Best scenario for the future: facts get faced. 

 The following link while wimpish in its plea, is both readable and moves one to think of what President Zatlers while still in office  http://www.politika.lv/temas/politikas_kvalitate/mieru_tikai_mieru/ might do to help the future of Latvia in his last days.

The dispossessing of President Zatlers from office is not acknowledged by the oligarchs. They were not in on it they say. But even as they say this, everyone knows that the majority of deputies at the Latvian Saeima did their bidding once more. President Bērziņš arrived to the Presidential office with agility, dexterity in social climbing, a knack to become a millionaire, a pension of around Ls 4500 http://www.apollo.lv/portal/news/articles/239101 (vs an average of Ls 170-270), and an impressive past as a sexual butterfly.

Latvians seldom begrudge each other a number of arrays or series of mating patterns. One is not surprised that so many young Latvian women are willing mates to young men from Pakistan and countries thereabout. It is the inheritance of poverty, an adventuresomeness inherited from down to earth grandmothers, a willingness to carry a child out of it or even abandon it—all out of the sureness of spirit that comes with having a potato field in Latvia within their heads still.

A nice looking wreck of a barn and workshed

But the strange social asymmetries brought into being as a result of poverty, severe spiritual repression by Christianity as well as Secularism raised to the level of a theology, allows dancing into being even this last, specifically Latvian social phenomenon.

The dazzling occultation or choreography in the Latvian Parliament (Saeima) with regard to the voting for president resulted in placing into office of a man who through his womanizing and out of wedlock children—both recognized as such and not recognized as such—and the confidence he has gained there from has come to lie with the whole of Latvia.

A Wormeling standing on its head

The lying is done on behalf of the oligarchs, who show no more responsibility toward the Latvian people and their State than plausible deniability of “stealing the country” encourages. It is done by praising the Latvian language, but using its words to screw other words. Whether the words appear in print or are oral does not matter.

So, what is to be done?

One could do worse than suggest that President Zatlers use his last days in office as President to call for an international conference and to put on the agenda ‘Latvia as an example of a nation going under (dissolving, degenerating, losing the light, depopulating) under the social and economic pressures of modern society’.

The subject of such an “International Conference on the state of Latvia” should call for papers on a great number of subjects. The Conference would include international experts on a broad range of subjects. This writer would include among the topics discussed the following:

1.     Time to diminish the role of cities;

2.     Euthanasia, discussing the issues at greater depth than presently met by the example of Switzerland where citizens recently voted to retain its services for themselves and foreign clients;

3.     Causes for the frivolous character of modern politicians;

4.     The legalization of Johnsgrass in countryside temples for tourists;

Birth of a snowwhite Wormeling or Vurmītis

5.     Was Christianity split in two and the first half forgot when the Great Schism was declared in favor of the West? How has the death of John affected Latvians?

6.     Who are the Children of Johns (Jāņubērni) who appear on Midsummer Eve as Every Latvian, but are gone the day after?

7.     Discussing the potential of rejuvenating the Latvian animation industry by redirecting a notable segment of it to exporting school materials on disks that replace books;

8.     Creating laws with doors wide enough to allow for new developments in DNA research, cloning including;

9.     Re-forestation of Latvia. With the present 1.9 million Latvians shrinking further to 1.1 million by the year 2021, should not all of Latvia seek to become a people of the forest as their ancestors had been? Might not a declaration of Latvia as a biosphere help preserve Latvian identity by helping restrict immigration?

10.  Riga as a capital city of a future United European Union or UEU. When Europe becomes a true union of its extensive territories, Latvia is not only geographically centered therein, but unites its citizens because it has overcome its inner antagonisms;

11.  What happens when the people of Latvia get screwed to the wall by the oligarchs and banks and a parliamentary “democracy” elects a President widely experienced in screwing around?

12.  Why politicians are unable to speak of the future?

13.  ………………………………..

 (To be continued.)

The time is Easter, therefore, a happy Easter wish from Riga, its Wormelings (see the whole story some blogs below), and thanks for looking in.

After trying to rent not only a bicycle, but a pedaler as well (and failing to find anyone wishing to take the risk of a Wormeling on the back seat), the Wormeling scout had to move on. He found a more welcoming Riga in two street musicians at Vermanes Park, just about center of the city. The Latvian Foreign Ministry and Riga Cathedral are in the far background.
There are some famous names associated with the park, because at one time some of Riga's people had the park almost for themselves.

