Kaupthing, and Landsbanki) means the country's banks have amassed a debt of  €50 billion. Not that big if you compare it to the debt of the United States. BUT, here's the kicker: Iceland has only approximately 320,000 people! It's barely larger than the city of Strasbourg, population-wise! So a country with 320,000 people and €50 billion dollars in bank debts means that each Icelander owes €160,000!!! That's also several times greater than Iceland's annual GDP, which is estimated to be €8.5 billion.

Discontent Icelanders continued to riot to a point that eventually the police had to step in, tear gassing thousands of protesters. Quite a shock for an otherwise extremely sparsely populated, quiet, and peaceful nation. Last year, amidst public disapproval of the government's handling of the economic failure, Valgerður Sverrisdóttir, an EU-friendly prime minister was elected, replacing the previous Euroskeptic government. The result? Iceland applied to join the EU and its candidature is currently being reviewed and once it passes the referendum back in Reykjavik (Iceland's capital), it will most likely be the EU's newest member. Appropriately, there was a map caricature I stumbled upon that demonstrates the EU's overpowering of Iceland.

Can you identify all of the countries of the EU that correspond to the "body parts" of the giant crushing Iceland?

Today's Random Quiz:

You Paint the World with Calming Colors

You are a true friend. You are very dependable. Your friends can always count on you to be competent. You are good at anything you do. You are a truly successful person ... though sometimes it's hard for you to appreciate your success. You are quite cautious and conservative. You like to weigh risks carefully.

How Do You Paint the World?

Going for the Gold?

So the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games have come to a close and so has the medal counting. I'm going back to this topic because I had an interesting conversation with a language exchange partner who's considerably older than I am. He mentioned that back in "his day" (so... like 30 years ago), the Olympic medal count used to be based on how many gold medals a country won, and not the total medal count. Although he learns English, he does seem to harbor some resentment towards Americans since he also added that this system was changed so that the United States would also "be first". Thinking about it, I couldn't help but notice he had a point. Even at Vancouver, while we did win the most total medals, both Germany and Canada had more gold medals than the United States. (Maps are from nytimes.com)

Top 9 Countries

Then I realized, it's not just the Winter Olympics either. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, while we won the most total medals, we were behind China when it comes to total gold medals. 

 So guys, what do you think? Is this an "evil American scheme"? I personally think it might be, but I don't agree with it being "evil". I mean, is gold really that much better than silver or bronze? Is it that much worse to be second or third? I don't think so. I mean, these athletes worked so hard and oftentimes the difference between gold, silver, and bronze is 1 second/point or less. Still, I was wondering if I was alone in thinking this way. It's all in healthy competitiveness, of course. I don't think the Olympics should be about how many medals a country wins or which country is "better" than another. Rather, it's about the best athletes from across the world engaging in a once-in-a-lifetime-experience in healthy competition and just sharing the wonderful world of sports.

Today's Random Quiz:

You Are Combat Boots

You are a complete and total rebel. You refuse to do what you're told, and you're quite stubborn. You really don't care what other people think of you. You are tough and often ruthless. You are independent, iconoclastic, and counter-cultural. You resent authority figures. You are very headstrong. No one is going to pressure you into being someone you're not!

What Kind of Boots Are You?

Immigration in the World

Contrary to what most French people seem to think (that most of the immigrants in their country are from Africa), most of the immigrants are actually from other parts of Europe:

I guess it's only because skin color is more noticeable than linguistic differences that the mass public believes otherwise.

Today's Random Picture:
The breads of France: Mapping out the specialties of each region

Unofficial American Embassy

What is the unofficial American embassy? What is the symbol of America that you have find in nearly every country in the world? Where would I go if I were stranded with no money and felt homesick? What place has a location on every habitable continent in all developed or developing countries? McDonald's. Not to eat there, of course, I stopped eating fast food years ago, but the comforting roof of the golden arches is like being back home in America, or at least, the closest thing you can get if you can't cook up your own comfort foods. I go there just for the WiFi sometimes, since there's a McDonald's just a 5-minute walk from my apartment here in Strasbourg. All McDonald's in France seem to offer free WiFi, which is nice.
I go because I can't study in my room and the library is sometimes too stiff. Cafés are nice, but I don't want to pay 3€ for a coffee and stay for a few hours and try to avoid the waitstaff's scrutinizing glares. McDonald's staff doesn't seem to care whether I buy something or not, so I usually go upstairs, find a quiet corner by the window, read, study, and whatnot when I feel I need to get away from my apartment or the library. And if I do have to buy something someday, a coffee would be just 1€, compared to the 3+€ coffees offered by other places.

