All the boonies of the world

Inspired by the town that time forgot by North!

There's a Russian proverb, which says, that 'Moscow is not Russia'. True to form, all the sticks on this Earth suffer the kind of oblivion that are spared to distant regions out of their conglomerating metro areas.

The regions of Russia are massively muddy and decrepitly derelict. Asphalt on the main roads is like the surface of the Moon, with a 20 km/h speed limit, or simply a distant dream. No war traversed those roads.

Stateside regions are adorned with flying trash, dysfunctional police, the smell of meth, and the edges of city blocks littered with people standing upside down. Not just in the sticks somewhere, but in Philadelphia, too. An entire city of brotherly love. For some obscure reason, the cult of AR-15 has strewn its deathly mandibles throughout all these tiny places we never knew the names of.

And then there is the very pockmarked Ukraine, mixed with light where there is freedom, and darkness where there is none. Albeit less-developed, it was and is striving to where Estonia is now.

Compared to all that hopeless despair, Viljandi is like a little island of paradise: there is no war, there are no junkies, the streets are clean and safe to walk, and the roads don't have potholes. Everything works, and the police do, too.

Undeniably, there is some poverty. All countries have poverty. But in Viljandi, in Estonia, there is this uncharacteristically strange sense of contentment, that everything will turn out to be ok. — Like an enduring hope for a better future: "some things are not nice, but they'll be fine one day." Maybe this is how peace feels like.

And so, I am to end this post with a somewhat sarcastic coda: "All the boonies of the world, unite!" :>

15 aastaga viie rikkama riigi hulka

Ühelt poolt avaldas Reformierakond oma lubaduse 2. novembril 2006, pidades ilmselt silmas kriteeriumina sisemajanduse kogutoodangut inimese kohta (nominaalne või PPP, sõltuvalt sellest kumb number peale jääb).

Praeguseks on mööda läinud 15 aastat (2007–2021, k.a.) ja veel natuke.

Et lubadus on "Viime...", tähendab see seda, et 'Reformierakond viib', aga sellisel juhul, kui juhib valitsust.

See ongi selles mõttes tinglik, et Reformierakond ei ole kogu selle viieteist aasta jooksul valitsust juhtinud, nii et Reformi juhtimiseta valitsusperioodid tuleb maha lahutada.

2. novembrist 2006 – 2. novembrini 2021 on täpselt viisteist aastat ehk 5479 päeva.

Seega kui me lahutame 5479-st päevast Jüri Ratase (Kesk) kaks valitsusperioodi (888 + 638 = 1526 päeva; vahesaldo 3953 päeva), ja liidame Kaja Kallase valitsuse 406 päeva (08.03.2022 seisuga), jääb 5479-st päevast alles vaid täidetud 4359 päeva. — Mis tähendab seda, et Reformierakonna valimislubaduse täitmiseni on päevi veel 1120, seisuga 08.03.2022.

Seega oodata tuleb 3 aastat, 3 nädalat ja 3 päeva kuni 1. aprillini 2025, kui Reformierakond on kogu selle perioodi jooksul juhtinud valitsust (ja koalitsiooni).

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Reformierakonna valimisloosungi kallal vingujate agenda ja motivatsioon on teada, kuid selle suhtes mõistmist (ehk toetust) avaldada ei oleks inimlikult sünnis.

Eesti 2022. aasta riigieelarve on keskmiselt 13,38 miljardit eurot; eelarve on enam-vähem tasakaalus, sest tulude ja kulude vahe on vaid 0.5 miljonit eurot.

See on lähedal nominaalsele, aga mitte tingimata struktuursele eelarvetasakaalule. Viimaseni jõudmise nimel töötatakse.

Eurole üleminekuaja kursi järgi (15,6466 krooni euro eest) oleks see 209 392 885 433 krooni ja 70 senti — kakssada üheksa miljardit kolmsada üheksakümmend kaks miljonit kaheksasada kaheksakümmend viis tuhat nelisada kolmkümmend kolm krooni ja seitsekümmend senti.

Rublades oleks see 1992. aasta raharefomi "üks kroon kümne rubla eest" kursiga kaks triljonit 93 miljardit 928 miljonit 854 tuhat 337 rubla. (!)

Eesti 2022. aasta sisemajanduse kogutoodang elaniku kohta aastas (PPP) on U.S. $44.853,00 ($3737,75/kuus), nominaalne kogutoodang elaniku kohta aastas U.S. $29.735,00 ($2477/kuus). Avaliku sektori laenukoormus on Euroopa väiksemaid, aga seda tuleks vähendada veelgi.

