quite randomly. I'm intending to look around, but it's uncanny how often I love the very first thing I see.Yesterday, I parachuted into Slovenia — I was thinking of the First Lady — and this was the first sight:
Today — with the G-20 business — I dropped into Hamburg, Germany, and saw this lone, stately figure. I'd call this Arrangement in Blue and Red No.1 (if you'd get the reference):
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45 comments:
They both look like Wisconsin.
Arrangement in German right angle control over living space.
James Whistler, call your Mom.
Something I gleaned from playing Geoguessr is that Slovenia is a beautiful, orderly and prosperous-looking country. I guess I was expecting Slobovia or something, but I was surprised. Much of the former eastern bloc looks post-apocalyptic.
People get Slovenia and Slovakia mixed up. Slovenia is right next to Austria and was part of the Hapsburg Empire, it was never ruled by Turkey or Russia. It was the most advanced part of Yugoslavia.
Do most female Slovenians look like Melania Trump?
Slovenia is right next to Austria and was part of the Hapsburg Empire
Same with Slovakia.
The Slovenes were coverted to Christianity (Catholic) by Irish Missionaries.Consider that.
Slovenia also shares a border with Italy. Trieste looks like it should be in Slovenia.
"I guess I was expecting Slobovia or something..."
Because of the English word "slovenly."
"Lower Slobbovia (also sometimes called Outer, Inner, Central, Upper or Lowest Slobbovia) is a term used in conversation to denote a place which is underdeveloped, socially backward, remote, impoverished or unenlightened. First coined by Al Capp in 1946, the term has also been used by Americans to refer in an informal way to any foreign country of no particular distinction."
(Wikipedia)
"In Li'l Abner, the hapless residents of Lower Slobbovia were perpetually waist-deep in snow, and icicles hung from every frostbitten nose. The favorite dish of the starving natives was raw polar bear (and vice versa). Lower Slobbovians spoke with burlesque pidgin-Russian accents; the miserable frozen wasteland of Capp's invention abounded in incongruous Yiddish humor. General Bullmoose or Senator Jack S. Phogbound—Capp's caricatures of ruthless business interests and corrupt political interests, respectively—were often pitted against those of the pathetic Lower Slobbovians in a classic mismatch of haves versus have-nots. Capp conceived Slobbovia as a large iceberg. As real icebergs at intervals have their larger subsea components erode away, causing genuine icebergs to invert, so Slobbovia periodically overturned, making Upper Slobbovia into Lower Slobbovia & vice versa. Upper Slobbovia was the only ecosystem of the Schmeagles, birds who flew so fast they could not be seen."
Our opinion of Eastern European countries stems in part from the horrible conditions there after Hitler's work was ended. for two years there were 15,000,000 near death slave laborers with no means of support suddenly wandering the roads back home to their destroyed countries. Mean while Stalin had decreed that all objects of value be ripped out of their countries and shipped away to rebuild Russia.
Interestingly, Hitler probably lost WWII because his Army was stopped by intense cold , oil freezing, weather just 60 miles outside Moscow. That Offensive was delayed two months so the Wermacht could punish Slovenia/Yugoslavia for an assassination in Spring of 1941, that delayed Barbarrosa until late June.
"Lower Slobbovians spoke with burlesque pidgin-Russian accents"
This was 1946 and played off the American ignorance of all those "funny" people who lived "funny Little countries" in Eastern Europe or the Balkans that nobody could keep track of of. There were the Russians and the Poles and the Czechs but who the hell were all those others?
They even had a catch all name: Bo-hunks.
I've seen some Al Capp stuff and never found it funny but he was extremely popular. However, he failed to move Left in the 50s/60s and so ended up being labeled a "conservative" which of course was the end of him.
"Same with Slovakia."
You just forgot my qualifier - never ruled by Russia or Turkey.
Another clue: Slovenia was part of Yugoslavia while Slovakia was part of .. wait for it... Czechoslovakia.
C'mon ann, you can't mention Slovenia w/o a photo of the FFLOTUS ( first F is for foxy. Did you see a picture of her side by side with Putin, it was hilarious.
Hamburg recently became the first major German city with a minority German-born population. The times they are a changing.
Trieste looks like it should be in Slovenia.
For a while it was, then it wasn't. The issue finally got sorted out after WWII.
