The turnaround on this was pretty amazing. We went to the Post Office in July with four applications -- Melissa already had a current one. Through a series of paperwork and checks made out to the U.S. Treasury, we completed our forms and sent the requests off in a Priority mailer.

The kids' new passports came back surprisingly quickly -- perhaps 3 weeks. And I hadn't expected to see mine for at least another month.

If nothing else, we can at least make a round trip to Canada if we should choose.

I always liked the idea of being love struck.  In cartoons eyes would pop. Hearts appeared. Harps would play. Cupid and his arrow usually showed up.  When I got married so quickly in 1999 it’s what people thought.  I said I do only after a month or two of us meeting.  And then a few traumatic months after that, I said I don’t. My marriage lasted less than one year.

It was a favor, painting my apartment.  Golden Crest for the hallway, a sharper yellow and Parmesan for the office.  He did the trim in Wedding Dress.  (The irony did not escape me.)  He owed me.  After all, I had married Paul hardly knowing him nine years earlier. A visiting, pub-going Brit.

Okay, the red flags were there.  I was 14 yrs. older, a creative director in advertising.  He was a journeyman house painter.  Handsome, funny, bright, and he sang.  Karaoke. (Women actually screamed.)

Paul had tattoos, smoked, and liked his Britney Spears (beers).  I had nary a beauty mark, went to the gym, sipped wine.  I wrote ads.  He made fun of ads.  If there was ever a case to be made for opposites attracting, this had to be it.  He spoke in a kind of Cockney rhyming slang, which I thought was charming. I should have known I was headed for Barney Rubble (trouble). 

I didn’t actually need to get married.  I was happy the way things were.  At the end of the day he’d pop up to my little birdcage of an apartment.  We spent most of the time lying around laughing. The Verve played in the background.  I’d burn something for dinner.  We felt lucky.

But when I went to pick him up at the airport the following month, my karaoke romance came crashing down.  He just went back for a few weeks so his visa would be renewed.  I waited and waited.  Then I heard my name over the loud speaker.  Like back in grade school, this was never a good sign.  A few moments later a seasoned stew told me his visa had expired by one day and he was being put on the next plane back.

Hysterical phone calls followed.  Meetings with lawyers.  Then the verdict.  If I wanted him, I’d have to marry him.  Blimey.  Once the shock of this wore off, I have to admit, I became a bit gleeful about the whole thing.  Maybe this is what I needed all along.  A simple man, a simple life.  I’d be cheese and kisses (missus).   I could see us holding hands, skipping down the street.  I heard myself saying yes.

We soon found ourselves in his tiny hometown, outside of London, registering to be married.  The registrar was a nice lady, a throwback to a different time.  It looked like she was wearing a hair net.  She used an old fashioned typewriter and tapped out my life.  Name.  Address.  Age?  She only wavered slightly.

What’s charming about these little towns, besides the millions of pubs per inch, is that they post marriage registration cards for the whole town to see.  And someone could actually object!  On the card they state our names, ages, education, trade.  And our status.  He was single.  I was a spinster.

I couldn’t believe my eyes.  But it gets better.  When I regained clarity, I noticed that all the other couples registered were in their 20’s.  My other sisters in spinsterhood were either schoolteachers or secretaries and the intended was invariably a painter/decorator.  Tongues would wag when they got a load of this uppity, old Yank snatching up one of their lads.  I expected a mob of mums brandishing teakettles.  We held our breath till the big day.

The green in the living room was way too bright.  He knew what was coming and took it in stride.  Women, we change our minds.  I looked up at him and a kind of vertigo hit me.  Like when I climbed all the stairs to the top of that cathedral in Florence.  I had to sit down.  Giant red cartoon heart came pounding out of my chest.  The moment passed and I said nothing.

Now I sit in a lovely Sea Foam Mist and occasionally look at the wedding pictures.  I am not sorry I did it.  We see each other occasionally and he still tells me he loves me.  Loves me to bits, in his words.  He never has been able to explain why he couldn’t handle being married.  It was all so fast and furious neither of us really does.  He tries to make a come back now and then.

Maybe one day I’ll let him.  But not till he paints the bathroom.

I also wanna thank everyone that brought me presents. I can't even tell you how grateful I am! You're all so amazing to have done this for me...

Now, if you're friends with me on Facebook, you might have already read this next part, but I added more stuff to it that isn't in the note I posted earlier. Read it?? :]

So, I've finally unpacked most of my stuff, boxed up the stuff I want to take back home because I have no clue why I packed it, and now I'm just situating everything. I got my bulletin board all prettied up. :P i also got my iPod Touch yesterday, it's pretty cool, but it's kind of annoying when I'm on a website and the wifi drops off so the safari just shuts off without any notification. Other than that it works pretty well and I'm getting used to the keyboard quicker than I figured I would. I really love it here at ACU, I can't wait until tomorrow when I start doin' all the crazy fun stuff.

