The Commissioner of National Basketball Association David Stern is concerned that NBA is ready to expand in the direction of Europe and create 5 full status teams.

The world’s most popular basketball league is planning to create a special division this side of the seas. The teams of this European division would play all 82 regular season games and compete for the NBA title.

As Ian Thomsen is writing on SI.com, a league source confirms that this Saturday in New Orleans, during the All-Star weekend, NBA commisioner will officially announce about the League plans, having discussed them at the annual meeting with international basketball representatives.

There’s a question of course, is Europe ready for Big Basketball? Can it reach the Baltics, where many kids would be dreaming of “making it to the NBA”? A lot has to be done before that. Everything needs to be changed, from laws and rusted basketball federations in each country, to arenas and most definitely, fans’ attitude. For real, I mean is a day gonna come when we’ll go to a sports event with the same joy we go to a concert, or a theater? With family, friends - in a way that sports is a holiday. Obviously, lots of time’s gonna pass till that would be a reality, at least here in Eastern Europe.

Sarunas Marciulionis once already tried telling Europe to listen to Stern: “There are no big brands - none - connected with high-scale basketball in Europe because it’s a mess. We need one structure, one clean pyramid. I think David could unite Europe.” Since these words, said on the 2006 All-Star Game in Houston, no actions were taken though.

And now, looks like there’s a movement of some kind. Sure, there are plenty of other aspects - would american players be willing to play overseas, how would they cope with constant transatlantic flights.. But all I know is a good thing: in the nearest time London, Berlin, Rome and Madrid can become the cities of real basketball holiday, which will also boost the development of basketball in our own region.

A presentation of brand new WRX Subarus with blue police lights under the grill took place today. Who would those need? Kinda interesting.

The Highway Patrol’s move is surely clever. And there are gonna be some “low IQ drivers” detained. But what about the high-speed chase? Given our roads condition?

I don’t know how it goes down in Cobra series - have never watched, but there’s no doubt that on Autobahns made for high-speed traffic, chase is way different. In Latvia, it can turn out to be a pitiful experience..

Hopefully the Silver Bullets’ drivers will prove they got “higher IQ”.

And yes, cops love us. Nice Valentine’s Day gift.

..Before you start making an incubator, you should decide how many eggs you would like to incubate simultaneously..

We’re at BarCamp are kinda different from all of those farmers and embryologists out there. The eggs being incubated simultaneously, umm, the applications for funding, were not limited - everyone could submit whatever amount of projects to the Innovation Incubator.

Around 80 ideas, approximately from 60 authors in slightly over two months were distributed to the judiciary of potential investors. About near the good half of those thirsty-for-funding start-ups managed to raise the attention of fat walletted gentlemen.

Sure, only some of them will qualify for further cooperation. That’s just how it is: the heating system, temperature and humidity control are of utmost importance in any incubator. One project will have it intact, the other will be sent to the side by sponsors. That’s removing troublesome dead eggs, know I’m sayin’?

These last days, up until this late hour I’ve been in communication with fathers and mothers of future internet giants, with fresh idea generators, so optimistically and positively minded Incubator participants. I wanna wish luck to all of you on Sunday, and wish you to believe in a bright future =)

..To increase the hatching out, you should ensure timely pick-up and correct storage of the eggs..

Our big-name investors know the last rule by heart, no doubt. But this is gonna be completely different story…

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What’s been up?

I have been traveling to our Lil’ Switzerland and back all week long, but I know I should come in here and post. Thanks for staying on the line!

Today, I wanna point your attention to comments on the war between internet and printed media that been showing up here and there as of late. After listening to one radio show I thought, I can’t let this issue untouched.

Radio Baltcom aired Wednesday how Vice Prez of Latvian Press Publishers Association Guntars Licis spoke for newspapers, truly protecting them. Sure, his optimism is alright, but he sounded like underestimating the web and it just made me smile.

“One thing doesn’t disturb another”, says Mr. Licis at the time when sales and the number of subscribers of Latvian tabloids are getting critically low. On the other hand, subscribers to RSS feeds of not only news portals but also blogs, steadily rise from day to day. And obviously citizen journalism and blogging perform the analysis task, which is to be done by press. Therefore, they act as evident competitors of printed media.

