Happy New Year!

It's already early morning in the countries of the former Soviet Union where New Year matters the most.
Here in Canada people celebrate it somewhat reluctantly having spent all the energy on Christmas festivities.
I'm sort of ambivalent about it: on the one hand, I no longer feel it's that important but at the same time, for obvious reasons, Christmas is not a family holiday to me.
Long story short, I am going to meet the dawn of the new year in a company of other Eastern Europeans.
I wish myself and everyone who's reading these lines a Happy New Year!!!

year in review: politics

This was a year of elections. All the countries that matter to me: Canada, the U.S., Ukraine and Russia had one. Yes, it only came to my mind just a second ago that Russia in fact also held presidential elections. But that one was the least genuine in fact Putin’s scheduled ascendance to the Russian throne (oopps, I mean presidency) was as predictable and as boring as it gets. Ukraine’s Orange Revolution is the most exiting one. There has been so much said about it so I really don’t need to repeat myself. But there’s one thing worth of stressing again and again: On December 01, 1991 about 90% of Ukrainians supported independence on a referendum but only now, thirteen years later, when they poured into the streets to protest a rigged election the world has finally noticed. I see this as arguably THE most important outcome of the Orange Revolution.

Meanwhile prior to November 02 there had been a lot of huffin’ and puffin’ about the ‘divisive’ U.S. elections. Armageddon predictions, a lot of posturing, and huge sums of money poured in the campaign with one goal – to unseat George W. Bush. In fact, even I, with all my skepticism, sometimes couldn’t stand up the pressure by Liberal media. At certain moments I was convinced there was no way W. was going to win on November 2. But he did and guess what? Life still goes on. By no means world is a paradise and all kind of shit keeps happening, including things of not human making, but the doomsday doesn’t seem to be anywhere nearer than before.

Which brings me to my adopted homeland, Her Majesty’s deranged dominion. There is a saying that there are about hundred nations playing soccer and some of them are pretty damn good but invariably only the Brazilians win the World Cup. In Canada, the same can be said about the Liberals. No matter how incompetent, corrupt, tired and bereft of ideas they are, the Government will ultimately be theirs to form. Voters were angry with the Liberals, they called them names and promised to punish them but in the end Canada’s natural governing party was returned to power.

year in review: table of contents

Politics:
The Orange Revolution in Ukraine
The U.S. presidential elections
Sponsorship scandal in Canada

Entertainment:
Da Ali Show
The Office
Zoolander

Spiritual experience:
The Passion of the Christ

Sport:
Greece wins the Euro Cup (subdivision of this: Beckham misses a penalty shot at the end of the Portugal-England game)
The Athens 2004 Olympics
NHL lockout

a small personal observation on Yushchenko's language skills

It's been said countless time that there is a deep division in Ukraine between Russian-speakers and Ukrainian-speakers and that Yushchenko allegedly represents the latter.
While it's true that Yushchenko does speak mainly in Ukrainian and Yanukovych in Russian, it's evident to me that Yushchenko's first language, as he grew up in a village not far from the Russian border, was Russian.
I listened to him yesterday when he was giving a speech at the Maidan and while his Ukrainian was good: unforced and pleasantly sounded, he made a couple of very common mistakes that reveal a Russian speaker. And he doesn't have a Western Ukrainian accent.
He spoke to the people that brought him to power so it was natural that he came ther to thank them and talked to them. But yet, Yushchenko as people's president is so different from the Russian model with tsarist leanings when state leader only ocassionaly relays messages to his subordinates, the electorate that doesn't really elect anyone. How different....

Yushchenko - TAK!

Again, I'm hopelessly lagging behind - it makes little sense to repeat what has been probably said already but just in case - Yushchenko appears to have won the 2004 presidential elections in Ukraine!!!
Contrary to his earlier pronouncements, Yanukovych is not ready to conceded defeat and in fact has said he would not.

"I will never recognise such a defeat, because the constitution and human rights were violated,"

he is qouted as saying by BBC.
Meanwhile, none other than Ms. Hillary Clinton, speaks of Ukraine very favourably, in the article America must back Ukraine's struggle for democracy published in the Financial Times.

