The Greatest Show on Earth is on Andaman road

by Stan Faryna

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“I think I see something moving in the trees!” Dana gasped and pointed to a group of nearby trees as the tour bus inched down Andaman road.

George threw a bunch of bananas through his open window. Two young Jarawa scampered from behind bushes to the bananas laying at the side of road. Their eyes looked so full of joy. Dana snapped pictures with her iPhone.

The Jarawa young clicked and chanted. They stretched out their little hands and moved their fingers as if squeezing fruit.

PSA: The girls in the windows: Amsterdam and sex tourism (video)

PSA: The girls in the windows: Amsterdam and sex tourism (video)

by Stan Faryna

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You may have heard about Amsterdam’s red light district where underdressed women (from everywhere) sit or stand at large windows or window-doors waiting for sexual solicitations. While most of the window shopping is in one area of the old city, it’s not the only place where you’ll see the working women in windows.

When I’m in Amsterdam, I often pass some of these windows on my way to one of my favorite Amsterdam eateries on Spuistraat: Luden. It’s in a respectable downtown neighborhood and I have to say that Luden has been a consistently good place to eat across the 10 or so years of my visits.

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The window girls of Amsterdam

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The girl with the rabbit tattoo

by Stan Faryna

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So where do I start? Of course, I have to tell you about the midget in the top hat and black tuxedo. I knew it was going to be a magical night.

Michael Jackson, Billie Jean

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SOPA, Fukushima, and the Romanian Revolution: Traiasca Revolutia!

by Stan Faryna

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Jahaziel, Help [Us] God!

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What’s the score on SOPA?

Did we move mountains?

Protect IP/SOPA is settled, right? I mean like blocked, chop suey, or plugged out. Has the internet been saved?

Well done!

No?

Isn’t it strange how every political solution ever poses considerable new threat to human freedom, dignity, and happiness?

Empty-handed and Less Traveled Roads. And other social media DOHs.

Empty-handed and less traveled roads. And other social media DOHs.
by Stan Faryna

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Play the soundcloud player to hear the podcast. Or download it here. The podcast sounds awesome with earphones or played on hi-fi speakers. Try it and tell me what you think.

Mobile users: you should be able to hear the podcast here.

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Notes:

There are bloggers that I cherish, like, and fan – bloggers who have embarked upon a pilgrimage to fame, fortune, success, and happiness. They travel a road less traveled – in a manner of speaking.

These bloggers arrive at destinations (100 readers/month, 1,000/mo, 10,000/mo, 100,000/mo, etc.). They often arrive empty-handed with great expectations and hope. They move forward into empty-handed whole-heartedness. They move forward undaunted by disappointment and seemingly unrewarded faith, due diligence, and sacrifice.

They connect. They uplift each other. They do amazing things, day and night. They declare victory in the midst of the test. Again and again.

I relish and celebrate their courage, fortitude, and hutzpah.

The trials of these brave bloggers remind me of my own pilgrim’s progress. My disappointments. And my spiritual defeats.

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Road to Cacica

Bucharest is the future of the whole world. And I wish it weren’t so.

This morning, I went to church. And I nearly kicked in the face of a 12 year old.

There’s a homeless man that I sit behind. There’s a moment in the service where we clasp hands and exchange a sign of peace. This happens almost every day. I don’t cringe or delay when I clasp his blackened hand.

I’ll wash my hands when I get home.

Once upon a time. Europe was where the best of culture was at.

Europe

I used to think that Europe was where the best of human culture is. It’s normal for an American kid with middle class dreams and aspirations. America has deep roots in Europe.

I worked after school to save up money for my high school trips to Europe. I mopped the floor. I took out the garbage. I stocked refrigerators and shelves. I washed the dishes. I delivered subs and pizzas. I even mowed lawns. The boss had rental homes too.

And when I graduated from high school, I went on a grand tour of Europe. I couldn’t afford to do it in style like my once favorite author, Marcel Proust, did holidays. But I did go places, see things, make friends, etc. I slept in trains, train stations, on Greek beaches, and even some famous places you might know about – The Spanish Steps of Rome among them.

I continued to make my cultural pilgrimages to Europe into my adult-life. And, finally, I moved here. That was an accomplishment!

