YakimaGulagLiteraryGazett

Your Editor took a Third Place in the Costume Contest at the Yakima Gulag People's Institute of Higher Re:Education, She was dressed as Queen Amidala, of Star Wars fame. The Catagory was Most Creative, Trinity of Goth Barbie won First Prize in the Same Catagory, as Abbey from CSI.So some nice swag was had by all! :)

There were many excellent costumes worn by people who were present. We intend to place them online later. Watch ThisSpace....

Updates on assorted news stories....


Member of British Royal Family to Wed at Vatican

http://www.cathnews.com/news/611/8.php


Concern Rises Over BiH Pullouts..

http://wpherald.com/articles/1967/1/Analysis-Concern-over-Bosnia-peacekeeper-pullout/Germany-and-Britain-may-withdraw-troops.html



R.S. Insists on Own Police 'Even Though it Will Hurt BiH's E.U. Chances

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/31/europe/EU_GEN_Bosnia_Police_Reform.php


At the risk of practicing psychiatry without a license.....Hmmmm Could the Entire R.S. Government Have This Problem? I'm just sayin....

http://www.kfor.com/Global/story.asp?S=5611580&nav=menu99_1_13


Think about it, feel like victims even though their part of BiH is in pretty reasonable shape, suspicious of their neighbors and DEFINATELY NOT PAYING ATTENTION......

Now a Male Student Has Been Suspended for Wearing a Beard

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/30/europe/EU_REL_Albania_University_Muslims.php

Sorry this is just so early 60s. Incidentally at the risk of being flamed, I note that the name of the male student ,Julian Mebelli,f in this case looks to be a Christian name. I'm not saying there's no such thing as a Muslim with a Christian name, but it isn't common either. So it sounds like equal enfocement at least. That doesn't make it right, but at least the wrong of it is spread around. Incidentally the woman wasn't wearing a veil, she had a head scarf. Unless this is another woman altogether.

Cypriot Banker Denies Milosevic Tie

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/acd8709a-6884-11db-90ac-0000779e2340,_i_rssPage=7c485a38-2f7a-11da-8b51-00000e2511c8.html

I am not in a very good mood this morning. I don't know HOW the Hell I fell, but I went down like a ton of bricks on campus, my laptop was in my bag because I could not update from home, I woke too late, and it was one of those mornings when nothing goes quite right anyway. I can think of numerous people who deserve that kind of morning but NOOOOO! Of course I was worried more about my laptop and got myself into the Hopeless Union Building and opened it up to check for damage.

There is a crack on the hinge, and it makes noise when i open up the computer. OK God, please there is a world full of truely evil people who wreck EVERYONE elses life. So why me all the time? Just asking.....


Vote in Serbia Contradictory Says E.U.

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/10/70e7faab-c72a-49f4-b695-6b571a8e9da8.html

You Can't Satisfy the Boss Class Anyway

http://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2006/10/30/37963/Scottish+employers+face+staff+shortages+following+migration+restrictions+on+Bulgarians+and.html

4 Russian Diplomats Beat up in Skoplje

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=10934791&PageNum=0

I like that the map is labeled with Cyrillic characters and the translator left the word 'cafe' in the original characters !

Pyramid Update and Video

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Science/story?id=2614290&page=1

Old News Why was it up at all and who cares really?

http://www.wciv.com/news/stories/0306/311762.html

creepy doors at the Yakima Gulag People's Institute of Higher Re:Education

velika pauk na zid.



You know this already if you read East Ethnia, but for the record.....

Low Turnout in Serbia Constitution Vote

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/europe/article_1215642.php/Low_turnout_on_1st_day_of_Serbian_constitution_vote__Roundup_

Follow up to a story from last year, about Dominic Hapsburg and Bran Castle...

Bran Castle's Future

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/travel/abox/article_1331403.php

Interesting for social commentary...

Post Soviet Sci-Fi

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/10/29/business/scifi.php

Dia de Los Muertos Celebrated in Ohio

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061029/NEWS08/61029040/-1/NEWS

Some of the offrendas for this day are beautiful, I hope to have the local ones up in the next few days.

Brief Multimedia Dia de Los Muertos

http://www.toledoblade.com/assets/slideshows/theday/dead.html

O.K. I get this piece of junk mail, by way of snail mail.... I opened it thinking it was a bill that I better pay NOW NOW NOW!
Instead it was one of those contest letters, specifically from Bob Hall who don't realize I can't drive. Very nice, anyway they had some sort of contest, the scratch the thingie with matching numbers type of thing. So just for the Hell of it I scratch the number. I had matching numbers. So since I was planning to be downtown anyway I decided that I should just go to this Bob Hall's Chevrolet. There were all kinds of guys that sell cars around, and lots of people who recieved contest letters. Anyway, to make a long story short, I did win $5. So I'm at my favorite coffee shop having a coffee, and since they were out of baklava, a hazel nut biscotti. I like those things! :)
Now the coffee machine is making noises. That or it's the thingie they use to mix dough for the bread.
Essancia is a nice bakery coffee shop and it's where a lot of the nomenklatuira of the Yakima Gulag go to get away from City Hall.

I'm hoping to meet someone who says he has the latest CD by Kultur Shock! :)

Serbia Votes Today on Constitution

http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_4566911

There was an audio report on NPR about this too.

Man Recently Arrested For War Crimes Had Asylum in U.K.

http://www.washtimes.com/upi/20061028-085216-2924r.htm

I am in a bit of a quandry here, I don't like trials in absentia, a person really can't manage an effective defense in those circumstaces. I dont' like war criminals, I think they should be punished, but there is the question of a FAIR trial, and trial in absentia doesnt' seem fair to me. Even for infamous crimes one cannot automatically assume guilt, so I can see how Mr. Spanovic got assylum. The thing that angers me about the assylum issue is that with the United States at least, it can be very difficult indeed to make a case for assylum! So why is it so easy for someone accused and tried in any circumstance have an easier time getting assylum than say a victim of war crimes, or someone who fears being a victim? Has nothing been learned from the era before WWII?

******************************************************************************************************************************************

Yesterday's talk by Dr. Menard was really excellent. The talk was on the U.N. and on torture and the Geneva Conventions. it was a very lengthy talk, with many points raised about what is and is not allowed under Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. He illustrated his points with numerous examples. There was film taken of the talk, and it will be available on DVD to watch in the Library, Raymond Hall. He was briefly introduced by Joan Weber, and Dr. Jeske as well as by Mr. Tate from Bellvue Community College.

There is an organization called the United Nations Association which is calling for papers on the issue of torture, there is going to be a Colloquim on this subject in May of next year at Bellvue Community College and there should be information on this matter available in the library at YVCC, at very least in the film and probably through the Political Science and English department heads for those interested in working on such a paper.

