Monday, March 26, 2007

Everything Sounds Like Propaganda

Is this propaganda too?

Well, they dare to pose the question towards themselves. That might as well be the propaganda test... Real propagandists would never accept questioning their position.

God Bless Iceland

This weekend we lost one hour of our day. You think it's all about saving electricity and giving us more sunlight hours during the day? Well well, the idea was actually intended by a golf player who wanted to play longer in the afternoons... Apparently upper middle-class capitalist lobbies knew how to use propaganda already more than 100 years ago.

I think I will move to Iceland, they do not participate in this fucking up my daily rhythm. And besides that, it seems to be a nice country in other ways too. Not member of EU, the first to recognize my homecountry's independence. And an exotic country both with regards to nature and culture (just think about their language...).

So, I'm almost packing my bags. At least mentally.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Spring Things

This is what makes me feel spring-time also inside...

Sea-buckthorn.
These berries contain 6 times more vitamin C than orange, besides vitamin A and E, and flavonoids and antioxidants... And no, I don't go around crawling in thorny bushes, I buy a health drink at the local food-store. Not too expensive, tastes very good and refreshing. In other words - perfect!






Shakti & John McLaughlin
Indian tunes with a touch of jazz, or the other way around... Simply lovely. Makes you feel like dancing, flying, and being completely free.
And bear in mind - this is not some cheap new age bullshit. This is about a bunch of very skilled musicians doing something profoundly innovative. They are not playing gods, they ARE gods...







John D. Caputo
Brilliant in his elaborations on Derrida and deconstruction. He makes it much easier to digest Jackie's thoughts without unnecessary over-simplifying the content. And on top of that he adds his own insights, which for me seem to be very interesting. And very inspiring, which is of utmost importance of course...


This "list" was of course by no means exhaustive... Waiting for more to come. Á venir, avenir...

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Some Sounds

Oh, and here is my 1:41 minutes for Anna Politkovskaya broadcasted by Radio Latvia. Sorry, only in Latvian. BBC has not employed me yet.

Moving On

It is spring, finally. Besides quite a lot of wet snow on Monday the weather has been perfect.

And things are changing, as usual in springtime, hopefully for the best. Just got a new table today, there is a couple of vacancies to apply for, and perhaps taking that course in human rights and modern genetics (what a subject, right?)... The future is still unwritten, but it seems bright.

And of course Israel saying that what happened in Lebanon last year actually was war is a welcome admission. Better late than never.

Some things take time. Just like my job searching.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

The Eyes of Anna Politkovskaya

Today I went to the reading in memoriam of Anna Politkovskaya in Stockholm. Such readings were held in different countries, to make a stand against the political lie, and for the truth.

I saw her once. It was at the Gothenburgh Book Fair. She was telling about her newest book, and I made a radio feature about it when I returned to Stockholm.
Look at her eyes... It is said that eyes are the part human body that is least affected by aging. Which means that we keep our childish eyes for the rest of our lives. Though I think some try to hide them, even to the point of looking like dead, like machines and not human beings. Anna still had these eyes, and not only in the physical sense. If there is anything that can be called spiritual, I think that's what I saw in her eyes. And if you read her books, you can feel it too. That stare of truth that cuts right through your heart without any mercy. This world needs more of such eyes - the eyes that are not ashamed to be the eyes of a child, and not afraid to seek and see the truth, at any cost.

At any cost... Also life. But the bizzare thing is that the ones who silenced her have made her voice (through her books, through readings like the one today, through other journalists inspired by her, etc) only louder. Indeed, it is possible to make a lasting impact even by ones death.

Maybe the eyes never die?

Sunday, March 18, 2007

And I Thought I Was Pretty Conservative...

ACCORDING
TO YOUR ANSWERS,

The

political description that
fits you best is...

.

LIBERAL




LIBERALS usually embrace freedom of choice in personal

matters, but tend to support significant government control of the economy. They generally support a government-funded "safety net" to help the disadvantaged, and advocate strict regulation of business. Liberals tend to favor environmental regulations, defend civil liberties and free expression, support government action to promote equality, and tolerate diverse lifestyles.

The RED DOT on the Chart shows where you fit on the political map.



Your PERSONAL issues
Score is 80%.

Your ECONOMIC issues Score
is 40%.


You can find the test HERE.

Thursday, March 08, 2007

The Mystery of Women and the Mystery of USA

USA has always been, to put it mildly, inconsistent in its policies regarding many different spheres. Also regarding women.

Today Condoleezza Rice gave Courage Award to a number of women who have been especially successful in advocating women's rights and advancement, including Latvian journalist Ilze Jaunalksne. After she made several TV programs on political corruption, recordings of her private phone conversations (taped by Secret Police) were leaked to the media. Now she is about to get a compensation from the state, and I think this prize comes right in time.

Good!

Meanwhile, a well known Swedish singer Eva Dahlgren (if I remember correctly, she was Anna Lindh's (r.i.p.) favourite) has been indirectly blacklisted in USA. Her crime - contribution for CD Lullabies from the Axis of Evil. Apparently, women from the countries of so called axis of evil singing together with western artists is too much for the land of freedom.

Well, what can one say except stealing some words from Morrissey:

In America
The land of the Free, they said
And of Opportunity
In a just and a truthful way
But where the President
Is never black, female or gay
And until that day
You’ve got nothing to say to me
To help me believe
In America