TresSugar

Which Countries Are Most Corrupt? Not New Zealand, Denmark

CitizenSugar — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:00:59 -0700

Money could very well be the root of all evil - though in the latest study of corrupt countries, it's actually the lack of money that sparks trouble. The new report by Transparency International found that in two-fifths of the world's nations, corruption continues to intensify - a trend that can be traced to economic realities. In the countries found to be the most corrupt, 40 percent are classified by the World Bank as low income.

Transparency International's rankings range on a scale from 10 (on the up-and-up) to 1 (rampant corruption). How common is corruption? Of the 180 countries surveyed, 132 of them had scores below a 5. Other factors that contribute to a cloudy ethical picture are weak governments and conflict. The chairman of Transparency International says, "Countries torn apart by conflict pay a huge toll in their capacity to govern. With public institutions crippled or nonexistent, mercenary individuals help themselves to public resources, and corruption thrives."

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Another troublesome mix? Weak government plus plentiful natural resources, like in Equatorial Guinea where 30 percent of the newly discovered oil profits go straight to government officials' wallets. To see which countries ranked where, read more.

The Top Three Least Corrupt: New Zealand (pictured), Denmark (not corrupt and happy!) , and Finland win with scores of 9.4 out of 10. Wealth, stable economies, and a removal from international controversies keep them corruption-free.
The Two Most Corrupt: Somalia and Myanmar. With scores of 1.4 out of 10, the armed conflict, political oppression, and troubles from Mother Nature (Myanmar's horrific cyclone) and pirates (Somalia) corruption is undeniable.
Third and Fourth Place: Iraq and Haiti, respectively. Afghanistan comes in at #7.
Three Countries in Africa Who've Improved: Seychelles, South Africa, and Swaziland all made gains from six to 37 places.
Five Countries Out of Africa With Improvements: Croatia, the Czech Republic, Macedonia, Romania, and Italy. Transparency International points to the European Union accession process on the fight against corruption.

I don't know, but if Denmark keeps winning prizes for being great, they better expect a lot of visitors. What do you think is the biggest contributor to corruption?

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Treelord Treaty Makes Native New Zealanders Lords of Forests

LibertySugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:30:56 -0700

Under the Treelord Treaty signed today, seven of New Zealand's native tribes will now own huge areas of New Zealand forest land. Addressing past injustices with tangible penances, New Zealand has transfered 435,000 acres of land holding large commercial pine plantations in exchange for NZ $420 million (US $319 million). The current pine plantations generate NZ $13 million a year in rent. The settlement also grants the Maori rents collected since 1989.

The indigenous Maori people constitute 15 percent of the island's population, but experience extremely low quality of life compared to other residents of the island. This historic and unprecedentedly expansive agreement gives the indigenous people a chance to improve their economic situation.

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Should other countries use physical reconciliation solutions to correct past injustices against native people? Would taxpayers in other countries be ready to give up lucrative land to native tribes, if it meant natives would see sustainable economic and social prosperity?

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Wolf Whistles Drive Woman to Protest - By Getting Naked?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:36 -0700

An Internet news rumor run amuck? Sites were reporting this shocking story as fact yesterday - do you believe it? Apparently, a road crew in the small town of Kerikeri, New Zealand, was repairing the main street when they decided to pay too much attention to one woman - who decided to let them know just what she thought about their behavior - by stripping.

According to the story, the woman (an Israeli tourist) took offense to their catcalls and planted herself firm, stripped bare, and used the ATM in the altogether. The clothes-free campaign brought a screeching halt to both the whistles and the road work. She then put her clothes back on and walked away.

The sergeant assigned to the case said the woman told police she didn't like the attention. "She said she had thought '... I'll show them what I've got,' " as the men whistled at her, he said. "She gave the explanation that she had been ... pestered by New Zealand men. She's not an unattractive-looking lady."

Her alleged punishment? "She was taken back to the police station and spoken to and told that was inappropriate (behavio[u]r) in New Zealand." Could this be true, or an Internet hoax masquerading as news?

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Air New Zealand's Naked Safety Video

TresSugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:00:00 -0700

I don't know about you, but I zone out during those safety videos flight attendants play right before takeoff. As masks are dropping and arms are waving instructional demonstrations, I'm either reading a tabloid or staring out the window.

Air New Zealand has found a way to get wayward passengers like myself to pay attention. Their "Bare Essentials of Safety" in-flight safety video features real (and naked!) employees in nothing but body paint applied to resemble their uniforms. Not only does this send the message that there are no hidden fares (get it, they're not hiding anything?), they get pervs like me to pay attention to safety tips. Hey, whatever works!

