I went to Uzbekistan for a month last year and two months at the start of this year, the country has gotten worse rather then better but that's not surprising considering we have had nothing but 15 years of Islam Karimov, who has only succeeded in creating a despotic authoritarian state. Some anecdotes of which I blogged http://blog.videosift.com/Farhad2000/Signs-You-Live-in-a-Dictatorship

My point about limited regional development is very valid in my nations case, it has alternated between cooperation with the West to cooperation with the Russians. Relations with the west were pretty much terminated once questions started to be asked about a violent government action against civilians in the province of Andijan.

Economically the nation has fared poorly, but you wouldn't think that reading the glossy magazines the president's daughter publishes, there are hardly jobs, the average wage is 100 dollars for professional doctors. The infrastructure is dilapidated, there is high organized crime, drug addiction and preventable diseases are running in number. Basic civil services are volatile in the capital, my home district had no power for the two days I spent in the Winter, its almost non existent in other cities and provinces.

Political power is held because of a mixture of cooperation with the West towards fighting terrorism, which our government proclaims it is fighting when its really a false flag for suppression of democratic movements and political dissent. A factor the US/UK has ignored while fixated on it's war against terror and need of a US airbase for actions in Afghanistan, both were kicked out when they questioned the Andijan actions.

There is massive diaspora of Uzbeks who now live overseas, this has created a huge brain drain, the highest education professionals being the most able to migrate, though there is a lot of low income earners who leave to Kazakhstan and Russia.

Other strange actions by the government like the mandatory imposition of Uzbek as a educational language along with predictable lack of investment has meant that education standards have fallen as well. There are no high level education books in my language, which is stupid considering Russian text books exist in abundance and was the defacto language of communication after 60 years of communist rule. Leading to a strange love/hate relationship politically with the Russians, we stopped using Cyrillic in favor of Latin for example. Russia however remains the largest ally of Uzbekistan politically.

It's sad and pretty insane to just count off the numerous way the country has become worse, am trying to think of some positives as well but its hard, most of the people who are doing well are doing well because of some hidden income from illicit activity or basically being one of the lucky ones in the loop to benefit, nepotism with regards to securing commercial contracts is common either exclusive distribution rights or simply the ability to reclaim private businesses via the government. Karimov's daughter has become a relative master at this, she has confiscated numerous businesses for her own lil' private empire. There are more goods I guess, but then again 80% of the population cannot afford them, nor can they afford the new high tech medical facilities opening up. Educational diplomas from some of the most respected medical institutions can now be bought for a few thousand dollars.

People are (finally) getting sick of it, my cousin is currently visiting me right now, he says that government criticism is pretty prevalent now among the taxi drivers (which are always a good indicator of the national pulse in my view). However I do not see a possible way for democratic and smooth hand over of power, it will either be violent and impose a new kind of despotic ruler who may or may not improve the nation in the same manner Kazakhstan has or not. In all likely hood a power struggle will take place when Karimov dies, with various lackeys stepping in, I don't think his daughter would be successful, the man is old and his days are numbered. But then again we have all seen how long people like Fidel stay alive. So you never know.


In reply to this comment by EDD:

But talking about inequalities in regional development, I'm guessing you can share some experiences, right? Trenin argues that smaller cities are also a lot better off now than they were ten years ago, but I suppose you're talking about the very far East and the countryside, yes? When was the last time you went to Russia or Uzbekistan?

my first language is slovene, of course. english is the only foreign language i bothered to learn.
then there's our former country's serbo-croatian heritage; although separate languages now, serbian and croatian are practicaly one and the same although it's good to know both variants as some people there are still very touchy about it. i familiarised with it as a kid from tv, books and comics which were mostly published in serbo-croatian. it's also useful to learn cyrilic alphabet as it is still being used in serbia (differs slightly from your standard russian cyrilic).

i live close to the austrian border so i also know just enough german to hitch a ride on the autobahn or watch dubbed action movies. i'd like to learn spanish and some italian or french. maybe russian too. someday...

the song is called Bubamara (Lady Bug). it's author, Šaban Bajramović, died a week ago on June 8th 2008.

Šaban Bajramović (Cyrillic: Шабан Бајрамовић) (born April 16, 1936 in Niš, Kingdom of Yugoslavia) is Serbian Romani musician.
He attended primary school for only the first four years. On quitting school, he picked up his musical education on the street and wherever he could, as others of his people have always done. At 19 he ran away from the army out of love for a girl. As a deserter, he was sentenced to three years prison on the island Goli otok, but as he told the military court they couldn't hold him for so long as he could survive, they raised his punishment to five and a half years. He survived as he was a good goalkeeper in the prison football team. Because of his nimbleness and speed, they called him "Black Panther". Soon he forced his way into the prison orchestra that played, among other things, jazz (mostly Armstrong, Sinatra, and even John Coltrane) with Spanish and Mexican pieces. Today he likes to say that he read 20.000 books in his life, most of them whilst in prison. He also says that the prison on Goli otok was his university of life where he formed his philosophy, adding that a person who has never been in prison is not a person at all. After Goli otok, his intensive music career began. He made his first record in 1964 and since then has made 15-20 LPs and about 50 singles. To date he is believed to have composed 650 compositions including - Bubamara (ladybird), in the soundtrack of Emir Kusturica movie - Black Cat, White Cat, and Mesečina (originally Djeli mara) in the soundtrack of Emir Kusturica movie - Underground.

