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N.E. Brigand
Half-elven
Feb 21 2008, 4:58pm
Post #1 of 5
(173 views)
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Kosovo and Tolkien.
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It barely qualifies for Main, but buried inside this essay on Balkan medievalism is a reference to Tolkien.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
We're discussing The Lord of the Rings in the Reading Room, Oct. 15, 2007 - Mar. 22, 2009!
Join us Feb. 18-24 for "A Journey in the Dark".
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orcbane
Gondor
Feb 21 2008, 6:39pm
Post #2 of 5
(86 views)
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Tolkien, the Balkans and Playmobil
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I got through it & thought it interesting. I was at the base when the first refugees from Kosovo arrived in the late 90's. I happened to be outside when they got off the plane and were driven by on a bus to some temporary lodging. I was looking at them & vice versa. I wondered what was going through there minds.
I have always associated Playmobil with Europe as well & have specifically collected certain of them for my kids over a long period of time. They have an attractive style and are of high quality, and are hand-downable. But I wonder if they have not in fact drifted away from there original principles. Something like 'interesting play without angst'. If the dwarves have any living decendants I would guess they are german toymakers.
An Ent juggling spikey things ?
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Sunflower
Valinor
Feb 22 2008, 12:13am
Post #3 of 5
(67 views)
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This does not pertain to your entry per se, but I found out something interesting about Kosovo. In January a big oil and natural gas find was announced in Albania. Look at Kosovo on a map.
Less than 2 months later, Kosovo declares independence, and NATO troops block Serbian access the borders. The US, Britain, France, and Germany immediately recognize their independance, while Russia and China vehemently denounce this move.
Either this is the world's biggest coincidence, or I'm the world's biggest moron. *cough* Don't mean to start political discussion, but there it is.
Ever hear the term "peak oil", folks? (theoildrum.com, it's a fantastic site to learn.)
So it begins (or has begun)....
OT like I said, but worth sharing.
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burrahobbit
Rohan
Feb 22 2008, 1:41am
Post #4 of 5
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Don't think oil is the main factor here...
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While securing oil and gas influences lots of foreign policy decisions (like Iraq obviously), NATO intervened in Kosovo back in 1999 to prevent the further killing of Albanians, it's one of the few times we took miliary action for the right reasons!  Nearly ten years later the troops are still there, so the support for an independent Kosovo from Europe and the US is based on the hope that it will lead to some sort of lasting peace in the region. The oil find in Albania does add another dimension, but I don't believe it's the main issue.
China and Russia's opposition stems from the threat of separitist movements that their own states face (just look at conflicts over Chechnya and Tibet). If Kosovo's action is approved then it could encourage further separatism (even Spain opposes an independent Kosovo because it may encourage the Basque separtist movement).
I think you're right that peak oil is a giant issue the whole world needs to face up to before it's too late.
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Sunflower
Valinor
Feb 22 2008, 4:00am
Post #5 of 5
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Agreed. I will never forget those appalling TV pictures and updates....every 24 hrs, "another 350,000 (or whatever it was,) have just crossed the border. " And hiw today, the Serbian attempts at a Greater Serbia are never mentioned. And Bosnia is just another "Muslim" state. Talk about historical revisionism. Those folks were more secular than we are. I'd bet there was was more intermarriage between the 3 ethnic groups pre-93 than there is among white and black here.
To this day, I have never spoken or written the words "eth***** cl******" because (people forget) the Serbs invented this term, used it freely, and the Western media began using it and gave thus gave it their blessing. Today it's just another term. But I have not forgotten where it came from, and will never use it.
As to Kosovo....we may have gone there for the right reasons, but you can bet we'll be there for the wrong ones now.
Seperatism...don't get me started. Me, the half-Armenian....this was not started as a political thread so I'llnot go there!
And glad someone else knows about peak oil. Have you read The Oil Drum site? Every month, this stuff gives me the willies. The people at that site are more prophetic every month. If you read that site (it was started by a bunch of people in the oil industry, and there's almost no political talk, except when, say, Bush makes a trip to Saudi Arabia) it's all info. If you do, make sure to read the Comments part of each story, it's better than the articles.
It's such a good site there are spinoffs: The OilDrum Europe, The Oil Drum Canada, Australia, and even NZ, etc (all linked to on the site.) This is one of those rare things I recommend to everyone.
It would be like reading TORN without the Messageboards!
(This post was edited by Sunflower on Feb 22 2008, 4:06am)
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