I have a job interview at 9:30 in the morning and then I don't have much to do until the Welcome Week Opening Ceremonies at 2. I also signed up for intramural volleyball in which we have practice from 8-10:30 Wednesday - Friday and then the intramural championships are from 1:30 - 3:30 Saturday, haha. College is sounding exciting right about now, even the classes. Want a rundown of the Welcome Week schedule??

Tuesday, August 19

2 p.m.   -   Opening Ceremonies
3 p.m.   -   Mentor Group Time
4 p.m.   -   Twister (!!!!!! It's the world's largest game, 80 Twister mats put together!)
6 p.m.   -   Dinner with Mentor Group
7:30 p.m.   -   Mentor Group Time
8:30 p.m.   -   Candlelight Devo
11 p.m.   -   Residence Hall Meeting

Wednesday, August 20

8-10:30 a.m.   -   Intramurals/Talent Show Auditions
10 a.m.   -   Campus Conversations
11 a.m.   -   Moody Morning
Noon   -   New Student Blessing Lunch
3 p.m.   -   Mentor Group Time
4 p.m.   -   Student Life Session
5:30 p.m.   -   Dinner with U100 Instructor
8:30 p.m.   -   Paramount Movie

Thursday, August 21

6:30 a.m.   -   Sunrise Devo
8 - 10:30 a.m.   -   Intramurals/Talent Show Auditions
10 a.m.   -   Common Reading Discussion Group
11 a.m.   -   Moody Morning
Noon   -   Lunch with Mentor Group
1 - 4 p.m.   -   Service Project
5:30 p.m.   -   Departmental Dinners
7 p.m.   -   Flag Football Tournament
7 p.m.   -   Open Mic Night

Friday, August 22

8 - 10:30 a.m.   -   Intramurals/Talent Show Rehearsals
10 a.m.   -   Common Reading Discussion Group
11 a.m.   -   Moody Morning
Noon   -   Lunch with Mentor Group
1 p.m.   -   Mentor Group Time
5 p.m.   -   Pep Rally
6:30 - 8 p.m.   -   Mentor Group Olympics
8:30 - 10:30 p.m.   -   Friday Frenzy

Saturday, August 23

Noon   -   World Famous Bean Lunch
12 - 1:30 p.m.   -   Student Involvement Fair
5 p.m.   -   Dinner with Mentor Group
7 p.m.   -   Talent Show

Doesn't that sound ridiculously awesome?? I'm really excited about all of it, as you could probably already tell. :P I really hope all my REYG peeps come and visit me sometime before the semester is over because I'm already missing you guys TONS! No joke. I signed up for Intramural Volleyball, so that's gonna be a lot of fun. :]

Okay, so, right now I'm bored out of my mind because Passport's still going on and I have nothing to do... That's the reason I wrote this whole thing, haha. I could go do my laundry, but hey, I'm in college. Ya know what, that was a joke, I'm going to go do that while I wait on my roommate to get back and then we're gonna go find the financial aid office because I need to check on the status of one of my loans... I'll update more soone, promise!

Thanks for reading it again if you already read it over on Facebook. Leave some love for me?? I hope you have a wonderful Monday, or Tuesday depending when you read this. Toodles!

We left Verona at the crack of dawn to go to Venice for the day.  Venice is so different than any other city and there is just something about it that makes it so special.  There is a right way to do it though.  Obviously you have to see the highlights: Rialto Bridge, St. Mark’s Basilica and the Piazza, the Grand Canal, then if you have time the island of Murano (glass blowing the famous Venetian glass), the Palazzo Ducale (Duke’s Palace – where Casanova was imprisoned), Accademia, the various art museums, etc.  But what often gets left out of the itinerary is going off the beaten path and just getting lost in the other non-tourist centered neighbourhoods of Venice.  This is where the magic is.  You can walk around alleys/streets and see a piazza or two, then cross a bridge or two over the smaller, quieter canals.  It’s just wonderfully serene and unique.  And that is the right way to see Venice.

What also made my trip special was splurging and going to Café Florian, the historically famous café where many artists and literary geniuses of days gone by used to frequent.  Last time I was in Venice, eight years ago, it was closed for restorations, but this time it was open!  Because it is so famous it is more expensive even than the other cafes in Piazza San Marco, but it was so peaceful to sit inside while the small orchestra played classical music outside, just like they have for over a century and a half.  I actually felt so much more cultured just sitting there thinking of all the people who enjoyed scintillating conversation and idea exchange before me.  It was lovely.