A famous Latvian publishing couple, Antons and Emiliya Benjamins had a big mansion next to the park. Their newspaper "Jaunākās Ziņas" could boast the largest readership in the world per newspaper published--four persons per issue. Antons Benjamins (1860-1939) started his life as a school teacher and director, then moved on to become an editor with a number of newspapers in Riga. Following his apprenticeship, in 1911 "AB" then became editor in chief of JZ. The newspaper played an important role in popularizing the Latvian language in a then largely German-speaking Riga. Unfortunately, the newspaper stopped publishing in 1940, and was replaced by a Communist Party newspaper "Cīņa".

After visiting the Benjamins estate (it is a hotel and restaurant now), our Wormeling went to look for a rest room. Vermanes Park, a much more public space now than in the 1930s, did not have one. What next?

Let me see. Where can I do it?

This looks as good a place as any to lay an Easter egg. Or maybe not. Let me look a little while longer.

The Latvian Freedom Monument (Brīvības piemineklis), built in the 1930s (from donations from the citizenry), and with an honor guard of Latvian soldiers in attendance during daylight hours, has to suffer insults from a certain kind of tourist, who, when in need to relieve himself at night time, is not shy to relieve himself on the monument.

However, rather than blame a tourist, the blame should go to the Rīga mayor who for reasons of his own refuses to build a respectable public outhouse nearby. However, perhaps the hide-and-seek that goes on between the police and those who relieve themselves is a kind of double-mirrors game that at the same time reveals, then hides a political rivalry. It is getting to be ridiculous situation. The Riga Dome will fix the problem, but it is waiting for 2014, when Riga is to be City of Culture , Europe.

Until then Wormeling scouts have to hold it, and grin and bear it. After all, they are not tourists, but were born in the basement of the Riga White House (pils).

Once the Wormeling scout escaped the Riga pils compound, he reconoitred Riga proper. St. Peter's church was one of his first stops, then a flower shop, then the Latvian Saeima building. He had some important questions that he wanted to ask the elite body of thinkers and lawmakers.

As the viewer can see, to have a better look, this Wormeling scout had to ask a passer by to raise him up off the street so he could see St. Peter's better.

Unfortunately, he did not get to see the gold plated rooster at the top of the church.



The next stop for Hairy Harry was a Riga flower stand. There had been no flowers in the refrigerator in the Riga pils basement.

Hairy Harry was happy to see all the colors and thought that in the future he, too, could come paint himself either blue, or yellow, or red, or orange.

Somehow Hairy Harry got lost. He wandered through the streets of Riga until he came upon a sign that he definately wanted to pose in front of. The sign had been painted or drawn or something by a well known Latvian cartoonist Maris Bishofs.

Hairy Harry had first seen the artist's cartoons in the New Yorker. Yes, indeed, Wormelings get around. Rumour is that they had first cousins who were born in the basement of the White House in Washington, D.C.

The artist had written above his drawing the following (translated from Latvian): "There may also be such monuments about which pigeons are allowed to roost.."

Then Hairy Harry found his way to the Latvian Saeima. It is not far from the Riga pils (castle). A sign on a street corner gave some kind of warning. It showed what is commonly called "a red brick". The Wormeling wanted to get a closer look of it.

The sign suggested that one could pass only with some kind of special permit. The question was what kind of permit. Was it a passport that showed that Hairy Harry was a Latvian?

Hairy Harry was not sure if the fact that he was born of a Latvian mind qualified him for Latvian citizenship.
Who kne the answer?

The best way to find out was to stand in front of the entrance to the Latvian Saeima and ask someone.

"Is this where I apply for my Latvian passport?" Hairy Harry asked a beautiful Latvian blond.

The blond was busy talking to her friend, and since a Wormeling is as thin as paper did not notice him.

"Oh, well," sighed Hairy Harry, "maybe the next time."

Those readers who have read (see below) the story of the birth of the Wormelings (Vurmīši in Latvian) in the abandoned refrigerator in the basement of the Riga Castle (pils) will appreciate these first pictures of the Wormeling escape into the world at large.

Just to make sure that there is no mistake over whence they come from

To be sure, this only a scout. The others are still in in the Riga pils enjoying a cake and a few peaches.

Just making sure. Maybe the wriglers are patentable.