Not to even mention the task of delivering news, which newspapers are long not the source of - internet, radio, TV, without a doubt, bring the message to masses quick and easy.

I ain’t gonna be too sceptical though, I admit that prints have their own niche today. But this niche is becoming way smaller as internet develops. Icluding the regions - where the web is growing at rapid pace.

Guntars Licis agrees that “newspapers are read mostly by older generation and mid-age people, younger people somehow use the internet more”. “This is part of our culture and part of people’s habits, part of thinking”.

That’s what I’m saying, Mr. Licis!!! Today’s youngsters are going to be the same mid-age people by tomorrow, with own culture, habits and thinking. And going to “somehow use the internet more”…

Anyways, we’ll see. The only thing clear is that newspapers need to tightly secure their positions by printing reliable analysis, reports straight from events, interviews with key players in a field audience is interested in. And, of course, actively fight for a piece of an online pie.

Last bot not least, the Press Publishers Association should surely carefully observe the trends and head in the right direction, for not to end up broke and pity.

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I was watching LNT’s morning show “900 Seconds” today, when I saw Latvian Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis speaking on inflation.

He has told that Government’s aim by fall ‘08 is to “come to inflation lower than a two-digit number. I can’t  tell you now, whether it’s seven or eight percents, but this is our aim”.

Obviously, Mr. Godmanis meant that the aim is to reach a single digit inflation - I guess 9.9% also falls in that category. I thought, well, sounds alright to me, at least not in the double digits - 9, 8, 7. Let’s see what it brings us to.

Later on, TV*Net came back with a screaming headline like “Godmanis: Our aim is 7 or 8 percent inflation”. Sensational. Let it be it though.

Still, that’s inflation. Unstoppable like a ninja sword, slicing its way through our wallets and bank accounts leaving nothing behind.

Let’s just trust that things are actually gonna get better, thanks to our new primie, the wizard-looking bearded Godmanis (I guess his last name means “good man”?). Don’t let us down G.

Russia’s 1st Channel produced figure ice skating reality show Ice Age came to rock the Arena Riga crowd this past week-end. As the City traveled way back through ages to freeze down in Ice Age, the fully packed hall warmed the figure skaters with welcome and a stand-up applause. The 10,000 audience was just amazing, as Ilia Averbukh commented toward the end of the show.

I got lucky to visit the event and once again make sure that figure skating is such a beautiful sport!

Almost all of the major participants of Dance With The Star sampled TV show had shown up. More of the rest we missed Chulpan, Ville, Galustyan, Semenovich, Grebenschikova. A lot of people were frustrated that the winner of Ice Age Chulpan Khamatova did not come to Riga. But impeccable figure skating of pros and actual Olympic champs Tatyana Navka and Roman Kostomarov, as well Igor Vernik’s jokes would not let the Arena down.

Vernik told the story of his trip to Riga - he forgot the passport at home and just 45 minutes before the plane thought he would not make it from Moscow. But actor-figure skater was so happy his kid’s nun managed to bring the travel document on time, that he tried to tell the story several times.

Marat Basharov showed his Latvian language skills, greeting the public “Labvakar Riga” (Good Evening Riga) and later “Sveiki” (Hi there). And we also enjoyed perfect figure skating of our Lithuanian neighbors Povilas Vanagas and Margarita Drobiazko, as well as Alexey Tihonov and Maria Petrova, Lobacheva and Averbuch and other Ice Age participants including Russian prima ballerina Anastasiya Volochkova.

Alexey Makarov looked kinda bored without his Anna Semenovich. He was skating with Albena Denkova, but at the end of the show, when participants were called, he came out alone, looking sad and all.

Irina Slutskaya skated for the first time after her child’s birth. She was so nice - go girl! It was funny though when she dropped right on her butt while sponsor’s presents giveaway. But seems like there was some stuff on ice, flower leftovers or something.