Ah Fair Verona.  The city of Romeo and Juliet.  That’s not why I referred to it as the city of love, for personally I think that the tragedy of that story out shadows any sort of romance.  No, I call it the city of love, because I LOVED it!!!!  It is quite possibly the best place I’ve visited so far.  It was a little bit of everything really: it was modern and newer looking but still had history, architecture and art that was centuries old; it was clean and fresh looking; it had sights to see and appreciate, as well as nature and panoramics.  It was quieter and not as crowded and touristy as other places.  It had entertainment and shopping.  It was wonderful!

We arrived outside the walled city (so many of these Italian cities are walled!) and as soon as we walked in we are confronted with this dazzling and bright piazza, only to look across the way and see an ancient Roman amphitheatre.  Then we walked down the main street, Via Mazzini, where great shopping is to be had – everything from Upim and Coin (department stores one like a nicer version of Walmart, the other like a Sears) to souvenirs, art jewelry, and designers (Gucci, Vuitton, D&G to name a few). 

At the end of this street you reach Via di Capuletto, sound familiar?  This is the street where Juliet (Capulet)’s house is located.  Now most of you are probably thinking “what!?  She’s a character of fiction.”  That’s what I thought too.  But this story was told several times before it was immortalized in the work of Shakespeare.  In fact, around 1524 “Luigi Da Porto of Vincenza (city between Verona and Venice) wrote a novella with an exact description of the events, according to a tale heard from the archer Pellegrino of Verona” (taken from a plaque at the museum of Juliet’s house).  And there is city record of the di Capuletto family of Verona, a wealthy family who did reside in the house that is now the museum.  So it was really interesting to learn all that.  It should be noted though that the house does, in fact have a balcony (I stood on it!).  From the museum we went to see “Juliet’s tomb,” which is really just an empty stone coffin-like thing, no body or anything, and it’s a 15(ish) minute walk from the house.  I am a bit more skeptical about this site, but it was in a lovely courtyard, which was pleasant to sit in.  Because the story is so famous and a renowned symbol of both love and tragedy the entrance to the house, and the antechamber of the tomb were both covered in graffiti - messages, promises and declarations between lovers.  It really created an interesting effect.

After the tomb we enjoyed the picturesque beauty of Verona and then an unpleasant dining experience.  Then, it was off to the Opera!  Yes, I got to watch Carmen at the ancient Roman amphitheatre – what a truly unique experience!  Well it certainly was anyway, until it started to rain… midway through Act II of IV.  So that was a drag because the performance was cancelled (no refund, by the way), but it was still really neat to be sitting there, and it was my first opera experience.  As I was sitting there though, I was thinking about how many people have sat in that particular spot before me.  Like think about it.  Obviously audience members of the performances that happen there now, but like all the senators and Roman public that sat there, and then Medieval men, and Renaissance men after that!  Oh the stories, lives and histories!  So neat!

After the opera was cancelled I met my friend (who came up separately) and we spend the next hour or two enjoying the Ferragosto (Italian national holiday) celebrations at a local bar/restaurant.  It was so much fun – low key, but the Italians certainly had their share of vino and other various alcohols in them!  Let’s just say there was a toga, dancing on the bar, and lots of dirty dancing.  Did I mention there were only 11 of us there?  And oddly enough I was witness to this, not a participant – aren’t you proud?  Though my friend and I were asked by two of the gentlemen to go to a party with them afterward, and there were lots of glances and a wink or two throughout the two hours.

My Verona experience ended with my first dorm-style hostel experience, which was positive and so inexpensive!  Though I did sleep with my money, camera, and iPod on me – more for my own piece of mind than anything.  I’m sure the other women in the room were cool.

So that was Verona.  I highly recommend visiting it.  And when you do, remember that Verona is in the rich region of Veneto, so only an hour and a half by train to Venice, and less to Padova.

I went to Florence with my class.  I have to say, not my favourite place.  I mean go for the sights like the Duomo and the Uffizi – especially if you’re an art lover, but the city itself just didn’t do it for me.  It was charming, picturesque or overly beautiful, and there wasn’t anything distinguishing that I saw about it.  Personal opinion only.  I guess it’s just a city to see, because it’s Florence, and famous.

