tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310089552024-03-07T22:03:56.184+02:00Eastern ApproachesAnother attempt to make some kind of sense of what's going on east of the Dniester. Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan come in for special attention.Blair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-3531165869659473842008-07-24T10:08:00.001+03:002008-07-24T10:08:18.993+03:00Support your local animator!Recently, my family joined the massive Ukrainian summer migration to Antalya, on Turkey's Mediterranean coast. Our holiday was of the advance-paid variety – a great way to travel, whereby one can essentially leave one's wallet at home, unless you plan separate day-trips. The weather was beautiful, the resort itself clean and well equipped, with pools everywhere and the sea scant yards away, theBlair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-54618244232958839322008-06-12T18:40:00.002+03:002008-06-12T18:45:41.534+03:00Award for idiotic phraseWhether you agree with the sentiment or not, this sentence (from The Economist, but not it seems by Edward Lucas) surely has to be an award-winner for stupidity:http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11332356"Medved means bear in Russian—and the worst way to respond to a bear is to display overt weakness or to scarper in different directions."Brilliant! Does that hold true Blair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-84844098545151901132008-06-12T09:43:00.001+03:002008-06-12T09:46:21.756+03:00Edward Lucas, Alex Stubb and NATOA couple of weeks ago, The Economist featured, as part of its “Certain Ideas of Europe” blog and podcast, an interview by Edward Lucas (of New Cold War fame,) with Finnish Foreign Minister Alex Stubb. I urge you to listen to the podcast and tell me if it seems only to me that Lucas is doing his best to pull Mr. Stubb into his own, “Russia as inexorable menace” camp. I suspect that he was Blair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-27138427536547889462008-06-10T17:30:00.003+03:002008-06-10T18:38:05.413+03:00Stetskiv says it's all Russia's faultTaras Stetskiv of NUNS says the recent troubles with 2 deputies (one from BYuT and one from NUNS) declaring their exit from the coalition are all down to the usual suspect: Russia.He claims that But "is Moscow's agent," adding that this is not an accusation, but "an obvious fact," but failing to offer the proof upon which "obvious facts" are normally based.He throws something of a stone into the Blair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-43852169069813293302008-06-09T12:19:00.003+03:002008-06-09T12:48:57.092+03:00A new low in Ukrainian politics?http://www.pravda.com.ua/ru/news/2008/6/6/77033.htmWhen reading this piece, you have to ask yourself, "Can Ukrainian politicians get any lower?" I have faith that the twit that is Zvarych can indeed!So, Mr. Zvarych (he of the invented MA from Columbia) now demands that the SBU not only look into whether But received Ukrainian citizenship legally, but whether he is actually employed by the FSB!TheBlair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-31554925705547642008-06-02T15:49:00.002+03:002008-06-02T16:35:25.554+03:00The ever-creepy TiahnybokFrom an online chat on Tsenzor.net:http://www.tiahnybok.info/inshi_zmi/dokument004134.htmlАлекс: Наскільки вдалим виявився ваш слоган "Стольному граду - українську владу"? Може, є сенс змінити його на такий:"Краще кумедний Тягнибок, ніж остогидлий тягни-толкай!"Олег Тягнибок: Шановний Апекс! Коли ми прийдемо до влади, думаю, так жартувати ти не будеш. Чи може ти думаєш, що в нас нема твоєї Blair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-40191787947766623302008-05-23T16:19:00.003+03:002008-05-23T17:26:10.586+03:00Oleh Tiahnybok: Batshit ^!%@ Crazy!Some of you may be acquainted with Oleh Tiahnybok, leader of the "Svoboda" party of Ukrainian nationalists. Today, he's hosting a concert on the Maidan, in honour of the "Day of Heroes," a day that he seems to have thought up himself and would like to see become a public holiday in Ukraine.The man is out of his tree.Four years ago, he came steaming into public view for a anti-Semitic and Blair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-76695622940059773752008-05-14T18:59:00.001+03:002008-05-14T19:01:48.935+03:00The usual excellent work from Thomas de WaalFrom Johnson's Russia List 2008 #95Wall Street Journal EuropeMay 14, 2008Bullies of the CaucasusBy THOMAS DE WAALMr. de Waal is Caucasus editor at the Institute for War and Peace Reporting.If you're deep in the