Singing and Wishing

You may like neither of them, but I do like performance of ladies from South Caucasus. Visible improvement of South Caucasian countries this year makes me proud and believe, that in future we could do even better. Which one is your favorite?

For those from the North Caucasus, did your candidates ever perform on Eurovision or some similar contests?

I think seeing ourselves as a professionals, as a successful people will help us to like each other more, but do you think our success in arts/music could contribute to peace and brotherhood?

Pseudo Values in the Contemporary Georgia

Weird stuff is going on in this country. Yes, Georgia is a transitional society, where values are not yet unified and accepted by everybody equally. Yes, there is no common understanding of liberal, social, democratic values and the process is under the way. But, sometimes fascinating, things are happening.

The top news of this week in Georgia was the fight between “liberal youth” and “religious conservatives”. Well, to be more clear, everything started with a presentation at one of the Tbilisi university of a absolutely bad quality book written by a sick man. The content of the book caused a protest/aggression to a newly created religious group activists, who arrived to the presentation and tried to interrupt it. After that, week-long protest and response demonstrations were followed, which eventually urned into the fight in the live and people from the religious organization got arrested.

And this has been a story that the whole Georgia is preoccupied now...TV debates, journal and newspaper articles, facebook discussions, etc. Now, so called “liberals” which works with a typical clan system, got still another the subject to “scientifically” debate. Now, it is a trend to condemn and insult the people who are believers or in a way different from them. On the other hand, for the members of this new religious organization, with no official links to the Georgian church, it is ok to swear, attack and beat people and then pray. Violence and insult in the name of Christianity?

This is nothing more than a Pseudo Liberalism and Pseudo Conservatism. What is the difference between them anyway? And now common people are fed with these practices. No choice is left. Either one should be a liberal but a Pseudo, or Conservative but again a Pseudo one. This is a discourse that citizens of Georgia are exposed to on daily bases. Media, universities, civil society groups, are divided on these pseudo ideologies.

But, what is even more fascinated that, neither of these liberal or conservative groups remember the country we are living in. Just a day ago, Russian troops occupied the northern border line of the country...nobody really cares.... Just few weeks ago cultural heritage monuments were demolished, nobody cares... Two years ago the country was at war... nobody really cares.... But, everybody cares about the worst-quality-ever book written by a sick man. Now he is popular and a symbol of a freedom for many (WTF).

Everybody tends to forget the social injustice that reigns in this country: 250 000 displaced population, elderly who are neglected, women who die as a result of abortion because they don't know how to use condoms, regular citizens who are deprived to their fundamental human rights like right to life, property, education and work. Who does even care that a Georgian citizen needs a permission to travel from on place to another within a country? Georgia occupies one of the first places among the countries where speed of migration is increasing rapidly. These issues do not become the subject of discussion of these pseudo liberals and Conservatives.

What should be priority issues for us? Can a society be a defender of GLBT rights, for instance, if its life is under the danger on daily bases or if it is unemployed and hungry or uneducated?

A Poison Tree

I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
And I water’d it in fears,
Night & morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright;
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine,

And into my garden stole
When the night had veil’d the pole:
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretch’d beneath the tree.

~William Blake

P.S. For interpretation of the poem please see the following links:

• http://victorian-fiction.suite101.com/article.cfm/william_blakes_a_poison_tree
• http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poem/2900.html
• http://british-poetry.suite101.com/article.cfm/willilam_blakes_a_poison_tree
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Poison_Tree

Meat replacements

In previous post Khatia Caroline asked me if I could write an article about the meat replacement products, so I decided to explain today how carefully we should be when we decide to replace meat with other vegetables so our body still will be getting enough nutritions and vitamins for healthy life.

Some people choose not to eat meat because of perceived health benefits, or for religious, economic or ethical reasons. If non-meat eaters include fish, milk, or eggs in theirs daily food, they do not have to be especially vigilant about getting all the necessities of a balanced eating. However, if they eat only non-animal products, there are a few things they have to watch out for. Such as:

1. Meat is called complete protein because it contains all the amino acids the body needs. Soy beans are the only plant source of complete protein. In the next post I will write some good and tasty soy beans recipe. Other legumes, nuts and seeds and whole grains, which are good source of protein, need to be eaten in combination to supply the full range of amino acids.

2. Vitamin B12 is not available from plant sources. Without animal products in the food a supplement with B12 is required.

3. Iron, Calcium and Zinc are all available from plant sources, but various things some food contain can prevent the body from absorbing the minerals. Consuming Iron rich foods with vitamin C can increase the absorption of Iron. Iron is essential to maintain healthy blood and prevent anaemia. Good food sources of Iron include leafy vegetables, potatoes, peas and whole grains. Now calcium. You will find calcium in soya beans, broccoli (which I doubt is sold in Georgian market), nuts, seeds and dried food. Calcium is needed for lots of body processes, but particularly for healthy teeth and healthy bones. Now it is still true that diary is the easiest form of Calcium and there are a number of things that inhibit the absorption of Calcium from plant products, so if you decide to go without dairy altogether, please study up on it.

How Contemporary Dance of Poland and Russia Might Influence Us

First of all I want to thank TVO for their interesting discussions. Here's one about Poland and Russia: After the Crash.

And now let's move to the topic, how current political dance between Russia and Poland may influence Georgia.

It was not possible not to notice, that between these two countries relationships were not good. Some of us may think only on Berlin wall and very recent history, but troubling occurrences have taken place in history of Poland also earlier. One of them is Katyn. For those who don't know, Poland not only suffered in hands of Hitler, but Stalin too made these people suffer a lot. The real history was long taboo during the soviet times, but people never forgot about it. Neither this horrible event, nor ignorance of Russian politicians could help Poland and Russia to get a long.

More recently we all remember Poland's vision directed towards west. Poland has joined European Union and Polish President, Lech Kaczynski planned to deploy American surface-to-air missiles near Russian soil. Putin's Russia, who seems to see itself more than it is, has a lot against those plans. Putin made it clear, that ex-Soviet Union countries have no real independence to make their choices.

The War in Georgia in 2008 was only start to make all demands for the world clearer. Russia made step by step. Their government not only invests more in military forces, oppressing critical voices, but also in building up their security agencies. And all this in the times, when peace, better life standard and wages would be more than useful for regular Russian citizens. Not only wages are too low, but also promising Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic turned out bringing only unpaid jobs for many people.

However Russia capriciously and rudely fells it's way when it comes to bringing ex-Soviet countries under own influence. Georgia, Ukrain ... and now dead of Polish President and whole political elite in a plane crash. Not many share my opinion, that God is not to blame. Sure and understandable that nobody else is guilty as well until his/her guilt is proven. However, despite the reasons of the plane crash, which are very foggy, clear are the results. Russia gains chance, amazing chance to be loved. Good for Russia, but how all this influence our region?

Georgian President Michel Saakashvili speaks about supports he had from Polish President. So one can guess what the lost for Georgia means. Does it has any political importance for separatist regions? Not directly, but however Russia's influence over Ukraine and Poland can seem promising in gaining recognition from this countries.

But where will all these take us in the long run? Back to normal? Back to wars? Back to dubiety? Back to where we started or elsewhere?