I did go to the Uffizi, which is very overwhelming because there is just so much there.  Definitely rent an audio guide, or if you’re with a large group, see if you can hire a guide.  Right now they also have a special Giotto exhibit on.  From the perspective of an art neophyte though, like the Cistine Chapel some of the pieces were a bit disappointing.  I’ve come to the conclusion that all of this has to do with lighting.  To preserve most paintings there has to special or minimal lighting, which causes the overall effect to be very dimming, and the colours lackluster.  So for someone who has only seen these pieces in books, it an be disappointing. I also wonder if books and other reproductions of these paintings take it upon themselves to enhance the colours.  Tips for seeing the Uffizi though, other than renting an audio guide, is to reserve your tickets in advance, because the wait to get in can be very long, especially in the summer.  Also, plan to spend several hours there and bring money for the slightly over priced café – you are not allowed food or drink in the museum, and to get the most out of the museum you will probably want to take a break and rejuvenate midway through.

After the Uffizi I went to see the Duomo and the Campanille (bell tower).  With the Duomo I found myself more interested in the outside than the inside, though I know little about either.  The inside had a lot of art inside as most churches, chapels, and cathedrals seem to in Italy.  I believe its most well known interior art are the frescoes in the domed ceiling, which were very nice.  The outside though is unlike the other catholic churches, etc. that I have seen thus far, so it was a refreshing change, and certainly added to its grandeur.  I walked the perimeter of the Duomo to take it all in.  My favourite part about the Duomo though was the unexpected archaelogical site that lies underneath it, and is open to the public. I pait the 3 euro admission to walk around it and see the excavation site and some of the artifacts they discovered there.  Very cool. 

Next it was onto the Campanille.  You can climb the stairs of the both the Duomo and the Campanille, and the both offer the same view, except that you can see the Duomo (the far more beautiful of the two) from the Campanille – so I chose to climb that one.  There are 414 stairs up to the top and I climbed them all.  It was reassuring though to not be the only one out of breath, because even people who looked quite fit were breaking hard midway through.  The steps went on forever as you can imagine, though there are three landing where you can stop and take in the view (and catch your breath!), but what makes this even more of a feat (psychologically, not just physically) was how windy and narrow these steps are – and people are going both ways on them!  So it takes longer than just simply walking up because every so often you have to either stop or slow down and press yourself against the wall so that two of you can get by.  It’s amazing people haven’t fallen – and that would be quite the death sentence indeed!

I was only in Florence for a day, and as I said it wasn’t my favourite, but I do plan on going back for a day of shopping!  Not only is there the standard fare: designers (I took a picture in front of Ferregamo and actually went into Chanel), and kiosks/markets with leather, souvenirs, etc. but it has four designer outlets!  Prada, Fendi, Roberto Cavagli and Dolce&Gabbana.  I’m sure I will still not be able to afford anything there, but I am definitely going to investigate!  Also, if you are planning a trip to Florence and want to pick up some leather, the best vendor in Florence (that I was able to find anyway) was on the street the runs along the river between the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) and the Uffizi.  The street name changes depending on the block, but it’s either Lugarno Acciaiuoli and Lugarno Gen. Diaz.  But go with “along the river between Ponte Vecchio and the Uffizi” description to be sure.  I’ll let you know how the shopping trip goes though!

Travel Information

Visas: Since no-one owns Antarctica no-one needs a visa to visit it. However, shipping schedules are at the mercy of the ice and elements so, even if you are travelling directly from your home country, you will need to bring a valid passport since your vessel could quite possibly pull into the port of another country for shelter. You will need visas for any countries that your ship visits en route to Antarctica.

Health risks: Hypothermia, sunburn, dehydration, frostbite and snow blindness

Time: Clock time is largely irrelevant (the tourist season has about 20 hours' daylight each day), but most bases set their clocks in accordance with their home countries.

Electricity: Each ship and each base has its own independent electricity supply, but many of the ships are Russian with a 220V/50 Hz output into a standard European two-pin socket.

To UK locals, this is not new. To the US, its a new site that just launched! I wish I had came across this website before the headache I went through to get a child passport and photo under the age of 10. I almost thought as I stood in that ridiculous long line at the post office  that I was participating in a Freddy Kruger sequel, "Nightmare on Sand Canyon Street." For all the parents out there that read this, get ready to check get my child's passport off your to-do list. Paspic.com is an online source that lets you skip the screaming and wining at the photo studio or post office and let you play *I was photographed by Steven Meisel* at home. You snap a great pose, upload it, and receive a passport ready print in just a few days for $7.00 and postage is free. Quick, secure and convenient, this service offers the reassurance that the passport photo will be accepted by the US Passport Services Office without the hassle. No more caught off guard pictures that the post office takes and they do not accept do overs! I tried to explain to the attendant that my child is stuck with this hideous shot until he is twelve! Next! she yelled! Photography is just not what it used to be.