However if, as is hoped, there is a consensus that the election has been free and fair, the US response to the result will be critical to the US-Ukraine relationship. After a free and fair election in Ukraine, the US should immediately explore the willingness of the new Ukrainian government to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato). The US should also agree to provide Ukraine with assistance that helps the country to consolidate the democratic progress and economic reforms that have taken place. Specifically, if the new Ukrainian president-elect evinces a commitment to furthering democracy and a desire to strengthen Ukraine's ties to Nato and the US, President George W. Bush should consider immediately inviting him on a state visit to Washington. Such a visit would be a powerful gesture of support to the new Ukrainian president and further deepen the US-Ukraine relationship and Ukraine's ties to the west. I have written to Mr Bush this week to make these points and advocate this course of action.

It feels kinda odd to find myself in agreement with Ms. Clinton but I do hope Bush will hear her point and acts accordingly.
In an age, when America is perceived as arrogant and self-centered around the world it would be an extremely powerful message to be sent, if the U.S. devotes considerable resources, something akin to the Marshall Plan, to help Ukraine in her transition from post-Soviet economy and political rule.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

I ended up being alone on the Christmas day. It may sound terrible but actually it's okay. To me Christmas is actually more of a religious holiday rather than a family gathering for in the Soviet Union we would do that on the New Year's eve.

I attended a mass this morning at a Polish 'kosciol' (catholic church). I liked it a lot and I felt spiritual. Praying in Polish, even though I haven't fully mastered the language, feels special. Perhaps because I don't use it in my everyday life so it's only reserved for worship.
The birth of Jesus - to jest wielka tajemnica naszej wiary! (this is a big secret of our faith). I like those words and many other that I heard.

I wish Merry Christmas to everyone on this planet. I hope you're having wonderful holidays!!!!

May God's blessing be with you and your family!

change of status

Two days ago I embarked upon a once-in-lifetime journey to the Canadian-U.S. border in order to do the 'landing' - in the Canadian bureaucratic lingo this term to describe the process whereby an immigrant arrives in Canada and becomes the country's permanent resident (landed immigrant). In short, I'm sort of a Canadian now!!! :-)
The trip itself was quite exhausting as I, lacking any means of transportation but my bicycle, had to take the bus to the border in Coutts, Alberta. It took 12 hours and made me even slightly depressed as I observed southern Alberta's rugged terrain. The dinosaurs used to roam there millions of years ago but it still looks like some psychedelic landscape with occasional towns and flora-less hills covered with a thin layer of snow.
As I passed through the town of Lethbridge I saw quite a few Mennonites wearing traditional attire: women in headscarves and men in traditional hats. In Greyhound's restroom in Lethbridge I dried my hands using a hand dryer which bilingual metal plate - every product carries description in both official languages in Canada - had the French part crisscrossed (I found it quite funny - it must've taken quite an effort for the perpetrators of this protestation against Canada's bilingualism policy, to scratch the metal surface).
Perhaps due to the fact that I was coming from within Canada, the bureaucratic procedure was devoid of any pomp and even slightest glamour. And it took less than 10 min to get it over with.
While there I thought of one appropriate 'proverbial' scene, the one that can be found in many movies about immigrants. Namely, how the protagonist arrives in America by ship and the first thing he\she sees is the statue of Liberty etc.. you got the picture.
As I said my entry, albeit only formal, was very prosaic. But hey, that ain't matter - henceforth I can rightfully call Canada my home!!!!!
Congratulate me on this, I'll be delighted!!! :-)

reflections upon a documentary on Aileen Wuornos

Yesterday, I watched AILEEN: LIFE AND DEATH OF A SERIAL KILLER on CBC. I had seen the Monster earlier so I knew what the story was about (I wish I had a blog then - I would've written a review for sure).
But now it's suffice to say that there was nothing monstrous in the movie except its title, as the portrayal of Aileen Wournos, America's first female serial killer, was defenitely framed in terms of the 'women-victims-of-patriarchal-society' paradigm. I got the impression that the harsh title was imposed upon the movie to make it more palatable for the general public, to conceal its obvious bias. But enough about the fictional Monster.
The real Aileen, as portrayed by Nick Broomfield, is also a victim, albeit according to him, of her own madness. That he was making exactly this point had become apparent to me even before I saw the footage of him pleading Wournos's case to a group of reporters, trying to spare her the death penalty, just one day before the execution. He said something about her being obviously mad, and expressed his wonder at what society was trying to achieve by executing a mentally ill person.