French people do seem to eat there. The place gets rather crowded during lunch and dinner hours. It's especially busy on Sundays since most other stores close here in France while McDonald's, keeping up the American tradition, stays open 7 days a week, though here in Strasbourg, there are no 24-hour McDonald's. The latest one stays open until 11p.m., though.
Going off on a tangent, this map shows you basically where all the people live in the contiguous U.S. The more McDonald's there are, the brighter the concentration of lit areas, meaning there are more people there. The Western half of the Midwest and the Southwest are quite clearly sparsely populated, noting the lack of McDonald's =)

Today's Random Picture:
Apparently, McDonald's isn't doing so well in New Zealand and so, this is a promotional tray liner, with a fry shaped like the New Zealand archipelago.

Decade in Review

We'll now be entering the 2010's as the 2000's come to a close. I must admit, a lot has happened during the last 10 years, in terms of general world events and personal events in my life. It was a decade well-lived and I think I'll take this time to reflect on it before starting anew for 2010.

I remember January 1, 2000 very, very well. I was 12, living with my parents, a freshman in high school. I celebrated the new millennium with my family and amidst all of the hype and paranoia of Y2K all my computer did was reset its date to 1980.

In the year 2000, Vermont became the first American state to allow civil unions for same-sex couples, Bill Gates stepped down as CEO, the St. Louis Rams won the Super Bowl, Israel withdrew its troops from Lebanon, and Vicente Fox became president of Mexico. 2000 was also the year that both Vladimir Putin (on March 26) and George W. Bush (November 7) were elected president of Russia and the U.S. respectively. Despite election controversy, (Al Gore won the popular vote), the Supreme Court ruled that Bush would be president and Colin Powell was chosen to become the first ethnic minority American secretary of state.

2001, another action-packed year, during which the Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl, Bush was sworn in, rejected the Kyoto protocol, approved federal funding for limited stem cell research, Milosevic was arrested on war crime charges, and then came the announcement of the discovery of the first new solar system outside our own. September 11th terror attacks marked the deadliest of its kind in U.S. history then came the anthrax scare and the war in Afghanistan. The iPod made its debut in 2001 and the Patriot Act was signed in late October of that year. Both the first "Harry Potter" and "Lord of the Rings" movies were released in late 2001 and terror suspects were to be held at Gitmo.

Switzerland voted to join the UN in 2002 and Bush first labeled his "axis of evil". The New England Patriots won the Super Bowl and the "color-coded" terror alert system made its grand debut, which, by the way, has been perpetually elevated to orange if anyone else has been noticing. They never change the color; it's always orange, every single time I'm at an American airport. On May 20, 2002, Timor-Leste (East Timor) became an independent country and the Supreme Court made a landmark ruling to ban execution of the mentally retarded. Baseball finally decided to test its players for steroids on a regular basis in 2002 and the first "American Idol" winner, Kelly Clarkson, was elected. In the American football world, Emmitt Smith set a new NFL rushing record in 2002. NATO invited former communist countries to join its alliance while United Airlines filed for bankruptcy.

Early in 2003, North Korea withdrew from the anti-nuclear proliferation treaty and Hispanics surpassed blacks as the biggest American minority group. The space shuttle Columbia disaster took place in 2003 and the Iraq war began, shortly thereafter, resulting in the fall of Baghdad. Sign ups for the national "do not call" list to evade telemarketers started in June, Massachusetts ruled in favor of gay marriages, and Saddam Hussein was captured before the end of the year.

