I’m not a megalomaniac…

clipped from www.bnr.bg Published on October 31, 2007 at 4:26 PM BG Dutch student talks about Radio Bulgaria’s message to the world – objectivity and no stereotype

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They made me do it… They made me write about myself in third person… Go check out the article, though. It’s about the presentation I gave at the radio today.

ClipMarks

Check out this tool I found called ClipMarks. Let’s you easily make screenshots of what you want, so you don’t have to crop your print-screens, and it’s even easier to share your clippings. Go check it out!

clipped from clipmarks.com Save your clips privately or add them to the public library Use ClipSearch to find what you or others have clipped Post clips directly to your blog with Clip-to-Blog™ Email clips to your friends Print just the pieces of the page you want Watch the demo on the right to see how it works, or keep reading to learn more…

Something interesting is happening…

Earlier, I reported about my Photoblog. Two things have happened since. Firstly, a picture I posted (that Janneke took) is now featured on the frontpage of Photoblog (congrats Janneke). Secondly, a rather odd discussion erupted at a photo of mine which features a weird object in the sky. The commenters are discussing whether it’s aliens, a pancake or a waffle. Might be random Stumblers, might be Len (a.k.a. Mr. Pancake).

What’s going on in Burma?

A selection from Burmanews‘ postings.

Posted 21 October

Reports say that Junta is arresting students and civilians, who were believed to be involved in International Campaigns against SPDC, on arrival at the Yangon Airport.

Posted 25 October

http://irrawaddy.org/protests/video/ngwekyaryan.php – Video of Ngwe Kyar Yan monastery after troops raided on Sept 27, 2007

Led by comedian Zarganar, who was recently released from prison, a group of Burmese artistes offered alms (food) to 80 monks and 30 nuns at Bar-Ga-Ya monastery. This monastery has been refusing all form of alms from the military junta. Zargarnar and his group of friends will continue to offer alms to all monasteries which refuse to accept anything from the military junta.

(note that the junta forbade people to offer alms to the monks!)

On 23rd Oct, more than 200 people carried out a peaceful protest in Kyar Inn Township of Karen State. They peacefully asked for the release of political prisoners, democracy for Burma and supported the 3-way discussion between DASSK, junta and UN. No action has been taken against them yet.

Posted 28 October

On 26th Oct, there were around 1000 people at Shwe Dagon Pagoda to celebrate the full moon festival. Though there were a lot of soldiers and police, people did not seem to be afraid of them. It seemed that burmese people are ready for another wave of events towards freedom for Burma.

Posted 30 October

The words, “Killer Than Shwe”, was written on the Pagoda Road near to a police station with white paints in ZeeGone Township (which is on Yangon-Pyay Highway), Bago Division. Papers with the words, “Killer Than Shwe”, was also found. Later, police took photo and destroyed the words.

Please take a second to Stumble this post and make sure to visit Burmanews and Stumble + Bookmark it. Keep the attention on this, if we don’t… the Burmese people will have suffered in vain!

I made a commitment…

After reading an article which I found while using StumbleUpon, I decided to start taking at least one picture per day and putting it online. This way, in a year time, I can look back at the year day by day and get a rather vivid picture of my life. However, the longer I keep doing this, the more interesting it will get.

The best thing however, is this…. You get to see it too! 😉

Click here to visit my Photoblog! Also, check out the Project 365 article and join in!

A busy week and a trip to Plovdiv

It’s been a long week. Last Saturday night I was waiting for my parents to arrive at Sofia airport. On my way to find a bus or a taxi to the airport I find out it’s snowing! So I go to the airport, stand between a crowd of Bulgarians waiting for people to arrive. After about half an hour they come out and after another half an hour we manage to get ourselves into a taxi. It was kinda strange to see them walking into Bulgaria, into my life here. It had the same type of ‘shock’ effect as when I took a taxi into Sofia upon my arrival here in Bulgaria. The first night they crash at my place, the next day we try to find somewhere to have breakfast/lunch, which turned out to be a bit tougher than I thought. It didn’t suck as bad as the long walk to their hotel though 😉 From there I went straight up to the airport to pick up Janneke. The crowd that was there now was about 3 times as big as the day before. We went to my place and later that day met up with my parents to have dinner.

Monday was rainy, very rainy. Almost Holland-rainy. No, just like Holland-rainy. Rain, rain, rain all day long. We managed to see a lot, but it cost a lot of energy to control my mood. When it rains like this, people here don’t go outside unless they don’t have a choice.

On Tuesday it was back to work for me. More work on a presentation I’m giving this Wednesday. Lunch with Janneke. A few more hours of work and it was time to errr.. I kinda forgot what happened on Tuesday.

