Monday, June 28, 2010
Vidovdan
Locally, I was surprised to note that the TV station KNDO actually made note of the assasination of Arch-Duke Franz-Ferdinand and his wife Sophie Chotek. This is commonly given as the reason for the begining of WWI.
I actually visited the museum in Sarajevo dedicated to this event. the museum costs a couple marks to visit. They have the cups from which the unfortunate Arch-Duke and his wife drank their last coffee, and other things of interest.
It was a normal part of daily life for me to walk in the area of Franz Ferdinand's ill fated motorcade, and probably even I drank coffee in a place where Gavrilo Princep drank his last coffee.
The real significance of the date June 28th though is the battle of Kosovo Polje.
I had ancestors in this battle, most notably Vuk Kosaca, who went on the orders of the king of Bosnia who led soldiers and knights who went to fight there.
The battle technically was a draw, with both the main leaders killed.
The Turkish leader was killed by a Serbian, pretending to be a defector, and Prince Lazar died in the battle.
Prince Lazar's bones went on the Great Migration of the Serbian people who left the area later. They left for territory then in the Austrian Empire, and it was not a good move for them. Many actually found it better to go into then Turkish occupied Serbia.
The Austrians in turn hung so many innocent people that it cannot have helped in winning hearts and minds of Serbian people living in Bosnia and Hercegovina. In fact it did not. Nor did accusing the Serbian government of that time of backing the assassins.
Most historians agree the Serbian government of the time was innocent in this matter. The conspiracy was an urban based one' of students who would be in American terms in the late stages of High School or perhaps the early stages of college.
All the conspirators were very young and afraid. Even Gavrilo Princep was afraid. The only people who were not afraid were the highly inept security people in the employ of the Austrian Empire.
To say the least, they failed to meet basic professional requirments. Having seen many times the narrow streets in that area, it takes no particular imagination to see how easy it was to carry out some sort of act of terror in that place at that time.
I got to see a very interesting documentary during my time in Bosnia, of the village of Gavrilo Princep, and film of his relatives.
Princep's living relatives eerily resemble him. To this day, Princep's home village is a sad and nearly ruined village of very poor people who have to work very hard to earn their bread.
The people in Laos have a saying I like. 'When the elephants dance, the ants have to run away'
The problem is there is next to no place to run some times.
There was no place to run from the consequences of the Battle of Kosovo Polje and for Europe no place to run from the consequences of WWI.
I actually visited the museum in Sarajevo dedicated to this event. the museum costs a couple marks to visit. They have the cups from which the unfortunate Arch-Duke and his wife drank their last coffee, and other things of interest.
It was a normal part of daily life for me to walk in the area of Franz Ferdinand's ill fated motorcade, and probably even I drank coffee in a place where Gavrilo Princep drank his last coffee.
The real significance of the date June 28th though is the battle of Kosovo Polje.
I had ancestors in this battle, most notably Vuk Kosaca, who went on the orders of the king of Bosnia who led soldiers and knights who went to fight there.
The battle technically was a draw, with both the main leaders killed.
The Turkish leader was killed by a Serbian, pretending to be a defector, and Prince Lazar died in the battle.
Prince Lazar's bones went on the Great Migration of the Serbian people who left the area later. They left for territory then in the Austrian Empire, and it was not a good move for them. Many actually found it better to go into then Turkish occupied Serbia.
The Austrians in turn hung so many innocent people that it cannot have helped in winning hearts and minds of Serbian people living in Bosnia and Hercegovina. In fact it did not. Nor did accusing the Serbian government of that time of backing the assassins.
Most historians agree the Serbian government of the time was innocent in this matter. The conspiracy was an urban based one' of students who would be in American terms in the late stages of High School or perhaps the early stages of college.
All the conspirators were very young and afraid. Even Gavrilo Princep was afraid. The only people who were not afraid were the highly inept security people in the employ of the Austrian Empire.
To say the least, they failed to meet basic professional requirments. Having seen many times the narrow streets in that area, it takes no particular imagination to see how easy it was to carry out some sort of act of terror in that place at that time.
I got to see a very interesting documentary during my time in Bosnia, of the village of Gavrilo Princep, and film of his relatives.
Princep's living relatives eerily resemble him. To this day, Princep's home village is a sad and nearly ruined village of very poor people who have to work very hard to earn their bread.
The people in Laos have a saying I like. 'When the elephants dance, the ants have to run away'
The problem is there is next to no place to run some times.
