How is it that everytime I post dumb things on my facebook, people react? Whenever I post things relating to Russia, no one does!
I know I am particularly interested, but I would like to argue that the world's largest country and 2nd largest producer of natural gas - with plenty of oil to boot (and a loosening albeit forceful grip around the supplies of some Central Asian countries) - is worth paying attention to.
In this case, journalism students put out a calendar to celebrate the birthday of former president and current Prime Minister Putin. It was trashy, suggestive, and straight out of the state sponosored Moscow University. That is not them pictured above.
What you're seeing is the retaliatory number created by other female journalism students hoping to shed the mindless, objectified image given to them by the aforementioned calendar. Instead of suggestive slogans, they've dared to pose beside questions like, "Who killed Politkovskaya?" and "When will Khodorkovsky be freed?"
That's huge. None of them will ever find a job in the predominantly state controlled media world, nor do they have much of a chance of pursuing journalism unobstructedly. They run the lifetime risk of being harassed, even killed - like Politkovskaya was in her own appartment building.
Khodorkovsky was formerly an oligarch, having claimed his fortune in the smoldering ruins of the USSR. There is certainly dispute in Russia about whether or not he evades taxes and engages in other less that perfect business practices, but this is Russia. So does everyone else. Not that I'm saying it's okay! I'd just like to remind you.
He had sponsored media outlets that were critical of the government, and they've all slowly been usurped. He finally landed in jail a few years ago and is unlikely to ever be free. I can hardly believe things like this go unnoticed.
Without sounding harsh, I'd like to acknowledge that it happens in less developed countries (in various ways) all the time. However, this man had money. His demise played out very publically since at least 2003 when I started following it.
Imagine if Bush would have sought out one of his critics - Saddam Hussein doesn't count, it has to be a citizen - and slowly but surely ruined his career and then his life. I think there would have been more of a reaction. And I certainly think there will be a reaction to that statement when I flash it on facebook to drum up interest in this post.
This is why I want to live in Russia: Besides the intrinsic dominance of national standing over individual freedoms, the country is riddled with idiosyncrasies like this one. I can't wait to jump in and try to wrap my head around it!
"Unlike in many countries of Europe, Asia and America where voluntary work is commonplace, it's having difficulty breaking ground in Russia... Indeed, because of many social stereotypes, most Russians regard volunteer work as another form of fraud."
Find the rest of the Russia Now article on http://rt.com/Russia_Now/Volunteering.html
Having coffee with a friend and former thesis advisor this morning resulted in perhaps the quote of my young life:
"Wait a minute: We're talking about different Skopje's!"
That's right, American University's Scholar in Residence really thought I was coming to gush and pick his brain about a possible move to Skopje, Illinois. I'll admit, it's half my fault because at one point he did write, "Skopje, Ill," with two L's, and I assumed he was referring to a suffix "FYR" replaced. Wow.
No props for us today! And then there's this close second, posited by another good friend Nick. (Prefaced pause of reflection...)
"You seem like a blogger."
I gasped. It's embarassing to say that I wanted to be embarassed! Without meaning to sound snobby, judgemental, Parisian (lol) - you name it - I took it as a dis. Hopefully someone's way with words can attend to this wound. Change my mind, people.
This post for all of it's punctuation calls me back to a day when a very gifted, if not generally baked Professor of mine presented us with an article arguing that punctuation is unnecessary; semi-colons and exclaimation points especially!
The theory goes that word choice should speak for you. I vehemently rebutted his arguement if for nothing else than the fact that his tone was superior and dismissive... (Parisian? No really I'm just kidding).
But since I'm not recalling his name, which I could google, were I not at the office (hehe), I'll chalk all of mine up to my 50% Italian heritage. We're loud and we express ourselves vigorously through gesture. My hands gesture via punctuation, so there! ;)
This post isn't particularly intellectual, more just for fun - but also to announce that soon I shall very likely be departing from the states. Woo hoo! Top two intended destinations, based on offers and finances are Skopje, MA and Brussels, BE.
