Christmas song

Have yourself a merry little Christmas by Katie Melua:

I cried for you...

When one more year is going to its end, I start thinking what I managed to do that year and what I lost... This year I lost a very close person, she passed away, but she will stay with me in my memory. It's always about life and death, people are born, others pass away. But it is just not easy to accept the second part... Although, life goes on, I can not change what has happened, I just want to post something for her here, for her and all others. And this is the song by Katie Melua for them, and, first of all, to my father:

Best season greetings!

Belsat and my photo

Today is the first day when Belsat, the alternative TV run by Polish TV company start working. I've decided to see the website of it and was surised in a positive way, as I saw my photo there! It's nice!
And here is the original:

Katie Melua from Georgia...

Today I've rediscovered about Katie Melua thanks to Junior Eurovision where she was invited to. I've found out that she is from Gergia, that she is only 22 and she is really brilliant. I found this video of her filmed in Nov 2007, she speaks about the UK, immigrants and her familly. She is a brave and gifted girl:) P.S. I've already ordered two CDs of her!

We are the winners!

I am so happy to announce that today for the second time in the history Belarusian participant won Junior Eurovision Song Contest! Congratulations Aliaksei Zhyhalkovich! Here is the winner of 2007:
And just to remind you the winner of 2005 - Kseniya Sitnik

Relaxation and massage

After sitting for hours in front of the computer one feels really tired, eyes, neck and generally whole body needs some exercises. And when I read information about different clever devices which help to relax, I feel really in the mood to buy them strait away! Although, I don't have all money of the world so I really have to be selective.

For example, just look at this Human Touch HT 7450 Zero Gravity Massage Chair! It has everything I need right now:) The chair for sensual body massage for relaxation. As the ad on the website of the producer says: "there's a way to escape the soreness, tension and fatigue caused by the effects of Earth's gravity constantly pulling the back." I don't think one would start flying strait away, like without any gravity (even in the ad the company says it's not possible), but I am quite sure that the relieve from the back pain and neck pain will be.

P.S. This is a sponsored post.

Viacorka vs Michalevic

A two-day congress of the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF), a major opposition party in Belarus, began at the culture palace of the Minsk Automobile Factory on December 8. - Naviny.by reported

It's an interesting even, because this congress will elect a new chairperson of this oppositional party. At the moment the two leading canditates Viacorka and Michalevic (on the photo) got almost equal results, 118 and 110 votes correspondingly. Both are less than 50% + 1 vote, therefore there will be one more voting round tomorrow. I just hope that this voting tomorrow will change something in the country to the better.

So sweet!

Charity organisations of one of the German cities (Friedrichshafen) help to Polatsk. One more thing I found really funny and kind, Karl Frenkel (I hope I spelled it correctly) bouth chocolates to every citizen of the city, one chocolate for one person:)!

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Junior Eurovision

I cann't stop myself from writting about it:))) Tomorrow there will be this year Junior Eurovision 2007 and there will be our boy present:) Here on the main page of the official website one can watch last years winners and Ksieniya Sitnik among them:)

LOL: Belarus joins Asia

I've just found it on Amazon.ca, so my guess is that people in Canada don't really know where Belarus and Asia are:D

The Lukashenka and El Pais

When economy at the background is in stagnation, the president is giving interviews to foreign mass media. This time it was El Pais. Click on the title to see the article in Spanish. In short, he wants some compromise with the EU, but he does not like the language of ultimatum. My question was and is, can we trust him? And what are the other options? It's not so easy to answer if you look deeper into the Belarusian politics. The following few months will be really challenging and maybe, I say maybe, changing something in Belarusian economy and in the long term perspective Belarusian politics. God bless Belarus, give its people some wisdom and strength.

Last week in the news

I've read the overview of the last week news and one phrase captured my attention:

"резкое снижение цен на рынке недвижимости происходит только при экономических и политических катаклизмах" what means "sudden drop down in the prices at the real estate market happens only when there are economic and politic cataclysms"

The indicator is not a good one in my opinion. I am really afraid of the economic catastrophy in Belarus next year, but hopefully it will be somehow good for the people. Some shocks bring people back to the reality.

Chernobyl is not over yet

This is the message I am trying to bring to people around since I've started my research of this topic. The explosion of Chernobyl Atomic Power Plant in 1986 changed lifes of millions... Many people died, even more are ill and nobody knows what can happen later.

At the same time the organisation which could bring this issue to the public and not really doing it... The background of this story of Conflicts of Interest(see full article):

"In 1959, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and World Health Organization(WHO) entered into an working agreement which is out-of-date and conflicts with the research of the WHO to determine the effects of ionizing radiation exposure on human health. We are concerned that the language of this agreement (WHA 12.40 approved by the 12th World Health Assembly on 28 May 1959) mingles promotion of nuclear technology, including nuclear power, with the WHO’s mandate to undertake international health research work on people exposed to ionizing radiation-a product of this same nuclear technology."