Slovenia Breaks Up Human Trafficking Ring

http://www.postchronicle.com/news/breakingnews/article_21246359.shtml

Head of Ataka Party to Marry Ahead of Election

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=71760

He's doing this to stay in the news despite the 'silence' usual before elections in many European countries.

IBLF Workshops in Croatia

http://www.iblf.org/media_room/general.jsp?id=123839


A bit later, I'll have a report on a talk that is to be on the Geneva Conventions. it is to be held at the Yakima Gulag People's Institute of Higher Re:Education. 11:30-1:00 pm. Stay tuned also for further reports on other matters.

for Best Use of Scythes in a Television Commercial, Best Use of Water Falls and Best Running Through Tall Grass to Show That The Area Has Been De-Mined!
Scenes from Mostar, Sarajevo, Lukomir, and Kupres!

Mostar Sevdah Reunion is a wonderful group, and their work isn't seen enough!Minstarstvo Veselje from Yakima Gulagsays, izvolite! :)

Update Time


Croatian Opposition Deputy to be Jailed For War Crimes

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3320078,00.html

Scientists Protest Plight of Bulgarian Nurses

http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-10-26-voa76.cfm

Serbian Govt. To Buy 30,000 Desktop Computers

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/business/article_1214980.php/Serbia_buying_30000_desktop_computers

NATO to Open Liason Office in Belgrade

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-10/27/content_5254613.htm

Free ADSL for Schools in Montenegro

http://see.oneworld.net/article/view/141462/1/

BiH Did NOT Ask For Release of Biljana Plavsić

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20061026\ACQDJON200610261315DOWJONESDJONLINE001159.htm&selected=9999&selecteddisplaysymbol=9999&StoryTargetFrame=_top&mkt=WORLD&chk=unchecked&lang=&link=&headlinereturnpage=http://www.international.na

Anyway why would she want to leave the prison in Sweden? It's probably better than I live free, and DEFINATELY better than the lives of many who were victims of the regime she served!

Which reminds me, my fiance and I had numerous in-jokes about her. This all started when the police showed up a YEAR after my departure from Sarajevo, (my second visit) Anyway they actually searched his place. He'd turned in the little card I had to fill out, but they forgot to put it in the book and the computer, so they were sure I was still there. I said 'You should have told them I'm in the Hague and Biljana is my roomie!
So after that for a long time I's say 'Oh Biljana says Hi!'
I'm sure Biljana Plavsić is getting decent, maybe even excellent medical care in Sweden, maybe she's better off there than home.

Old but interesting

http://see.oneworld.net/article/view/140808/1/

Bonus: i neat picture of the redecorated door!



Stop Abusing Our Marines!

http://www.wonkette.com/politics/iraq/stop-abusing-our-marines-210428.php



Bourses in BiH Divided

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=reutersEdge&storyID=2006-10-26T121005Z_01_L18811331_RTRUKOC_0_US-ECONOMY-BOSNIA-BOURSES.xml&WTmodLoc=IntNewsHome_R3_reutersEdge-3

Yes a 'Mind Improvement' Story

Romanian Man Locks Wife in Chicken Coop

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2051830.html?menu=news.quirkies

What gets me is the ages of both of them! Who could she have been cheating with and at their ages why does it even matter?

Pittsburgh Serbian Orthodox Church Has After 100 Years a Serbian Speaking Pastor

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06299/732876-55.stm

Albanian Man's Deportation Tough on Family

http://www.rep-am.com/story.php?id=14433

Not Balkans news but of interest to Your Editor

India's New Domestic Violence Law

http://www.newspress.com/Top/Article/article.jsp?Section=WORLD&ID=564829229515408191

Let us see it enforced! It is LONG overdue!

Schroder Comments on Kosovo

http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,444727,00.html

Bad Behavior Among Some German Troops in Afghanistan

http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,444610,00.html

This is fairly upsetting to German people to read about.


In the Yakima Gulag itself, it's FREEZING cold. I enjoyed the mild fall weather so much, but this early morning freezingness isn't fun. I am pretty well bundled up and have dragged out my favorite blanket, a Hudson's Bay blanket that belonged to my late mother and step father. Hudson Bay blankets deserve their fame!

Šešelj Trial Postponed AGAIN!

http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2006/10/icty-postpones-serb-nationalist-war.php

Just like Slobo's trial!

Politkovskaya Inquiry Continues

http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2006/10/russian-politkovskaya-murder-probe.php



Trains Not On Time in Serbia

http://www.washtimes.com/upi/20061025-021948-4523r.htm

Oldest Child Skeleton in Europe Found in Bulgaria

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=71701

More About the Silly Borat Film

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7943-2420410,00.html

OK Chickens on a Subway, I think that's pretty funny too.

Proof that the British People Have More Sense than Their Government! :)

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,59-2421607,00.html

Also go over to 'Finding Karadzic' He's got some stuff you should see today.

Then mosey on over to 'Americans for Bosnia' there's stuff there you should have a look at.

Next amble on down to East Ethnia, especially you Americans, this hasn't been in your newspapers or blogs, not even YGLG!

*****Red Alert****Literally in this case ! As Your Editor was walking out of the Hopeless Union Building, where she spends some of her time at the Yakima Gulag People's Institute of Higher Re:Education,she spotted a fairly large stack of newspapers,so always wanting to see what readage is available to the zeks, she went over and picked up a copy:


Now we at Yakima Gulag Literary Gazett realize that it isn't the old days anymore, and
all that, but it occured to us zeks at Yakima Gulag Literary Gazett that 1. It was a fairly large pile of papers! 2. Neither Editor nor her staff have seen a copy of this particular publication in something like 20 years. 3. At that time no one would have considered smuggling any onto the campus of the Yakima Gulag People's Institute of Higher Re:Education!

On perusal of 'People's Weekly World' Your Friendly Editor learned something interesting previously unknown to her: General Motors has a factory in Russia and the workers there are trying to unionize, they are running into opposition in this endevour from the governmentn of Russia, and of course G.M.

While Your Friendly Editor is not yet considered by anyone to be a 'Lady of a Certain Age' she is of an age sufficient to remember the cold war. While she is not the fainting type she called for some slivovica to help her recover from the shock of discovering there is a G.M. plant in Russia, "It's really too wierd to contemplate!" she said.


The Editor also notes that the paper has a Spanish language section as well as an English language section.

We wonder if this publication is going to be around more regularly or if this is a fluke.