Following the Mad Cow disease scare, the avian flu scare was launched in 2004. Facebook came online, the New England Patriots won the Super Bowl, Martha Stewart went to jail, and Lance Armstrong won his 6th Tour de France. New Jersey governor resigned saying he was homosexual, Google joined the stock market, and Chechen militants took hostages in a Russian school. The second greatest sports moment of the decade happened with the Boston Red Sox winning the World Series, finally breaking the "curse". Bush was re-elected for a second term and Ukraine experienced its "Orange revolution" with the election of Yushchenko, who survived the poisoning. There were also a handful of natural disasters, including the massive earthquake in Nagaoka, Hurricane Jeanne and the four earthquakes of Florida, and the tsunami attack in South Asia. Yassar Arafat died and Hamid Karzai became Afghanistan's new president.

The NHL canceled its season in 2005 and baseball called for stricter drug testing. The Supreme Court ruled against death penalty for juveniles, Prince Charles finally married Camilla, Pope John Paul II died and Benedict was chosen as a replacement. YouTube launched this year, Ahmadinejad was elected as Iranian president, the London terror attacks took place, and Lance Armstrong won his 7th Tour de France. Israel completed its withdrawal from the Gaza strip and parts of the West Bank, Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana, Angela Merkel became Germany's first female chancellor, and "The Colbert Report" premiered on cable. Chicago's White Sox won the World Series and the New England Patriots won its 3rd Super Bowl, becoming a dynasty and marking the best sports moment of the decade (for me). Bush acknowledged the wired tapping going on in U.S. homes at the end of the year and 2005 was the warmest year on record.

In 2006, Morales came to power in Bolivia, "Phantom of the Opera" became the longest running Broadway show, Milosevic was found dead, Libya was removed from the terror list, and North Korea test fired missiles and conducted its first "nuclear" test, though whether it was really a nuclear weapon or the seriousness of this is rather dubious. The Pittsburgh Steelers won the Super Bowl, liquids were banned in carry-on luggage in late summer of 2006, and Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya was shot dead. Serbia and Montenegro peacefully split into two, separate, independent countries, Google bought YouTube in 2006, Wii made its debut in the gaming world, and Pluto was demoted from its previous status as a planet. New York City banned trans fats in restaurants and Saddam Hussein was executed.

2007 started off with Nancy Pelosi becoming the first female speaker of the House, Beckham signing a contract to play soccer (football) in the U.S., and climate scientists warning about the real consequences of global warming. NFL made instant replay permanent and the Super Bowl was won by the Indianapolis Colts (unfortunately, since I hate Peyton Manning!). 32 were killed in the Virginia Tech massacre, Sarkozy was elected French president, and Gordon Brown became the new British Prime Minister. The last Harry Potter book was released in the summer of 2007, Barry Bonds broke the record for career home runs, and Bret Favre broke the NFL record for touchdown passes. Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize, Hollywood writers went on strike, and Argentina's first female president, Cristina Fernandez, was sworn in.

Last year, oil hit record-high prices at $100/barrel, Sarkozy married Carla Bruni, Fidel Castro resigned, Bush vetoed water boarding ban, and New York's governor was caught up in a prostitution scandal. Bear Stearns was rescued earlier last year, though the worse was yet to come in terms of financial crises and Kosovo declared independence. Medvedev, Putin's protégé, was sworn is as Russian president and polar bears were declared a threatened species. California banned trans-fats in restaurants and frozen water was found on Mars. The Russia-Georgia war started along with the Olympics in Beijing during which swimmer Michael Phelps set an Olympic record with 8 gold medals won at a single Olympic tournament. McCain picked Palin as a running mate and California banned gay marriages while Connecticut approved. Barack Obama became the first ethnic minority president in the U.S.

This year, Obama was sworn in and ordered the closing of Gitmo, signed a $757 billion stimulus packaged, announced a new Afghan-Pakistan strategy, and won the Nobel Peace Prize. Gay marriage was legalized in Iowa, Sonia Sotomayor became the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice, the swine flu scare started, and the "King of Pop", Michael Jackson, died. Vermont passed a law allowing gay marriages while Maine voters repealed its law that allowed gay marriages and Michael Jordan was inducted in the basketball hall of fame. Unemployment in the U.S. hit 10% and thus came the end of the decade.