Eesti on juba praegu suuteline iseseisvalt kompenseerima välispoliitilistest turukõikumistest tingitud hiiglasuured energia-arved kehvemalt elavatele elanikele.

1.32-miljonilise rahvaarvuga Eesti annab 41-miljonilise rahvaarvuga Euroopa riigile Ukrainale märkimisväärset sõjatoetust, ning avastas, et on suuteline vastu võtma 10.000 Ukraina sõjapõgenikku (29.05.2022 seisuga 40.178 põgenikku).

Eesti on maailma üks kõige vabama majandusega riikidest; me oleme digiriik, kellest võetakse eeskuju; ning Eesti on mitmes majandus- ja inimarengu-indeksis väga paljudest Euroopa ja Põhja-Ameerika arenenud riikidest ees, samal ajal kui supervõim Ameerika Ühendriigid on meist paljude näitajate poolest päris palju maas.

On self-awareness, introspection, and the disposition of self

This is a reply-as-a-comment to a YouTube video, in which the narrator exhibited an unusually deep sense of self-awareness and introspection.

I saw your video in the recommendations sidebar.

The Estonian word for this kind of sadness is "kaamos", while the Russian word for this is "тоска" (tos'ká).

It is not depression, but a flavour of sadness, which comes as a wave, and then subsides and recedes.

You are not the centre of the world, but the centre of yourself. It is not egocentrism, but rather more one of being in the centre of your own maze, in your own self. (Ego is not egocentrism, btw.)

Other people possess different levels of self-awareness; if that video is any indication, then yours goes a bit deeper.

The Maze is a reference to the first season of "Westworld", which concentrates itself with the idea of being a self-aware being, and what are the personal qualities and levels of such self-awareness that would qualify someone to have agency.

"Westworld" the series then goes on to explore if and whether androids should be recognised as equals to humans in having a similarly functional, if different, combination of self-awareness + agency — something that makes them whole unto themselves, and thus worthy of life.

Addendum:

I guess what you described in the video could be described as detachment, as the sum of self-awareness, introspection, and a dash of being mindful of the difference between what I glimpsed as the real you inside, and what you present yourself as to your friends, or the people currently in your orbit.

Said difference might have been caused by some of the recent losses that you say you've experienced, but which losses you appear to not have chosen to express and reveal to your friends, for said losses are too personal to reveal. It is okay to not let them know.

Whereas the relative anonymity and greater distance of the Internet permits one to signal a bit more of your inner self outside the circle of those in your orbit.

Dr. Ford in "Westworld" proceeds to posit, that suffering, through loss, is that which in his mind makes us us, and androids self-aware.

The catch here is, that not all people have experienced the profundity that often comes with losing a close person, be it a human or animal, and not all people have the ability even.

Feeling detached through loss confers not a state of being special, but different, apart from others.

Not wishing to share your inner feelings with those in your orbit is therefore normal, for they are not to know all that, because their reactions are predictable, maybe even boilerplate.

There's a passage in one of the songs by the Swedish band Eskobar: "I'm not lonely, but, yes, I am alone.

This inner journey in detachment is not one of loneliness, but one of having a whole self.

It is your inner journey, one which your friends and acquaintances are not part of, not even relatives and spouses. — I'd let perhaps only a very few close people I've personally met or known close to my spirit like this.

Why Garak joined Tain in DS9: "Improbable Cause"

This is a comment reply under "It Doesn't matter I'm Back."

Garak did not play him. Tain implicitly threatened to kill Garak all the time in that scene — these were never just charming words, and this was never an empty threat, as all their previous associates met their maker a bit too soon — and so, Garak was pleading for his life ("I never betrayed you!") by explaining why he was there in the first place.

Tain believed him, and offered Garak a position by his side.

See: after Tain exposed his entire diabolical plan of genocide to Garak and Odo, Garak realised, that he's expendable.

Considering their common past, Garak must have understood, that Tain would never let someone go 'just like that'.

To confirm his fears, he asked, if Tain was concerned, if Garak, on potentially leaving 'just like that', might warn the others ahead of time (who would then attempt thwarting Tain's crusade), and Tain confirmed that he was not, by offering a denial by saying, that it's too late.

Odo deduced just as much, who correctly warned Garak.

Taking that all in, Garak decided to play along to join Tain.

Because the alternative would have been for Tain to order Garak's demise yet again, without the Flaxian perfume this time.