Thoughts, anyone?
You will most likely have to register to see this, but check out http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/59a8cc0e-a709-11df-90e5-00144feabdc0.html
It's interesting to see how struggling economies can be as much of a help as a drag to the powerhouses. This leads me into a discussion of the Roma people from France...
I hesitate to go there because I recently got eaten alive by my friends for suggesting that Barack Obama's endorsement of the construction of a Mosque/Cultural Center blocks from the site of the World Trade Center was insensitive.
It was, and the speech writers agreed, so he qualified his remarks in last Sunday's Washington Post. The headline was something like, "Obama Changes Mind on Mosque," in which he said he never commented on the wisdom of the choice in location - just their right to do so.
I don't dare give an opinion on the Roma expulsion except to say this: I lived in France, and don't feel like the media is fairly portraying the issue. In the small suburb outside of Paris where I stayed, a large Roma camp had illegally tapped into water and gas lines. The BBC report I watched last night cast them as deprived of those essentials.
People from the camp were known to harass children as schools let out, and I witnessed members of that camp flip over a broken down car and light it on fire. I also saw entire store parking lots that they'd taken over with their caravan. Did they have their reasons? I can't say, and like the eurozone's less productive economies, there has got to be a positive side to their presence.
I just want to paint the 80% of the French population in support of these policies in a culturally sensitive light.
Responding to this post with rage will not help others to understand your point of view, and personally attacking mine adds little to this world.
I haven't gotten back to Dominika yet, because I want to have time to do her justice. In the meantime, take a look at this: China and the Pentagon agree on the PLA's interests in Central Asia EurasiaNet.org
"You say 'mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation,' I say 'building regional influence.' You say 'combat terrorism, separatism and extremism,' I say 'building cohesive regional opposition to Uighur activities.' You say 'boost common development and prosperity,' I say 'pipeline.' Sounds like the Pentagon and the PLA are pretty much singing from the same sheet of music here."
I like the way he thinks, although I reserve my comments on his deduction. Please let me know what you think!
This morning I searched "highest dietary sources of iron," and was excited to find a list after the list of beef tongue, moussed liver, and cockles, which http://www.practicallyedible.com/ says taste like pickled snot.
The list that I'm drawing from can be found at www.weightlossforall.com/iron-rich-food.htm, and I have contacted them for permission. So, I hope you enjoy spicing up your diet with the following:
Highest content, if consuming 18 mg - unlikely but still worth adding!
ground thyme - curry powder - oat & wheat bran - ground cinnamon - garam masala - rosemary - oxo cube - paprika
Listed in descending order, containing less iron than the items above:
bran flakes - sesame seeds - soya flour - wheat germ - licorice - cashews - canned blackcurrants - dried figs - boiled lentils - apricots - hazelnuts - almonds - red kidney beans - watercress
Licorice is also helpful for those of us with occasional low blood pressure, and anyone with chrone's disease or the catch all diagnosis "irritable bowel syndrome." I'll get on that another day... Essentially, I blame food additives, and believe it will one day come to light the way that cigarette additives did. Funny thing is, people are still smoking them.
Got to run, but I'm excited to post about a friend of mine from the Slovak Republic later today. She's a not to be missed young designer. Love her.
I've never been an Obama critic. Irresponsible though my apathy to domestic politics may be, I've already decided it's not for me.
With that in mind, I'd love to get some commentary going on Obama's support of the construction for a Mosque blocks from the Ground Zero site.
In other news, I hope that one positive result of the drought in Russia will be that Americans vary their grain intake!
And finally, an LA Times article got me wondering.
Apparently, French women are now opting to cover up on the beach. They girls interviewed said they still go topless in private, because strap marks are ugly (agree!); but as most women no longer bare it all, they prefer not to cause a spectacle.
I agree with that as well, but it begs the question as to who the first women were to cover up and why...
How is it that everytime I post dumb things on my facebook, people react? 