I’ve been here about 10 years and I can tell you that there’s some big problems here – problems that reflect only glimpses of that cynical and cruel capacity of the much admired European sophistication.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love Europe. But I love the USA more. More and more, in fact, as I come to a better understanding of the world.

Christian v. Christian

This Palm Sunday, VMRO (BMPO) thugs attacked peaceful church-goers as seen in this Youtube video. http://bit.ly/eGqsyZ

Palm Sunday is a Christian celebration of Christ’s return to Jerusalem in preparation for his sacrifice. It is also a reminder of the Christian anticipation of Christ’s triumphant second coming. Palm Sunday illuminates the Christian story of crowds welcoming Christ into the city with palm branches – symbols of joy and triumph.

VMRO is a Nationalist Orthodox Christian movement that is growing in popularity in Bulgaria, a European nation. Bulgaria, however, is not the only European state to see fascist currents rising in the public square. The French,  Germans and Italians are unembarrassed to declare that Multiculturalism is something that Europeans don’t view as worthwhile.

To paraphrase one popular German politician speaking about the so-called Muslim problem, “They can live and work here, but they are not entitled to the rights and dignity that are shared by our native people and citizens.”

In the hate crimes depicted in the video, these are actually Bulgarians assaulting Bulgarians. Worse, these are Christians (Bulgarian Orthodox) attacking Christians (Jehovah’s Witnesses). In the opinion of the Bulgarian Orthodox extremists, there is no place for dissident opinion (private, public, religious or otherwise) in Bulgaria.

Bummer

Myself, I love Bulgaria as a tourist. I have a long list of Bulgarian products that I fan including jam, brandy and soap made with Bulgarian Rose petals. There’s a culture of art, music, food, and wine there that I love.

Did I mention that one of my favorite drinking wines is Thracian’s Mystery from Todoroff?

I’ve even considered relocating to Bulgaria.

In Romania, the mainstream media are reporting that the Jehovah Witnesses provoked the attack. As you can see for yourself in the video, the Jehovah witnesses were at their place of worship, turning the other cheek, and getting their asses kicked.

Prayers

My prayers go out to the Jehovah’s Witnesses injured and terrorized in this video. My prayers also go out to all peoples who are not free and at ease to peacefully pursue good conscience, prudence and wisdom.

My prayers go to you in the world – you who can make this a better world by sharing insight and wisdom according to your conscience. And, yeah, my prayer to you are CCed to God.

DON’T be surprised if He mentions them on judgment day. <grin>

Stan Faryna
19 April 2011
Bucharest, Romania

If you’d like to connect with me, follow @Faryna and tweet me up on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/faryna

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About Stan Faryna

Mr. Faryna is the founder and co-founder of several technology, design and communication companies in the United States and Europe including Faryna & Associates, Inc., Halo Interactive, and others.

Stan Faryna served as a Global Voices author and translator. Global Voices is a non-profit global citizens’ media project founded at Harvard Law School’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society, a research think-tank focused on the Internet’s impact on society.

His political, scholarly, social and technical opinions have appeared in The Chicago Defender, Jurnalul National, The Washington Times, Sagar, Saptamana Financiara, Social Justice Review, and other publications.

Mr. Faryna also served as editor-in-chief of Black and Right (Praeger Press, 1996), a landmark collection of socio-political essays by important American thinkers including U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

Copyright

Copyright 1996 to 2012 by Stan Faryna.

Here’s my fair use policy for my content: If you want to share my content with your own audience, you may quote a brief excerpt, if and only if, you provide proper attribution (Source: The unofficial blog of Stan Faryna) with a direct link to the source. Generally speaking, as long as you are not acting as an agent or on behalf of a corporation or institution, I am not interested in any payment for the quotation or use of a complete article. Nevertheless, you may not republish or translate the entire article without my written permission. Send your request for permission via Facebook. Or tweet me up me on Twitter.

An Untitled Novel About the Road of Hope: Chapter 1.1

Chapter 1.1.2

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22 October 2023
Bucharest, Romania

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The road to Bucharest was slow, long and difficult, just as any road of hope stretches out far beyond our ordinary reach and will. They test us. These roads of hope test us.