I'm no psychiatrist, but so isn't Mr. Broomfield so let's presume we're on equal footing when it comes to this issue. I kept wondering what had convinced Broomfield that Wournos was unfit to be held responsible for her actions. Yes, she said outlandish things and her stunning desire to be executed must've been startling to Broomfield. But from what I could infer from his documentary she was clearly aware of what she had done and at the very least in one and possibly more cases, did it in a cold blood, fully planning her actions.
Incidentally, earlier I had watched a documentary on Mr. Gacy, a notorious killer whose death toll was 33 young men. His behavior seemed also quite lunatic at times and his childhood was far from rosy (though undoubtedly not as horrible as Aileen's)but I doubt Mr. Broomfield would've rushed to his defense arguing that he was insane.
To sum it up, I'm deeply ambivalent about death penalty, my main reservation being that an innocent person could be wrongly executed, and human errors are inevitable. But I would say to Mr. Broomfield: you're either very naive or very cynical when you said that Aileen Wournos was mad. Of course, she was but the question is not whether her mind was twisted and tortured but whether she could distinguish between right and wrong when she committed her crimes - I think the answer is pretty clear on that.

Globe&Mail columnist takes on Quebec

I thought I had no time for Lawrence Martin. Ever only slightly less wacky than, say, Rick Salutin. To me he had been nothing more than the Liberals’ running dog ready to defend any of their policies. So I thought I should stop reading his columns altogether. That’s why it was so astonishing to read his “Quebec as dominatrix: The beat goes on and on” in the Globe (Thursday, December 16).
For anyone interested to learn how Quebec has managed to hold English Canada by the throat is an engaging and informative reading. Here are some quotes:

“For 34 of the past 36 years, and 42 of the past 56, the prime ministers have represented Quebec. That’s about 90 per cent of the time for a province with 25 per cent of the country’s population.”

Under Pierre Trudeau, there was the bilingualism program, the October crisis, the cuts to NATO”

“Under Brian Mulroney, who had to win Quebec, there was the reaching out to Quebec nationalists to join the cabinet, the awarding of the CF-18 contract to Quebec over Manitoba, and the sight of the nation’s business overtaken by unity fights and the Meech Lake and Charlottetown constitutional accords.”

“Many Canadians feel they’ve paid a big price for bilingualism, for the endless constitutional and referendum fights, for the Liberals’ shameless catering to their political base. Westerners have every reason to be bitter.”

So having said all that one would wonder what a kind of conclusion might be possibly drawn other than to lament the deranged state of Canadian democracy. Well, Martin wouldn’t be Martin so there comes a big ‘but’. Actually no so big.
First of all, Quebec would have left, Martin says –

“how would a Quebec – barely willing to put up with its own people running
the show in Ottawa, never mind leaders beholden to another province – have
stayed in?”

This kind of answer, the usual Chretien line, would not be sufficient to explain why on Earth English Canada has had to put up with this crap. Not to mention that just for second one might wonder whether there is an alternative solution to the “shameless catering”.
Martin senses that and so he goes on the positive:

“How far would it have moved away from its respect for language rights, social justice and other progressive values” he asks rhetorically.

Leaving aside the interesting question what is so ‘progressive’ about liberal policies, not to mention that apparently ‘language rights’ don’t apply to Anglophones in Quebec, it is an issue of democracy.
If Quebec wants to be so ‘progressive’, so be it. But if it’s only Quebec’s presence in the federation that keeps those ‘progressive’ values going doesn’t it come as a big indictment how undemocratic and unfair to the will of the people in other provinces the Canadian political system is?

The Red Ensign on my blog

For those blog surfers outside of Canada I'm referring to that little red flag in the right corner of my blog.
It's been here for a while and I swear to God I decided to put it up there on my own accord (unlike, say, the orange colour of the title which was inspired by Damian Penny's post).
As it turns out, I am not alone. Here's another blog, Trudeapia, that features the Red Ensign (read an excellent post on the subject on Tuesday December 15 - I can't figure out how to make a permanent link to it, sorry!) and this post, The Birth of Trudeaupia.
They pretty much say it all and I don't have much to add. The thing that some readers will no doubt find ironic, is that I have no British heritage whatsoever. However it doesn't preclude me from appreciating the tradition behind it.

