Forum

Dardedze

2008-11-07T00:12:42-08:00

Sveiki!

For those especially interested in the “Dardedze” center for abused children, please note the following “Delfi” article, “Taupības budžetā joprojām neatrisināts jautājums par ‘Dardedzes’ pastāvēšanu” :

http://www.delfi.lv/news/national/politics/article.php?id=22337588

My understanding from Dardedzes director this autumn was that previous budget slashes and decisions by the government had all but closed the center’s doors. I’m sure that Agnese would appreciate morale support from friends abroad.

Visu labu,

Elizabete

Kas Jauns Latvijā 11/2008

2008-11-17T19:15:15-08:00

Sin tax to be raised

Pity the poor boozehounds and smokers in the Latvian republic. As of February, the cost of the vices will be going up.

The excise tax on beer in Latvia will increase on February 1 2009 from the current LVL 1.30 to LVL 1.45 per 100 liters of beer or by a half-santim for each 0.5-liter beer bottle, according to amendments to the Law on Excise Tax that Saeima endorsed in the final reading on Friday.

Excise tax on liquor and smoking tobacco will also be raised, reports LETA.

The amendments, prepared by the Ministry of Finance, foresee increasing the excise tax on liquor from LVL 630 to LVL 705 or by 11.9% for each 100 liters of absolute alcohol. The ministry estimates that this will bring in additional LVL 11.8 million in the state budget in 2009.

Although the excise tax will be raised in Latvia, it will still remain the lowest in all three Baltic states. The tax rate stands at LVL 909 in Lithuania and LVL 783 in Estonia.

According to Reuters...

Latvia came bottom of the 2008 Euro Health Consumer Index compiled by private Swedish company Health Consumer Powerhouse (HCP), which assesses a range of criteria including clinical outcomes, access to treatment, waiting times and patient rights.

Maybe less boozing and smoking might nudge those numbers up a smidge.

EU reverses stance on crooked cucumbers

Pēteris will certainly take pleasure in knowing that the EU’s jack-booted thugs will no longer menace the roadside babushkas hawking funky-looking vegetables.

EU standards currently stipulating the size and shape of 36 types of fruit and veg sold in Europe, from apricots to watermelons will be repealed. The rules governing the sale of ‘wonky’ fruit and vegetables are being done away with to simplify EU rules and cut red tape. The rules will be repealed for 26 of them, including artichokes, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, onions, peas, carrots, plums, and ribbed celery.

The brainiacs of the EU have decreed that specific market rules would stay in place for 10 products which account for 75% of EU fruit and veg trade - apples, citrus fruit, kiwi fruit, lettuces, peaches/nectarines, pears, strawberries, sweet peppers, table grapes and tomatoes.

The Commission said that the changes cannot be implemented until the start of July next year, for practical reasons. No word on how many millions of Euros were wasted in drafting, implementing, enforcing, and now repealing these very stupid European standards.

Mix 1 Lett 2 Limeys and copious amounts of alcohol to get bloody murder

A couple allegedly stabbed a man in a drunken row while camping in a field, before concealing his body and fleeing to England, the Central Criminal Court heard yesterday.

Kevin Keohane (33), of no fixed address, has pleaded not guilty the murder of Renars Tuleiko (32) at Parnell Park, Thurles, Co Tipperary, on a date between April 13 and 15, 2007.

Victoria Moverley (32), also of no fixed address, has pleaded not guilty to assisting in concealing the body of the Latvian and burning his clothes.

She also pleaded not guilty to a charge of assaulting Mr Tuleiko, causing him serious harm.

Opening the trial yesterday, prosecution counsel Peter Marinan SC, told the jury that both accused were born in England.

He said that the pair had been staying in a tent in Parnell Park for two weeks before the alleged murder and that they “weren’t complete strangers” to Mr Tuleiko, who had been working as a mechanic in Ireland since 2005.

In memory of those who went to help Latvian sailors

Rye Harbour remembered the crew of the Mary Stanford Lifeboat when the annual memorial service took place on Sunday. All 17 of the crew of the Mary Stanford were lost when the boat answered a distress call and capsized off Rye during a fierce storm on November 15 1928. The Mary Stanford launched in heavy seas to go to the aid of the vessel Alice of Riga.

But the crew of the Alice had been rescued by another ship and although recall rockets were fired three times, the Mary Stanford crew failed to hear them above the gale. As the Lifeboat was coming into harbour she was seen to capsize and the whole of the crew died, tearing the heart out of the close knit community.

Among those who died were brothers and fathers and sons. The youngest, John Head, was just 17.

Following the service wreaths were laid at the lifeboat memorial. Members of the current lifeboat crew each laid a sing red rose, entwined with laurel and yew, for each of the names on the tablet.

The significance of the laurel and yew is that the coffins were lined with this greenery when the funeral took place in 1928.