They ask us to make the kind of sacrifices that break us and take away all pride and folly. Until we are broken and ready to be worked into a new form like a ball of potter’s clay.

Until there is no bravado left to sustain us, these roads of hope are towering trees. They hold the prize out of reach like an ancient tree that holds her forbidden fruit on a high and so distant branch.

- Dio

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A Mercedes city bus, a Ford F350, three Dacia pick ups, and two freight trucks. This was our caravan. What was left of it. We lost five cars along the way. And 20 good men and women.

The villages, towns, and cities along the way were dead, burned down or both. The remains of the dead lay exposed to weather, animals and worms. Cats fed upon their worm-ridden, dead former owners. And dogs fed upon fatted cats.

moby and me: Easter Pilgrimage To Bucovina (part three)

If you missed part one of my Easter Pilgrimage To Bucovina, go here. Part three follows herein.

Last year, about this time, you [moby] did some gigs in Europe. You gonna make the same rounds again anytime soon?

Let me know when you’ll be in Madrid. Hopefully, sooner than later. I’d like a good reason to hang out there. I have some friends there that I’d like to see too.

Below, a little background music: yello, ooooh yeah:

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Easter Sunday

Sunday was a long day. I wasn’t feeling well. Taking pictures of the moon in the freezing night did something to me. Nonetheless, we visited the Romanian orthodox monasteries of Putna and Humorului as well as St. Mary’s in Cacica. We looked forward to a sumptuous feast for dinner. In the morning, Aurelian of Casa Antonio had gone to the shepherds to slaughter and quarter a lamb.

View of the rear of St. Mary’s church in Cacica

The feast at Casa Antonio would begin with a traditional lamb-based meatloaf. Next came a sour lamb soup thick with lamb fat and garden vegetables. Then, Aurelian brought out the big guns: a massive lamb shank that had been boiled in liters of wine. We ate greedily and made lots of whimpering sounds after we had over-filled our bellies.

We went out to do some night photography, again. And there was a light rain. Unfortunately, there was no moon in the early evening. The temperature was near freezing (5 degrees celsius) and I think I pushed my luck. Perhaps, there was too much cloud cover for a moon when we went out. Finally, I did see a moon from the window in my room about 4am.

Around 2am, I decided to go for another bowl of sour lamb soup. Aurelian wasn’t sleeping and he was glad to warm up the ciorba for us. That was a bad idea. I loaded it with sour cream and fresh, crushed garlic paste. And I ate it with bread smothered with sour cream and garlic paste. The garlic put an unstoppable fire in my belly. And not just mine.

moby and me: Easter Pilgrimage To Bucovina (part two)

If you missed part one of my Easter Pilgrimage To Bucovina, go here. Part two follows herein.

moby writes:

“oh, we’ve also put up the new album [Last Night] in its entirety on my myspace page (and it might be elsewhere on myspace, i’m not sure).”

Hear Last Night here (warning: product may contain peanuts, based on Schrödinger’s paradoxical thought experiments using quantum superposition).

Thanks, moby. Have a great weekend in Miami!

BTW, I think removing the forums was a great idea. Don’t cave to the mob of angry trolls. Comments to your journal should be sufficient to keep your website personalized and almost Web 2.0ish.

Below, a little background music: moby, Whispering Wind:

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St. Mary’s Church in Cacica

In a small Romanian village, I stood in an old church in the freezing cold. I stood shoulder to shoulder with the villagers. They were strangers to me. These people spoke another language, they worried about things which I did not worry about, and given the opportunity on any other occasion – most of them would be trying to sell me a square meter in their village for a preposterous amount – like nothing less than a million dollars.

Maybe, I exaggerate. But not by much. Been there. Done that.

And, yet, here we were in the same place and time, contemporaries, doing the same thing and not trying to get the better of each other. We were expressing by our very presence in that church, a desire (more or less) to be involved in something bigger than ourselves, bigger than our worries and everyday concerns, and bigger than our differences and our personal self-interest.

Standing there, I felt a strange community with these strangers as I reflected on the resurrection of Christ and anticipated a hot bowl of sour soup.