Science fiction and fantasy in Estonian music videos

This began as a comment reply under Wateva's music video, but quickly expanded into something more.

(all dates are upload dates on YouTube, given here in the dd.mm.yyyy format)

As the comment and this blogpost expanded, I noticed roughly two phases of Estonian music video production.

Based on the songs linked in this post alone, the earlier phase spans the years 2014–2017. Its main characteristic is Estonian nature in a romantic setting, often interlinked with various elements of fantasy, as ancient Estonians were once fond of finding a spirit in each item, even a rock.

Estonian Fantasy and Nature

In 2014, Trad.Attack! released a fantasy-themed production Kuukene / Moon (15.07.2014) with the Moon as the main character in the song and video, filled with flying Estonian berries and greenery (and plenty of fan service :).

In 2015, Kõrsikud released "Tähetolm" ("Stardust") (uploaded on 15.05.2015), with space-based lyrics, including a passage of an 'angel's wings'.

In 2016, the Mother Earth theme was introduced in Kerli's "Feral Hearts" (25.02.2016), which contains strong fantasy elements set in beautiful Estonian nature.

Curly Strings also produced a magical video, one of the few having the Estonian winter as the main character: Hommik (09.03.2016)

A year after that, Trad.Attack! released a beautiful and emotionally risible song and video Säde / Spark (02.04.2017). The video depicts a flying golden spehere (a disco ball) in the dark of the night spreading around magical energy and life across the the nature of my country. As it was, Arthur C. Clarke's quote puts it best: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

The same month of that year, Trad.Attack! published Imepuu / Magic Tree (21.04.2017). The pipe sounds are perhaps too imposing at the start. But the video shows the band playing next to a "magical" tree (in Estonia, obv.), with three lights as substitutes for yellow spheres.

In the Summer that followed, Curly Strings dropped "Miks sa murrad mind" (06.07.2017), showing amazing flyover scenes of Estonian nature. No special effects or anything.

Space, science fiction, and fantasy

The second phase presents a generational shift, and so shows productions from people heavily influenced by science fiction. These would be people who got to see the various Star Trek and Star Wars movies and series, Japanese anime, and much more.

This collection totals six Estonian sci-fi music videos, released in what is a very short three-year timespan of November 2018 and September 2021.

• Nublu – tmt (tujud, mitte tunded) (17.11.2018) — the music is the main point, and the lyric video displays a shiny animation of a viewer's point-of-view traversing above the ground of a sphere;
• nublu x Mikael Gabriel – Universum (06.11.2020) — the video (feat. Valdis in a cameo) is shinier than the music, but features both space and a planet suffering various stages of apocalypse;

2021

Alone in the year 2021, Estonian musicians have released four music videos featuring heavy science fiction. (I'm not in any way claiming 'realistic' or 'hard' sci-fi.).

Much of the same energy musically and thematically is cast in their videos: dark undercurrents in music, dystopia, and apocalypse and the Earth (or a random planet) —

• Maarja Nuut & Ruum – Kuud Kuulama (NOËP remix) (01.03.2021)
• Raul Ojamaa – Moonstrk (feat. NOËP) (lyric voyage) (08.03.2021)
• WATEVA ft. Manna - Disposable Society (03.09.2021)

Thematically, "Kuud Kuulama" presents an apocalypse, "Moonstrk" has that same world in a post-apocalyptic setting as a follow-up, and Wateva's "Disposable Society" probably depicts the rebirth of Earth.

And the latest splash:

• 5Miinust – "Koptereid" (24.09.2021) — a dystopian anime cartoon in Japanese style, with car chases, blood and and gore, and a fight between good and evil. Space is probably adjunct to the main themes of the video. I won't link to it due to its adult themes, but it's searchable on YouTube.

In the first three, the dark undercurrents as one of the backing sounds (for fail of knowing a better term) are now characteristic to modern Estonian music, and the use of background undercurrents in contemporary compositions shows the maturity of Estonian-made soundscapes.

I'd noticed a similar trend in 1990s music from mostly the United States, the music of which was then at its very height, and UK and Canadian songs of that same decade, which could have erroneously been construed as having originated in America. So there was a lot of influence to and fro.

Nukitsamehe natuke kaasajastatud variant

Postitatud paar minutit varem siin

Long story short: Õde-venda Iti ja Kusti läksid metsa marjule ja eksisid ära, aga sattusid kurja nõia hurtsikusse, kus kõigil olid sarved peas. 5G antennid, noh.