Orange revolution in Russia? Not too soon

Having read this article at the Star Bob Tarantino writes:

A victory for democracy has been won in Ukraine. Perhaps it is now time for everybody's attention to turn a bit farther east.

I'm sure, in the wake of Putin's recent moves to abolish a few vestiges of the decorative democracy on the road to the full-fledged authoritarianism, the slogan "support democracy in Russia" will soon come into vogue.
But I wouldn't hold my breath for an Orange revolution happening in Russia any time soon. Here's why:

- unlike Kuchma, deeply unpopular prior the elections, Putin has retained a great deal of popularity that brought him to power in 2000. Yeltsin took heat for any calamity that occurred in the 90s regardless of his personal involvement. Beslan, Kursk, Nord-Ost, all failed to shake his grip on power in Russia.

-born in 1991, Ukraine appeared to many as a sort of quasi-state. So was said of the Ukrainian nation. Recent events have demonstrated that Ukrainians are a nation in a sense that there is a significant proportion of the population that truly cares about their country and its future. By contrast, Russia has always been a 'real' state, a superpower, even if after 1991 it was a superpower in retirement.
But there's no nation in Russia. Everybody minds his own business and politics is a dirty words for many after all the disappointments of the 90s.

- Russian opposition has no credibility. Such politicians as Boris Nemtsov, Irina Khakamada, Anatoly Chubais have lost it. Most Russians perceive them as arrogant, smug, and morally corrupt.

- my last point is about the political reform adopted by Putin. From a Western point of view it seems outrageous to de-facto demolish the federative nature of the state and to exercise nearly dictatorial powers by appointing local governors. But I shall remind the reader two things:
Russia has never been a real federation, save for the last 10 years.
Presidential administration has already been able to fully control local elections. In St. Petersburg for example, Kremlin's favorite had a free ride in the governor elections as another potential candidate who might've had a slight chance to upset her victory had been discouraged from running.

To sum it up. I see no viable political force in today's Rusia that could challenge Putin. So hope for democracy, but don't hold your breath!

Klitschko wins it for Ukraine

Yesterday Vitali Klitschko defeated Denny Williams for the WBC heavyweight title.
I'm by no means a boxing fan normally would have never considered watching it, let alone paying my 15$ to see it live. This is what made me change my mind:

"What happens in Ukraine is very close to us, because our family and our friends all live in Ukraine," he says. "It is very painful to read some news and the way they speak about Ukraine like it is a poor country. I wish for my country, for my people, for my children and the next generation a great future, and I support the democratic way. I support consolidation of Ukraine into the European Union. That is why I support Yushchenko."

(Klitschko speaks at the press conference prior to the fight).

And those who prefer to see the current conflict in Ukraine as the struggle between 'russian' East and 'ukrainian' West. Klitscko is from Kyiv and his Ukrainian is probably worse than his English (or German). I heard a story that one of the Klitsckos (I don't remember which one) was asked to do an ad for Ukrainian TV, in Ukrainian. After a couple of unsuccessful attemtpst to say the required phrase, he begged to stop the torture.
I was thrilled to see the media guys asking Vitalii questions regarding Ukraine's political situation. They're in the boxing bussiness, Ukraine? Where's it? in Russia?
This is one of the long term reprecussions of the Orange Revolution: Ukraine has been put on the world map in its own right, not as "a former part of Russia".

Russian journalist Andrei Piontovksy describes the broad Anti-American coalition that emerged in Europe:

"Kerry lost precisely because he was so good at criticizing Bush but could offer no solution to the Iraq problem. "I will work with the Allies, and the UN" he kept on saying. The thing is that Bush would be very glad to get the Allies and the U.N. involved but no European soldier will ever end up in Iraq even to protect the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad. The so called 'Allies', and especially France, are eager to see the U.S. humiliated as much as possible, to see them fleeing from Iraq dishonourably according to the Vietnam scenario....
When it comes to France, a simple fact helps to explain this. France has been saved thrice by the U.S. in three world wars, including the Cold War. It cannot be forgiven."