Karadžić Film

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/25/world/europe/25bosnia.html?em&ex=1161921600&en=aaea128475835753&ei=5087%0A

Richard Gere doesn't look that sick, but I guess it was AFTER the ban on foods prepared 'na žaru!'

Montenegrin Writer Beaten Up In Bar

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/10/c1d72dff-6d51-4472-b1c5-9932e52589b2.html

Katarina Vukčić-Kosaća was the last queen of Bosnia-Hercegovina. She was born in Buna to Knez Stjepan Vukčić-Kosaća of what then was called 'Zahumlje' or 'Hum' now Hercegovina and Jelena Balsić from what then was called 'Zeta' and what now is a part of Montenegro.

Katarina Vukčić-Kosaća was noted for her learning, she was able to read and write in Latin, her own language, which then included two alphabets, Latin characters and Glagolithic characters.

She was noted also for her love of music. They no longer exist but before leaving Dubrovnik for Rome she left many books of music with the library in Dubrovnik.
Those manuscripts were lost in a terrible earthquake that destroyed the city.

She and her husband the second to last king of Bosnia, Stjepan Tomas, a member of the house of Kotramanic had two children. Katarina and Simun.

When Bosnia fell to the Ottoman forces under Mehmet II, her husband was killed, Mehmet II had him beheaded. He was buried in the Kings Grave. Her children were taken to Turkey and converted to Islam, as did a younger half brother of hers. The daughter, Katarina died in Skoplje, Macedonia and her tomb was destroyed by the 1963 earthquake that destroyed so much of Skoplje, the son lived to govern a province in Turkey and marry a daughter of the next Sultan. The half brother served several times as Grand Vizier and Admiral of the Turkish navy, he lived to a great age. One of his daughters, Huma, returned to Hercegovina, and it was this brother that preserved the name 'Hercegovina' given to that area by Stjepan Vukčić-Kosaća


She died in Rome after five days illness and is buried in Rome. Two portraits of her are extant, one is in the Capitoline Museum in Rome and the other is in the church where she is buried, the Aracoeli.

It has been customary that the Ambassador of BiH leaves flowers at her burial place on this date.

Albania Ready to Contribute More Peacekeeping Troops

Serbian Minority in Croatia Question's Deal With Government

http://www.iwpr.net/?p=brn&s=f&o=324817&apc_state=henpbrn

OK it's later Update Time:

Strongly recomended: Go to Bosnia Vault, it's in my links list, check out today's posting on opposition to Tudjman in Croatia, it's a very good article.


Karadzić Update

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/10/24/news/journal.php

Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo All Ask to Join NATO

Military Chopper Crash Kills Three in Romania

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-10/25/content_5244901.htm

Kosovo Muslim Leaders Call for Independance

http://kosovareport.blogspot.com/2006/10/kosovo-islamic-leaders-join-call-for.html

mind the flame wars in there!

Sweden Won't Follow Britain Repulic of Ireland Anti Migration Trend

http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?ID=5309&date=20061024

Kosovo Dismantling Illegal Cellphone Base Stations

http://www.dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=19195

Earthquake in Turkey Felt in Bulgaria

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=7163

Bomb Tears Through Sofia Building

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=71607

Bulgaria May Institute Counter Measures in Response to U.K. Irish Restrictions on Migrants

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=71620

More Cool Old Stuff Found in Bulgaria!

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=71656

They keep finding neat rich stuff in Bulgaria!

Slavic Evangelical Churches Outnumer All Other Anti-Gay Organizations

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/view.php?id=2814

The War Criminal Next Door

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-2416909,00.html

UNFPA to Open Office in Serbia

http://see.oneworld.net/article/view/141308/1/



Bulgarian Turkish Vote

http://www.zaman.com/?bl=international&alt=&trh=20061023&hn=37621

Milošević Dead Since March Gets Call to Vote

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061023/od_nm/milosevic_vote1_dc

Tentative Bulgarian Election Results

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=71572



Diaspora Bulgarian Voters in California U.S.A.

Kultur Korner

Romanian Metalists Put Out New Track

http://www.bravewords.com/news/53525

Gulag Orkestar

http://www.gigwise.com/contents.asp?contentid=23921

I promise I had nothing to do with it! It might have been the Fan Club!

Eid Mubarak to those of my readers who are Muslim!

106 Year old Bulgarian woman votes

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=71534

It's got to be the yogurt!

Croatia Arrests Six Croats for War Crimes

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061021/wl_nm/warcrimes_croatia_dc;_ylt=A0SOwjyEkztFdk4BOQqyFz4D;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhvBHNlYwM-

Shades of Tammany Hall in Bulgaria

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=71537

Bulgarian Princess Expecting

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=71529

1. Well it's her JOB to reproduce! 2. I bet I have more actual Balkans royal lines in my pedigree than she does, it's kind of funny that German royal houses were, until for the most part, monarchy went out of fashion, the royal houses in the Balkans.

OK a paper not of the Journalistic Quality of 'Mind Improvement' but still!

And Britain is worried about the Bulgarians?

http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/702090/just_bang_out_of_order/index.html?source=r_technology

Serbian P.M. Sure that China and Russian Federation Would Block Kosovo Independance

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/10/8013dec0-5c0a-4205-8583-040539501fc9.html

A moment of culture shock ... .... ....

Wait a minute here, prisoners don't vote in the U.S.

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=71533


However there still is going to be a run-off

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2006-10-22T160805Z_01_L22677436_RTRUKOC_0_UK-BULGARIA-ELECTION-TURNOUT.xml&src=rss

Huge hat-tip to Bora over at Science and Politics

Modern Puberty at the Evolutionarily Correct Age, Society, Individuals Not Ready

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/12/051201022811.htm

I've been saying for years that society as a whole, on all of Planet Earth needs to recognize this fact and be making the correct arrangements, such as talking to children about the changes they will experience, and the consequences of doing what comes naturally too early.

There is an inherent cruelty in a social order which delays financial and social independance to later and later ages while the age of biological readiness is so low by comparison.

I'm not here advocating that one solution might be arranged marriage, but it has been a solution in past eras in other societies.

I think maybe making things so people could reasonably expect to earn enough to support themselves at an earlier age would be a good idea. It might lower the level of conflict in the world, and I think far earlier education about birth control, sexuality and the responsibility, just how TERRIFYING the responsibility of raising children is something that needs to start sooner in young people's lives.

It's all very well thinking that children should be children for basically 12 years. It's not how it works anymore and as this article mentions, the advertizing industry is busily using sex to sell to children.

Which leads me to the question of economic education of children, my children were given 'that little talk' in a simplified version at about age six, and they were introduced to economic reality a bit younger. At about age 10, I began introducing them to economic theories, including Marxist theory, on the grounds that they needed to know how things work, that it would help keep them out of trouble.