Nõid ja vanamees olid pereväärtuste suured toetajad, nii et nad olid valmis treinud lausa kolm last: kaks vanemat poega Mõhk ja Tölpa: "Üks laisk, teine loll!!!11" (mõlemad perverdid) ja kolmas oli Nukitsamees, aga tal olid nooruse tõttu veel 2.5G sarved. Õieti sarvekesed.

Omavalitsus, kus mets, polnud see, kust Iti ja Kusti pärit olid. Niisiis selle natuke korrumpeerunud omavalitsuse abil ja mahitusel "adopteeris" nõid Iti ja Kusti, et saada veel rohkem lasteraha.

No ja kui omavalitsuse lastekaitsetädikesed enam ei vaadanud, pani nõid Iti ja Kusti orjatööle ja tegi neile palju haiget.

Iti ja Kusti põgeneda ei saanud, sest ümberringi on hirmus, kõrge mets, mis kubiseb huntidest.

Nukitsamees kiusas ka Itit (tõmbas vist juustest), kuid Kusti kaitses Itit, mille eest Kusti sai Nõialt kõvasti sugeda. Iti suutis kõigest hoolimata väikse Nuktisamehe vastu õrn olla ja Nukitsamehel tekkis kasuvenna ja -õe vastu kiindumus.

Aga järsku avastas keegi suure kullapaja ja kogu pereväärtuste eest seisev pesakond läks ahnelt kullapada välja kaevama. Sarvik vanamees samuti.

Nukitsamees jäeti omapead.

Iti ja Kusti kasutasid võimalust ja põgenesid ära. Nukitsamees põgenes neile järele, mispeale kraaksus vares pereväärtuste eest nii väga seisvale ja suure himuga rahapaja ümber askeldavale nõiaperekonnale, et näe, lapsed on ula peal.

Hakkas suur tagaajamine, kuid Iti, Kusti ja Nukitsamees jõudsid veel õigel ajal metsast välja. Selgus, et nõiaperele päikesevalgus eriti ei meeldinud.

Iti, Kusti ja Nukitsamees jõudsid õnnelikult koju, aga Nukitsamees tundus kõigile väga räpakas. Selge see, et väikelaps ja orb, kuigi sarvedega, oli oma vanas peres väärkoheldud (räpakas, noh).

Laps pesti puhtaks, pandi puhtad riided selga-jalga ja anti korralikult süüa.

Nõialt ja Nõid-vanamehelt võeti vanemlikud õigused ära ja Iti ja Kusti pere ajas adopteerimispaberid korda ja laps jäeti perre.

Aga Nukitsamehe 2.5G sarvekesi kuidagi eemaldada ei saadud. Prooviti igat moodi, viilides ja saagides nukitsad 2G, siis 1G ja siis 0G suuruseks, aga sarved kasvasid kähku tagasi.

Lõppu ma hästi ei mäleta, aga Nukitsamees sai sarvedest mingi ime läbi lahti (ta sai juhuslikult haiget ja nuttis esimest korda siiralt).

No ja nii elasid kõik õnnelikult elupäevade lõpuni.

Epiloog:

Mis nõiast sai, ei ole täpselt teada, aga nähtavasti viidi kogu laste väärkohtlemise asi politseisse, mille tagajärjel mõisteti Nõid laste orjastamises ja väärkohtlemises süüdi ja kohus andis jälle liiga leebe karistuse. Nõial oli palju tegemist vangiminekuga ja ta puksis vastu. Aga lõpuks läks.

Nõid-vanamees viidi nõukogude atmosfääri ning kurjade ja õelate hooldajatega haisvasse hooldushaiglasse (mõistagi surema).

Mõhk ja Tölpa said kaasosalistena kahepeale paar kuud + tingimisi. Tsoonist väljudes viidi nad sotsiaalkorterisse ja ühiskondlikult kasulikule tööle. Sest Tallinn aitab. Kasu nendest midagi ei olnud, nii et kõik saadeti sunniviisiliselt hullumajja.

Kuna nõiapere hoidmine oli kulukas, kuulutati nõrgamõistuslikkuse diagnoos valeks ja nad saadeti kõik nõiamajja tagasi.

