Draxblog III

Thank You for Happy Childhood, Comrade Stalin

Sometimes you may be tempted to think that you have seen anything and that nothing can surprise you. Then you stumble upon a bizarre video shown below and realise you have been wrong.

Slippery Slopes of Carpathian Mountains

Well, it had to happen sooner or later. According to Professor Valerian Ciocel, one of the legal experts taking part in Romanian legal reforms, new Criminal Code of that EU member country is going to decriminalise incest. Instead of being jailed, "consenting adults" caught in incest will be given psychiatric treatment without criminal records.

This story appears to be rather old, but it was picked by mainstream Croatian media only yesterday, most probably due to extra publicity created by Fritzl verdict. In any case, the timing for the revelation of this new initiative is worst possible. I can already imagine headlines like "Romanians Would Legalise Fritzl".

Most comments in Croatia, so far, has descended into usual ethnic stereotyping of an Eastern, Orthodox and therefore "barbaric and un-European nation". Many claim that the Romania was forced to do it due to widespread incest among members of their Roma community.

Most people who would try to comment on this without ethnic stereotyping are going to be social conservatives. For them, this initiative is going to be long-sought Holy Graal - convincing argument about liberal legislation paving the way for all kinds currently unacceptable sexual behaviours.

Just as homosexuality was first decriminalised, then legalised and tolerated by being viewed as a relationship between consenting adults, so would incest. The argument about "slippery slope" now looks more convincing.

On the other hand, one of the most important and convincing arguments for the preservation of incest as social taboo - likelihood of genetically deformed offspring of incestous pairs - was weakened by contraxeption, the very same technological advances that made sexual revolution possible.

Romania (and the rest of the "enlightened and progressive" Western world) took that road, but I still don't see legalisation and social acceptance of incestous pairs any time soon. The economic crisis - if it is as bad as many predict - would turn most people more conservative for at least decade or two. It would probably take three or four decades before constitutional amendments for sibling marriages in California.

American Racism Was Supposed to End With Obama...

...yet, 4000 US$ is 4000 US$, especially in these hard economic times.

Blogiversary... Sort of

Many years ago, on this very date, I started my first regularly updated diary. I wish I could have marked that occasion with some long essay about blogging and diaries. Circumstances, just like in case of my 5th blogiversary, didn't allow anything more than this short post.

Happy Women's Day

To all my female readers.

All the Best in 2007

One year ago I wrote:

I don't think that this blog in 2006 is going to be much better than it was in 2005.

That prediction proved to be right.

I don't predict, but sincerelly hope that 2007 in general is going to be better than 2006. And, just as I did one year ago, extend this wish to all readers of this blog.

My Name Appeared in Print

My review of 1964 film Seven Days in May was used as a reference in a 2003 book War and Film in America: Historical and Critical Essays by Marylin J. Matelski and Nancy Lynch Street.

 This is not the first time my name appears in printed publication, yet it is the first time it appears in a book. I found this by discovering Google's new book search engine.

Although I admit that this discovery might amount to nothing else than a temporary boost of my ego, there are definitely worse ways to start a month.

Occupational Hazards

You try to be cold, objective and you try to keep distance. But sometimes, regardless of how hard you try not to be affected by your work, you allow the abyss to look back at you and suck you in.

At least this is the way some people will interpret some of the consequences of my coverage of this year's Eurovision Song Contest or, to be more precise, the discovery of Silvia Night as my new hero.

Another Bond Girl

I caught small, but precious amount of time to end my blogging pause - longest so far.

I simply couldn't resist the temptation to offer my comment on this news. I think that the producers made a mistake and doomed their franchise.

If there is a lesson to be made from recent (and even classic) Bond films, it is in inability of established and already known actresses to function in the roles of Bond girls.

 

Happy New 2006

In pure blogging terms, 2005 was for me more "interesting" than 2004. I switched blog provider, saw an increase of people linking to this blog, while at the same time, I had less time for blogging, which reflected itself on frequency and quality of my posts.

I don't think that this blog in 2006 is going to be much better than it was in 2005. I'll maintain it as best as I can under the new circumstances.

I hope that 2006 in general is going to be better than 2005. And I extend this wish to all the readers of this blog.