Ah, but Arrangement in Grey and Black was never an existential threat to Western Civilisation.
Because of the English word "slovenly."
Slav and slave are cognates thanks to the entrepreneurial Northmen.
In his late maturity, Al Capp created Students Wildly Indignant about Nearly Everything (SWINE) and the folksinger Joanie Phoney.
You say To-may-to, and I say To-mah-to
You say Slovenia, and I say Slovakia
To-may-to, To-mah-to
Slovenia, Slovakia
Let's call the whole thing off.
Trieste WILL be in Slovenia!!! And rightfully!!!
Now who's with me!!!?
If Slovenia gets Trieste, surely Wisconsin should get the UP.
Why can't Wisconsin get the UP? Eating too many Brats and Cheese? I suggest using Testosterone Cream.
If you're going to do a virtual visit to Slovenia, you simply must visit Ljubljana.
@Bay Area Guy, no, they look better.
If Slovenia gets Trieste, surely Wisconsin should get the UP.
Don't call me Shirley.
I've spent some time in Slovenija, as it adjoins my in-laws' Hungary. The people there are warm, welcoming, and open, even though at best I speak some sort of pan-Slavic patois. Not bad in Russian and Polish ... but bullshit my way through in other Slavic-speaking area. Thankfully, 'pivo' [beer] is rather universal, and when they found out I spoke both Hungarian and German they were happy to work with me in some sort of linguistic succotash.
If Slovenia gets Trieste, surely Wisconsin should get the UP."
I'm in favor of a border re-adjustment to correct the problems of the Midwest. My solution would be to give UP to Wisconsin and in exchange they get Milwaukee. Not only that but Michigan gets Cook County too.
This will transform Illinois into a western Indiana. Meanwhile, giving Michigan Detroit, Milwaukee, and Cook County, will turn them into an Electoral powerhouse.
aaah, you're talking about my ancestor's neck of the woods. We were bo-hunks or hunkies.
I try to keep up with the traditional holiday cooking. I'm 100% Slovak and my husband is as well. We'll pass on our holiday traditions to our grandchildren as well.
My daughter already does this with her daughter, with the celebration of the Feast of St. Nicholas, on Dec. 6. That is the day that we got our Christmas stockings filled. Surprisingly enough, that never created a problem with our children, when they went to school and announced what they got in their stockings.
"Do most female Slovenians look like Melania Trump?"
Yes, controling for age of course. Slovenia is awesome. Ljubljana is one of my favorite places in Europe.
Slovenia and Slovakia are the Iowa and Ohio of Europe.
"Trieste looks like it should be in Slovenia."
Again yes. Much of Slovenia's importance to Mittel Europe derived from its control of Trieste.
"For a while it was, then it wasn't. The issue finally got sorted out after WWII."
Well actually WWI, but who's counting. Oh, I guess that would be me. Trieste was one of Italy's great prizes for flipping alliances and picking the winning side in the first world war.
I remember reading an account of a visit to Slovenia by a descendent (or may be immigrant) who went back for a visit during Bush's presidency. IT was very disappointing to read about lots of anti-Bush posters and signs there.
I assume, like many Europeans, they get their news of American from CNN.
"stately"
To me she looks beaten down. Barely able to drag her foot forward under the daily grind of living. Hidden from view in the heavy, oppressive garments mandated by the males who rule her life.
38 comments and no one has made a Hamburger joke.
Yeah, I don't got one either.
Top picture: an outhouse church. Good multi-tasking. I often pray while shitting so I get it.
Bottom picture: Arrangement in Blue and Red.
Uh... not saying you're a colorist, but that's kind of a dis to the yellow, isn't it?
Not to mention the dominant browns and greens.
Ok, you're a colorist. Sorry.
"Arrangement in Blue and Red" -- plus green. You can't have an RGB image without green, as well as red and blue.
The best.
Blogger Ann Althouse said...If Slovenia gets Trieste, surely Wisconsin should get the UP.
You'd probably have to fight Michigan to get it. They already lost the strip down by Toledo in a war with Ohio.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toledo_War
Paul Zrimsek said...
"Slovenia and Slovakia are the Iowa and Ohio of Europe."
Former German colleagues of mine thought of Bulgaria as the West Virginia of Eastern Europe. Me? I like Bulgaria.
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