Moi xoxo

We should have known.

When the Chinese were awarded the Olympics, I feared that China, instead of loosening up on their power for 2 weeks, would only tighten it. An international event only lends more pressure to do everything right, to make the best appearance to an international audience. China would likely face many protesters and ample opportunity to suppress speech (and worse).

I confess that I've never quite understood how granting the Chinese the Olympics would somehow push China a little closer toward democracy. Apparently the Chinese Communists were not given that memo.

Thus many of the events linked below: the human rights violations, the increased internet censorship, the alleged cheating of Chinese gymnasts, the cruel substitution of a Chinese singer for a lip syncing girl deemed more "pretty," the fireworks in the opening ceremony that were partly computer generated, strike me as the tip of the iceberg.

US News: Preparing for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, China's Authorities Go After Human-Rights Advocates By Paul Mooney

EpochTimes: Part of Olympics Fireworks Display Faked By Samuel Spencer

Cover Up as Beijing Olympic Dancer Crippled in Fall By Xin Fei and Jason Loftus

AFP: Olympic child singing star was a fake: ceremony director

Telegraph: Beijing Olympics: Faking scandal over girl who 'sang' in opening ceremony

CNN: Report: China human rights have not improved

AP: 8 Activists Detained After Olympics Protest -- 8 Tibet activists detained after protest near Olympic venue, British journalist seized By AUDRA ANG

HRW: China:Police Detain Would-Be Olympic Protesters -- Increasing Repression of Activists, Media Sources; No Protests Approved Yet

HRIC: Human Rights Situation in China Worsens as Bush Calls for a More Open Society

BBC: China rights 'worsen with Games'

Edinburgh News: China 'betraying' Olympics with human rights violations

State-media story fuels questions on gymnast’s age By JOHN LEICESTER

ESPN: Earlier state media report listed gymnast He's age as 13

In regard to human rights violations, where are the protesters of 2003 who marched the streets against the invasion of Saddam Hussein's Iraq?

Where are protesters who condemn President Bush very vociferously for G-Bay and Abu Ghraib?

Where are the Hollywood actors and actresses and various other media whores making public appearances in protest?

Perhaps they're protesting the invasion of Georgia by Vladimir "KGB" Putin?  Ha, of course not. Protest Mother Russia?

Personally, I'd like to know how I could get a Chinese passport, because if reclaiming your youth is as easy as that...well. I imagine the exchange at the passport office might go something like this:

Me: Hello, I'd like to apply for a passport.

Chinese official: Of course. How old are you?

Me: How old am I? Um, I'm...29. Yup, 29.

Such a simple way to shave a few years off your age. Off to Beijing.

So, despite it being a Sunday, I dialed 187 which is PLDT's information line to get the NSO's delivery hotline: 7371111. I then placed my orders. One certificate costs P330.

The man who took my call was very efficient. Per birth certificate he gave me a reference number. He then instructed me to pay for each certificate at Metrobank. How? get a green payment slip, fill up the Company Name: NSO Helpline; Subscriber Name: My name and Reference Number. Metrobank forms have a slot for Subscriber Number, leave that blank. For followup calls, I could ring 7371112, he said. According to him, once I've paid, it would take four days later before I could get the certificates requested. But lo and behold, by the second day (one should start counting the four days a day after one pays), I got the certificates. I was in the wheelmo when the messenger arrived. Luckily, the wheelmo was late because I hadn't counted on the arrival of the forms yet so did not leave a letter of authorization with the maids nor my ID. Whew. The man I had spoken with had also warned that I would be entitled to two delivery attempts only after which I should get the certificates from their office.

Another thing, he gave me the number for getting a passport via a phone call: 737000, he said. Doing this does not spare one from presenting required documents but Teleserv gets these from one's house. Then it will schedule a date and time for one to go to the DFA to complete the process through fingerprinting.

I forgot to mention that while teleserv charges P330 per certificate, getting it yourself at NSO costs P140 only plus the hassle of lining up, plus fuel or transpo costs to get there. Someone who got her certificate direct from NSO had to make two trips as there were just too many people lining up.

I have to still wonder whether pol-ak might be from a corruption Lekh to Lakh to po-lakh to po-lak, but I can't prove it, and it goes against the standard etymologies of the history books!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sig/message/2714

I don't dispute that most books claim that Poland comes from "pole", field, but i was offering a counter theory not in vogue. I have heard of the Polanie, something I will have to look up further. My developing theory, though makess me want to ask, "So where's "Lanie," anyway?" My hypothesis could be wrong, but if I can learn somethign in the process, I'd be happy.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sig/message/2685

Bohemian titles

Descriptive terms:

<s^lechtic>/<s^lechtic^na> : nobleman/woman, aristocrat

<s^lechta> : the nobility/aristocracy/peerage.