The other part of the equation is protecting children from predators, and only a careful education on these matters will be of some use.

I'm here to say that my children turned out well, no illegitimate pregnancies caused or experienced, no banks robbed, not even graffitti!

I had to work when my children were growing up, but if I'd had the chance to be a stay at home mother for all of their childhoods, I would have! Raising children is a full time job! At least one parent ought to be home with children. I realize there's times it's just not possible, but with a little creativity and thought,a family with two parents can do that.

Some of the financial stress people suffer is because of buying totally un-necessary things.

'Needs' get invented.

So these two Jehovah's Witnesses come to the door, I don't really have much use for their brand of heresy frankly, so once I saw what the deal was I'm like 'Ne govorim engleski jezik zao mije!' and they tried to talk further so I just repeated the same sentance, and they left! :) xaxaxaxaxa! I admit it it's always good for a laugh to pretend not to speak English! :)

Well I'm paying for the lengthy night drafting my Sociology paper and putting it together. I decided not to go to the dance at the school, the lure of free food was not sufficient to overcome the fact of Hip-Hip music, I don't especially care for most Hip-Hop, there's some that's ok but it's not my preference. So I went to sleep at a reasonable hour and woke a bit late with a headache.

Del Ponte says 'Mladic is in Belgrade'

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061021/wl_afp/warcrimesserbiabosnia;_ylt=A0SOwlh1LzpFdLUAygayFz4D;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhvBHNlYwM-

A nice story

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061021/NEWS0102/610210405/1058/NEWS01

Tribunal Asks U.N. for Help Exhuming 14 Kosovo Bodies

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20061019\ACQDJON200610191249DOWJONESDJONLINE001010.htm&selected=9999&selecteddisplaysymbol=9999&StoryTargetFrame=_top&mkt=WORLD&chk=unchecked&lang=&link=&headlinereturnpage=http://www.international.na

I know I know totally Mind Improvement! Trust me there's a Balkans connection here..

Gina Lollabrigida to Marry Man 34 Years Younger than Her

http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/lollobrigida%20to%20marry%20man%2034%20years%20younger_1011373



Bulgarian Prison Conditions Terrible

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=71480

Serbian Citizens Not Informed About NATO Flights

http://www.washtimes.com/upi/20061019-095020-6025r.htm

Turkish Troops Help Kosovans

http://www.zaman.com/?bl=international&alt=&trh=20061021&hn=37585

So I go have a look at thing and find a huge amount of news I thought I better share before it disappeared.

Seselj gets more time for defense

http://www.iwpr.net/?p=tri&s=f&o=324787&apc_state=henptri

Hajrudin Interviw Banned

http://www.iwpr.net/?p=tri&s=f&o=324785&apc_state=henptri

Croatia gets another Amicus Curia Knockback

http://www.iwpr.net/?p=tri&s=f&o=324783&apc_state=henptri

Witnesses Say Radic not at Vukovar Massacre

http://www.iwpr.net/?p=tri&s=f&o=324777&apc_state=henptri

Srebenica Scenes From Hell

http://www.iwpr.net/?p=tri&s=f&o=324779&apc_state=henptri

Remzi Hoxa Case

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGEUR110092006

Boneing Up on Europe

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/travel/columnists/rsteves/stories/102206dntrasteves.5977e6d4.html

How Borat Came to Be

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1552562006

Mounted Police Patrol Belgrade

http://www.washtimes.com/upi/20061020-105248-5282r.htm

Tadic Predicts Arrest of Mladic After Elections

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-10-20-serbia_x.htm

Promises Promises...

Warning: There's a guy with his fly open, no naughty bits show but I thought I better warn you all, but the other funny thing is how the music sounds so much like Serbian Gypsy brass!
I kind of like the tune and some of the rhymes too, it's perfect singing in the car music somehow! :)

Female semi nudity, incredible gymnastics and Bollywood music! The Dancer's Union Local 351 Mumbai is hard at work!Thanks Turbanhead and Pardon My Hindi!

To my Muslim Readers: Eid Mubarak

Bosnian Delegation on Fact Finding Tour Visit Barnsley

http://www.barnsleytoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?sectionid=86&articleid=1834079

Actually this is really practical, learning how municipalities in the West use IT to deliver services to the people.

Serbian National Wanted by Interpol for Drug Trafficking Arrested in Bulgaria

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=71441

For personal reasons, I've come to really hate the results of amphetamine trafficking. The user usually turns into not a very nice person.

Totally a Mind Improvement Story!

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2041476.html?menu=news.quirkies

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Yes mostly we do know the results already but elections go through a certification process, and that's what we see here.

Final Results of BiH Elections Announced

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200610/19/eng20061019_313471.html

Slovenia Blocks Croatia-E.U. Talks Over Bay of Piran Dispute

http://euobserver.com/9/22673

Lobbying Rules Make Weldon Case Harder to Investigate

http://www.capitaleye.org/inside.asp?ID=233

Explosions at Arms Depot in Serbia

http://www.washtimes.com/upi/20061019-070511-2763r.htm

Fudbol, BiH's Game Suffers from Ethnic Divisions

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/19/AR2006101900336.html

Girl told not to wear scarf at school

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=113546&version=1&template_id=39&parent_id=21

1. This is not France, 2. Hoxa is dead and so is Communism, 3. Such bans only cause worse problems

The kind of stuff that gives the Balkans a bad name!

Ataka Party vs Turkish Party Insults Exchanged

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=71360

Hottest Countries on New Market Frontier

whatever the Hell that idiotic jargon means!

Comrade Katjuša woke up late

OK it's later, here's the afternoon updates:
FBI Investigates Congressman for Serbian Ties

http://www.washtimes.com/upi/20061018-092419-6609r.htm

and we aren't discussing neck ties here!

Torture in Montenegro

http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=5557934&nav=menu25_2

Kosovo Albanian Gang Arrested in Spain

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_6940.shtml

Serbian Constitution Referendum

http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-10-18-voa61.cfm

Trust me there's a Balkans connection here...

Some Sport News

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/10/19/dl1903.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2006/10/19/ixopinion.html

Wesley Snipes, an actor in the Harry Potter seris has been indicted for tax fraud and no one knows where he is. This shocking news I'm sure is going to be all over cafeterias and student unions everywhere.

Dino Merlin! Thanks to SeeSaw for the Dino Merlin link!

Finding Karadžić

He covers today a unique moment in Montenegrin history, Turks getting safe passage, as they return home from peace-keeping duties in Bosnia-i-Hercegovina! No one attacked them, and the whole trip seems to have gone off without a hitch.

