Pope assassination attempt was Soviet plot

.

Associated Press is reporting that an Italian parliamentary commission has concluded that the USSR was behind the 1981 attempt to assassinate Pope John Paul II given his role in supporting the Solidarity movement in Poland - which, naturally, was seen as a challenge to communist rule and Soviet hegemony over eastern Europe. The report details the draft report from the commission into the involvement of the KGB in Italy during the Cold War.
.

Has Keith Locke apologised to the people of eastern Europe for supporting the Soviet Union in the 70s and 80s?

Republic of Black Mountain

.

The Parliament of the republic of Montenegro has agreed to the conducting of a referendum on whether or not to secede from Serbia-Montenegro. If the referendum carries a yes vote, this will be the final part of Yugoslavia breaking away. Since Slovenia and Croatia declared independence in 1991, Bosnia-Hercegovina in 1992 and subsequently Macedonia (no Greeks flaming me about the name, I KNOW your issue), at last Montenegro (literally black mountain) may unshackle itself from Belgrade (Kosovo has status yet to be finalised).
.
This wont please the large Serb minority, or Serbia itself which loses access to the Adriatic – but given that both Serbia and Montenegro are more interested in joining the EU, it hopefully wont fuel tensions among angry nationalists. The last opinion poll showed 43% in favour of independence, with 31% against, the remainder undecided.
.
Europe has had a plethora of breakaway states in the last 15 years, plus one unification (Germany). Since 1991 the following countries have established recognised independent governments:
.
Latvia (now EU)
Lithuania (now EU)
Estonia (now EU)
Belarus (Stalinist outpost)
Ukraine
Moldova
Slovakia / Czech Republic (both EU)
Slovenia (now EU)
Croatia
Macedonia (formerly, “former Yugoslav republic of”)
Bosnia-Hercegovina
.
And that doesn’t include Russia, assuming it succeeded the USSR. The greater Serbia that Slobodan Milosevic murdered for is slipping away, if Montenegro goes, Kosovo will be next!

Riots in South Africa spell end of ANC honeymoon

.

Well not entirely, the ANC will still win most of the local body elections, but the riots in Khutsong township bear witness to disappointment over the ANC gravy train – the party that keeps winning election after election doesn’t feel like it needs to deliver, and has also been dominated by socialists with little inkling about economic rationality. Corruption and a creeping lack of transparency and accountability are becoming the hallmark of the ANC – after all it is lead by a sympathiser of Murderer Mugabe. Check out the writings of the ANC on local government, it has all the rhetoric of a Marxist-Leninist party, which it just about is:

.

We also urge all our cadres and members to sustain their interaction with the masses of our people to encourage them to exercise their democratic right to vote, and thus select municipal legislatures and governments of their choice.
.
However, the ANC will remain in charge of most local authorities, although the Democratic Alliance, (the heirs to the Democratic Party – the only legal party during the apartheid era that for decades spoke out against apartheid) hopes to take Cape Town.
.
Having said that, South Africa is enjoying good economic growth, 6% last year, partly because the government has abandoned pursuing socialist policies extensively. It can’t afford to, literally. As long as it pursues reasonable economic orthodoxy it will continue to look better than its neighbours, but the growing arrogance of the ANC is a worry – few in South Africa look longingly at Harare and what has become of that former economic performer.

Lib Dem leadership race or who gives a ....

The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity. We champion the freedom, dignity and well-being of individuals, we acknowledge and respect their right to freedom of conscience and their right to develop their talents to the full. We aim to disperse power, to foster diversity and to nurture creativity. We believe that the role of the state is to enable all citizens to attain these ideals, to contribute fully to their communities and to take part in the decisions which affect their lives.
.
*empties the sick bag* – the leftie values of the Liberal Democrats from the website, who are having the most boring leadership contest in the UK right now.
.
Oh YAWN! Which politician with no aspiration to do anything beyond be in Opposition (or having delusions of grandeur) wants to lead the socially liberal economically conservative democrats? What DOES being Liberal Democrat mean anyway? What sort of stupid name for a party is “democrat”? (this applies to the US, Australian, NZ and all the other stupid “Democrat” parties, are any of them any good?) It’s not as if democracy is up for the vote is it now? In Zimbabwe, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) makes sense, because Zimbabwe is hardly a fair democracy. The LibDems could be pro-MMP, but neither major party is stupid enough to go for that (look at NZ!). However, do the Liberal Democrats want everything to be by popular vote? In which case why bother? The majority rules, you don’t need principles. How about the word “Liberal”? Yes there is room for a liberal party in the UK, Labour is sometimes liberal socially, other times is all for state surveillance and nannying everyone. The Tories are, well, Conservative and David Cameron is hardly liberal when he doesn’t want to rock the status quo NHS disaster or cut taxes.
.
So I don’t care!! let the LibDems to have the least competent leader possible, after eviscerating Charles Kennedy, who, albeit as a leftie, saw the LibDems get their best result ever, because the uptight bastards didn’t like him being alcoholic. The LibDems only deliver value when they are concerned about civil liberties, the rest of the time they are high tax socialist opportunists, who deserve to go the way of Michael Foot's Labour Party.

