| July 15 - anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald |
[Jul. 14th, 2009|03:36 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  Proud | ] |
In 1409, an uprising in Teutonic-held Samogitia (modern Lithuania) started. The king of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania announced that he would stand by his promises in case the knights invaded Lithuania. This was used as a pretext, and on 14 August 1409 the Teutonic Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen declared war on the Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The forces of the Teutonic Order initially invaded Greater Poland and Kuyavia, but the Poles repelled the invasion and reconquered Bydgoszcz (Bromberg), which led to a subsequent armistice agreement that was to last until 24 June 1410. The Lithuanians and Poles used this time for preparations to remove the Teutonic threat once and for all.
The Battle of Grunwald (or 1st Battle of Tannenberg) took place on July 15, 1410 with the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led by the king Jogaila (Władysław II Jagiełło), ranged against the knights of the Teutonic Order, led by the Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen. The engagement in the Polish-Lithuanian-Teutonic War (1409-1411) was one of the most important battles in Medieval Europe, and the largest battle to involve knights.
Vitaut the Great together with Polish King Yahajla (his brother) led the united army of 100, 000 warriors, which included representatives of all the East European peoples, to the victory in the famous Battle of Grunwald. The battle which took place on July, 15, 1410, near Grunwald (Prussia at the time, now in Northern Poland) was hard and severe and the crusaders were utterly defeated by the united troops. After this battle, the Great Lithuanian Principality - Belarusian state at the time - expanded its borders to the Baltic Sea and became the most powerful state in Eastern Europe.
The battle saw the forces of the Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights decisively defeated, but they defended their castles and retained most of its territories. The order never recovered its former power, and the financial burden of ensuing reparations decades later caused a rebellion of cities and landed gentry.
The few eyewitness accounts are contradictory. It took place between three small villages, and different names in various languages are attributed to it.
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| Наши представления о наших желаниях не совпадают с нашими желаниями. |
[Jul. 11th, 2009|04:11 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | calm | ] |
Странно. Купил дом из-за сада. Сижу, пялюсь на заросший задний двор, и понимаю, что совершенно не хочу заниматься садоводством. А ведь всегда мечтал. А хочу себе беседку в углу под соседской секвойей и кровать в беседке. Будет хорошо там дремать пополудни :)
Или это просто жара искривляет сознание?
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| This seems appropriate |
[Jul. 8th, 2009|12:22 am] |
Watched Michael Jackson memorial. I don't know why it makes me so sad. It's just he was pretty much a 50 y.o. child with tragic life.
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| Goodbye Michael! |
[Jul. 7th, 2009|09:19 am] |
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Most of downtown LA is closed for traffic. People from all over the World flew in - dancers, musicians, childhood friends. KCRW started the morning with a nice anthem inspired by Michael Jackson. I have the feeling today they will play just tributes to him. I wish he could now how much love is there for him. |
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| 5 hours ago in Encinitas |
[Jul. 5th, 2009|09:38 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | calm | ] |
There is a self-realization garden in Encinitas, started by an Indian guru in 1920. There is one in LA too. Anyone can come there and meditate. I did. I was trying out Nikon D60 in Quail Gardens - a botanical garden in Encinitas. Weather was too hot to go to Pasadena and San Marino, where my all-time favorite Huntigton Gardens are. Then I had dinner with my vegan friend in Thai Restaurant. I did not go vegetarian this time. Scallop dish was too good to pass on it. We went to St. Tropez Bakery and Bistro to have a cup of herbal tea. The cute 25y.o. blonde who served us told us that she is vegan too, when she heard our request of vegan pastry. She told us that she never tried meat in her life. I envy her. I wish I could go vegetarian. But I'm too weak :)
So far this is my best shot out of 200+ I made. This is a view from meditation bench at the beach that surfers call Swami's.
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| Happy birthday, America! |
[Jul. 4th, 2009|10:09 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  ditzy | ] |
Watched fireworks from 6 different towns on Kite Hill in Laguna Niguel. Nice!
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| Дочери Мнемозины |
[Jul. 4th, 2009|11:51 am] |
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Читал вчера в ланч философские сказки Вольтера в гавани Дана Поинт и завидовал тому, что был в русской культуре период до 1917 года, когда высокообразованые люди перевели большую часть мировой литературы на русский язык. Были люди, которые не просто разговаривали по-французски, но которые были в состоянии понять все эти пляшущие, смеющиеся аллегории и параллели, люди, для которых параллели с каким-нибудь Вергилием или Локком были абсолютно очевидны. Поднявшиеся рабочие перебили всех этих тонких людей, как котят. И вряд ли теперешние переводчики, для которых собственно и знание языка не есть необходимым условием, увидят и донесут эти параллели. Но хотя бы то, что появилось в мировой культуре до 1917 несут эти ушедшие тени детям пахарей и слесарей. |
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| 4th of July weekend plan - never leave the patio! |
[Jul. 2nd, 2009|02:49 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | calm | ] |
Кажется нашел компромиссное решение с тремя моими монструозными механическими инженерами для своего лазерного датчика давления - один занимается кассетами, второй - диафрагмами, а третьий - механизмами. Все вроде уговорились на определенное количество жертв. И я даже не говорю о программистах и електрических инженерах - этим придется плясать от нашего компромисса. Вилы в бок, после этого можно в дипломаты идти. Послом БССР в Уругвай :)
Сижу, черчю оптические с хемы и слушаю Каскэйд. Завтра длинный уикэнд, друзья и первое барбекю в новом доме. Нормально.
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| Mocky - Music To My Ears |
[Jul. 1st, 2009|12:24 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  exhausted | ] |
Eh! Ustal ot neustroennosti i nerazreshennosti bytija. Dazhe tarelki ne znaju v kakom jaschike. Mak Mini ne najti. Truba. Vchera hot' washer and dryer podkliuchil. Hochetsja obratno v svoju proshluju ujutnuju zhizn'.
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| Trading prisoners for political leverage |
[Jun. 30th, 2009|02:02 pm] |
I though only North Korea kidnaps Westerners and trades them back for bread. But today Belarusian dictator did exactly that. He released American lawyer, who was imprisoned in Belarus for no apparent reason, other then getting involved with inheritance deals of some Georgian millionaire, to receive some political leverage in the meeting with American senators. Wow, dictators really learn from each other. I guess they have limited set of tools :/
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/world/europe/01belarus.html?ref=global-home |
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