Overall, the show turned out remarkable. Special effects, color lighting, sparks and flames along the border of the ice rink gave the show additional beauty. Ice hockey marking disappointed though. Shame on organizers for saving on ice, leaving so unneeded here blue and red zone lines, goal crease, faceoff spots and circles. At least they cleaned the ice at halftime =)

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The Road Guide, or Ceļu Gids in Latvian, seems to be pretty nice idea to gather information for drivers in Riga and Latvia, as well as around Baltic States overall.

When I first stumbled upon that site, I noticed official Latvian State Roads web camera information which is live from Jurmala highway. Make sure you check it out, looks cool. If you could access those admin menus and move the cam or something, that thing would be priceless =)

The Road Guide is officially run by Latvian State Roads so they got the freshest info on road condition. I guess they own the automatic Road Weather Information systems - I do notice those booths along the highways with anemometers and stuff.

Plus, they’re the guys who are down with road works so they put online the latest scoop on road works, locations, speed limits in those places, what kind of work is done and when it’s about to be finished. This section needs to be visual though, integrated in Google Map cause I don’t wanna scroll all the way down with my route in my mind.

Speaking on Google Maps, there’s amazing stuff found on the Road Guide - Riga traffic web cams with cam location integrated on city map. These are not official State Roads cams like the Jurmala one, but still convenient if you wanna check out what’s happening in those usual traffic jam places.

The site also offers Google Maps shortest route calculation between Latvian cities but I guess I better use the original Google Maps screen, it’s larger and allows additional features.

Links to Baltic Roads site do good, as it turns out that page got official road weather data like temperature (both air and road), precipitation, winds all the way from Lithuania up to Finland and St. Petersburg area.

Those who cross the EU border from Latvia will find out about queues and situation on border through the Road Guide.

The site sure lacks English and Russian, perhaps German and Lithuanian/Estonian cause I figure there are some foreign drivers who’d love to be informed.

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To all Orthodox Christians, Merry Christmas, have a bright holiday and enjoy this day! Smile, understand and love each other, always!

I am touched by the speech of Alexy II, which I watched yesterday on 1st Baltic. Patriarch especially emphasized the importance of relationships and love in the modern society. It’s just as timely for me, as of late.

I want us to trust and live, and be happy!

I see people getting crazy over Riga’s public transportation fare price rise. Now it has reached an astonishing limit of 40 santims (just over half a euro). How silly.

I know, other Latvian cities are still to catch up. I heard Vilnius, Lithuania buses are still cheap. But hey, this is something you can’t really stop. Inflation.

Everybody and their mama are dealing with inflation these days. If you live somewhere near Riga you must have felt the impact on your own butt. That’s why if you’re a company, you will not go out and spend more than you earn, right?

That’s just what Riga Transportation Authority does, it’s time they do the move.

Other issue is that I hear people consider dumb that if you ain’t got a ticket on boarding the tram (with no conductor), the ticket will be sold by driver for an impressive investment of 50 santims. Damn, I mean, that’s just 10 cents more! If you forgot to get a tick from a newsstand or whatever, then be ready to pay a lil bit extra, won’t ya? And it’s not the double price after all.

Such practice is employed in many cities around the world and as far as I know and been traveling, I don’t remember locals whinin’ and cryin’ over such type of ish.

Yes, the majority of Rigans are poor and can’t take it - you know everything but the salaries has been going uphill lately. I must confess I been suffering from the big “I” too, still some bills overdue.

But even being an every day car driver myself, having felt the gas price rise, I still consider inflation as something normal and see it as a process of developing. And a motivation to earn more.

So, hopefully, no one gets hurt or left without dinner after such New Year gift.

Have a nice time battling controllers like in Good Ol’ Soviet times, after riding with ticket handed by another passenger on exit.

Sike.

Break-up with my girl and a Bima fly to the ditch proved to be fake - Lexxus is here and ain’t goin’ nowhere. Even more, I’m powerful and energized enough to step into New Year surely boldly, yes I know what I’m doin’.

Stay tuned to RigaTalk.com and see y’all.

Matter fact, Happy 2008! Ain’t it gonna be great? ;)