Last week, I found a free newspaper called “New Riga” in my mailbox. The piece of paper turned out to be a political advertisement, a campaign of LPP/LC party. Run, of course, by Ainars “Who Else Could It Be” Shlesers.

The man is eying a chair of Riga Mayor, which prolly is a good thing. And looks like he’s fitting in just as nice.

I observe the Transportation industry in Latvia for several years now, that’s why former minister Shlesers’ work has not went unnoticed. Perhaps because of my past in-depth interest in railways development and building of Rail Baltica - my ex missuz, Olga, is transport & logistics specialist, so couple years ago, when we were cooking the Masters work together, I had even been to a meeting in the Ministry of Transport, doing research.. Perhaps because I have went to sea myself, and am still interested in what’s going on in shipping, ports and around ‘em.. Perhaps because I like to fly and follow Riga Airport’s success.. Perhaps because Mr. Shlesers himself has managed to gain attention with his charisma, positiveness, targeted actions..

But perhaps, however, that is a perfect job of PR peeps. As a Communications Pro, I know of course what’s behind all of this. I know how this type of political papers and publications in those are being born. I know how thoroughly the questions to “ask” in the interview with Shlesers are chosen. I know how many times it’s thought and rethought back and forth, what and where, in what order to feature..

Nothing bad here though - a brand is being built, attractive package in the making, all for a good, quality product. Similarly like cottage cheese snack “Kārums” or, for instance, “Zelta Zivtiņa“. Only that, here it’s essential for the product to be made as delicious when the time pass and not to change for bad - which sometimes happens with politicians. Promises given during the election campaigns often wind up not fulfilled. That’s why hopefully everything that Shlesers & Co are talking about will be carried out in case of his win.

Gotta wish some luck, a good one, especially that there’s my Maritime schoolmate, Pavels Rebenoks, proudly occupying #51 on LPP/LC election list. Big Time!

I learned what’s anime not too long ago - after watching the legendary Cat Soup cartoon. It kinda had a dual impact on me, so I’d like to discover the world of globally renowned Japanese animation to the full.

Exclusive opportunity to do that on a big screen is offered by Japanese Animation Festival AnimeFest 6. The event will be held May 2 - 3, 2009, at the World Trade Center in Riga.

It will be already sixth anime festival that is being run in our city. My good friend Alex, who is the organizer of AnimeFest, promises to kindly hook me up with some tix, so I guess you can meet me in there.

じゃあ、また!!

As our lives tend to rotate more and more around Twitter, I can’t help but join the orbit - or.. ehm.. tworbit?.. (Yeah, everything His Twitterness touches, get a smooth lil’ tw prefix - it’s like Snoop’s izzle, you feel what I’m sizzle?)..

Anyway. The twaily twonderings around made me twumble upon such thing as an Earth Hour. I didn’t tell you earlier as I was sick - I put the banner on my site though (it’s up until the late March).

So what’s it all about? The climate change. Global problems like that are usually far from regular people, but the Earth Hour is an opportunity for us to show - that we care about our planet. Or not.

It’s like global election. Your vote - is your light switch. Switch it off for one hour to Vote Earth, and live it on to vote global warming and die slow.

I am definitely plugging out all of my electrical equipment and shutting down lights around the house. Been always standing tall for the green planet, clean environment, reducing carbon emissions, all of that stuff!! So I am surely voting Earth and urging you to do so! March 28, 2009, 8:30-9:30 p.

RSVP.

By the way, it’s real cool to see the Pasaules Dabas Fonds - Latvian partners of WWF, the global conservation organization, actively propelling the local movement for the Earth Hour. Including spreading the word on the aforementioned Twitter.

This BarCamp week-end has been much more spiritual for me than in some other way technical, geeky or otherwise. Some of y’all know from my tweets that I was about to become a Godparent on Saturday. Christened a new born baby boy by the beautiful Russian name of Gleb - a second son of a happy couple consisting of my best homie, maritime schoolmate/coworker Olegus and his wife Marina.

As I am of Orthodox religion, the holy mystery took place in one of Riga’s Orthodox churches - Holy Trinity Church of Pardaugava. It’s actually the only place in the city with Baptistery separated from the Church itself in another small building. The process went on there and was guided by a priest Sergiy from The Church of Holy and Right-believing Alexander Nevsky - the church I was baptized at.

What I’d like to share is that it’s such a wonderful feeling of becoming a Godfather. I recognize the responsibility and my role in spiritual upbringing of Lil’ Gleb, who is just 2 and a half months young. I totally see myself as a mentor for his personal development. And together with his Godmother Anna, for the boy’s Christian education and knowledge of good Orthodox traditions. So much thanks go out to Olegus and Marina for providing this amazing opportunity and entrusting this important task.

I was ready to go to sleep when I thought I’d check my Twitter page and then I saw this tweet from Janis Krums with the TwitPic link.

