Category: Uncategorized
One of the ironies of globalization (the natural phenomenon, not the ideology) is that many who seemingly oppose it are themselves inadvertently furthering it. Since the advent of…
(Contemplations on content and context) Kindle and Spotify are my best friends. They are my favorite digital apps because they bring me two of my favorite things in…
Globalism vs Nationalism? Not necessarily. We each define these terms as we see fit, but in my worldview they can be complimentary concepts rather than conflicting ones. I…
Why deviants of the world will never unite Frank Zappa once said that the world cannot progress without deviation. That’s why deviants are so necessary. One can quibble…
Unlike the weather, everybody not only talks about war, but many actually do something about it. Some start them, others try to end them, and over the centuries…
Americans will soon celebrate Thanksgivings Day, but for Latvians it comes today, November 18th, the 97th anniversary of the declaration of Latvia’s independence. Yes, 50 of those years…
When I first visited Soviet-occupied Latvia in 1978 as a tourist, I was told it was best not to go near “The Monument.†There it was, this massive,…
A few years back when nation branding expert Simon Anholt was interviewing civic leaders in Latvia he began each conversation with a simple question, “What is Latvia for?” Anholt usually poses this question to help governments…
A cursory look at Latvia’s National Development Plan 2014-2020 would suggest that foreign policy seems to play a very small role in Latvia’s future. The Foreign Ministry is…
You probably don’t have a ‘policy’ toward foreigners. Most people don’t.  We just deal with ‘em as we meet them. If you live in a city like London…
In Latvia, we celebrate the anniversary of our independence by laying flowers at the foot of our biggest dreams. We pay homage to a past that seems larger…
Back in 1992, Bill Clinton won the U.S. presidential election because his top campaign advisor James Carville made everyone in the Clinton campaign repeat one sentence every morning…
Most people don’t know that Latvia has mountains and even fewer know that they are blue. Actually, Latvia has several “Blue Mountains†on its landscape and even a…
A few years ago the Latvian Tourism Development Agency ran a promotional campaign called “You Won’t Believe it Until You See It!â€, which talked about such things as…
The date of March 16 didn’t become controversial in Latvia until the early 1990’s, when several Latvian organisations chose this day to honour Latvian soldiers who fought and…
Latvia awaits the longest day of the year in what seems to many like the longest year in their lives. Especially if you are trying to balance a…
#8Â Â Is Latvia old? Now that Latvia has reached its 90th birthday, one wonders…is that a lot or not? Believe it or not, by global standards, we are…
The following piece was translated and adapted from an article published in DIENA, Feb 11, 2003. And if there is a war? Just like everyone else, I’m worried…
LIPS answers 7 of the world’s least frequently asked questions. 1. If Rasputin played baseball, what position would he have played? LIPS: None. He would have worked in…
The most “Latvian” songs in all recorded history are sung around bonfires on the nights of JÄņi and LÄ«go during the Midsummer Solstice. They cannot be translated, for…
A Viking looks at Latvia today (Based on a speech delivered to a regional Scandinavian Rotary Club meeting in Riga, Latvia) Serious historians will tell you that the…
LIPS presents America’s first NO NEWS NEWSPAPER! THE TABULA RASA Enclosed is your complimentary copy of America’s most innovative, easy to read, universally appealing newspaper. THE TABULA RASA…
Its time to go to battle, the trumpets have been sounded unsheath your sword, adjust your shield and march march into the face of those that doubt you…
#21Â Â Mr. Ambassador In 1937 a 26-year old Latvian diplomat named Anatols Dinbergs went to New York to serve as Vice Consul. When the Soviets occupied Latvia in…
#24Â Â Reaching milestones Although Latvia this year is marking the 90th year of its birth, another anniversary worth noting is 17. This marks the 17th year since Latvia…
The soldiers of misfortune (Ode to the Latvian Legion) Somewhere in the lonely night an angry trumpet sounds the smoke that filled the meeting rooms heads for the…
#28Â Â The land that sings about singing Just as every country has a flag, every country in the world has a national anthem. Citizens usually sing their national…
#31Â Â Brains, birches and song. Over the summer the Latvian Institute asked the young people of Latvia to tell us what kind of Latvia they want to see…
It’s Time to Rename Artificial Intelligence
It’s time to rename Artifical Intelligence Although AI is now a common part of our high tech lexicon, I have a problem with its semantical origins. As the…