Tev muzam dzivot, Latvija,My amateurish translation:
Ka saulei, kas mirdz debess klaja!
Tu - jauna zvaigzne zvaigznaja,
Kas nule uzlekusi taja.
You forever live, Latvia
As the sun shining in the sky!
You - a new star in the constellation
Who has just risen over there.
Ja finanšu tirgi neceretu, ka Latvija parskatama nakotne tomer pievienosies eiro, mes savu riskanto ekonomikas raditaju del jau sen butu piedzivojuši kapitala begšanu. Virkne Latvijas ekonomikas arejo indikatoru ir krietni sliktaki neka Austrumazijas valstis pirms 1997.gada lielas finanšu krizes. Krizes skartajas valstis tekoša konta deficits videji bija 5% no IK, ka jau teikts, Latvija tas patlaban ir 18%. Varbut psihologisko luzumu radis 20% robežas parsniegšana?
If financial markets did not hope that Latvia would join euro in foreseeable future, we would have experienced capital flight long ago, due to our risky economy. Several of Latvia's external economic indicators are much worse than in East Asian countries before the big financial crisis of 1997. In the affected countries, the current account deficit before the crisis was, on average, 5% of GDP. As I already said, it's now 18% in Latvia. Maybe, there will be a psychological breakpoint after the deficit exceeds 20%?
The shortlist is of surprisingly high quality (compared to say, candidates nominated by various parties in 1999). I would be happy with any of the first five candidates. I would not like to have Jurkans as the president, though, despite myself having voted for him in parliamentary election once. I know nearly nothing about Ozolina.
Sandra Kalniete belongs to Jaunais Laiks (New Era) party. Artis Pabriks belongs to Tautas Partija (People's Party). Janis Jurkans belongs (or used to belong) to Tautas Saskanas Partija (People's Harmony party). The rest of candidates are non-partisan and have no obvious links to a particular political party. In Latvian politics, that may actually be an advantage. If the next parliament is as fractured as this one, the candidate will need support from at least 3 different parties to win. And many political parties may find it easier to support a neutral candidate than someone from another party. (Particularly, if it's a party they are not on good terms with. Sandra Kalniete may have hurt her chances by joining New Era a few months ago.) That is how Vaira Vike-Freiberga was elected in 1999. Almost no one was voting for another party's candidate and then she emerged as a neutral figure who could draw support from 3 parties.
Pirms piecpadsmit gadiem Latvija kopā ar kaimiņvalstim Igauniju un Lietuvu atguva savu neatkarību pēc piecdesmit Padomju okupācijas gadiem. Tas tika panākts nevardarbīgā ceļā caur Baltijas dziesmoto revolūciju, pateicoties vienīgi šo tautu drosmei un apņēmībai. Tās bija gatavas stāties pretī padomju šautenēm un tankiem tikai ar saviem neapbruņotajiem cilvēkiem un dziļu pārliecību par savām tiesībām, labi apzinoties, ka šīs šautenes un tanki viņus jebkurā brīdī var satriekt, kā tie bija satriekuši tik daudzus pirms tam.Full text: Latvian, English. There is more on Latvia and our history there. No one says it better than Vaira Vike-Freiberga.
Fifteen years ago Latvia, along with neighboring Estonia and Lithuania, regained its independence after fifty years of Soviet occupation. The Baltic Singing Revolution achieved this by non-violent means, by the sheer courage and determination of the peoples of these countries. They were ready to face Soviet guns and tanks with nothing but their unarmed bodies and the deep conviction of their rights, knowing full well that, at any moment, these guns and tanks might crush them as they had crushed so many before.
To understand why the NSA wants to look at your phone bills, check out the work of Valdis Krebs, an expert on "social-network analysis." By mapping the connections of Nawaf Alhazmi and Khalid Almihdhar, two men that the CIA had suspected as Qaeda members back in 2000, Krebs established not only that they were dangerous—they had direct links to two people involved in the USS Cole bombing—but that someone named Muhammad Atta was at the center of their social web.Nice to hear that a Latvian scientist is doing important work! Here is a podcast interview withValdis Krebs, from ITConversations website. I'll listen to it sometime (after I finish all the work that was due yesterday...sigh).