trenches, stop digging. Both Russia and Georgia darkly warned last week of the danger of war over the Black Sea territory of Abkhazia, but they both keep digging.Georgian President MikheilBlair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-80157927453584158872008-05-14T16:59:00.002+03:002008-05-14T17:10:20.421+03:00"No Darwin - no Hitler"Crazy title to this post, eh?Unfortunately, it's a direct quote from the Coral Ridge Ministries'...ahem...documentary on the evils of Darwinism.The latest thrust of the creationists seems to be an attempt to blame Darwin directly for the ravages of lunatics and criminals Hitler to the Columbine shooters (one of whom, apparently, wore a t-shirt with the words "natural selection" upon it).What thisBlair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-5906973512303966832008-05-10T21:45:00.002+03:002008-05-10T21:59:43.182+03:00UNA-UNSO volunteers honored by GeorgiaDid you know that UNA-UNSO members fought for the Georgian side in the 1993 Georgia-Abkhaz war? Not many do, but it did happen.On May 6th, the Georgian Embassy in Ukraine remembered some of them:http://www.news.join.com.ua/full/22/26/48/9/Грузия почтила память боевиков УНА-УНСО, погибших в боях за Абхазию 6 мая представители посольства Грузии в Украине почтили память четверых боевиков украинскойBlair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-69671973350658244572008-05-08T17:37:00.002+03:002008-05-08T17:41:07.182+03:00Is that NU-NS anger I smell, or fear?Have BYuT and PoR done a backroom deal to use their majority to change the Constitution? Taras Stetskiv of NU-NS sure thinks they have.Could it happen, leaving Yushchenko looking utterly ridiculous? Maybe, but Baloga won't let it go easily. There's blood in the water.Blair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-84562352971908635412008-05-08T14:07:00.002+03:002008-05-08T14:37:42.668+03:00Back to BloglandiaIt's been a while, but I've been pretty busy with family, work and endless rehearsals with various bands. However, the knowledge that I have an audience of multiple millions (a silent majority, of course,) thirsting for me to make some sense of their confusing and drab little lives, has forced me to once again take up electronic pen and paper and provide enlightenment.While I've been busy savingBlair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-47197700350022026612008-03-28T14:42:00.001+02:002008-03-28T14:45:18.187+02:00Excerpts from Ronald Reagan's diariesKudos to Vanity Fair!Fascinating reading on Reagan's thoughts on everything from domestic budget politics to Middle East conflagrations (seems he was fairly tough on Israel) and arms control and the USSR.Read it here.Blair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-57406615327824321452008-02-28T13:51:00.002+02:002008-02-28T14:15:47.078+02:00Right-wing nutcasts: Part II love right-wing talk radio - it's a mad, mad, mad world!Here's an example, from the Jackie Mason podcast. Yes, that Jackie Mason, the hugely unfunny comedian.Guest: John LeBoutillier, former NY CongressmanJlB: "I hate Hilary. I think she's the anti-Christ. I think she's the worst thing on the planet."JM: "[Bill Clinton] is the worst criminal in the Presidency probably in the history of thisBlair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-10038946482086356512007-12-27T16:52:00.000+02:002007-12-27T16:53:19.566+02:00Benazir Bhutto killedWhat the hell is going on in the world today?http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7161590.stmBlair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-43582180036240301132007-12-27T10:24:00.000+02:002007-12-27T10:27:35.836+02:00Oscar Peterson diesAnother very sad day for a Canadian and a Montrealer: Oscar Peterson has died.Just this Saturday, I was listening to my favourite album of his, Live at the Blue Note, with Herb Ellis and Roy Brown. While I was enthralled by the music, I couldn't help thinking that Oscar had to be getting pretty old.Here's a piece from the Guardian: http://music.