<ni'z^s^i' s^lechta> : the minor/lesser nobility

It is possible that the Polanie from Poland were earlier called "Le,dzice" (cf. Hungarian Lengyel, Lengyelorszag, = Pole, Poland and Lithuanian - Lenkasz = Pole) Since "la,d" means "land" in Polish the older name would have the same meaning as the later one.
Already in the fourth century Alans were settled in Pannonia  together with Goths and Huns under the leadership of Alatheus and Saphrac. They served as federates and regular soldiers and officers f.i. in the armies of Gratianus, Theodosius I and Stilicho. Groups of Alans were also settled in Italy and Gaul. The French name Alain has its roots in Alanus und Allen is the English form of it.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gothic-l/message/3459
One of the Slavic groups, the Poles, called themselves Sarmatians; this name was recorded very early in Western Medieval chronicles [27], which lends credence to the traditions recorded in Polish chronicles edited at the waning of the Middle Ages, according to which they were in touch with the Iranians. [28] In Antiquity the Sarmatians, as is well known, were the Alans. [29] The meaning of the name "Sarmata" in Iranian is the "council." [30] It refers not to the nationality or language, but to the social organization of the Alans, ruled by a supreme council, appointing the king. [31] The role of the council in early Slavic history is well known, especially among the Western Slavs. Thus the social, or political, organization of the Iranian Alans and Polish Slavs offers evidence of their affiliation. Both groups used the Iranian word for "council" derived from the type of their ruling body. They must have been in very close proximity to affect such borrowings and exchange of influences. These were of such important nature, defining the whole structure of the society, that we are obliged to start thinking in terms of direct intermingling of population groups.
http://members.tripod.com/~Groznijat/fadlan/lozinski.html

Most Slavic scholars, however, argue against this, citing numerous similarities between Slavic and Iranian languages. The number of important Iranian loan words in common Slavonic argues for a "prolonged period of very close inter-ethnic relations." This would place the original Slavic homeland further east, between the Bug and middle Dneiper rivers. The point at which the Slavic languages would have emerged as distinct from the older Indo-European koine would have been around 500 BC, quite late when compared with other European languages. The homeland would correspond roughly to modern eastern Poland and Belarus, with the Carpathian mountains as the southern border.
http://www.facstaff.oglethorpe.edu/

Kusi następująca hipoteza: Bałtowie (a wśród nich językowi przodkowie Słowian) są ta częścią Indoeuropejczyków Satem, którzy żyli nie na Stepie, lecz w Lasach. Ci Stepowi poszli dalej na południe i zasiedlili Iran, Azję Środkową i Indie.
http://www.taraka.most.org.pl/slow/tajeslow.htm

The earliest verifiable historical reference to a Slavic people comes from Pliny, who describes a group of people called Spali or Spori in this same region. The name Spori is clearly related to the names of two later Slavic groups, the Sorbs of Lusatia and the Serbs. In his Deeds of the Goths, the sixth century Gothic historian Jordanes states that during the second century AD, during their migration from the Baltic to the Black Sea, the Goths encountered and defeated the Spali after crossing the Vistula. Our next notice is from the Byzantine historian Procopius, who describes two Slavic peoples along the Balkan frontiers. The first of these are called Sklaveni and lived along the lower Danube in modern day Romania. The Antes lived further to the east, on the Pontic Steppes. These three groups might well represent the core of the three branches of the Slavic family, identifying the Spali/Spori with the Western Slavs, the Sklaveni with the Balkan Slavs, and the Antes with the Russians and Ukrainians.
The Sklaveni and Antes began raiding into the Balkans during the reign of Justin I, but it was under Justinian that their attacks became a serious problem. The Slavs tended to act in concert with Turkic peoples of the steps, in the first place the Kutirgurs. A Slavic and Kutirgur force raided deep into the Balkans in 540, destroying thirty-two fortresses in Illyricum and plundering up to the walls of Constantinople. For the next twelve years, there was relative calm, but between 552 and 558 their attacks became a regular occurrence. In 559 came a massive assault and a siege of Constantinople, but the Byzantine fleet was able to cut off the barbarian's retreat, and they sued for peace.