Hundreds of mourners from all over the country attended the funeral. Members of the Latvian Government were among the dignitaries present, in recognition that the men had lost their lives going to the assistance of a Latvian Vessel.

The seventeen men who lost their lives were: Herbert Head (Cox), Joseph Stonham (Second Cox), Robert Redvers Cutting, Maurice James Downey, Walter Igglesden, Charles Frederick Pope, Robert Henry Pope, Leslie Clark, William Clark, Arthur Downey, Herbert Smith, Albert Ernest Cutting, Alexander Pope, Charles Southerden, James Head, Henry Cutting and John Head.

Valsts valodu apdraud krievu valodas pašpietiekamība

2008-11-17T01:46:05-08:00

This article, by a former student of mine, appeared in the latest Latgales Laiks. I find it to be an excellent argument for why we need more effective language legislation and fresh approaches to education. The most recent paper isn’t available online yet, but it was reprinted here.

Take note—Rīgā prokrieviski noskaņotie un pret valsts valodu naidīgie cilvēki esot daudz agresīvāki un problēmas nākotnē būs daudz nopietnākas nekā Daugavpilī, kur savstarpējās attiecības ir cilvēciskākas. Kāpēc tad rīdzinieki allaž rāda ar pirkstu uz Daugavpili?

Vysu lobu,
/P

Apsveic Latviju ar 90 gadu jubileju

2008-11-18T01:06:56-08:00

apsveiculatviju.lv

From the site:

After your greetings are collected together on apsveiculatvija.lv, we plan to make a remembrance book which will be given to our country’s President, as a gift.

The right to not speak Russian

2008-08-12T10:00:20-08:00

An interesting story, in Latvian, about an ill-mannered young couple who insisted on service in a Riga store in Russian; then, when the salesperson told them she didn’t speak Russian, the couple got hostile. The salesperson stood her ground, getting a bit in their faces as well, calling them occupiers. The couple left, returned, eventually with an “agent” of some kind (at first he claimed to be their attorney, but it later turned out he was not), met with store representatives, who by now had been summoned, and tried to threaten the salesperson and shake down the large company that owns the store, claiming his clients were wealthy and would cause trouble, threatening civil rights actions, going to the Russian press, the Russian embassy, etc. unless they were given money. The store said nothing doing, and that knowing Russian / supplying service in Russian is not mandatory, and the salesperson had a right to NOT know Russian.

The man who insisted on the service in Russian was born in Latvia and allegedly can understand and speak it, but explained (in Russian) that he doesn’t want to use it. He did not answer when asked why, when the salesperson said she didn’t speak Russian, he didn’t use Latvian.

Anyway, that’s the quick summary - the story in Latvian is more interesting.
http://www.delfi.lv/news/comment/comment/article.php?id=21611941

Daudz laimes dzimsanas diena, Latvija! - “Mūsu ir tikai nepilns pusotrs miljons, un mums IR sava valsts.”

2008-11-18T12:22:15-08:00

http://www.diena.lv/lat/politics/blog/inese_vaidere/esi-lepns-ka-tev-ir-valsts

/..../
...Latvieti, esi lepns, jo tev ir sava valsts! Domāju, ka grūti pateikt labāk un precīzāk. Mūsu ir tikai nepilns pusotrs miljons, un mums IR sava valsts. Tādas nav daudz lielākām tautām – kurdiem, uiguriem, baskiem… Mums, latviešiem jābūt lepniem, ka mums ir sava valsts, kas ne pirms 90, ne pirms 18 gadiem netika dāvāta, bet bija sirdīs ilgi lolota un asinīm slacīta.

Un mums IR, ar ko lepoties. Ar saviem spēcīgajiem cilvēkiem, seno, skaisto valodu, ar unikālajām tautasdziesmām, spēju atdzimt un izdzīvot visgrūtākajos apstākļos....

Un es lepojos, ka šodien Trīssvaigžņu ordeni saņem cilvēks, kurš to patiešām pelnījis. Jauns cilvēks - Edvīns Šnore, kura garabērns, filma „Padomju stāsts” ir kā pārrāvums pēckara mītu un melu virknei. Apsveicu, Edvīn!

Būsim priecīgi un labvēlīgi šajās dienās! Leposimies ar savu valsti un cilvēkiem!

Daudz laimes dzimšanas dienā, mana Latvija!

How to celebrate LV 90?

2008-11-14T02:01:19-08:00

I would like to know, where and how you plan to celebrate the 90th Anniversary since Proclaiming the Republic of Latvia?
http://www.lv90.lv

Latvian Soldiers of the Strange War. Requiem.

2008-11-17T16:27:31-08:00

Why they in the Day of Latvia?

I have just seen them as I have seen those mountains too.

Therefore I can tell: it wasn’t their war. It wasn’t their fault.

Latvia’ sons - the victims of the Afghani war (1979-1989). Buried in Latvia.

