It’s been said a million times, but HBO’s The Wire is some of the best television ever made. Blah, blah blah… I know. If you’ve seen it, you agree. If you haven’t, you are sick of hearing about it. Early this year my brother, my buddy Andrew and I loaded up my mom’s silver Jeep [...]
Archive for June, 2009
The Wire: A fanboy trip to Baltimore
Posted in Uncategorized on June 29, 2009 | 4 Comments »
The Ukrainian Army — Get Tanked
Posted in Uncategorized on June 26, 2009 | 4 Comments »
Oh. My. God! Here is a recruitment commercial for the Ukrainian army (an Army of один). It speaks for itself, but the jist is basically this: The Army — get paid, get laid and get tanked (pun intended). Enjoy. Special thanks to the lovely Jess S. for the tip. Also… my roommate Eddie recently bought [...]
Farewell you noble dromedaries
Posted in Uncategorized on June 24, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Back in March I made my first trip across the Ukrainian border. I’d “befriended” a few smugglers on the train from Poland to the border town who assured me they knew a faster way to get across. I kinda foolishly jumped on a dilapidated old bus with them. It said ‘Lviv’ on it, so what [...]
Why sunflowers?
Posted in Ukraine, Uncategorized on June 22, 2009 | 4 Comments »
A few of you have asked why I have sunflowers as my banner? The answer is pretty simple. One interpretation of the composition of the Ukrainian flag is a field of sunflowers under a blue sky. Sunflower seeds are a popular snack here as street-vending babushkas sell handfuls of them on most corners. The sunflower [...]
У нас на районе!
Posted in Ukraine, Uncategorized on June 19, 2009 | 3 Comments »
Hello, and welcome! I hear this song in just about every bar/club/cantina I walk into. It’s Ukraine’s/Russia’s favourite call-and-respond anthem — and it’s damn catchy if heard several dozen million times. Introducing: U Nas Na Rayone (У нас на районе!). Potap (the guy) and Nastya (the Amy Winehouse-lookin’ lady) rock a chorus in Surjik (a [...]
Vodka: Why Ukraine can’t have nice things pt.II
Posted in Ukraine, Uncategorized on June 19, 2009 | 2 Comments »
A few posts ago I gave some thoughts on why booze, and vodka in particular, has such a debilitating effect on Ukrainian society. It was a bit of anecdotal nonsense, but this recent article in the Kyiv Post backs up this theory and sheds even more light on why the negative effects of alcohol are [...]
