2009 - a significant year for Lithuania

2009 will be a significant year for Lithuania - it will mark 1000 years since the written name has appeared in the "civilized" world - the Quedlinburg Chronicle mentions the death of Bruno of Querfurt along with the name of Lithuania. At this point in time it is clear that today's Lithuania is not the same as Lithuania then, just as the understanding of nationality and self-identity was not the same then as it is now.

Nevertheless, it looks that the people are very proud of the possibly first mention of the name of the country and that this year will be a spectacular year in Lithuania. Some online publications mark Vilnius as one of the Top 10 cities to visit in 2009, as in addition to the great architecture, theatre, and restaurant scene there will be a very rich cultural program throughout the year - take a look at www.culturelive.lt.

My wish at this point is that all cultures and people that lived in Lithuania throughout the ages come together and find peace in the land that they once shared. An excerpt from a poem by Sharon L. Joffe published in the last issue of Lituanus seems to suit the occasion very well:

And one day, I will go to the old country,
And see my fellow Lithuanians,
And claim kinship with them;
For they, too,
Are united with me;
Not by blood,
But by the link of shared love of our mother country
That joins and claims us all.

Sharon L. Joffe, "Viekšniai"

Su Šventėm - Happy Holidays!

As I will be away for the next few days I would like to wish you Happy Holidays. May you have inner peace, meaning and satisfaction with your life.

For this occasion I would like to share a link to Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth" webcast as it was presented by Oprah.

Have a great New Year ;-)

A book review by E.Lucas

The Economist journalist E.Lucas has posted an interesting book review regarding Germany and Russia. I cannot comment on the book, but based on the news and my World view of a citizen of a country that is in between Germany and Russia - I can say that I agree with the sentiment expressed in the article towards German policies.

Despite the fact that one could say that there definitely have been sympathies towards Germans and Germany in the Baltics, I think the politics of the recent years have soured them. Based on what I gather from the review, perhaps Mr. Stuermer should visit the Soviet Bunker - see my previous post.

Soviet Union, 1984

Have you ever though what if would feel like to live in the USSR in 1984 and have to deal with KGB - either being asked to work for them or just being asked a few questions?

Well, here is your chance - a play called "1984. A drama of survival in the Soviet bunker"- this is a live performance where the theater audience takes part in the play as well: http://www.sovietbunker.com/en/

I bet some will say this is not authentic, but the major Lith daily claims that this is the weirdest attraction in Europe.

Lithuanian Army

The Lith media noticed a post by Michael Yon about Lithuanian soldiers in Afghanistan. I think the note is positive, although it makes me smile - "the Lithuanians are sort of a weaponized version of Borat" ;-)

Here is a short clip from Youtube:

Lai gyvenimas kalba

Įdomi Ruandoje dirbančio katalikų misionieriaus Hermano Šulco istorija.

Hokšila apie jį rodo čia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5chz88NBJF4

Kokie teisingi žodžiai: "Let our lives speak" - tegu gyvenimas kalba.

Daugiau apie šį įdomų žmogų:
http://www.ve.lt/?data=2009-02-28&rub=1065924828&id=1235757488

Nuclear Power and the Baltics

There is a lot of discussions about how much Lithuania will pay for the energy after the Ignalina NPP is closed at the end of 2009. There is a good article in the Financial Times (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a9b9e1b4-c011-11dd-9222-0000779fd18c.html?n) that touches upon these issues.

There was a lot of effort and meetings as of late - as what to do next. All the Baltic states and Poland have agreed to open a new nuclear plant in Lithuania, but that will be some years after the current plant is closed. At the same time Russia (Kaliningrad district - former Koeningsberg), Belarus and Poland started talking about nuclear. Russia indicated that they can supply energy to the Baltics. It looks that Russian project is intended to compete with the effort in the Baltics.

So, here is a thought - if they go ahead and build - would that perhaps be the best option for the Baltics? Consider that Kaliningrad with its 1 million population and Russian design nulear plant will have an energy surplus which they will be itching to sell. Furthermore new energy links from Lithuania or Latvia to Sweden and Germany through Poland will soon be there? The question is timing of course, but it seems that the supply side will be there.

Maybe from the European perspective it would be worth to extend the Ignalina's NPP unit 2 operation for several more years and and see what the future will bring: think along the lines of Toshiba's micro-reactors or Hyperion's ideas.

Mintys apie regionus

Siandien pamaciau straipsni apie regionus Lietuvoj
http://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/voxpopuli/article.php?id=19629737

Idomios mintys. Manding, gyventoju skaicius kiekvienam regione turi buti mazdaug vienodas, taigi isimant Vilniu is Rytu regiono ta pusiausvyra pakeicia ir padaro Rytu regiona Vilniaus palydovu. Ta prasme straipsnyje siulomas padalinimas daug logiskesnis.