GOOD HAPPENS

Aug 24, 2000

Estonia advances by Internet

A survey by a U.S. tech consultancy company has found Estonia in the top 20 countries in terms of the distribution and users of the Internet. In a forward-thinking move, Internet service providers made Internet access free last year. Now 28 percent of the population are Internet users, and about 90 percent of public servants use it in their work. Try a search for Estonian government information to see the positive effect.

Wait for Lithuania!

Lithuania is catching up with Internet use, however. The Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party has asked state police to investigate a Web site computer game which allows surfers to play "Russian Roulette with Ceslovas Jursenas," LDLP leader.The game involves shooting at the portrait, with each miss leaving a hole in Jursenas' face. Good for keyboarding skills and eye-hand coordination.

Global warming

Business between Russia and the Baltics seems to be thawing with the runny polar ice cap. A Latvian-Russian trucking commission will begin working soon on issues in the transit business.

Additionally, the governor of St. Petersburg, Vladimir Yakovlev, has suggested a ferry link between his town and Port of Tallinn for short, visa-free visits.

Greasing a no-no

With Latvia and the other Baltics just inches away from EU readiness, bribery is becoming a prosecutable crime, both for the government officials dipping into the rent available via red tape and ambiguity and for foreigners who love to hate corruption and at the same time to wallow in its benefits. The latest nabbing was Latvian police grabbing two men, a Latvian and an Estonian who offered immigration police 500 lats ($820). The Latvian was helping his Estonian buddy get a residence permit.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 3

Latvian MP Janis Adamsons has filed in court against the Prosecutor General's Office and daily newspaper Diena for defamation of his character. Poppycock and impossible. Mr. Adamsons defamed himself in starring front and center in the pedophilia follies. Latvians collectively ought to sue Adamsons for defaming the country.

Adamsons achieved name recognition when he linked the prime minister and foreign minister with a child abuse scandal, dropping their names for the foreign press during an international conference on genocide. Adamson's paid witnesses provided "evidence."

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