There was no place to run from the consequences of the Battle of Kosovo Polje and for Europe no place to run from the consequences of WWI.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
We totally need to get a cat, or an exterminator:
Monday, June 21, 2010
Weird smell update:
M.'s theory that we had a dead mouse in the duct work is probably the correct theory. The horrible smell has dissipated. Mice do not get in so easily here, they have to run a gauntlet of hungry feral cats who live in the area. The cats pee on things, like the window area, so I do know they are there. I am all for animals around until I wake up to that! Cats have to be inside in a city. Traffic, dogs, bad people etc. They should be fixed and properly cared for. But the feral cat colonies do eat lots of mice. Often the animal welfare organizations here simply brings them in fix them, give them shots and then return them to wherever they live. I don't think that is entirely good, but I guess it beats killing them.
Feral cats after all do not present anything like the same dangers feral dogs can present.
Feral cats after all do not present anything like the same dangers feral dogs can present.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Weird smell in the house....
The smell was something I noticed when I left my room to go get water to take my heartburn medicine. I get heartburn as a side effect of other pills I have to take, so first thing in the morning I take a heartburn pill.
Anyway I noticed this weird God-awful smell. It smelled a bit like burned plastic, a bit like burned food, and was very strong indeed.
I could not find a point of origin for the smell, sniffed around like a blood hound trying to pin it down. Took out the trash, that did not lessen the smell. Checked room mates. None of them had cooked anything that burned. Not B. he was asleep, not R. he was not even home, we found out that when he arrived home from work, not M. She was sleeping like a baby so I did not wake her. Certainly not me, I had not cooked anything since noon yesterday and that was in hte microwave, my own take on microwave pizza. That certainly did not burn. It took a minute to make it.
So the smell remains a total weird mystery.
I found out from M. the origin of the VFW hall fire. It was a rat. The rat chewed electrical wiring. The same rat caught fire, and went running back to his little rat hole with the fire in his fur,burning a lot of things in the VFW hall.
I hope they get a ratting terrier or a large cat. That would end the problem if there is more than one rat in there.
Anyway I noticed this weird God-awful smell. It smelled a bit like burned plastic, a bit like burned food, and was very strong indeed.
I could not find a point of origin for the smell, sniffed around like a blood hound trying to pin it down. Took out the trash, that did not lessen the smell. Checked room mates. None of them had cooked anything that burned. Not B. he was asleep, not R. he was not even home, we found out that when he arrived home from work, not M. She was sleeping like a baby so I did not wake her. Certainly not me, I had not cooked anything since noon yesterday and that was in hte microwave, my own take on microwave pizza. That certainly did not burn. It took a minute to make it.
So the smell remains a total weird mystery.
I found out from M. the origin of the VFW hall fire. It was a rat. The rat chewed electrical wiring. The same rat caught fire, and went running back to his little rat hole with the fire in his fur,burning a lot of things in the VFW hall.
I hope they get a ratting terrier or a large cat. That would end the problem if there is more than one rat in there.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Happy Juneteenth!
Juneteenth marks the end of slavery. It is called Juneteenth because WORD of the exact day did not filter down to the slaves who were emancipated by Lincoln's proclamation in a timely manner.
Some news links
Mladic is still alive:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10653102
He is probably living under an alias I saw film of him on TV while I lived in Sarajevo, and the same films are widely available on the Internet.
News from the Karadzic trial:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10653102
and as usual Karadzic is full of it.
And under some special condiions, Seselj is allowed to publish his book:
http://www.iwpr.net/report-news/seselj-allowed-publish-books
More stuff that really bugs me. Why offend people? But the Serbian Muslim community has the right idea, sic the lawyers on them and demand compensation.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1564616.php/Serbian-Muslims-demand-100-million-euros-over-photomontage-in-daily
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10653102
He is probably living under an alias I saw film of him on TV while I lived in Sarajevo, and the same films are widely available on the Internet.
News from the Karadzic trial:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10653102
and as usual Karadzic is full of it.
And under some special condiions, Seselj is allowed to publish his book:
http://www.iwpr.net/report-news/seselj-allowed-publish-books
More stuff that really bugs me. Why offend people? But the Serbian Muslim community has the right idea, sic the lawyers on them and demand compensation.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1564616.php/Serbian-Muslims-demand-100-million-euros-over-photomontage-in-daily
New Specs and how that is going:
The new specs are bi-focal, and it is interesting, I can read anythingg but ant-print without too much trouble. They have improved my distance vision a bit, as far as telling what bus is coming or indeed if one is coming this is a blessing. I can also read license plate numbera a lot more easily. I have not had too much trouble with steps so far thank God. I just have to take them slow.
Pavement is another story. It is VERY trippy as in feeling like you are high trippy. I have to go slow even on level ground ANYWAY because of my ankles. Looking up and then down can be a dizzying experience. I have a feeling that I am actually with my lack of depth perception doing better than some of my friends with bi-focals though.