The Case For Letting Women Into Military Combat Roles

TresSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:00:00 -0700

Since 1994, American women have been able to serve in direct combat in air and sea missions, but when it comes to ground operations, they are forbidden to fully participate.

Kelly Martin, an Air Force veteran, penned an op-ed out today on the topic. She maintains that women have the physical strength and mental aptitude to serve on the ground and Kelly also believes that female soldiers offer a strategic advantage. She wrote:

Women military personnel also offer a capability that their male counterparts lack: the ability to interact with Iraqi and Afghan women and girls. The potential for human-intelligence gathering as well as relationship building in more closed cultures cannot be underestimated.

Other countries, like New Zealand, Canada, France, Norway, Israel, and Switzerland, let women serve in combat roles. Do you think it's time that the US lets its women fight along the men, too?

Front Page: American League Wins 13th Straight All-Star Game

TresSugar — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:00:29 -0700

President Obama threw the first pitch at last night's MLB All-Star Game, which the American League won 4 to 3. - ESPN
A 7.8 earthquake off the coast of New Zealand prompted a tsunami warning today. - CNN
Under the proposed healthcare reform bill unveiled yesterday, families making more than $500,000 would have to pay $1,500 in additional income tax to help subsidize coverage for the uninsured. - New York Times
Bridget Jones' Diary is set for its third installment. - Variety

Headline of the Day

GiggleSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:00:00 -0700

111-Year-Old Reptile Finally Becoming a Father

It seems that delayed bachelorhood isn't prevalent only in the human species. In New Zealand, a 111-year-old tuatara named Henry and his younger (naturally!) tuatara girlfriend Mildred (!) produced a dozen eggs last month after mating in March. (That's not him up there, but that's what they look like.) The tuatara, an indigenous New Zealand reptile, is considered one of the last living remnants of the dinosaurs. He is now, Playboy-style, "enjoying the company of three females," according to this news story, and may breed again! Click here to read more about this Michael Douglas of the reptile world.

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You Asked: My Fiancé and I Can't Agree on Our Honeymoon!

DearSugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 06:00:00 -0700

Dear Sugar,

My fiancé and I are getting married in a few months - everything is planned and ready to go, but we just can't seem to agree on where to go for our honeymoon! I know it's typically the man's responsibility to plan and pay for it, but if I left it up to him, we'd be hiking in the Himalayas when all I really want to do is relax on a beach somewhere.

Without creating an argument, how can we come to an agreement on where to go and what to do? I don't want to sound like a spoiled brat, but I think it's important for us both to be happy. - Honeymoon Fiasco Francesca

To see DearSugar's answer read more

Dear Honeymoon Fiasco Francesca,

You're right, you and your fiancé should definitely agree on where you go for your honeymoon so why don't you start off by writing a list of the things you both want out of your vacation. It sounds as though relaxing is important to you while being adventurous is important to him, but there's no reason why you can't meet somewhere in-between. Consider someplace like Costa Rica, New Zealand or South Africa so you'll have both the ability to hang out on the beach and explore your surroundings.

While tradition says the groom should plan the honeymoon, I feel it should be a mutual decision. Your honeymoon is supposed to be about spending time with your new husband and basking in your wedded bliss so it's imperative that you're both happy with your final destination, even if that means a few trips to the drawing board. Good luck, but most importantly, have fun!

To see all of our wedding coverage, check out IDoSugar.com.

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Flight Of Conchords Guy Means Business

GiggleSugar — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 11:20:00 -0700

HBO's Flight of the Conchords is about two musicians from New Zealand trying to make it big in the Big Apple. Brett McKenzie and Jemaine Clement have been performing together for years, billing themselves as " "New Zealand's fourth most popular folk parody duo." In this clip, Jemaine (my new crush) is trying to get his lady into bed with lame but hilarious lines. "And you know when I'm down to my socks what time it is," he says, "It's business time." (Thanks, Queen of Noise!)

Lykkelig! Danes Top List As Happiest in a Happier World

LibertySugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:45:37 -0700

The world is happier - thanks to economic growth, democracy, and social tolerance, according to the World Values Study. The findings contradicted the assumption that regardless of changing variables, happiness remains constant.

The researchers credit relative quality of life improvements for the global rise in happiness; for example, low-income societies like China experienced economic growth while developed societies saw a rise in equality and tolerance. Denmark is currently the happiest country and Zimbabwe takes last place. Check out the pictures bellow of the happy Danes.

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The United States ranks 16th. To find out which countries beat the US, read more.

Residents in Puerto Rico, Columbia, Ireland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, Sweden, and New Zealand all report higher rates of life satisfaction than those living in the US. What about you? How would you answer the researchers' question: All things considered, how satisfied are you with your life as a whole these days?

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