1980.

ord. ZHUKOVS Edgars.5.03.1960-15.03.1980
ord. KNITS Vladislavs .21.05.1961-23.04.1980
sgt. МURANS Edwards 29.12.1959.-23.06.1980.
ord. NAGLIS Janis 9.04.1960-14.10.1980
sgnt. PAVLOVS Jury 19.05.1960 - 8.10.1980

1981.

ord. LOGINOVS Igor 18.05.1961 - 4.03.1981
ord. DOBELIS Ervins 12.02.1959-19.03.1981
ord. KOLESNIKOVS Alexey 10.02.1961 - 5.06.1981
sgnt. BLUMS Jury 5.07.1961-26.06.1981
ord. MASALSKY Eugeny 23.04.1961 - 3.10.1981
ensign MIKHAILOVS Vladimir Ermolaevich 8.05.1956-30.08.1981

1982.

ord. PUGACHEVS Alexey 17.04.1963-14.03.1982
corp. LIKAIS Guntis 7.04.1962 - 8.06.1982
ord. USTYUZHANINS Vladimir.23.04.1963-11.06.1982
ord. BARKUS Konstantins12.03.1961 - 2.07.1982
ensign KUCHERS Pavel Kuzmich.22.06.1946 - 1.09.1982

1983.

capt. DZERVE Karlis 25.10.1942 - 6.05.1983
ord. SHLYAGO Sergey 17.10.1961-22.09.1983
ord. KARBULATSKY Igor 9.02.1962-22.09.1983
ord. КRAPANS Vladimir 6.04.1964-21.12.1983
ord. KRESLINS Vilnis 28.08.1964-31.12.1983.

1984.

ltnt –col. RYBKINS Pavel 7.07.1944 g-18.01.1984
capt SHCHENDRIGINS Vsevolods 22.09.1954-30.04.1984
ord. VITOLNIEKS Laimonis 30.06.1964-23.05.1984
ord. VISHKA Igor 1.07.1963-25.06.1984
ord. SHARIPOVS Roman 3.03.1965-29.06.1984
ord. KRASNOPYOROV Normunds 23.09.1964-12.09.1984

1985.

ord. ADIJANS Eriks 10.07.1965-21.05.1985
ord. SOLOSTEYS Leo 9.08.1964-21.05.1985
ord. ANTSKINS Vilnis 25.01.1964-22.06.1985
corp. АFANASYEVS Grigory 7.06.1964 - 3.10.1985
ord. LYAGUSHNICKS Alexander.18.09.1966 - 5.11.1985
ord. GRIGORASHS Anatoly 16.05.1966-25.11.1985.

1986.

ord. AUGUSTINOVICHS Victor.27.02.1966-27.01.1986
ord. ZENKA Valdis 24.04.1966-28.04.1986
ord. GABRANS Arnis Yanovich. 21.02.1967-11.10.1986
ord. VILNIS Janis 15.01.1967 - 20.11.1986

1987.

ltnt. SYEMINS Igor 15.05.1963-17.01.1987
ord. ANS Uldis 26.04.1966 - 8.03.1987
ord. EGLITIS Ints 8.05.1976 - 11.03.1987
ltnt ERHANOV Rashids 11.03.1961-15.04.1987
сptn NIKITINS Alexander 10.04.1955-12.06.1987
sgnt ROSLIKS Vladimir 15.08.1967-11.07.1987
sgnt. DURBA Antons Petrovich 24.10.1966 - 3.08.1987
cptn GROMYKO Alexander 13.08.1959 - 7.09.1987
ord. GRYGYANS Alexander 16.12.1968-12.09.1987

1988.

ord. ERGLIS Eriks 13.04.1968-24.06.1988
ord. PAZHE Normunds 16.03.1968 - 8.08.1988
ord. JASINSKIS Janis 17.02.1969-16.11.1988.

1989.

ord. RYABOV Vitaly 23.05.1968-4.01.1989
ltnt SLUSHAYEVS Andrey 17.05.1965-9.02.1989

ord. ZHUTAUTAS Alvidas 2.11.1966 was missing 6.12.1986 in the province of Nangarhar.(Message No 67 from 6.12.1986)

Lai Jums vieglais smiltis, puiši!

Parex banka - the first…?

2008-11-08T13:20:34-08:00

“Šodien valdība nolēma pārņemt «Parex bankas» akciju kontrolpaketi 51% apmērā.”

http://www.diena.lv/lat/politics/politika/valsts-parnems-parex-bankas-akciju-kontrolpaketi

Bear Slayer’s Day

2008-11-10T22:27:59-08:00

Sveicu visus ar Lāčplēša dienu!

Here is a photo gallery.

Here is a brief summary of what this day is about, with an extract from Uldis Bērziņš’s Daugavmala (in English).

Here is the text of Rainis’ Daugava (in Latvian)—many soldiers fighting Bermondt-Avalov’s forces carried a copy in their pockets.

Here is Elizabete’s translation of the part performed at the Song Celebration this year, with a video link.