On a personal level, a lot has changed for me since 2000. I not only graduated from high school, but I also graduated from university and now I'm in France doing a graduate program. I managed to visit 36 countries within the decade past and learned to speak 2 additional languages fluently while adding on another 4 to the list of languages I'm studying. I moved 5 times and lived in 3 different countries on 3 different continents ("lived" in this case meaning over 3 months), learned how to hitchhike and completed 108 of the 263 things on my list of things to do before I die. At this rate, I hope to complete the list within the next decade or two! (Oh and I haven't forgotten, merry 7th day of Christmas!)

Today's Random Quiz:

You Should Celebrate Friendship

It may have been a good year or a bad year, but no matter what, your friends helped get you through it. And you can't imagine celebrating New Year's Eve without your closest friends around. You are always happy to catch up with old friends on this night, and you're hoping to make some new ones too. So this year, raise a toast to old and new friends. They make every day of the year a little brighter.

What Should You Celebrate?

Swedish Women Voted the Most Beautiful

I'm not lesbian, but I'm a woman. As a woman, I can appreciate beauty in all sexes since female sexuality is not as rigid as male sexuality. Not just that, but I just appreciate beauty, whether it's in a form of art, a beautiful person, or beautiful music, anything really. So what's the point of this entry? Well, I read travel magazines and in one particular magazine article, it listed the top 10 cities with the most beautiful women in the world. Sweden was #1. I'm not surprised. I've been to Stockholm and there were plenty of beautiful women there. It was nice and I don't have to be homosexual to say that. Like I said, I appreciate beauty in all forms. Still, I guess this entry is for all my male friends out there who are planning their next trip ;). Here are the top 10 cities according to Traveler's Digest:

Cities with the Most Beautiful Women by Dakota Smith

10. Montreal, Canada
Ahh the flavour of France but with the convenient location of Canada, Montreal is truly one of the world's best cities. So many colleges & universities, so many women, & with fashion sense, a very good quality may I add. The best part of course being that the women all speak French, the language of love. So my friends, take a trip to Montreal, and find a beautiful leather trench coat wearing beauty that will serenade you in French all night long.

9. Seoul, South Korea
Every guy loves Asian women, I'm pretty sure that's a scientific fact and Seoul is home to quite a few of them. The city is a large, cosmopolitan, & vibrant city. It's home to some of the best nightlife in Asia, so you'll also not be lacking in opportunities to meet people. After a trip to Seoul, whether you like Asian women or not, you'll come down with a case of the 'yellow fever'.

8. Amsterdam, Holland
Of course Amsterdam must make the list. This city has women more beautiful riding past on bicycles than other cities have going by in chauffeured cars. Dutch girls are amazing in so many ways, they're trendy, as well as cool, they're fun, & also friendly. They're the kind of girls that you just want to date for a very long time.

7. Tel Aviv, Israel
Israel has some of the best looking women in the world, something about those green eyes that are just particularly attractive. But beware as in Israel women over the age of 18 are required to have been in the military, this of course means that if you sleep with an Israeli girl's best friend, she may very well kick your ass, while equipped with an Uzi. Sure it's a longshot, but it could happen.

6. Caracas, Venezuela
Caracas the capital of Venezuela, Venezuela the country with more Miss Universe Pageant titles than any other nation, so you know it's capital is going to be raging full of beautiful women. Women so beautiful that they make Brazilian women look like trashier counterparts. I speak honestly when I tell you that I know what type of undergarments runner up to Miss Venezuela wears (let us just say little flowers), what I cannot begin to tell you however is the amount of fun you will have if you take a trip to Venezuela, say hello to Hugo Chavez for me.

5. Moscow, Russia
Mother Russia is home to some of the world's finest women, the Moscow subway alone has more beauties than most of the United States alone, & I live in the United States :( It's not only the regularity of tall, blonde hair, blue eyed women that make it so great, it's also the amazing level of friendliness that you will find. It's a definite unique experience when what seems the world's most beautiful woman is staring your way, it leaves you wondering whether you have something on your shirt, but you in fact probably don't, they could very well think you're hot.

