Newley.com

BBC: “A Caledonian University student claims he has made an important breakthrough in how to pour ‘the perfect pint’ during Euro 2004.

David Stevenson, from Helensburgh, said his device is ‘fool-proof’ and enables football fans to watch games without worrying about pouring problems.”

I’ve added a bunch of Weblogs to the left-hand side of this page. Most of them are sites I’ve been enjoying for a while and am just now getting around to linking to. I’ve also added a more direct link to my travel photos page, which was previously a little harder to find.

Following my speculation that Ecuadorian president Lucio Gutierrez will soon be booted from office, and following my buddy Mike F.‘s thoughts that Lucio’s fine for now, here’s what my friend Jordan L. has to say.

Jordan’s an American who lived in Ecuador for three years; he and I were once roommates in Cuenca. He’s seen Ecuadorian presidents come and go, and I often say he knows more about that small Andean nation than any gringo I know. I asked him to weigh in on the matter, and here’s his response:

First off, I admire your courage. Talking about Ecuadorian politics is like pissing in the wind–and believe me when I say I’ve inadvertently urinated on myself more than a few times amidst gusty Andean gales. Never the less, I will try once more to plow the sea of public debate in response to your question: “Lucio–on his way out?”

If one thing is clear, it’s that no one has a clue as to who could take Lucio’s place. Frankly, nobody wants the job. Being president of Ecuador is akin to political suicide–and it’s systemic. After Bucaram was voted out in 1998 congress amended the
constitution and replaced Rosalia (VP) with Alarcon, then president of the congress. Alarcon promptly made several reforms that consolidated power in the executive branch and likewise made it extremely hard to remove a sitting president by legal means. The
reforms also gave the president more control over the budget at a time when state revenues were dwindling (read: neoliberalism). So any president has to do more with less and will surely get blamed for the outcome, as Lucio is finding out the hard way.

So there you have it, folks. Thank you, Jordan and Mike, for your incisive opinions on the topic. I haven’t been this proud of Newley.com since our global warming debate back in December.

Given my intense distaste for “Bowling for Columbine,” I’m interested to see what my reaction’ll be to Moore’s new film, “Farenheit 9/11.”

Chris Hitchens, a critic I admire, has seen the movie and says this:

To describe this film as dishonest and demagogic would almost be to promote those terms to the level of respectability. To describe this film as a piece of crap would be to run the risk of a discourse that would never again rise above the excremental. To describe it as an exercise in facile crowd-pleasing would be too obvious. Fahrenheit 9/11 is a sinister exercise in moral frivolity, crudely disguised as an exercise in seriousness. It is also a spectacle of abject political cowardice masking itself as a demonstration of “dissenting” bravery.

I’ve written recently that I think Ecuadorian president Lucio Gutierrez will soon be ousted from office. His approval ratings are south of 10%, and most crucially, he’s alienated the country’s sizeable indigenous population. And as we saw in Bolivia last year, well-organized Indian groups in the Andes have the power to force unpopular presidents to step down. So after an Ecuadorian indigenous coalition launched a series of protests throughout the country a couple weeks ago, I predicted that Lucio’s days must now surely be numbered.

I asked my good friend Mike F., an American I taught with in Ecuador, for his thoughts on the situation. He lives in Cuenca and has a deep understanding of Ecuadorian political and social dynamics; he related these interesting (and humorous) observations. It seems I might’ve too quick to herald Lucio’s demise.

First, I’d like to inform you that Cuenca now has a new mall, “Mall del Rio, Shopping Center”. Yes that’s right, shopping center, as if centro comercial didn’t describe it. We went for the customary visit on Sunday, and how enlightening it was. Picture the scene, a new mall, basically right at the base of the Turi hill, with venders selling their shish-kabobs and other wares right outside of the parking lot.

What does it all mean? To me, a couple of things. First, unless he runs afoul of the military, Lucio won’t fall. Plus, he’s already been to Washington to say he wants to be George’s best friend in the hemisphere. He has also said that he wants a free trade agreement with the US regardless of whether or not the rest of SA agrees with him. Consumerism is here to stay. People want to be spenders, to be havers. When Lucio got elected, it looked like he would be a leftist. No one accuses him of that anymore. Ecuador is in a boom time for it’s budget right now because it was based on $16 a barrel and it’s now getting around $35 a barrel. Where is the money going? To build rural roads? No, to fix up the tourist centers of Quito and Guayaquil (and Cuenca to a lesser degree). To host the Miss Universe (incidentally, Miss Peru got robbed). I think that this government, and the people, have made a choice to join the “global economy” whatever that might mean for a raw goods exporter. I think the most telling of anything is the number of TV stores in Cuenca and the new mall. Consumerism and the TV go hand in hand, and everyone has one. You might even be able to measure class status with the number of TVs that someone has. It’s a little disappointing, but what can you expect.

Via the excellent Peking Duck, here’s a fascinating look at the future of the small island I now call home. Check out Ross Terrill’s “Death of a Party-State: The Aftermath of the Presidential Election in Taiwan.”

1. Talk on a mobile phone.
2. Smoke a cigarette.
3. Enjoy a beverage.
4. Chew betelnut.
5. Pet their dog, which is riding on the floorboards.
6. Simultaneously talk on a mobile phone, smoke a cigarette, and enjoy a beverage.

UPDATE: Jill reminds me of another ridiculous scooter multitasking phenomenon we’ve witnessed: people tending to their infants, who they’ve got swaddled up in baby carriers resting on their floorboards.

…is amusing.

I’ve written a little more about Ecuador in a new post over at Southern Exposure. The long and the short of it:

1) Presidente Lucio’s hanging in there; and
2) here’s a lengthy, detailed, and quite moving expose of the Ecuadorian human trafficking industry; the New York Times published it today, and it’s a must-read.

Staggering numbers of Ecuadorians pay exorbitant amounts of money to be ferried from the Ecuadorian coast to Guatemala; from there, they travel to Mexico and then, finally, to the US, where they typically work low-wage jobs and send money home to their relatives. Not only is the story riveting, but it hits home for me: I lived in Cuenca, where the trafficking ring is based.

I’m in the process of obtaining my motorcycle license. I’ve done the vision test at a local hospital, and the next step is to take the written and driving tests.

In studying the test booklet, I’ve encountered some amusing questions. Here’re a couple; this is exactly how they appear in the book:

When riding through an urban area of disorder traffic or a road construction section , you should (1) speed up to pass quickly. (2) honk fiercely as you ride (3) give way for each other.

For the rider the most important equipment of protecting the body is (1) a wide belt. (2) a helmet. (3) windshield glasses.

Stay tuned for the correct answers…