Aga ahned bürokraatiast mitte väga kaugel olevad kelmitädikesed kuskilt naabermetsast nihverdasid vahepeal nõiapere ID-kaardid endale. Järsku toimus nõiamajas tulekahju. Kuna vingu- ja suitsuandurit majas polnud, põlesid kõik maha, aga mets imekombel pääses. (maja oli lagendikul, tulekahju talvel)

Tulekahjust ja surmadest teatasid kelmidest tädikesed alles peale seda kui olid jõudnud nihverdada surnud nõiapere ID-kaartidega korrumpeerunud notari juures ära nõiapere kõigi liikmete testamendid endale; tädikesed olevat olnud "nõiapere kauaaegsed sõbrannad" ja lausa "ainsad pärijad". Loomulikult lasid nad nõiapere surnukehad kremeerida.

Nii sahkerdasid nõiapere ID-kaartidega kelmitädikesed nõiapere varanduse endale ja müüsid metsa metsafirmale maha, et see saaks harvesteridega lageraiet teha.

Mis rahapajast sai, ei ole teada, sest keegi sellest Muinsuskaitseametile ei hinganud.

Food on the cheap in Tallinn, Estonia (May, 2021)

Inspired by a video under which I wrote a comment.
This post applies, when one is on a very, very tight budget.

The Grossi store in Tallinn has the "Säästusai" white bread (sai) for 18 cents/220g. Maxima and Grossi have cheap pasta (macaroni) for 20 cents per 400g pack. Grossi has some kind of a tomato paste at 54 or so cents for a tiny jar. Tin cans of beans or chickpeas can be between 55 cents (on a good day in Maxima), but usually hover around 65–75 cents. Grossi has one or two kinds of ground tea that's below one euro/pack, too. If memory serves, cooking oil can be around 1€ or so. Prisma has the best prices for a pack of broth / bullion cubes (puljongikuubikud).

Prisma has the best big-store prices, while Selver is the most expensive. Prisma has the best website, which also has an English-language section. All products available at Prisma are searchable.

For comfort food at affordable prices, Prisma has "Xtra" crisps (potato chips) that are at 1.10€, with the best price-to-weight ratio. Maxima has the cheapest 100g slates of chocolate (45 cents), and both Grossi and Maxima have the cheapest lemonades (fizzy sugary drinks). Grossi usually has the most affordable ice creams, though Prisma can sometimes have really good sales for certain ice creams.

Survey company gift certificate

OTOH, Norstatpanel, which is a survey company, offers only Selver gift certificates ("Partner kinkekaart") for completed surveys.

Norstatpanel is free to sign up with, and the survey company needs to know the participant's name, phone number, and home address in Estonia. This is likely meant to prevent fraud, and verify a person's identity.

On their website, you'll need to reach at least 83 points to order a 5€ gift certificate. This takes filling several surveys, which are usually in Estonian or Russian. They also have a mobile app, though some surveys must be filled in desktop computers.

The Partnerkaart gift certificate is a printable PDF via e-mail that is sent within three weeks of ordering. You can get a different gift certificate for Circle-K, or a bookstore, but Partnerkaart is the only one that a person can use in a grocery store, which happens to be Selver.

The Partnerkaart gift certificate for Selver (the store in the chain that sells groceries) is reusable for as long there is money left on it. One can check how much money a gift certificate has, at the Partnerkaart website (Estonian or Russian only). For that, you'll need an ID card, Mobile ID, or SmartID to sign in and verify your identity. These authentication services obviously requires a valid Estonian residency.

Return bottles, get cash

Returnable bottles of water, fizzy drinks, tonics, and beers (but not wine and vodka) can get one a small paper cheque from reverse vending machines, with a sum printed on it. Cashiers in a nearby store exchange that for cash (they get the cheque and you the cash), or one can use that cheque to buy stuff in a shop, and/or get a price reduced from the total with money purchases.

Each bottle or can is 10 cents, so two returned bottles can get one pack of pasta for 20 cents, for example. If you've bought less than the sum on the cheque, the cashier will return the unused difference in cash (usually coins). Banknotes are given in exchange only, if the unused sum on the reverse vending machine cheque is greater than five euros; all depends on how many bottles have been returned.

The reverse vending machine bottle cheque can be good from 30 days to 3 months, I think, and is valid only in the store near which the bottles were returned to. Beware the terrible smell near some reverse vending machines. The reverse vending machine sections near Prisma stores are some of the cleanest.

Best prices on medicines

For the best deal on medicines, check out raviminfo.ee. It's only in Estonian, but if there is something specific you need from a pharmacy, you can make a search (otsing), and limit that to the big city or county you live in. If you have a favourite pharmacy that serves you in English (still good to know Estonian), then ask for generic drugs, if a doctor has only specified the type of medicine in your prescription, and not its brand name.