4. Varna, Bulgaria
Many of you may not have heard of Bulgaria, some of you may not know where to find it on a map, but you have all been there, in your dreams at night when you sleep. A land of cheap vodka, no drug laws, mechanical bulls on the beach, & waterslides. A land of cafes with inflatable furniture, the land of g-strings, & see through pants, the land of topless sunbathing. But more importantly than all others the land of the world's most beautiful, charming, & stunning women, oh how I love them so.

3. Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires should be designated the capital of the Western Hemisphere, not only for it's wealth of beautiful women on a scale unlike any other Latin Country, even the extraordinary Venezuela, but for being the best city this side of Paris. Buenos Aires is amazing, where else can you sing Madonna hyms by the burial site of Evita, answer nowhere. More importantly where else can I get invited to model scout competitions, invited to Fashion TV parties, & kiss a 6"4 supermodel, well not too many other places let me tell you.

2. Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen has surely got some of the world's most beautiful women, & also some of the friendliest, maybe even a little bit more sex orientated than their Swedish counterparts. For instance, I had just arrived at the Copenhagen train station, it was late, I was tired, I must've been looking good, for I noticed a hot Danish girl looking my way, so I looked hers, then I smiled, then she pointed me out to her friend, & next thing you know I had an entire high school classroom full of girls yelling at me, things, yelling things, good things. This alone is why I say Copenhagen is one of the best, it's like Amsterdam but instead of hookers, Copenhagen has porn stars.

1. Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm is a city filled with the best looking women in the world, women so good looking that when you walk in to a 7-11 you will swear that you have just walked into a reality TV set, What Happens When Supermodels Work at A Convenience Store? Yes I know it's a long name, but hey it's true. Better yet the women are super friendly, & extremely educated, they speak English with English accents, they start making you wonder whether England in fact had good looking women but they're all on working vacations in Sweden, turns out they're not as England doesn't have but in fact they're all just really well studied Swedish girls.
Out of the 10 cities listen above, I've been to 6 of them. Stockholm, I definitely agree with. Moscow, I believe them, though when I was there, I was stranded without a passport and I was 15 and in a panicked state and had no chance to notice even key architecture, let alone the women. Amsterdam, hm... I guess I was too amazed at how well people spoke English there (even 80-year-old grannies speak perfect English there!) that I didn't notice. Seoul I've been to when I was like... 8 so I don't remember much. Montreal I'd agree with though I don't like the Quebecois. The French they speak in Montreal isn't the same as they do in France and to me, it doesn't sound good and thus, not "romantic" or hot at all. Though, if you don't know a word of French (or if you LIKE the Quebecois accent), then heck you might not notice the difference. My brother and I have a theory as to why Swedish women are beautiful. Back in the ancient times, when Vikings roamed the lands that are now Great Britain, they took all the beautiful women, or most of them. Now, stretch that out over a couple decades to centuries and you might have a significant impact on the gene pool. That might explain why British women are considered "mediocre" and Swedish women "beautiful".

Today's Random Picture:

Removing the Bottom 5%

Sad as it is, in our world the few rich countries hold most of the world's wealth. If you remove the bottom 5% of world GDP contributors, you'd be eliminating a total of 81 countries, 2.9 billion people (~43% of the world population), and yet, only 5% of world GDP. Most of the countries that would "disappear" are those in Africa, Southeast Asia, a few countries in Latin America and a couple in the Middle East/Central Asia.
The poorest country (and thus the least significant GDP contributor) is Zimbabwe. Then follows the rest of the bottom 5% thusly:

Burundi, DR Congo, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Malawi, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Niger, Afghanistan, Togo, Guinea, Uganda, Madagascar, the Central African Republic, Nepal, Myanmar (Burma), Rwanda, Mozambique, East Timor, The Gambia, Bangladesh, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Mali, Lesotho, Ghana, Haiti, Tajikistan, the Comoros, Cambodia, Laos, Benin, Kenya, Chad, the Solomon Islands, Kyrgyzstan, India, Nicaragua, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Mauritania, Pakistan, Senegal, Sao Tome and Principe, Ivory Coast, Zambia, the Yemen, Cameroon, Djibouti, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Nigeria, Guyana, the Sudan, Bolivia, Moldova, Honduras, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Bhutan, Egypt, Vanuatu, Tonga, Paraguay, Morocco, Syria, Swaziland, Samoa, Guatemala, Georgia, the Congo, Iraq, Armenia, Jordan, Cape Verde, the Maldives, Fiji, Namibia

Insane how unequal wealth distribution is in the world, isn't it? So many people study it and no one has yet discovered a plausible solution... will it ever end?