They wrote about him:

Over the years, his music has been constantly stolen, copied, and imitated by both famous and unknown musicians. Promises and contracts have proven worthless. Actually, he's never been interested in protecting his work. Where others would have earned millions, he's lived as he's always lived: from day to day, making music, going wherever he wants, and not recognising any limits at all. — Dragi Šestić, Mostar Sevdah Reunion

The next 66 minutes were one of the rarest moments in my life. I was crying because of the sheer beauty of this music. Together with Mostar Sevdah Reunion, the great gipsy singer created an exceptional album, probably the best ever produced in this Balkan area. — Miljenko Jergovic, Jutarnji list, 10.11.2001, Croatia

It is difficult to stay objective while listening to this masterpiece. The saying goes that no one should go down on one's knees and bow one's head before a living human being, but in this case an exception should be made. — Mladen Hlubna, Oslobodjenje 6.12.2001 Bosnia

The Serbian singer is clearly a giant talent, comparable in his own way to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan or Mari Bonie Persen, someone capable of bringing their music to life with such vivid spirituality that it vaults with ease over the most impenetrable cultural barriers. His voice combines the anguish of rai with the soulfulness of fado - a sort of Balkan gypsy jazz Andy Gill - The Independent, UK, 15.2.2002

another version of this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6R-NC9LVFc

check out Cyril Raffaelli

Tags for this video have been changed from 'cyril, magic, japanese, trick' to 'cyril, magic, japanese, japan, trick, hamburger' - edited by fissionchips

That be Cyril-Raffaelli, and your clip is contained here:
http://www.videosift.com/video/Cyril-Raffaelli-Parkour-extreme

That's Cyril Takayama performing the head drop illusion. Some of Cyril's stuff is fucking amazing...

More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyril_Takayama

cyril in the u.s.?

nice. but check this guy, cyril raffaelli. unreal.
http://www.videosift.com/video/Cyril-Raffaelli-Parkour-extreme

As soon as Christianity was legal (315), more and more pagan temples were destroyed by Christian mob. Pagan priests were killed.
Between 315 and 6th century thousands of pagan believers were slain.
Examples of destroyed Temples: the Sanctuary of Aesculap in Aegaea, the Temple of Aphrodite in Golgatha, Aphaka in Lebanon, the Heliopolis.
Christian priests such as Mark of Arethusa or Cyrill of Heliopolis were famous as "temple destroyer."
Pagan services became punishable by death in 356.
Christian Emperor Theodosius (408-450) even had children executed, because they had been playing with remains of pagan statues.
According to Christian chroniclers he "followed meticulously all Christian teachings..."
In 6th century pagans were declared void of all rights.
In the early fourth century the philosopher Sopatros was executed on demand of Christian authorities
The world famous female philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria was torn to pieces with glass fragments by a hysterical Christian mob led by a Christian minister named Peter, in a church, in 415.

* Emperor Karl (Charlemagne) in 782 had 4500 Saxons, unwilling to convert to Christianity, beheaded.
* Peasants of Steding (Germany) unwilling to pay suffocating church taxes: between 5,000 and 11,000 men, women and children slain 5/27/1234 near Altenesch/Germany.
* Battle of Belgrad 1456: 80,000 Turks slaughtered.
* 15th century Poland: 1019 churches and 17987 villages plundered by Knights of the Order. Victims unknown.
* 16th and 17th century Ireland. English troops "pacified and civilized" Ireland, where only Gaelic "wild Irish", "unreasonable beasts lived without any knowledge of God or good manners, in common of their goods, cattle, women, children and every other thing." One of the more successful soldiers, a certain Humphrey Gilbert, half-brother of Sir Walter Raleigh, ordered that "the heddes of all those (of what sort soever thei were) which were killed in the daie, should be cutte off from their bodies... and should bee laied on the ground by eche side of the waie", which effort to civilize the Irish indeed caused "greate terrour to the people when thei sawe the heddes of their dedde fathers, brothers, children, kinsfolke, and freinds on the grounde".
Tens of thousands of Gaelic Irish fell victim to the carnage.

dupe: http://www.videosift.com/video/Cyrils-Magic-Burger-Thief

Just FYI, Cyril Raffaeli is one of the founder of what you call "Parkour", along with David Belle.

the actress, one of the many Cusack line of performers....father Dick Cusack is an actor and filmmaker, and Joan's siblings John Cusack, Ann Cusack, Bill Cusack, and Susie Cusack are all thespians by trade......remember Farenheit 451??? Cyril Cusack...whoever he was.....

By God it's a full-length feature!!!!!

Incidentally, Cyril Cusack is one of the clan of the Cussaktors...John, Joan, Richard and Brandon??


Way to go lurgee!!!!!!!!!!!

duplicate: http://www.videosift.com/video/Awesome-magic-tricks-by-Cyril