The cotton woods and the dryer machine are messing with me though. The weather here has mmore rain than it should this far into June. We have eatten some of the first raspberries of the year. mmmm!
Pavement is another story. It is VERY trippy as in feeling like you are high trippy. I have to go slow even on level ground ANYWAY because of my ankles. Looking up and then down can be a dizzying experience. I have a feeling that I am actually with my lack of depth perception doing better than some of my friends with bi-focals though.
The cotton woods and the dryer machine are messing with me though. The weather here has mmore rain than it should this far into June. We have eatten some of the first raspberries of the year. mmmm!
Friday, June 18, 2010
World Refugee Day
Today is World Refugee Day, and basically there are a LOT of refugees. The largest single group of refugees currently is Iraqi, I think Palestinians are the next biggest group, but 443 Million are displaced and upt to 17 Million internally displaced people.
Pakistan is the host for the most refugees though.
Why so many? War, and then environmental degradation and natural disasters.
So many who want to go home never can go home.
Pakistan is the host for the most refugees though.
Why so many? War, and then environmental degradation and natural disasters.
So many who want to go home never can go home.
Still have to sneak in to see y'all
This DansGuardian thing is really annoying me. I do not appreciate the fact that they block me when nothing I put in here involves people without their clothes. This is mostly a news blog, and I keep it pretty clean in here.
Sometimes I have been blocked because some knothead sent me in comments some comment spam. I never publish that stuff. I suppose the fact this blog has existed for some five years makes it a juicy target for those people and their bots.
I am not even here to necessarily change anyone's mind about things. So it really seems weird to be blocked. I think this computer on which this obnoxious stuff is put used to belong to people who had a child, a child they were sheltering A LOT.
That is their business, but sheltering children makes them devious in ways no child should be devious.
Far better to actually explain the world to one's children in an age appropriate way. That sure did not hurt my kids! Both are doing pretty nicely in life.
Sometimes I have been blocked because some knothead sent me in comments some comment spam. I never publish that stuff. I suppose the fact this blog has existed for some five years makes it a juicy target for those people and their bots.
I am not even here to necessarily change anyone's mind about things. So it really seems weird to be blocked. I think this computer on which this obnoxious stuff is put used to belong to people who had a child, a child they were sheltering A LOT.
That is their business, but sheltering children makes them devious in ways no child should be devious.
Far better to actually explain the world to one's children in an age appropriate way. That sure did not hurt my kids! Both are doing pretty nicely in life.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Balkans news link
Not a great deal of news I can access today. One of my favorite sites is over-run with news in Arabic, and I don't read Arabic, I doubt many of my readers can read it.
A lot off news had very little to do with BiH for that matter. Except for Tihic going to Serbia.
Kosovo man arrested a U.S. warrant for terrorism charges:
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/international/54178-eu-police-arrest-man-wanted-in-us-over-terror-charge.html
And some weird quirks of American immigration law.
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/international/54178-eu-police-arrest-man-wanted-in-us-over-terror-charge.html
A lot off news had very little to do with BiH for that matter. Except for Tihic going to Serbia.
Kosovo man arrested a U.S. warrant for terrorism charges:
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/international/54178-eu-police-arrest-man-wanted-in-us-over-terror-charge.html
And some weird quirks of American immigration law.
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/international/54178-eu-police-arrest-man-wanted-in-us-over-terror-charge.html
New Secs
I got my new bifocals today. I am just getting used to them. I navigate better in them than previous specs but I have wanted to wait on tackling stairs with them. They are rather pretty, but smell a bit plasticky as of yet. What I like besides seeing better is they don't snag at my hair.
The eye glasses shop, Precision Optical is one of the cooler places to go for eye glasses in the Yakima Gulag. The guy has copies of The Sun, music artifacts a Japanese lucky cat thing, and I was sad that some vandals broke his unique neon sign. That really was bad. Whole window too. :(
Anyway it does make things easier but I still can't go down to really teeny tiny print with my left eye.
Still most print that concerns me is not all that small. :)
The eye glasses shop, Precision Optical is one of the cooler places to go for eye glasses in the Yakima Gulag. The guy has copies of The Sun, music artifacts a Japanese lucky cat thing, and I was sad that some vandals broke his unique neon sign. That really was bad. Whole window too. :(
Anyway it does make things easier but I still can't go down to really teeny tiny print with my left eye.
Still most print that concerns me is not all that small. :)
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Only available in the Bosnian language:
Smrt i Dervis (Death and the Dervish)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8azq1iZ1v44&feature=related
is up on YouTube in 12 parts. No subtitles, if you do not speak Bosnian then at least look at it for the scenery, it is a really cool film. I saw the whole thing when I first was in Sarajevo in 20O7-2008.