Warning: Ugly Picture of a tongue that has been pierced!

Tongue Piercing Can Kill!

Anyway if you are going ot haveing intermittant pain, risking heart infection and that tacky clicking sound on the phone when you talk, well be my guest but don't say I didn't warn you!

I've learned that saying there isn't a lot of news means that in a couple hours there will be more news than I can handle...watch this space...Who knows maybe they'll finally bust Mladić, or maybe Karadžić will be led down Marshal Tito Boulevard in chains...while I'm in Sociology class watching a film about the West Bank. I wish we'd have a film about the West Bank, I rather liked the one about the Yanomami. I liked their showgirls.

Updates: Sure enough while I was doing badly in a pop-kviz in Sociology, there was news...figures....Well it's not Mladić or Karadžić getting busted, but it's some news anyway.

Montenegro Stop the Torture

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGEUR660032006


PM Sanader Welcomed by President Bush

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/10/20061017-5.html



Landmine Clearance in BiH


http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/LZEG-6UNLVB?OpenDocument

This story explains what some communities are doing about landmines

E.U. Gives Turkey Last Chance

http://www.regnum.ru/english/722974.html

not to mention Serbia


Death Sentance for Bulgarians and Palestinian in Libya

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=20569

New American Saint

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6278269

This saint was a member of the Mothers of Providence, and my children were educated by the Mothers of Providence at St. Joseph Marquette, so this is a big day for the Sisters of Providence, the same Order who have provided education and medical care for nearly a century in the Yakima Gulag!
While she didn't serve here, she was a member of the same order.

Svaka Čast!

This is another piece of Kazakh music, I listened and it reminds me a lot of Irish music, there is a similar voice quality, and similar instrumentation. The video itself is BEAUTIFUL too, it gives a look at Kazakhstan itself away from cities. It shows their love of horses, and nature in general.

I think it has a nice sound!

Updates:

Well Surprise Surprise! 'Serbs Not Trying to Catch Mladić

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=153009

This is what happens when Americans can't learn languages...

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=ind_focus.story&STORY=/www/story/10-16-2006/0004452399&EDATE=MON+Oct+16+2006,+12:43+PM

Kidman Hears about Violence Against Women in Kosovo

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=20276&Cr=kosovo&Cr1=

Croatia Will Fix Those Choppers Cheap!

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=2006-10-16T160357Z_01_L16869381_RTRUKOC_0_US-CROATIA-DENTISTS.xml&WTmodLoc=OddNewsHome_C1_%5bFeed%5d-4

Land Mine Casualties in BiH

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/VBOL-6UME33?OpenDocument

VMRO calls for Election Boycott in Bulgaria

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=71224

It's fairly cold out today and rainy. Still I'm grateful to be here and not in Hawaii, because it looks like a right mess there.

On the first story today, probably close readers of this blog have remembered the film seris I recommended on YouTube about the Novi Travnik area? The first story is of two men going to cut wood and not making it back home. Landmines are still a serious problem in BiH. Maybe not right inside most cities they aren't anymore but this is still a problem if you go into the woods. As you can recall, a lot of people do not have any other way to heat their homes besides wood, and they can barely pay for that! This means people are going into the forests and risking what those poor men suffered.

Slovenija!

Here are the otherwise lost comments! The failsafe system kicked in! YEAH, so here they are

John1975 has left a new comment on your post "Politkovskaya Story on NPR":

Truly a sad case! I wish I could have been there for her.

and from Owen

Owen has left a new comment on your post "Richard Gere is a spoiled wuss!":

Is it actually a matter of landmines? I'd have thought that the greatest danger from the point of view of the producer of a large budget Hollywood film (and the film's insurers) would lie in the threat of "technical problems" that could result in a degree of slippage in the filming schedule. "Technical problems" often have a human dimension. Perhaps certain local elements may have been disappointed at having to have missed their opportunity to assist in arranging the desired meeting with luminaries of a former administration?

well Owen, that's a possiblity, perhaps death threats but I'd have publicised the death threats because it would cause people to want to see the movie.

Dear John 1975 and Owen, I tried to publish your comments, in the process of rejecting some comment spam I accidentally rejected your comments. I hope you will send them again please, it's hard sometimes for me to make the touch pad thingie go where I want it!

http://www.kuna.net.kw/Home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=913285

Jasmina Tesanović two stories, she has been following the trial of the people who massacred a whole family of Kosovo Albanians from unborn babies to 100 year old grandmother.

Where are Your Americans Now?

http://www.boingboing.net/2006/10/14/jasmina_tesanovic_wh.html

Tesanović article on Ana Polikovskaya

http://www.boingboing.net/2006/10/09/russian_journalist_a.html

I missed this at the time it came out because I don't go to Boing Boing nearly as much as I ought to!

Bulgarian President Speaks on Ethnic Issues in Bulgaria

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=71166

Trust me there's a Balkans connection here..

Film Contradicts Chinese Story on Shooting of Tibetan Refugees

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/10/15/news/tibet.php

Some interesting discussions on Islam

http://www.newyorker.com/festival/videos/fevi_video1a

via Metafilter

Albanian American men arrested in Montenegro

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/breaking_news/15761321.htm

Incidentally all the guys have names that are Christian.

About 10% of Albanians are Christian, most of the Christian Albanians are Catholic and there are some Orthodox believers among the Albanians as well. While one might question the wisdom of having attended a demostration in a foreign country where human rights need work, it's hardly terrorism!

Last night , with a friend, I attended the performance by the full crew of 'Mujeres in Motion' a Chicana poetry group, who read poems.
While there were a few poems that I didn't care for, either due to being too explicit for my tastes, or being too Drama Queen for my tastes, the majority of the work presented was really very good!

In fact it was the best poetry reading I have attended in the Yakima Gulag! The woman who has won two Black Box Poetry Slams in a ROW! Ms. Alvisio read from her work.
She has this real gift for being able to rhyme on the fly and in general her rhymes work and are unconventional. I envy that ability! It's one of the reasons she's won in a venue where rhyme isn't so favored, it's because she can do it and make it sound natural in English, a language that does not rhyme easily!
She brought her younger sister, who came up with some good stuff too! Her stuff was a little more 'preachy' than her older sister's work, but still she had some flashes of brilliance.

She btw got a speeding ticket trying to get to the Yakima Gulag from the Wapato Camp!