.

The UK has the socialist LibDems, the civil liberty hating nanny stating, but sometimes sensible Labour Party and the somewhat liberal, but slitheringly left leaning new Tories - nice to see how statists have so much choice here!.

.

and no, I wont tell you who the contenders are and what they stand for - you have better things to worry about.

Airline leg room varies...

.

I'm not tall, but I'm not short - I'm 5'10" - and long haul flights in economy class, with tight leg room don't please me, in fact I think it is uncivilised to sit upright for hours on end cooped up in an aluminium tube with dry air and sitting nearly on top of other people.

.

That's why a few years ago I learnt that airlines have different seat pitch - that is, the distance they place each row of seats from the other. The pitch is the measurement from one point of the seat to the exact same point in the next seat - so airlines with deep/thick cushioned seats might have great pitch, but little legroom, whereas thin, but modern contoured seats can give you more legroom with less pitch - got it?

.

So, while you might choose your airlines on the basis of fares, service, entertainment system and schedule, for me one important factor is room - I like space, and so I've done a bit of research into airline seat pitch, in economy, for airlines flying to and from New Zealand. The worst seat width is Emirates, it squeezes in a 10th seat per row on its 777s, whereas Singapore Airlines and Air NZ only have 9 seats. So here is the list, if I missed any I apologise, but these are only those flying to NZ:

.

AIRLINE SEAT PITCH

.

Air NZ Boeing 747 34"

Singapore Boeing 777 34"

Thai A340/747 34"

Malaysian 747/777 34"

Aerolinea Argentinas 34"

Emirates 777 33-34" (but only 17" seat width)

Garuda 33"

Korean 33"

Air NZ Airbus A320 32" (17.9" seat width)

Air NZ Boeing 777 32" (but 17.8" seat width)

Air NZ Boeing 767 32" (17.5" seat width)

Singapore Boeing 747 32" (17.5" seat width)

Cathay Pacific 32" (17.5" seat width)

Royal Brunei 32"

Lan (Chile) 32"

Air Pacific 32"

Air Tahiti Nui 32"

Air Calin 32"

Polynesian blue 32"

Emirates Airbus A340 31" (17.5" seat width)

Qantas 31" (17.2" seat width)

Pacific Blue 30-31"

.

So there you have NZ is one of the better ones with its 747, Qantas one of the worst. However, Qantas is there with other big airlines, like British Airways, Virgin Atlantic (which sometimes has as low as 29" seat pitch, but is standardising at 31"), United and Lufthansa - most of them are cheap on space in economy. Frankly 31" is an insult for a 12 hour flight, especially since Air NZ's domestic 737s has the same pitch for its domestic Saab 340s and ATR 72s!! It shows how little people travelling care about legroom!

.

Given that I've booked a trip back to NZ for April - in Air NZ's new premium economy class. Cost about $600 more above a flexible economy ticket to get 6 inches more legroom, and a slightly wider seat, and more recline, which is all I really wanted - the better drinks service and sitting upstairs are bonuses. There were only 3 seats left in premium economy, proving it is popular - as more people don't want to fly for 24 hours sitting in classic "scum class" as a dear drunken friend of mine once declared as she walked into economy on a flight to Singapore a few years ago. I'll let you all know what it is like once I've done it - remember airfares in nominal terms have not changed in 20 years - it still costs around NZ$2000 to fly return to the UK in economy class, as it did in 1985, it still costs NZ$7000 and NZ$12000 to fly business or first class (though only Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly the whole way first class now). So I'm not too fussed about paying a bit more for a bit more comfort, plus premium economy class is pretty much the standard (of seating) as business class used to be when it was introduced.

.

If you want more info about airline seating, go to Seat Guru and Airline Quality websites, they are unaffiliated with airlines and have reasonably up to date info about their seating.