Today's Random Quiz:

You Are Mashed Potatoes

You are reliable and steady. People know that they can count on you each year at Thanksgiving, and you are never a disappointment. While you may seem simple, a lot of work goes in to who you are. You are a bit of an under-appreciated masterpiece. You are both decadent and indulgent, while still being accessible to the common thing. In some ways you are all things to all people. You get along well with other people, but you're also good all on you're own. The bottom line is that you're easy to love.

What Thanksgiving Side Dish Are You?

Dictators without Mustaches

Another long hiatus... and now I'm in Poland! But first, I wanted to respond to the last entry about mustaches and dictators. I do admit, there are dictators out there who don't have mustaches ;)


Name: Than Shwe
Years in Power: 17
Country: Myanmar (Burma)
Capital: Yangon (Rangoon)
RSF Ranking: 164 (of 169) ]
Failed States Index (FSI) Ranking: 13 (of 177)
Basic info: This country and dictator has been getting media attention, especially upon the media coverage of the protesting Burmese monks against the military junta. Though Burma's transition into democracy was hailed by Aung San Suu Kyi's election as prime minister, Than Shwe wouldn't let things happen that way and instead, placed the Prime Minister-elect under arrest and assumed power. As with all dictatorships, media within the country is controlled and as clearly shown in the responses against the peaceful protests by the monks, any opposition to the ruling junta is suppressed.



Name: Kim Jong-Il (김정일)
Years in Power: 16
Country: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (조선민주주의인민공화국)
Capital: Pyongyang (평양)
RSF Ranking: 168 (of 169) [1 = most free, 169 = least free]
Failed States Index (FSI) Ranking: 17 (of 177) [1 = failed state, 177 = most sustainable state]
Basic info: I think everyone knows at this point who Kim Jong-Il is. Succeeding his father, Kim Il-Sung, KJI has been just as bad, if not worse, than his father. The country is extremely impoverished and people die of starvation while the "Dear Leader" indulges in luxury goods. In the mid-1990s, a famine killed an estimated 3 million people, proclaimed one of the worst in the 20th century. Government has completely control of all forms of media and in order to further isolate the country and the people, all aid workers/organizations have been expelled from the country to keep out foreigners. There are some rumors that he died of diabetes or a combination of health problems and his double has been acting as a figurehead. No one can know for sure, but I'm surprised that no one has tried assassinating him.


Name: Islom Karimov (Ислом Абдуғаниевич Каримов)
Years in Power: 18
Country: Uzbekistan (Ўзбекистон Республикаси)
Capital: Tashkent (Тошкент)
RSF Ranking: 164 (of 169)
Failed States Index (FSI) Ranking: 31 (of 177)
Basic info: Not many people know about the dictatorship in Uzbekistan, but Islom Karimov has been in power for nearly two decades now. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan gained independence and along with it, a continued dictatorship under Karimov. In the last alleged election, he won with "88.1%" of the votes, quite apparently staged. Media is tightly controlled and censorship is stringent. The Uzbek regime has also been criticized by the UN and others, for human rights violations, more specifically revolving around torture of suspected criminals or defectors (i.e. boiling people alive). So, by means of controlled media, fake elections, and brutal torture methods, Islom Karimov has managed to stay in power.


Name: Muammar al-Gaddafi (معمر القذافي)
Years in Power: 40
Country: Libya (ليبيا)
Capital: Tripoli (طرابلس )
RSF Ranking: 160 (of 169)
Failed States Index (FSI) Ranking: 112 (of 177)
Basic info: After a military coup d'état, overthrowing King Idris I, the alleged reason was to get rid of the monarchy and set up a republic. Unfortunately, it was an empty promise since Gaddafi has been in power since the 1969 coup and is now the 3rd longest living head of state after the death of Gabonese dictator Omar Bongo (June 8, 2009). Any opposition or negative publications, comments about the existing regime results in life imprisonment and media is controlled by the government. Torture is commonplace and as if suffering from some sort of histrionic disorder, he bases his rule on pan-Arabism/Africanism, dubbing himself the "King of Kings" of Africa.