Wednesday it was basically the same thing, minus the lunch with Janneke.. plus I remember what happened that day. At some point Janneke and I met up with my parents, because they would be traveling through Bulgaria and I might not see them before they left the country, so I had to say goodbye. Janneke and I were planning to eat with my friends in Studentski Grad, but because the buses were so full and the taxi drivers did not want to go to Studentski Grad, we decided not to go. We ended up walking around, going back home, going ’round the corner to eat. I had some rakiya, which is powerful of itself, but this time I could feel it through my throat and throughout my body. Bad experience. Could not enjoy the drink. Ended up looking like a pussy who can’t even drink hard liquor. 😉

The next day I worked until around 1pm and then headed home. As I got home we grabbed our stuff and headed for the busstation. We were going on a trip to Plovdiv! Actually managed to book a private room in a hostel (Hikers Hostel), which was good. Hotels are expensive and don’t offer half the value a good hostel does. Met some Australians, Frenchman, Chilean, Canadians, Americans (one of which was a Lonely Planet writer (with an attitude)), Belgians.. That evening we walked around and saw some of what Plovdiv had to offer. Below are some pictures which you can click to enlarge. You can also go to the picture gallery.

Actually, I decided to let the pictures speak for themselves. Here are some more.

We stayed there Thursday and Friday night. On Saturday we went to the second biggest monastery in Bulgaria, called Bachkovo. Quite an interesting place to visit, although it was obviously the end of the tourist season and they didn’t really feel like having everything open the whole time (I guess we came around lunchtime). The up-side of it was that it wasn’t swarming with tourists, yet there were still too many for my taste.

Another update later, I have to get working on my presentation.

This put a smile on my face…

Rumsfeld flees France fearing arrest
Sat, 10/27/2007 – 08:45

Former US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld fled France today fearing arrest over charges of “ordering and authorizing” torture of detainees at both the American-run Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and the US military’s detainment facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, unconfirmed reports coming from Paris suggest.

US embassy officials whisked Rumsfeld away yesterday from a breakfast meeting in Paris organized by the Foreign Policy magazine after human rights groups filed a criminal complaint against the man who spearheaded President George W. Bush’s “war on terror” for six years.

Under international law, authorities in France are obliged to open an investigation when a complaint is made while the alleged torturer is on French soil.

According to activists in France, who greeted Rumsfeld shouting “murderer” and “war criminal” at the breakfast meeting venue, US embassy officials remained tight-lipped about the former defense secretary’s whereabouts citing “security reasons”.

Anti-torture protesters in France believe that the defense secretary fled over the open border to Germany, where a war crimes case against Rumsfeld was dismissed by a federal court. But activist point out that under the Schengen agreement that ended border checkpoints across a large part of the European Union, French law enforcement agents are allowed to cross the border into Germany in pursuit of a fleeing fugitive.

“Rumsfeld must be feeling how Saddam Hussein felt when US forces were hunting him down,” activist Tanguy Richard said. “He may never end up being hanged like his old friend, but he must learn that in the civilized world, war crime doesn’t pay.”

International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) along with the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), and the French League for Human Rights (LDH) filed the complaint on Thursday after learning that Rumsfeld was scheduled to visit Paris.

From: wor.ldne.ws

Great to see achievements popping up left and right through activism. “The time is always right to do what’s right” – MLK

Lack of updates ;-)

Sorry people.

I have some visitors from Holland. I’ve been traveling. I’ve been very busy. Updates (and a LOT of pictures) this Monday.

EvilAngle – LiberTea

A new mix, filled with dance. A bit more energetic than the last one. I close it with Noisia’s new release “Yellow Brick”. A smashing tune. This mix is worth a download even if it’s just to hear that track!

Tracklist
Yahel and Tammy – Radio (00:00 – 07:41)
Hujaboy – Language of the Future (06:47 – 08:46)
BK – Stay High (08:20 – 12:45)
Underworld – Born Slippy (11:58 – 13:36)
Wizzy Noise – Sisters of Darkness (13:13 – 17:39)
Yoji and Romeo – Six Hours (17:26 – 22:23)
Bas Mooy – Fantoompijn (22:10 – 25:02)
Melvin Warning – Muzika [Marks and Gates Mix] (24:35 – 31:37)
Kold Konnexion meets DJ Luna – Magic Minus (31:09 – 33:45)
Thomas Bronzwaer – Constellation (33:19 – 38:50)
Ekon – Carbon (37:57 – 41:47)
Steff Da Campo – Candyman (41:47 – 44:08)
Freaks – Creep [Get On The Floor] [Thomas Gold RMX] (43:55 – 47:42)
John Marks – Carnival [Global Warming Vocal Club Mix] (47:28 – 52:43)
Mario Piu – Communication (52:22 – 55:51)
Cara Dillon vs 2Devine – Black is the Colour [Above and Beyond’s Devine Intervention Mix] (55:37 – 62:48)
MIDIval Punditz – 136 (61:53 – 67:52)
Hardfloor – Mahogany Roots (66:45 – 71:18)
Noisia – Yellow Brick (70:36 – 77:59)

Download
At uploaded.to
At MegaUpload

Presented by The MiX-Files!

Burmese not backing down

In Mawlamyaing, SPDC (government) asked the people to show support for their national reconciliation by making it compulsory for each household to send someone to attend. During the event, it started to rain and the people (mainly teachers) refused to go down to field arena and continued sitting at their seats. They also refused to say out the propaganda slogans. Soon after the event started, many people left the event and even threw away the flags on their way out.

From: Burmanews

Good to read this. Don’t forget people! Media attention is declining. Keep your eyes on the situation. Inform yourself! Keep other people’s attention on it. If we don’t forget, governments around the world will be forced to make a decision.