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2232130,00.htmlBlair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-38951523381771486472007-09-28T09:42:00.000+03:002007-09-28T09:54:02.036+03:00Okruashvili arrestedFollowing the events of recent days (arrests of Okruashvili's allies and Okruashvili's toe-curling accusations against Saakashvili,) Okruashvili himself has now been arrested.So what's the deal?Is Okruashvili telling the truth - even partial - and Saakashvili taking him out with politically-motivated charges of tax evasion, corruption and criminal negligence? Or, was Okruashvili's speech and theBlair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-54901534433347960062007-09-27T22:09:00.000+03:002007-09-27T22:17:03.772+03:00Georgia conspiracy theory kick-off?Well, someone's got to do it, so let it be me.Saakashvili and Okruashvili going at it, hammer and tongs. Accusations of corruption fly both ways. Mr. O accuses Saaka of fascism, nepotism, incompetance, backing down in the face of Russia, etc. Another charge was attempted murder of Badri Partaksishvili a friend and ally of whom? That's right - Boris Berezovsky.Discuss among yourselves and see Blair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-12277994805078060152007-09-27T16:21:00.000+03:002007-09-27T22:06:38.315+03:00Strong book recommendationHere's a book that I recommend highly to anyone with an interest in linguistics, history, Jewish culture, Woody Allen, Mordecai Richler or in just plain, good, informative and hilarious writing:Born to Kvetch: Yiddish Language and Culture in All of Its Moods.The author, I was very pleased to discover, is a fellow Canadian, Michael Wex.I'm only 4 chapters in so far, but I've already raised my Blair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-64911677928409805852007-09-27T16:14:00.000+03:002007-09-27T16:21:00.526+03:00Happier news for GeorgiaAlso about a heavy clash, but one in which all of Georgia came out the winner.The Georgian national rugby team beat Namibia 30-0 to secure their first ever victory at the Rugby World Cup.Just one win may not look like a lot, but it has to be said that the Georgian team has played magnificently this year, even managing to give the Irish team (underperforming so far, but still a perennial power in Blair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-38215536533175278702007-09-27T15:59:00.000+03:002007-09-27T16:08:15.430+03:00Saakashvili hits backIn response to Irakli Okruashvili's verbal Molotov cocktail aimed squarely at President Saakashvili, Giga Bokeria - a big noise in Saakashvili's ruling party - has come out swinging too, labelling the speech as "hysterical" and "groundless."In what would have to be seen as a below-the-belt shot, considering the views of both the puncher and the punchee, Bokeria goes on to compare Okruashvili's Blair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-79180136495605335632007-09-27T11:56:00.000+03:002007-09-27T16:13:01.727+03:00Serious political punch-up in GeorgiaOne thing you have to say for Irakli Okruashvili: he doesn't mince words. In the past, he's been known for making rather...erm..."forceful" statements, with regard to Ossetian and Abkhazian separatism ("We'll see the New Year in in Tsinkhvali," for example,) or on the tolerance of Russian wine consumers for fecal matter. In fact, many speculated that his inability to moderate his statements inBlair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-55251506583457389772007-09-25T10:44:00.000+03:002007-09-25T10:50:54.176+03:00NU-NS Defeatism?Kirilenko threatens new election, if the new Rada fails to pass the motion on removing immunity from deputies. Yawn - more elections is hardly what Ukraine needs.Anyway, the more interesting part is that he addressed this threat to PoR: has NU-NS already come to the conclusion that they have little to look forward to in this election, and that PoR does?http://www.pravda.com.ua/ru/news/2007/9/25Blair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-70085447969214704782007-09-25T10:10:00.000+03:002007-09-25T10:16:23.641+03:00Depressing election possibilitiesThis morning's Сегодня had a worrying rundown of the techniques we may see used by the losing side (or sides) in the upcoming election. From party scrutineers at the local level refusing to certify results, right up to deputies' refusal to accept their seats in the Rada.It's all eminently possible.Read it here: http://vybory.segodnya.ua/news/468833.htmlBlair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31008955.post-24985734058437357792007-09-23T22:20:00.000+03:002007-09-23T22:28:03.179+03:00Back from Montreal...Hey there,Had a superb 8 days in Montreal, house-hunting and taking part in a drink-soaked 50th anniversary celebration for my club, the Montreal Wanderers RFC. Great to see a lot of the fellows I played with starting in 1981. Some serious hangovers, but no serious injuries, despite the fact that I hadn't played in 5 years, after doing my back in at a training session in Kazakhstan. Two days Blair Sheridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16810149970525727624noreply@blogger.com0