Name: Hu Jintao (胡锦涛)
Years in Power: 6
Country: People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国)
Capital: Beijing (北京)
RSF Ranking: 163 (of 169)
Failed States Index (FSI) Ranking: 57 (of 177)
Basic info: Communist in name, capitalistic in market, and dictatorial in government, China's Hu has been in power for over 6 years. Under this dictatorship, media is completely government controlled and monitored, internet (including private e-mails) is censored and there are restrictions on speech and religion. Political and/or religious defectors face going to "Reeducation through labor camps" for a few years without having a right to trial and since his accession, repression of minorities (i.e. Tibetans, Uighyrs, etc.) has greatly increased.


Name: Gurbanguly Mälikgulyýewiç Berdimuhamedow
Years in Power: 2
Country: Turkmenistan (Türkmenistan)
Capital: Ashgabat (Aşgabat)
RSF Ranking: 167 (of 169)
Failed States Index (FSI) Ranking: 59 (of 177)
Basic info: Berdimuhamedow succeeded another dictator, Saparmurat Niyazov, after imprisoning the original successor, Öwezgeldi Ataýew. He might seem a tad better than Niyazov since he hasn't renamed the months of the year after himself as Niyazov did; however, nothing has really changed in Turkmenistan. Despite the country's rich natural resources, more than half the population live in poverty due to poor governance. All media, as with all dictators, is controlled by the government. Practice of religion is restricted, opposition is "illegal", and prisons teem with political prisoners.

Mustaches and Dictators

I'm sure I'm not the only one to discuss or notice this and I'm sure most of you have noticed this as well... what is up with "famous" dictators (past and present) and mustaches?

Of course, some of the most famous mustaches are those of the past and dead (thank goodness) dictators like...
Adolf Hitler (I think we all know why he is considered a dictator, right?)

Though he may have voted as the third-best Russian by Russians, Joseph Stalin is still a dictator on all levels and he, too, ported a mustache fit for a dictator.

Then we have the dictators of our Zeitgeist, still alive and kicking (well, doing worse than kicking... more like killing, oppressing, extorting, etc.) who have mustaches, among the most famous is...
Fidel Castro. No need to explain why he's a dictator, I'm sure. He doesn't just have a mustache either, but a full-on beard.

Then we have the lesser-known dictators, at least lesser-known to most Americans.
This guy's "mustache" is very small... I'm not even sure I can call it a mustache, it's almost like the one Hitler had but even narrower. It's disturbing and it looks like some kind of fungal matter growing there. In any case, why is he a dictator? Actually, I'm sure many people, even Americans, know who he is but in case you don't.
Name: Robert Gabriel Mugabe
Years in Power: 21.5
Country: Zimbabwe
Capital: Harare
RSF Ranking: 149 (of 169) [1 = most free, 169 = least free]
Failed States Index (FSI) Ranking: 3 (of 177) [1 = failed state, 177 = most sustainable state]
Basic info: Believe it or not, but Robert Mugabe in his younger days, was an African hero fighting for independence from colonization and even spending time in prison for his activism. Though Zimbabwe is an alleged "parliamentary democracy", in reality it's a kleptocracy and all opposition members are crushed, raped, imprisoned, and possibly even killed. Who knows? Starvation is widespread, cholera infections kill hundreds if not thousands, 80% of the population is unemployed, and the nation-state is on the verge (if not already at the point) of failure. It's economy under Mugabe has been destroyed (Real GDP growth rate is estimated to be -12.6%) and nothing is being done to stop hyperinflation (inflation is 80,000,000,000%).



