REVIEWS, Europe — So being from Europe, Eurovision is a national pastime and real conversation piece this time of years.
I like to think of it as a way of watching a variety of cultures, and their attitudes to themselves. At 2thinknow, we study cultures, and globalism, so it is home-work!
Eurovision Song Contest – Belgrade 2008 Preview Player
Essentially a singing contest, with one representative of each nation, often controversially selected. The most interesting part is the voting, where neighboring countries often vote for or against each other, depending on the politics. …

COMMENT, Serbia — Healthy and delicious serbian food! Serbians eat big meals. Huge meals in fact. Bigger than Americans often!
Yet Serbs are generally fit, healthy and not fat. No obesity problems.

And Serbians even eat Hamburgers, although with a lot less ‘bad stuff’ inside!
Serbians are mostly healthy as a result of the homecooked dishes they eat. With no additives and not from the supermarket. Although, this is changing.
Generally Serbians who live in Serbia do not have obesity problems despite the fact they eat large portions of meat. Serbians who live in …

COMMENT, Balkans –I hate ignorance.
And bad ideas in nice policy binders.
Kosovo independence for 2 million Kosovars is a bad idea in a nice binder.
There’s only 2 million Kosovars. Balance that against the population of the Balkans, many of whom are not for the independence, as they will be the ones likely dragged into a war.
As Bismarck once said, “Albania, it’s a geographic expression.” (well that’s what he said about Albania, but you get the idea about Kosovo – which is even smaller.)
Families like yours and mine will die in their …

ANALYSIS, Balkans — There is a lot of discussion over an independent Kosovo.
Most of this naively assumes such independence is good, like independence is a golden panacea for the problems of the Balkans.

Much of this presumes, that the Balkans is a child-ish conflict. But the Serbs are not the ‘bad kids’ to be sternly warned by the US and EU. The causes are far more complex.
Too often nascent racism is played out, calling the Serbs ‘bad’ and to be blamed for the original conflict. There are more dirty hands regionally. …

ANALYSIS, Sydney — Prague proves the point. Culture determines innovation.
Markets do not, not in isolation.
The Czech Republic has one of the least basket-case economies in Eastern Europe and key investment destination of the former Eastern European business investment destinations.
Walking the streets of Prague, we can see all the consulting firms, and major corporations, who have established offices here.
Remote analysis is useful, but research-including-walking-around and observing is often invaluable in pointing out flaws in statistical analysis.
The Balkan problem with Innovation – dogma
Croatia, a very beautiful place, and Slovakia its former sister …

Well President Bush has been in Albania, Tirana, the capital to be precise.
This is a huge and welcome milestone for the small country that Bismarck once called a geographical expression. During the visit, Albanians were handed out America/Albania partners t-shirts. Albanians were encouraged by their government to welcome him. I don’t think they needed much encouragement, as it’s been a long-term dream for Albanians generally speaking, to have a US president visit. Symbolic, but important.
And it wasn’t about Kosovo (Despite some of the press coverage by journalists who get ‘confused‘.). …