Stories from 18 June 2008
Ukraine: Paul McCartney in Kyiv
Ukrainiana writes about and posts photos and video from Paul McCartney's concert in Kyiv.
Ukraine: NATO Ads and Protests
Ukrainiana writes about pro-NATO ads and anti-NATO protests in Ukraine.
Kosovo: Cyber-Attacks
LimbicNutrition Weblog writes that “pro-Serbian hacktivists” are attacking pro-Kosovo web sites.
Serbia: Aleksandra Stratimirović Daggfeldt
Sandra Draskovic of Demystifying Serbian Design writes about the work of Belgrade- and Stockholm-based artist Aleksandra Stratimirović Daggfeldt.
Russia: Mail-Order Brides
Anna Ershova shares her thoughts on “how (not) to date a Russian woman”: “According to some of my sociologist friends, many Russian women who marry a foreigner out of material reasons end up getting divorced after they get their new foreign citizenship. In the meantime, they often manage to get...
Russia: Second-Hand Shopping
Anna Ershova of Anna’s Out of Town News blogs at Siberian Light about second-hand shops in Russia – and the option of second-hand shopping via LiveJournal.
Russia: New Army Chief of Staff
Siberian Light writes about Nikolai Makarov, Russia's armed forces’ new chief of staff.
Russia: Moscow Football Fans
LJ user nl posts two pictures of Moscow fans celebrating Russia's Euro 2008 victory over Sweden – here and here.
Russia: Poverty
Sean's Russia Blog writes about poverty in Russia: “Apparently living poor isn’t just about surviving, it’s about surviving artfully.”
Belarus: Minsk
Darkness at Noon shares his observations about Minsk.
Russia, Moldova: Pioneers
Scraps of Moscow writes about the Young Pioneers organization in Russia and Moldova.
Russia: The eXile
Robert Amsterdam's blog – on the shutting down of the eXile – here and here.
Soviet History: Political Jokes
A Soviet-time joke in a post at Robert Amsterdam's blog: “… the man who goes to buy a car in Moscow, pays for it, and is told by the salesman that he can collect it on a particular date in 10 years’ time. The buyer thinks for a moment and...
Russia, U.S.: Becky Hammon
FP's Passport starts a discussion on whether the U.S. basketball player who'll play for Russia at the Olympics is “a traitor or a savvy capitalist.”
Poland: “Observations of the Polish Character”
At Polandian, “observations of the Polish character” by Scatts: “Some of them relatively new or recently reinforced, others very old but all have been openly discussed with a variety of Poles who, for the most part, agree with me. Those who don’t agree with me, tend to disagree with anything...
Latvia: Economic Crisis and Theft
Baltic reviews some of the signs of economic crisis in Latvia: lamps and veggies stolen from gardens, gas stolen from pumps and trucks.
Europe: Ideas for Cold War Museum
The Economist's Ceratin Ideas of Europe blog welcomes exhibit ideas for a Cold War museum that may be built “on a site near the old ‘Checkpoint Charlie’ border-crossing point in Berlin.” One reader suggests “a section on anti-communist humour.”
Europe: Football and Politics
Desmond McGrath of A Fistful of Euros writes about football and politics: “Part of the fun of football is the way in which it overturns the international order of power politics.”
Armenia: Ukrainian Color Revolutionary Visit
And Nothing Else Matters [RU] comments on a recent visit by a prominent architect of the Ukrainian Orange Revolution to Armenia, highlighting the fact that the activist's own blog shows Dmirtri Potekhin in the country. In a second post, the blog says that consultations were held with the leader of...
Armenia: Internet, Telecoms Services Improve
The Armenian Observer says it is happy now that the newly rebranded Beeline company is offering ADSL Internet services at $40 a month. It also reports that 3G mobile telecommunications services have finally arrived in Armenia.
Bahamas, Venezuela: PetroCaribe
Rick Lowe at Weblog Bahamas cannot believe that the question of the Bahamas joining PetroCaribe appears to be on the table once again, adding that the move “would drastically and quickly increase the national debt of The Bahamas. Something we can ill afford in these very trying economic times.”