Al-Bashir has a sort of weird outline of a mustache/beard.
Name: Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir (عمر حسن أحمد البشير)
Years in Power: 20
Country: Sudan (السودان)
Capital: Khartoum (الخرطوم)
RSF Ranking: 140 (of 169)
Failed States Index (FSI) Ranking: 2 (of 177)
Basic info: In March 2009, the ICC (International Criminal Court) issued an arrest warrant for Omar al-Bashir who is charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes in contributing to the genocide in Darfur. He was charged by the ICC with "murdering, exterminating, raping, torturing, and forcibly transferring large numbers of civilians, and pillaging their property." Since 2003, the crisis at Darfur, under al-Bashir's military campaign, has lead to the expulsion of about 2.7 million people from their homes. Despite the arrest warrant and the charges against him, al-Bashir continues to keep his position as "President of Sudan", a seat he has kept since coming to power 1989 as a colonel that lead to the coup d'état and the abdication of Sadiq al-Mahdi.



This guy doesn't just have a mustache, he has a full on beard. Then again, it might just be because he's such a "devout Muslim".
Name: Ali Hoseyni Khāmene’i (علی حسینی خامنه‌ای)
Years in Power: 20
Country: Iran (ايران)
Capital: Tehran (تهران)
RSF Ranking: 166 (of 169)
Failed States Index (FSI) Ranking: 49 (of 177)
Basic info: "Ayatollah" Khamenei's regime is one that openly violates human rights. Women's rights don't seem to exist and activists are often arrested, religious minorities as well as ethnic minorities can also be arrested. Iran also permits the execution of those under 18 (boys at age 15 and girls at age 9). Of course, any serious political opposition would be crushed as you may have noticed already with the riots and protests against the recent presidential election results. They say that the conservative Ahmadinejad only actually won around 12% of the votes while the more left-wing Mousavi won the rest... but hey... don't quote me on that.




A very Stalin-esque mustache is being worn by this Eritrean dictator.
Name: Isaias Afewerki
Years in Power: 16
Country: Eritrea
Capital: Asmara
RSF Ranking: 169 (of 169)
Failed States Index (FSI) Ranking: 44 (of 177)
Basic info: Afewerki came to power upon Eritrea's independence from Ethiopia in 1993. Since then, he's been president and announed in May of last year (2008), that there would no longer be presidential elections or at least the next 30 or 40 years since such elections "polarize" society. Eritrea is ranked as the most oppressive in terms of free press according to Reporters sans frontières (RSF) and since 2001, there are at least a dozen journalists still under arrest in the country. All media is controlled by the government.




This guy is the known as the guy in charge of the "Last Dictatorship in Europe". Let's hope that it's really true, that it really is the last dictatorship in Europe (knock on wood).
Name: Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (Аляксандр Рыгоравіч Лукашэнка)
Years in Power: 15
Country: Belarus (Беларусь)
Capital: Minsk (Менск)
RSF Ranking: 151 (of 169)
Failed States Index (FSI) Ranking: 53 (of 177)
Basic info: After the fall of the Soviet Union, Belarus became an independent nation, changed their flag to white awith red centered banner, and worked toward democracy all until the election of Lukashenko in 1994 and he's been in power since. Freedom of speech is questionable at best, government controls all forms of media, including restrictions on the internet as ranked by RSF, and probably all elections are rigged to favor the reelection of Lukashenko (no matter how popular a leader may be, no one really wins with 82+% of the popular vote unless there's election fraud involved and especially after 10+ years in office) the most recent election being 2006.




A mustache and a goatee. Gross. I hate goatees. No wait, I actually just dislike facial hair in general because it seems really... not very hygienic. Who knows what kind of gross bacteria and other shit are growing in there???
Name: King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud (خادم الحرمين الشريفين الملك عبد الله بن عبد العزيز آل سعود)
Years in Power: 13 (de facto)
Country: Kingdom of Saudi Arabic (المملكة العربية السعودية‎)
Capital: Riyadh (الرياض)
RSF Ranking: 148 (of 169)
Failed States Index (FSI) Ranking: 84 (of 177)
Basic info: Although the U.S tries to buddy up with Saudi Arabia, it's ignoring the dictatorial government that is in place under Abdullah... all because of our dependence on Saudi oil. Thus, our government chooses to ignore the fact that Saudi Arabia is a dictatorial, repressive monarchy. Women in Saudi Arabia must have permission from male guardians to do the simplest things, including obtaining an Identification card, marrying, traveling, studying, and working. The government is allegedly trying to "reform" but the Human Rights Commission is headed solely by men and its penal code disallows defendants to question witnesses.