This was my first time to see all of them,

Croatian Impartiality Questioned

http://www.iwpr.net/?p=tri&s=f&o=324581&apc_state=henptri

Martic Witness Claims Massacre Victims 'Brought it on themselves'

http://www.iwpr.net/?p=tri&s=f&o=324585&apc_state=henptri

Former Kosovo Judge Remembers Flight, Persecution

http://www.iwpr.net/?p=tri&s=f&o=324587&apc_state=henptri

Perisic Trial Start Date

http://www.iwpr.net/?p=tri&s=f&o=324589&apc_state=henptri

Albania Busts Arms Smugglers who provided Weapons to PKK Rebels in Turkey

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200610/14/eng20061014_311775.htmlP

American Citizen Sentanced to Death in Iraq

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/13/AR2006101301457.html

Trust me there IS a Balkans connection.

Women Ask About War Crimes

http://us.oneworld.net/article/view/140859


400 involved in melee in Roma neighborhood

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=71143

Ana Politkovskaya was born in the United States to parents who were Soviet Union Diplomats, I did not know this about her, she then if she had not been born to dipolomats, she had the right to be considered as a fellow citizen, she was born breathing our free air. I did not know this! I also heard on the same NPR story the story that may have gotten her killed.She said about the Russian forces in Chechniya what I have said more than a few times about what American forces are causing in Iraq. She was brave, she went to Chechniya herself, and put her life on the line to do her work. She didn't take one side only, she was hard in her reporting, on the war-lords in Chechniya, who are also evil, whether it is an ideological opposition or a religious extremist opposition. This is important because the Soviet Union did not have such journalists, except for her, Putin's 'new' Russia didn't either.
You can't have democracy or a truely free society without investigative journalism. Investigative journalist is what keeps the system honest! The journalist has to be ready to risk his or her life, the society that has some pretensions to democracy is in no danger of falling or being killed by the journalist. It can crush the journalist with everything it has.
It must not.

Politkovskaya Story

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6266690

I had to give way to my instinct for CHEESIENESS and if you read down, you will see something about the 'Mark of the Beast'

U.N. Hands OverBodies of 29 Kosovo Serb Dead

http://www.eecho.ie/news/bstory.asp?j=105020322&p=yx5xzx696&n=105020793

President of Serbia Pleads for More Time

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2562499

Not in the Balkans but of world importance, and of value as a person who has offered solutions useable in many places.

Yunus, Grameen Bank Win Nobel Peace Prize

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061013/ap_on_re_eu/nobel_peace

Kosovo Refugee Realizes Dream to put up Mother Theresa Statue

http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/NEWSF18.html

'There is No Islamic Fundamentalism in Bulgaria

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=71106


Bombed Bulgarian Journalist Beaten Up in Bar

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=71100

Bosnians Protest Bulgarian Nuke Plant

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=71101

No, literally....really ..

A Shaggy Dog Story

http://www.examiner.com/a-340881~Bush_and_a_Tale_of_a_Bulgarian_Dog.html

Just Chip Me Baby!

http://www.examiner.com/a-232630~Company_trying_to_get_under_soldiers__skin.html

I wonder if this is the famous 'Mark of the Beast 'of Biblical prophecy? There were people who wondered that about bar codes, but this is a lot more suspicious if you ask me!

Personal to Borat: Sretan Rodjendan! Heppy Brzday I kis u!

Scroll down for Updates!

Mladic Arrest 'In Matter of Days'

http://www.eecho.ie/news/bstory.asp?j=4210200&p=4zyxzy5&n=4210292

yeah right, I'll believe it when I see it! For HOW long have they been saying this?

Richard Gere Flees Sarajevo

http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/geres%20bosnian%20escape_1010720

Fucking WUSS! Sarajevo is not dangerous unless you are acting like a jackass! Then I suppose most places would be.


And Orhan Pamuk, a great writer from Turkey wins the Nobel Prize for Literature for his book 'The White Castle'
I have not read this book, but if it is anything like 'My Name is Red' I have to read it!

and a couple things just for laughs...well maybe not the first of the last ... it distresses me because one incidence of religious heavy handedness can undo all the good of the hard work and decency of a man like Mr. Zontek!

An American God, A Christian God

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/10/08/bush_brings_faith_to_foreign_aid/

excuse me! WHAAAT!

Just for Crni! :)

Velika Prdac

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7005048434

Updates:

Harper Says Both Israeli and Palestinian Suffering Should be Recognized

http://www.canada.com/story.html?id=1cebee3d-7aa6-4379-bb03-e7bbaf5630c4&rfp=dta


Harper's Defense of Israel Starts a Flap

http://www.canada.com/story.html?id=3355d60e-659c-48c5-9421-6440e38888d5&k=10021

The 'Soft War' in Eastern Europe

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/012/805fuuyf.asp

Basically Ms. Politkovskaya died because of trying to report the truth about this war.

Vela Luka Visitors to Anacortas!

http://www.sanjuanjournal.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=97&cat=23&id=748325&more=

File also under 'Paganija' since Vela Luka is definately in Paganija! :)

The first of the quarter's Faculty Lecture Seris was a talk called 'Beyond Burkas and Bombs'
Mr Jeske spoke briefly at the begining and then Mr. Monty Walker a popular history instructor at the college gave a humorous but respectful introduction of Captain Zontek,

When I heard that Mr. Zontek had served in Afghanistan in the U.S. forces, it really grabbed my attention because 1. I wanted to see how much he might follow the administration line, and 2. I wanted to see what he'd have to say about 'facts on the ground' and whatever his views might be, I knew he'd have a valuable perspective on what is really going on.

I was not disappointed. He served as a military intelligence officer, so he dealt a lot with the locals and the military from other countries serving in Afghanistan.
He decided not to just 'do his job and get out'. He decided to do something to help, something good!
The tales of the difficulties in helping people there were sometimes funny and other times sad.

He decided to do what he could to help the Women's Shelter. As far as I'm concerned the best cause he could have helped! There were many interesting stories of the women in the shelter, and the children there too.

All of those women had harrowing experiences at the hands of husbands, brothers, fathers, and even society at large. Some even had been mistreated by sons!

One thing that Mr. Zontek was at pains to explain is that this sort of thing is not Islam, and that America needs to do what it can to help Muslims who stand against this sort of thing, because there are Muslims who object to this sort of thing.
He showed that he is knowlegable about the history and the people, and respectful.

In helping the shelter, he got to know the British, including a number of Gurkhas, and he felt the British were very good soldiers who knew what to do.
I noted among the many excellent photographs one of a small group of Croatian soldiers, carrying a Croatian flag.
During the question and answer session I wanted to ask about these men, but could not get recognized, so I buttonholed him at the reception.
He was delighted someone noticed the Croatian flag, and when I asked about them, he said they were very enthusiastic soldiers and knew how to throw a good party, also they'd picked up on the fact that he's very Slavic looking, and asked him what he was ethnically, and been very welcoming to him as a fellow Slav, and I learned many of the soldiers in Afghanistan from the U.S. are of Polish descent.