I cannot agree more. The French have always seen themselves as a 'Great Power' (and grandeur is a French word too). Equipped with great French culture, political and military traditions French political elite had no doubt, prior to the outbreak of the First World War, the 20th century was be the time when France would rule the world. But they lost. They lost to the Americans, those ignorant rubes, decedents of the scum of Europe who had no culture and not even that much of an interest in achieving what France had strived for so much and failed.
Perhaps, it would have been easier to accept it if France had been defeated on the battlefield and so that the French elite could retain hope that the Conqueror and the Conquered may one day swap places. But simpletons from Alabama and Minnesota came to Paris to liberate it. It was not a defeat, it was humiliation.
THAT can't be forgiven, indeed.

Candid expression of the Russian view of Ukraine

Max Kononenko (a.k.a. Mr. Parker), whose blog made into the top ten of the Best of Blogs contest, has the following to say about Boris Nemtsov, a Russian politician who has openly sided with Yushchenko:

Nemtsov hasn't yet learnt a simple truth: In Russia, NOBODY GIVES A FLYING FUCK that Ukrainians had gotten fed up with the Kuchma regime [and that's why the Orange Revolution occurred]. Russian people want one thing only:
for Ukraine to become a part of Russia. Thus when a Russian politician speaks out in support of those who are againt it, it's a political suicide.

TA tales

as a Teaching assitant (TA) I've been marking students' papers for four years and this is my fifth year of doing so.
Profs don't want to do it for they find this job dreary. Well, if you've been teaching the same course for many years...
But I find it appealing not just because I haven't got enought of it just yet.
To me it's an excellent opportunity to get a glimpse into the young minds, a precious socio-cultural experience.
Their writings skills are sometimes atrocious. The modern canadian school is in the bussiness of teaching how to express your feelings rather than to put down their thoughts on paper.
But even though it's often poorly written is the peculiarity of the badness itself that is so interesting.

to be contiuned with examples

End to the revolution: its victory or defeat?

Today Ukrainian parliament has approved the 'package', the amendments to the Ukrainian constitution that will effectively turn Ukraine into parlilamentary-presidential republic.

The package of measures include:


Reforming the Central Election Commission, dismissing the chairman and some other members

Changes designed to reduce possibility of ballot fraud, such as limiting the use of absentee ballots and home voting

Reduced powers for the president who may now only appoint the prime minister, defence and foreign minister, subject to legislators' approval

New functions for the regions, designed to ease tensions between the pro-Yushchenko west and pro-Yanukovych east.

No, as it seems now Ukraine has not yet adopted the German model wherein the president is a purely ceremonial figure (who's currently Germany's president anyway?). But Yushcennko who poised to win "the third round", a new run off between him and Yanukovych, scheduled on December 26, will have the full presidential powers only until September 2005 or the latest until January 2006.

Ultimatley, it's a compromise. Kuchma and Co. now have at least a theoretical chance that they will be able to keep their political influence even after Yushchenko becomes president.
Obviously, there are some who are deeply disappointed in this outcome. They would prefer to get Kuchma in jail rather to make any compromises with him. Although I have no sympathy to Kuchma that doesn't bother me. Politics is the art of the possible.
But what really bothers me is now the game just begins. Whether Yushchenko and his team will be able to outplay Kuchma (I have little doubt that he's up for more dirty tricks) remains to be seen. But now although Yushchenko has got a lot of 'formal' power and has been able to push through some important legislation the power of the mass disconent behind him may now fade away.
The revolution is over politics is back to normal.

a great day for Ukraine

BBC reports:
Ukraine's Supreme Court has annulled the second round of the presidential election upholding opposition claims that it was fraudulent. It ruled that a new run-off vote must be held by 26 December.

more on this later.

you can't bribe Russians

Aleksei Nazarov, who's running for the State Duma in Moscow, said:

"It's amazing what's been going on in Ukraine. What a fight they've put up for their rights! There's no doubt, of course, that the Americans paid for all that. That's impossible in Russia for even if they paid our people, nobody would go to any rally anyway."

once you pop! you can't stop! - Ukrainian Oranges

ex- wanna be first lady of Ukraine


"Dear friends! I just came back from Kyiv. There is an orange sabbath going on there! I wanna tell you that those oranges are not plain oranges but have been injected with some drug. One takes an orange and another one, and another one. can't help but keep eating them..." (Ludmila Yanukovych in Donetsk - Russian original is here)