**
The third century A.D. witnessed the beginning of the great migrations of the Eurasian Steppes that lasted for almost a thousand years. People from the Far East moved to the west, pushing those living there and were in their way further to the west. The Sarmatians, or as they were known by the Greeks, the Sauromatae, left their homeland between the Aral Sea and the Volga river arund the third century, as other nomadic tribes, such as the Huns pushed them from the east. They came onto the land of the Scythians, who, weakened and less organized, succumbed to their fierce attacks and gave up their land. The occupation of the Pontic region marks the beginning of a relatively short, but nevertheless very significant era on the steppes, the ruling of the Sarmatians.

utexas.edu/students/husa/origins
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sig/message/2677

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sig/messages/2655?threaded=1&expand=1
During the 6th century the area between the Merovingian Empire and the Avar Khaganate became ill-structured in terms of power... The Slavs were not only new arrivals, but were an entirely new ethnos, which for reasons not clearly understood had formed rapidly and unexpectedly in the 4th-5th centuries somewhere between forest and steppe on the edge of the civilisational sphere of the Chernyakov culture in the Ukraine
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sig/message/2219
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sig/messagesearch/1986?query=Polanie&dir=1

I love it when people start telling me about Polish history. Closing my eyes, resting my chin on my hand and snoring lightly are all signs of deep concentration and interest, honestly. Over the years I’ve dozed through numerous fascinating lectures on Polish history. I’ve followed this up with literally minutes of internet research and I can now bring you my definitive version of What Happened in Polish History:

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Apart from that, I really can't complain about anything. I have only very minor inconveniences, it's weird. I'm kind of waiting for the other ball to drop (is it a ball? or a pen?). I could in essence, be, frolicking in a field of four-leaf clovers. I'm even eating a great sandwich. Ha, but really, I called welfare to get more dets about the relocating shenanigans. At the end of August they're moving us all out to the new place near the airport anyway, so what the fuck, indeed. But no fear, after I was super polite and my usual lovely self they found me a room at Al Salama! I'm pretty excited, especially as I'll most likely be in this place for at least two years. Can't wait to see it! I'll have to pay someone to clean, I don't.. err... do housework (know I sound like a prat, don't care).

The building is close by here, on Hamdan Street, Anni lives there, I only have to share with one other girl (most places are two), and the cabin manager there is moving out soon so I can snap up the master bedroom. And I've been informed that it's one of the nicest buildings we have. Score.

Ammar is coming over here tonight, wine in tow, think we're finally gonna do the Nip\Tuck thing.

Nourhan has Beijing tonight so she'll be away for four days. I feel really bad, things are not going well for her at the moment. Hopefully when the CM moves out of the other room at my new place I can pull Nourhan in, that'll be one nice thing at least.

The Israelis have been known to be involved in fake-passport scandals in Canada, Europe, New Zealand and Australia -- So since this is the case, why do we take for granted that the 'Arabs' who were/are accused of the World Trade Center tragedy are guilty, or even suspect? 

Without detailed comment at this stage, I am publishing this photo of the queue for checking of documents at the Regional Passport Office, Shastri Bhawan, Haddows Road, Chennai. There are other queues involved, first to certify whether you have all the documents (very unlikely, run around in circles), then this one, and then one to pay the fees. So if you are planning to apply online for a passport, consider this queue even on an inauspicious Tuesday. Just to clarify, I have no superstitions, I am just reflecting public sentiment.

Why is the Government punishing itself and the people? I have no clue. Why should people queue up after applying online? Again, an 'only in India' phenomenon.

More later, after I get my renewed passport.

This is one picture and story that you may not find in the mainstream media. Television is too busy to look at the problems of ordinary citizens. Newspapers...again, baffles me.

The latest in microchiped passports are designed so that they are impervious to forgery or cloning, or so we thought.  According to the Times today computer researchers have managed to hack and clone these new passports, well done.  Engineers were able to issue Osama Bin Ladan with a seemingly genuine passport, temporarily, all for the purpose of the test.  Mr Bin Ladan's passport was subsequently accepted by the passport reader software used by the UN agency that sets standards for e-passports.

"Don't Panic!!" The Home Office tells us.  Apparently faked chips would be spotted at border checkpoints because they would not match key codes when checked against an international database.  Phew!  Wait, there's more.  Out of the 45 countries with e-passports only ten have actually signed up to the Public Key Directory code system and currently only 5 are using it.  Britain is a member but will not use the directory before next year.  Even then, the system will be fully secure only if every e-passport country has joined.

This doesn't fill me with confidence and it seems yet another Government pet project has all but failed and I am not exactly getting goosebumps in anticipation at the arrival of Identity Cards.

Achtung!!

Identity cards could actually cause an increase in identity theft as fraudsters now only need to obtain one item rather than a range of items to acquire absolute proof of identity.  In the United States where an individuals ID is linked to a single point, their Social Security Number, there have been instances where an identity has been so completely overtaken that victims are forced to commit "Pseudocide".