There are already many films about the consequences of Chernobyl, for example, here there 18 fims in French, check especially those which are marked as "A voir absolument". I've just watched "Le soleil et la mort: Tchernobyl, et après..." or "Sun and Death: Chernobyl and After". The film was made last year by a French director. Also, I would recomment to watch films by Wladimir Tcherkoff (for example, check this 2 min summary in French). One more very imortant fiml is Chernobyl Heart, which I think I have mentioned in my previous posts (you can watch it on YouTube in 4 parts). And also check out the book by a photographer Pierpaolo Mittica "Chernobyl - hidden legacy" (you can try to find it cheaper here).
Thanks for reading this and spreading the word!

Models vs Wives

On the 14th of Nov Belarus was choosing best model for Ford SuperModel competions. The attention is very hight since in the last two competions of the Supermodel of the World Belarusian girls were taking top places.

This year it was Viktoryia Makhota, the First runner-up, some people even say that she did not get the Supermodel of the World 2007 title because of her age, she was 14 then.


Last year it was Katsiaryna Damankova, who is the Supermodel of the World 2006. So, of course, the public wants more victories.


And the winner in Belarus this year is Daria Aniskova. You can see the photoshooting here. But, what is funny , it turned out, that Belarusian men don't like our models! LOL! They are too skinny for them:)


Speaking about men's wives. There was an information action today, organised by an NGO to show that familly life is not always nice and some men beat they wives. Three girl in the wedding dresses were going around the city and giving out some matherials. They had also very colourful make up with bruises.

Music, politics and voting

I've been watching Russian Star Factory where they have a belarusian singer this year again. Last one, who won the contest, was Dzima Kaldun (or Dima Koldun in Russian), then he went to Eurovision 2007 and got the 6th (?) place hoping that Belarus would be finally in the final for the next year. As we know now, Eurovistion 2008 will be with new rules. Therefore, Belarus is again in the one of two semifinals...
Here is his performance at Eurovision with Spanish intro:)
Well, before Kaldun, it was Nata Padolskaya, who wanted to sing for Belarus in the year 2004 I think (or 2003), she didn't make it and went to Star Factory (she was the first one from Belarus, as I remember now). Then in 2005 she performed finally at Eurovision, but representing Russia. I was then in Kyiv to see the consert, I would recomment to everyone to visit it! :) Returning to Nata, she got the unlucky 11th place and Russia had to be in the semifinal in 2006. But still I think she is really gifted girl:) here is her clip for the Eurovision: So, speaking about these two, I've just read that they had a concert in Russia in October to support Edinaya Rossia, the Putin party. Kaldun says he doesn't care about the politics... It's sad, it's really sad, as I thing he should be responsible for his actions, same for Nata. But if they support Putin, as Belarusian citizens though, that's their choice.

In Belarus over the last week there was a big public resonnace over the meeting of the artists from the so called black list with Aleh Pralaskouski, who is the head of the ideological department (yeah, it exists!) of the President Administraion. There were told that the list will disappear if they will stay away from politics... This is the over side of the medal, you can be promoting politicians, but the right ones.
NRM, for example, quite often sings in Poland instead, especially at actions to support Belarus, like Solidar with Belarus:
Speaking about Eurovision 2008, some people say that Ruslan Alekhno will be representing Belarus, I would be happy actually:) He is also one the products of the Russian Show Business. He one one of the Russian Pop Idols (Narodnyj Artist).
I love this performance of him on Slavianski Bazar:
And now I've just realised what made me think of posting this info. Dakota, or Marharyta Herasimovich, is one the participants of the current the 7th Star Factory and today she went to the final:) She write her own songs, including both lirycs and music. Good luck, girl! Some videos of her:

Fun clip

I love this video. First moments, cafe, like so many in vienna, dances... love, hate, relationship story. And, Meladze, he is a good singer imho:) I guess due to his Georgian background, very often in his clips he has Georgian looking girls, which are very nice:)

GDP as a key factor?

After my class of Economic applications of EU integration and a group work on econometrics of EU stats from 1970s I've just watched this video. It shows an example of Canada, how the industry can collapse if it's based on natural resources and also discusses if it's really important to look at the GDP numbers all the time. Basically, social, economic and environmental progress shoulb be also measured - this is the main idea of the video.

Strong power ---> strong economy???

Prakapovich, the head of National Bank of Belarus, says:

"We have the strongest power in the world, therefore we must have the best conditions for economy as well."

Here is video in Russian:

The world is really going mad...

I've just read a news about statistics, but not just usual staff, the numbers of people who died for several reasons in Belarus over the last 9 months. I could never think of those numbers and now I see them and I am shocked. It's not a secrete that the number of people who have died from cancer is somehow hidden behind the other illnesses, but there are other very important ones. Just think of it, over the last 9 months 2,127 commited suicide!!! That's not normal, I mean, of course it depends on the perseption, but it's just not OK at all. In the country with the population of about 10mln you can not have 2 thousand of suicides in 9 months, do people loose any hope for peace and harmony in this life? I AM shocked! Next number - 1,767 died from alcohol poisoning... No comments, really I have nothing else to add.
And the population of this country is shrinking...