Mr. Zontek mentioned about the sad case of the Buddhas of Bamian too,he noted that it was something that bothered him at the time it happened.

Not too many people know that the Bosnian government attempted to save these art treasures, it was the Muslim member of the presidency who offered to cut them up and reassemble them in BiH someplace. Bosnians have some strong feelings on the subject of destroying cultural heritage.

At the reception your editor had a chance to examine more closely a burka. I was in San Francisco when the first big wave of Afghan refugees arrived, but the first adaptation to America was to not wear burkas anymore, they wore headscarves. So I never got to actually see a burka close up before. I do know about such things of course, and knew this was a good one from Herat, the top of the line, with good embroidery and neatly executed pleats.
In fact I tried it on, and found that the main thing that I didn't like is that the lace work thing that goes over the eyes is MISERABLE. I don't have good eyesight to start with, but this lace grill blocked my eyesight so badly that it really would be hard to get around for me.

Incidentally when Muslims go on the Hajj, the women are not supposed to cover their faces, it's forbidden, so if a face veil is so Islamic, why is it forbidden on Hajj?
All three monotheistic religions require female modesty, and basically up until WWI, Christian women even in the cities did observe basic physical modesty. Those who know me know that I am a strong poponent of physical modesty, as a part of Christian observance, and as an act of liberation for women, but this was too much modesty! :)

This was an excellent lecture, I really enjoyed the photographs, and I want to say that if someone wants to impress upon me a good reason to be in Afghanistan, a talk like this is FAR more effective with me than Rant Wing Radio!


Greetings are conveyed from Mr. Huyck to Ivan the Terrible, as well as congradulations on his sucessful escape from the Yakima Gulag and I had the privelege of meeting his lovely wife, she's really a nice person.

I had a chance to say 'hi' as well to Mr. Walker, an excellent history instructor.

Friday Oct 13, there is going to be an Open Mike Poetry Night, in the H.U.B., Mujeres in Motion are featured, and it looks like it's worth going to. I am going.
The Paperboys are performing at the Yakima Valley Museum too the same night, that makes for a miserable choice! From nothing to do to nearly too much! :)
That is the life in our gulag!

Play abourtKosovo

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/features.cfm?id=1503132006

More on the rocketing of the mosque in West Mostar

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200610/s1760322.htm

Incidentally there wasn't anything in the usual sources I look at about the desecrated Catholic cemetary. The very non-reporting of it is the sort of thing right-wingers liike to use.

Charges filed against suspected aide of fugitive Serbian general Ratko Mladic

http://www.mytelus.com/news/article.do?pageID=world_home&articleID=2413355


Can We all say 'Psycho Bitch from Hell?'

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=2006-10-11T041322Z_01_L10288593_RTRUKOC_0_US-CRIME-BULGARIA.xml&WTmodLoc=OddNewsHome_C2_oddlyEnoughNews-6


Kultur Shock

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=2006-10-11T041322Z_01_L10288593_RTRUKOC_0_US-CRIME-BULGARIA.xml&WTmodLoc=OddNewsHome_C2_oddlyEnoughNews-6

I needed another excuse to inflict the etnopunk sound of Kultur Shock on my fellow zeks and the considerable international readership of Yakima Gulag Literary Gazett



Charges filed against suspected aide of fugitive Serbian general Ratko Mladic

http://www.mytelus.com/news/article.do?pageID=world_home&articleID=2413355


I needed another excuse to inflict the etnopunk sound of Kultur Shock on my fellow zeks and the considerable international readership of Yakima Gulag Literary Gazett




Kosovo Rises in International Agenda

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1011/p03s03-wogi.html

On the North Korean Nuclear test, there's been some question whether in fact anything nuclear was tested, or if the test was a dud, I don't think it's good either way.
Japan had a big fat earthquake too, and that didn't do much good. I think a big enough explosion, nuclear or otherwise could set off an earthquake. It would have to be just so on a seizmic fault. and now they are threatening war if anyone does sanctions. Like I said, totally taking advantage of the way that the U.S. is tied down in Iraq.

ICTY Rejects Croatian Bid

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061011/ap_on_re_eu/war_crimes_croatia


Barr Closes Deal on Pliva

http://www.newyorkbusiness.com/news.cms?id=14956



10 Bodies


http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20061011\ACQDJON200610110842DOWJONESDJONLINE000443.htm&selected=9999&selecteddisplaysymbol=9999&StoryTargetFrame=_top&mkt=WORLD&chk=unchecked&lang=&link=&headlinereturnpage=http://www.international.na

Article on OSCE

http://www.fidh.org/article.php3?id_article=3709

Of course it was a heavy news day so far and I woke up late, Here I am in the Hopeless Union Building at the Yakima Gulag People's Institute of Higher Re:Education, and I know for a fact one instructor finally reads this blog on some basis. HI!

Politkovskaya's Funeral

http://today.reuters.com/tv/videoChannel.aspx?storyid=7483cf0fc928bb947755ba4b6c34c78c4fd02a68

The news of Politkovskaya's murder has been all over the Internet, since it's more a Russia Chechniya story, I have not covered it really, but at the same time, the issues in Chechniya have awful parallels with BiH and the rest of the Balkans. This woman was murdered trying to do the right thing. The old Soviet methods are not dead, and the rest of the world needs to pay attention to that fact.

A description of this convention, the thing is it sounds like some political rallies in the U.S. anymore!

Šešelj's Party Still Support Him

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061008/wl_nm/serbia_radicals_dc

RPG Fired at Mosque in West Mostar

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3313262,00.html

Top Bulgarian Net Piracy Fighter Commits Suicide

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=70923

Yet more racism

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=70903

It never seems to occur to any of these eugenicists that impoving living conditions for all usually is a solution.

Albanian Theatre Could Bring the House Down

http://www.iwpr.net/?p=brn&s=f&o=324448&apc_state=henpbrn

In today's Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian Language)

Croats World Breakdancing Champs!

8 Convicted in Assasination of Arkan

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6035789.stm

Bonus: Interview With Ceca

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3070575.stm

Pyramid Update

http://www.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,,1891441,00.html

Germans Become Peace-Keepers

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/nation/15698210.htm

I'll never forget ythe scene in 'No Man's Land' when the German soldier is trying to disarm the mine under Čiki, usually Germans are portrayed in film outside of Germany as bad guys, so here this man was portrayed as gentle, compassionate, and thorough. A refreshing change from the usual portrayal!