At first, I thought the picture was unreal. Some kind of joke? The making of Lost-like video or something? I thought Janis is on a movie set or a photo shoot somewhere. There was not a piece of joke to his tweet though.

A plane crashed into the Hudson river in New York. The aircraft went down to attempt emergency landing after being hit by a flock of geese. Everybody’s safe, thankfully. Except for those birds, of course..

And what a nice example of citizen journalism by Janis who was amongst passengers on a ferry rushing to rescue the survivors. Twitter went crazy later on with retweets and stuff but Janis was first! Big ups!

Just a coincidence that we started following each other this week over some NBA tweets. Janis messaged me promising to entertain. Job well done homie, I owe you a beer when you’re in Riga =)

Mayn, ain’t nothing real overwhelming happened last night actually.

Maybe I feel like that cause I was shooting hoops over in Pardaugava and missed some of the live action? TV, breaking news type of live action, I mean.

The reporters seemed like nearly enjoying this mess. I don’t know but to me, this whole riot thing doesn’t look like something crazy-violent-destructive civil disorder or whatever they might call it.

Some stores damaged on Smilshu street, broken Parliament windows, police cars overturned. And no tear gas (I mean I saw a cop on TV using a hand-held spray, but that’s about it), no plastic bullets or water cannons used against the rioters. Couple hours and it’s silent.

I hear people saying that police were not ready and was kinda slow. But that’s because the whole riot was “slow”! There were no organized actions, the whole thing was chaotic, so I guess cops just stayed low-key on purpose, not to provoke the crowd. So it appears they did a pretty good job.

And after all, the rioters were several hundreds mostly drunk youth who stayed in the Old Town following the protest on the Doma Square. Thousands of protestants who gathered on the Square demanding the Parliament resignation were peaceful and bounced away in a few hours.

Thanks God it’s all over though.

More than 100 arrested, tens hurt and hospitalized - and do we need it? If the Parliament resigns, will shit change? I guess it just stays the same.

The forecasters predicted this to be happening around last night. Major storm is gonna hit Riga, bla bla bla.. It was calm and not even windy at all yesterday. They just got the timing wrong.

Well, with a lil bit of delay, a snowstorm is taking over the area throughout Sunday. I just came over from a basketball game and man it’s snowing like crazy. There was like 5 or 6 car accidents on our way to Daugmale and back.. Some of them are scary - makes me wanna remember my own New Year ‘08 ride to Daugavpils - thanks God I wound up alright..

And yeah, the snowstorm is on and poppin’! There are various reports of power outages in Riga. Let me post my own tho, quite funny one, the one that don’t happen every day..

We had a real hard hoops game today. 5-on-5, run & gun type stuff. I tell you what, I even got prepped for this one - watched last night’s Celtics @ Wolves game, listened to Mobb Deep on my way, to get to the battling mood, you know.

And check this out, my team’s in possession, right. I’m a playmaker, trying to see the court.. The ball was not in my hands at the moment though but face it - suddenly the lights go out! Total darkness, you don’t see shit!!! Can you imagine that! I was around midcourt, somehow found my way to the sideline, but some of us didn’t even know where to go, totally disoriented, you know what I’m saying =))

Everybody screaming, but in about a minute or two we started seeing the gym’s windows. It was dark outside too so still - it was kinda hard to find the way.

The lights went back on when we were in the lockers. The game had to be cancelled..

Memories again. Last time I suffered a blackout I was on board LPGC Havpil. Captain’s mate, on the bridge, alone, I was in charge of navigation and all the stuff. Quite a piece of an action, really..

Aaight then, I’m out like power, wishing y’all who’s in Riga to stay safe. And yeah, hopefully you don’t have to light up the candles due to the power outage tonight - save’em for a romantic dinner, would you.

It’s known around that Spring is the usual time to start off romantic relationships and ish like that. Kind of, plant the seed, see how it grows over the Summer.

But the thing is though, what you plant in Spring, is gonna be dead by Fall. You can then dry it and save it for your herbarium or something.

I’m bout to take this love thing to a whole ‘nother level right about now. Sit tight. I’m like Sphere. Getting you the good stuff.

What I’m saying is, love is not a plant! Relationships are not meant to be dead one day! And ain’t no plant out there can claim eternal life, even those bristlecone pines, don’t tell me I’m not right.

That’s why it’s way better to fall in love around this time of the year. Late Fall, early Winter.. Cold, colder, freezing.. Get a picture? Things are preserved better when frozen.

That’s more of a joke though, but as they say.. In every joke there is a grain of.. um.. joke =)

And definitely, definitely, you and I know there must be something (well, a special *somebody*, actually) to make me write such a post. And yes, there is a new feeling in my world currently. And who else but a girl born on Valentine’s Day can spark that, you feel me? ;)

I ain’t saying it’s love.. But it surely gets frozen for a long, long shelf life. Believe it.