Whatever happens at least David Blunkett will make some money out of the scheme.  After he introduced the bill to the House of Commons he took up an advisory role with Entrust, a company bidding for the Government contract.

Source: Times Online

(Extract)

New microchipped passports designed to be foolproof against identity theft can be cloned and manipulated in minutes and accepted as genuine by the computer software recommended for use at international airports.

Tests for The Times exposed security flaws in the microchips introduced to protect against terrorism and organised crime. The flaws also undermine claims that 3,000 blank passports stolen last week were worthless because they could not be forged.

In the tests, a computer researcher cloned the chips on two British passports and implanted digital images of Osama bin Laden and a suicide bomber. The altered chips were then passed as genuine by passport reader software used by the UN agency that sets standards for e-passports.

The Home Office has always argued that faked chips would be spotted at border checkpoints because they would not match key codes when checked against an international data-base. But only ten of the forty-five countries with e-passports have signed up to the Public Key Directory (PKD) code system, and only five are using it. Britain is a member but will not use the directory before next year. Even then, the system will be fully secure only if every e-passport country has joined.

Britain introduced e-passports in March 2006. In the wake of the September 11 attacks, the United States demanded that other countries adopt biometric passports. Many of the 9/11 bombers had travelled on fake passports.

The tests for The Times were conducted by Jeroen van Beek, a security researcher at the University of Amsterdam. Building on research from the UK, Germany and New Zealand, Mr van Beek has developed a method of reading, cloning and altering microchips so that they are accepted as genuine by Golden Reader, the standard software used by the International Civil Aviation Organisation to test them. It is also the software recommended for use at airports.

Using his own software, a publicly available programming code, a £40 card reader and two £10 RFID chips, Mr van Beek took less than an hour to clone and manipulate two passport chips to a level at which they were ready to be planted inside fake or stolen paper passports.

The only way you can be sure your data and information is safe is if YOU look after it. Only megalomaniacs desire centralisation. Anyone with a brain knows that decentralisation increases security and resiliance to attack. Someone steals your credit card? No problem, just cancel it. Someone steals your National ID Card or Biometric Passport? Then what? Cancel your identity? What all of this technocratic pretension does is just increase the illusion of security, when in fact the State is decreasing it. This is all about control. Their control of us.

Yesterday a friend of mine, who is prone to forgetting his passport as well as losing it from time to time due to forgetfulness, asked me: "George, what do you think is the future of passports?". He was wondering whether there would ever be a better solution than having to remember carrying a small booklet around the world to prove his identity.

So I gave him my vision of the future of passports, which I believe will be more or less as follows:

First there will be a process of (further) standardisation, computerisation and globalisation. This may lead to the passport as a booklet being replaced, say in 10 to 20 years, by a smart card of some sort (probably a credit card sized plastic document with embedded RFID-type chip). The smart card will contain all relevant user data including travel history, biometric identification data, photo, etc.

All the technology is available, main problems are with global standardisation and systems integration (which can only happen as fast as politicians work, e.g. generally slow) as well as with security.

Once this stage has been reached, further convergence will be possible, towards everyone carrying only one card or similar item which contains the passport data, but which can be loaded with additional functionality such as driver license data, bank card data, health records, phone data, and random additional items such as gym access, security access to buildings, cars, etc. etc.

The main issue there once again will be security, but it will be possible to overcome this (although of course nothing is ever totally secure). The card data may be transferable to authorized devices such as cellphones (so the cellphone could be used as passport, etc.) or for the owner to create a read-only backup copy.

The next step after this will be embedding. The "converged passport" will be embedded into the body in the form of an implanted chip, much like more basic chips (usually based on RFID technology) are already implanted in animals and in some humans.

At this stage, more data will likely be added to the implant (for example it would be nice if we could carry our computer data within our body). Our body would communicate with various wireless networks as we walk down the street (for example receiving messages), access buildings, our bank accounts, enter new countries, enter our cars (which will only start with us or an authorized person at the wheel), etc.

As an added form of security, DNA sequencing should be fast enough at this stage to allow it to be used for authentication purposes (perhaps not sequencing someone's entire DNA, but a few key points that are unique idetifiers, much like fingerprint scanning only scans for a few unique identifiers and does not deal with the entire fingerprint).

So I answered my friend that in the end, we will be our passports: all current passport data - and much more - will be carried within our bodies.

If you like this idea and you work in a type of industry where this is relevant, I would be happy to discuss in more detail, answer questions or assist in other ways. For details and contact information please see the "About itimes3" page.

George Spark

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