Negotiated Settlement of Kosovo Problem 'Nearly Impossible'

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200610/10/eng20061010_310318.html

Jugonostalgija

I know some people hate RealPlayer but there's songs from the era to click on. do check them out, if you just can't handle RealPlayer, go over to my blog roll, click on 'Jugoslavija' and then check out on my friend Seesaw's blog-roll, for the Tito Homepage, there's a marvelous selection of rousing Partizan anthems to select from!
My personal favorite, 'Sharpen the Scythes!' :)

Josip Broz Tito was half Croatian and half Slovenian, so to some extent, I can see some people missing him in Slovenia. They were the best off financially speaking of all the Republics of Former Yugoslavia, but they also had the easiest war of independance. They did not lose so many of their people or their historical monuments as did Croatia or Bosnia-Hercegovina, they did not experience ethnic cleansing, they are the most ethnically homogenous of the Ex-Yu countries, which, not to justify ethnic cleansing, in the least, but it did lead to less ethnicly based tensions. They are not as badly off as the rest of the region. It's odd therefore that anyone there has real full-blown Jugonostalgija!
Still this is by no means a rare viewpoint.
There were some worthy ideals in Tito's program, but unfortunately those did not survive him.
Yugoslavia was something of an artificial construct, like many of the post-colonial African nations, and to me, it's amazing it survived as long as it did.

added later: Is it just me, or is there lately more Balkans coverage on NPR lately?

Korean A-Blast Felt in Norway

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1488519.ece

Croatia Defies E.U.

http://euobserver.com/9/22594


Ancient Brain Surgery in Bulgaria

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2028609.html?menu=news.scienceanddiscovery

Of course I think some of the stupid moderns running around need some of this!

Ataka Candidate Only Rival to Sitting President of Bulgaria

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=70870

Kosovo Talks

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20061009\ACQDJON200610090757DOWJONESDJONLINE000211.htm&selected=9999&selecteddisplaysymbol=9999&StoryTargetFrame=_top&mkt=WORLD&chk=unchecked&lang=&link=&headlinereturnpage=http://www.international.na

This is NOT welcome news, just heard on Fox News on K.I.T. that the North Koreans conducted an underground test of a nuclear device.

I am not happy to hear this. They are definately taking advantage of the fact the U.S. is seriously tied down in Iraq.

People should just in case take kelp tablets two or three usually are sufficient, just in case there is Strontium 90 floating around out there.

Emancipating Kosovo

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=52576

Interesting because this article is from the Phillipines, and since I don't know a lot about the Phillipines other than it's a Christian majority nation with a Muslim minority in the South, and it's pretty ethnically and linguisticly diverse and they make some interesting food there....
Speaking of the Phillipines...talk show host Art Bell recently re-married to a Phillipina lady named Erin, is about to become a father again, he's around my age, and I think she's a good bit younger. I wish them both well! Congradulations!

Hungarian Minority in Romania Want a Referendum

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061008/wl_nm/romania_hungarians_dc

I'm telling you...the world is simply getting too NationStates!



Serbian Foreign Ministry Bans Arms Exports to Georgia, Armenia

http://www.regnum.ru/english/718049.html

O.K. points for consistancy.

Bosnian Example for Iraq

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/20/AR2005112000863.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns

There's just a teensy weensy little problem...the 'Bosnian Example ' isn't really working in Bosnia! My contention is autonomous areas in Iraq are probably unworkable as well, it SOUNDS like an easy answer, but each place this means of trying to get peace has been tried, there has later been war, especially when partition goes short of full independance. The areas that are presently nations tend to harbor resentments, there's always some complex minority issues, basically it only works in ethnically homogenous areas. There are very few ethnically homogenous areas in the world, if ANY. It is a problem from Hell whenever this sort of thing happens.
Iraq was not in good shape when the U.S. invaded, and now a majority of the American people are realizing it might have been a bad idea to go there in the first place and a badly planned war on top of that.

The other difference between BiH and Iraq is that a U.S. presence was mostly positive in BiH, the U.S. presence in Iraq has done some positive things, bringing down Saddam Hussein is nothing to sneeze at, it was a good thing basically. In the case of Iraq there is basically no competant leadership able to take power on a national basis, and I suspect not regionally either. Things are basically at least calmer in BiH, but that can't be said for Iraq. A lengthy U.S. presence was necessary in BiH, the last U.S. troops are leaving in December, but a N.A.T.O. and an E.U. presence will remain for some time. Every time it looks like they can be withdrawn, something happens to give one pause about that. Still there aren't a bunch of suicide bombers running around in the Balkans. In most areas people can somewhat go about their daily business. There is a lot of rebuilding and mostly the buidings are staying re-built. You can't say that for most of Iraq.

Serbian Radicals Stand by Jailed Leader

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-10-08T143526Z_01_L08126675_RTRUKOC_0_US-SERBIA-RADICALS.xml&WTmodLoc=IntNewsHome_C2_worldNews-8

for those who have to have a score card to keep track of these people... this should serve as a reminder....If you are at work with anyone who understands the language you might not want to click on this at work, it's laced with seriously rude language....





Relics of St. George in Sofia

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=70826

Joe Cocker Performs at Fairy Tale Wedding in Sofia

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=70827

World-Wide Fame and Noteriaty, and 1500+ visitors in the two years of the existance of this blog!



inflikting kultur shock on the masses regularly with pride!

They claim it's noting to do with any volcanic activity but....
Hej 4.5 in the Mt. Rainier area! Maybe I should turn down my music? naaaaah

Visit Beautiful BiH!

http://www.kuwaittimes.net/analysis.asp?dismode=article&artid=298751225

Well the upside is that maybe some people around me will realize that I have had good reasons to miss the place, and maybe it will give Bosnians some work. My hope is that visitors will have respect for the place and it's people.

Quick Update re: above story, go to Bosnia Vault, Shaina has put up the three ads from C.N.N. Someone lost no time getting them up on YouTube I guess.
See below for something I actually saw in BiH. I passed the Tunel house any number of times. I didn't know what it was my first trip, it had vibes though and I noticed it always.
Some shots of 'Sniper Alley' too, the film was taken by someone who made a tour of Sarajevo.



Atheists and Agnostics Have Fewer Divorces


http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_dira.htm

From Metafilter. Take That Dr. Laura!

Also from Mefi!
Pearse is Spinning in His Grave!

http://www.hilloftara.info/

And So is Yeats!

This I couldn't believe!


Serbian Royals in Chicago

http://cbs2chicago.com/seenon/local_story_280085247.html

N.A.T.O. Forces in BiH Have New Comander

http://www.kuna.net.kw/Home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=911310

New Housing for Roma in Sofia

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=70780