I would watch the whole thing as fast as you can, YouTube pulls down stuff like this really fast. :) shhhhh!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8azq1iZ1v44&feature=related
is up on YouTube in 12 parts. No subtitles, if you do not speak Bosnian then at least look at it for the scenery, it is a really cool film. I saw the whole thing when I first was in Sarajevo in 20O7-2008.
I would watch the whole thing as fast as you can, YouTube pulls down stuff like this really fast. :) shhhhh!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
I had to sneak in by an airvent to see you all...
to tell you that CNN International's World View had a short bit about a program of Hayat Television in Sarajevo about art created during the war years. There were some nice short clips in there. DansGuardian remains ever vigilent lest I see something BAD somehow.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
When I find the DansGuardian nest of vipers...
Bosnia Hercegovina news and regional news:
The UN has taken it's sweet time about all this!
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/tribunal+delivers+historic+verdict+Bosnian+massacre/3137316/story.html
It looks to be a sound and thorough verdict at least.
It looks like people in Bosnia are pleased with the verdict.
More Srebenica related news:
http://www.canada.com/news/Croatia+arrests+suspect+Srebrenica+massacre/2928384/story.html
And news of testimony in the Karadzic trial. It is pretty harrowing actually:
http://www.canada.com/news/Karadzic+crimes+trial+witness+details+horrors/2901634/story.html
Well just getting these three links was a big deal, something is slowing things up on me. However, they are the links I thought mattered most for today.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/tribunal+delivers+historic+verdict+Bosnian+massacre/3137316/story.html
It looks to be a sound and thorough verdict at least.
It looks like people in Bosnia are pleased with the verdict.
More Srebenica related news:
http://www.canada.com/news/Croatia+arrests+suspect+Srebrenica+massacre/2928384/story.html
And news of testimony in the Karadzic trial. It is pretty harrowing actually:
http://www.canada.com/news/Karadzic+crimes+trial+witness+details+horrors/2901634/story.html
Well just getting these three links was a big deal, something is slowing things up on me. However, they are the links I thought mattered most for today.
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Looks like they are not going to give Mladic
much more rope:
http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/europe/War-Crimes-Fugitive-Mladics-Wife-Detained-95950949.htmland
And by the way no one buys that he is dead.
and what a day for this trucker!
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-eu-bosnia-mass-grave,0,6804722.story
and another war crimes suspect run to ground:
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/28641/
as well in Bosnia i Hercegovina another indictment of 3 war crime suspects:
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/28642/
and a new indictment for the VRS shelling of the Dubrovnik area:
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/28642/
my F.S.O. (former significant other..) spent the war years in the area around Dubrovnik and it was fairly scary when the place got shelled. When I visited that area in 1999 there were still homes with holes in the roofs or still devastated.
and not that Dodik is all the sudden my hero but fair is fair, he did do something decent for once, and thanks! I was visiting Sarajevo when there was the horrible riot at the laying of the cornerstone of the project to reconstruct this lovely mosque. I remember the spontaneous protest that broke out over it in the neighborhood I was in. So any progress is welcome and a Good Thing.
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/28621/
http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/europe/War-Crimes-Fugitive-Mladics-Wife-Detained-95950949.htmland
And by the way no one buys that he is dead.
and what a day for this trucker!
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-eu-bosnia-mass-grave,0,6804722.story
and another war crimes suspect run to ground:
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/28641/
as well in Bosnia i Hercegovina another indictment of 3 war crime suspects:
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/28642/
and a new indictment for the VRS shelling of the Dubrovnik area:
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/28642/
my F.S.O. (former significant other..) spent the war years in the area around Dubrovnik and it was fairly scary when the place got shelled. When I visited that area in 1999 there were still homes with holes in the roofs or still devastated.
and not that Dodik is all the sudden my hero but fair is fair, he did do something decent for once, and thanks! I was visiting Sarajevo when there was the horrible riot at the laying of the cornerstone of the project to reconstruct this lovely mosque. I remember the spontaneous protest that broke out over it in the neighborhood I was in. So any progress is welcome and a Good Thing.
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/28621/
Friday, June 04, 2010
A nice article about Sarajevo, including some nice pictures:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/jun/05/bosnia-herzegovina-sarajevo-tours-hiking
BiH lost to Germany in football.
http://www.bundesligatalk.com/germany-triumph-in-friendly-against-bosnia/992
BiH lost to Germany in football.
http://www.bundesligatalk.com/germany-triumph-in-friendly-against-bosnia/992
Thursday, June 03, 2010
But NOT the only ones who don't hate America:
