Wars Micro Machines
‘My Buddy Drojti Was Stationed At The Brook Tunnel That Connects To Our Hydroelectric Power Station When The Serbs Came Thru It,’ Declared Our Host, Ante.
While the United States marks ten years after the attacks in N. Y that led to 2 wars and basic changes in how Americans view their security, Croatia solemnly recollects the 1991 incursion of Serbian troops and shelling of one of their most loved cities, Dubrovnik. That started a two year war on their own soil.
“My buddy Drojti was stationed at the river tunnel that connects to our hydroelectric power station when the Serbs came thru it,” recounted our host, Ante. “He ran down the hill, jumped into the sea and swam the twenty kilometers to the old city.
“The people who couldn’t leave Dubrovnik went into the old city because they believed that the Serbs would never attack it,” Ante continued, with bitterness in his voice. “But over 2,000 shells struck the city, and 68 percent of the buildings had damage, some totally gutted by fire.”
As Cheri and I walked thru the ancient city, over stone streets that were laid centuries back, it was tough to fantasize the annihilation. Just when we saw the Serbian television footage did the reality sink in. Now, lovingly and meticulously reconstructed, Dubrovnik is once again a wonderful illustration of medieval life. And families still live there, doing almost all of the same stuff they did long ago. Only now, the Universal Teen can be discovered even here. While Ante gave us an individual history lesson, a bunch of younger people walked noisily by, dressed just about the same as in the US, earbuds wired into their smartphones, laughing at us tourists.
“What’s the economy like now?” I asked Ante.
“Not so good,” he responded. “After the war, we had to reconstruct our industry, but many of our people had sold their property and left to the U.S, to New Zealand, England and other places. Many homes were deserted. After ten years, things started to enhance because Continentals began to build houses here, start companies, and tourists returned. Then in 2008, the worldwide economic recession just put everything into reverse. Tourism is just beginning to improve. But we need different sources of industry.”
I was thinking about the population emigrating, making a guess that most of them would be younger folk, people who had not started a family. Having a look at the striking natural wonder of the Dalmatian coast, I could see it was a place of great nourishment for the adult soul and actually uninteresting for children.
Ante confirmed this was indeed the case.
“Our youth are not staying in enough numbers to make our future growth,” he claimed. “Many of them are getting degrees in economics and business, but there are just a few growing industries here to use them.”
This same story was repeated by Samoj (he liked to be called “Sam”), a person we shared drinks and a table with in Korcula, another walled city on an island of the same name further north. Sam is a Slovenian, trained as a solicitor and historian, working for a research institute in his home country of 3,000,000 people. We were fortunate to have such a credible source of info, and we took advantage of it.
“So, Sam, what was the civil war about?” I asked. “It was portrayed by our media as an ethnic war, that so-called ethnic ‘cleansing ‘ was what the Serbians were after.”
Sam explained, “Well, actually , Serbs, Slovenians, Croats and Bosnians are ethnically matching. We share the same ancient roots going back to the time of the Illyrians who formed the first regional identity beyond little clans about three thousand years back. The conflict goes back to when the Roman Empire split up and was split between an eastern area and a western one. When that happened, Catholicism under a Roman pope ruled the western empire, while the Eastern Orthodox Church was predominant in what came to be called the Byzantine Empire. The orthodox faith does not recognise the pope as the illustration of Jesus ‘ church, the clergymen can marry, and the sacraments are different, among plenty of other things. Slovenia and Croatia are on the west side of the dividing line. The Serbian aggression was really about religious ‘cleansing, ‘ and, it was about money.”
“How did economics play into the war?” I asked.
“Under Tito, when we were all one country, there was often equality across the larger nation,” Sam expounded. “But the area of Slovenia was the economic powerhouse. We had a little fraction of the total population, but we were the source of 30 percent of Yugoslavia’s G. D. P. Croatia had the attractive coast and many pretty islands where ancient villages still thrived. Croatia was the tourist mecca for Yugoslavians and many EU states on either side of the Iron Curtain. Ever since Yugoslavia was first made after World War I, the Serbians, who were the most in number, wanted to exercise the best power over the course of the country. When Tito died, Serbian ambitions re-emerged, and their desire to control the two wealthiest areas of the old Yugoslavia drove them to invade when Slovenia and Croatia declared their independence.”
It occurred to me as I listened to Sam that Jesus would find it tragic if he knew that in the name of saying sole rights to his bequest, jealous people would try and take away what others had out of envy and greediness. Perhaps he does know as reported tagza.com.
Star Wars Micro Machines Review
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Galoob 1996 STAR WARS Micro Machines MINI HEAD Playset IMPERIAL TIE PILOT Figure $9.99 |
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Galoob 1996 STAR WARS Micro Machines MINI HEAD Hoth Playset AT-AT DRIVER Figure $9.99 |
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1996 STAR WARS Micro Machines MINI HEAD Jabba SALACIOUS CRUMB Playset Figure $9.99 |
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1996 STAR WARS Micro Machines MINI HEAD Princess Leia Slave JABBA Playset Figure $9.99 |
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Galoob 1996 STAR WARS Micro Machines MINI HEAD Hoth Luke Playset WAMPA Figure $9.99 |
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Micro Machines Space STAR WARS IMPERIAL FORCES GIFT SET Excl Emperor Figure MIB $18.95 |
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Micro Machines Space STAR WARS REBEL FORCES GIFT SET Exclusive Ackbar Figure MIB $18.95 |
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Star Wars Micro Machines Imperial Pilots figure set $8.99 |
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Micro Machines STAR WARS R2-D2.JABBA’S PALACE Transforming Action Set MIB $28.95 |
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Micro Machines STAR WARS DARTH VADAR/ BESPIN Transforming Action Set MIB $28.95 |
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star wars rare lot micro machines mini heads 7 with figures inside $9.99 |
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Galoob 1996 STAR WARS Micro Machines MINI HEAD Endor C-3PO Playset EWOK Figure $9.99 |
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Star Wars Galoob Micro Machines Playset MISB (Lot of 4) Endor Hoth Dagobah Death $50.00 |
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TREK WARS STAR MICRO MACHINES SCALE FASA RPG ROMULAN Z-1 NOVA CLASS BATTLESHIP $55.00 |
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TREK WARS STAR MICRO MACHINES SCALE FASA RPG KLINGON D-7 DESTROYER (1977 LEAD) $15.99 |
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Star Wars Galoob Micro Machines Transforming Action Set Heads MISB (Lot of 4) $50.00 |
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Star Wars Galoob Micro Machines Collector’s Gift Sets MISB (Lot of 7) Fan Club $50.00 |
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Star Wars Galoob Micro Machines Action Fleet MISB (Lot of 7) Special Editions $50.00 |
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Star Wars Galoob Micro Machines Vehicles 3-Packs MISP MISB MOC (Lot of  $40.00 |
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Loose Star Wars action figure lot, 75 figures + Micro Machines!!!! LOOK!!!! $165.00 |
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Star Wars Micro Machine Collection WOW $499.95 |
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Star Wars MICRO MACHINES MINI HEADS Set #5 V MOC DUROS, STORMTROOPER, BOSSK $69.95 |
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STAR WARS MICRO MACHINES ACTION FLEET OTOH GUNGA Playset MIB $99.95 |
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Star Wars Micro Machines X-RAY SET IV STRIPED MOC RARE $74.95 |
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Star Wars Micro Machines X-RAY SET V IDEAL MOC RARE $74.95 |
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STAR WARS MICRO MACHINES FIGURE ANH INTERROGATION DROID $4.95 |
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STAR WARS MICRO MACHINES DEATH STAR MOUSE DROID $4.95 |
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STAR WARS MICRO MACHINES EG6 POWER DROID $4.95 |
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Star Wars Micro Machines Galoob IMPERIAL TIE FIGHTER $4.95 |
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Star Wars Episode 1 Micro Machines GIAN SPEEDER $9.95 |
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STAR WARS MICRO MACHINES FIGURE DROID B’OMARR MONK $4.95 |
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STAR WARS MICRO MACHINES FIGURE DROID R5-D4 Astromech $3.95 |
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Star Wars Micro Machines EU PRINCE XIZOR’S VIRAGO Galoob $9.95 |
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STAR WARS MICRO MACHINES ANH S-SWOOP SPEEDER w/RIDER $4.95 |
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Star Wars Micro Machines LANDING CRAFT w/PIVOTING WINGS $19.95 |
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STAR WARS MICRO MACHINES Episode 1 KITSTER Figure $2.95 |
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STAR WARS MICRO MACHINES EU SOTE DASH RENDAR $3.95 |
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Star Wars Episode 1 Micro Machines TRADE FEDERATION MTT $14.95 |
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STAR WARS MICRO MACHINES ESB SPIRIT OF OBI WAN KENOBI $2.95 |
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Star Wars Micro Machines Action Fleet E1 PIT DROID TAN $6.95 |
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Executive Machines / 10-Sheet Micro Cut Shredder / SES-M1050 $135.66 Executive Machines – 10-Sheet Micro Cut Shredder – SES-M1050 |
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Micro Machines $19.95 This book is in New – Excellent condition |
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Micro Machines V4 – PlayStation 2 $25.99 Mixing miniature mayhem with maximum multiplayer racing micro machines v4 game will arrive packed with knockabout |
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Micro Machines: Ultra-Small World of Nanotechnology $11.05 Journey into the small world of nanotechnology. Micro Machines takes readers into the future of computers, cars, cameras, and telecommunications. This fascinating book teaches the difference between macro, micro, and nano technologies. Clear text and extreme, close up pictures help broaden our ideas of what these tiny machines are and what they can do. Includes details on – the merging of organic, or living things with inorganic, on nano living materials. – how micro machines help in constructing buildings, and transportation systems. – micro machines designed for spying and helping police – how scientists are working on nano machines that can be injected into a person’s bloodstream and used to fight diseases |
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Battle Machines $14.12 Accompanied by both historic and contemporary photographs, this resource is a fascinating exploration of the historical background, people, and events that shaped the development of technologies for use in war and defense. Packed with facts and statistics on the history of combat through the ages, this guide offers a fantastic look into the technological advancements in battle, machinery, weapons, and vehicles. This reference includes a look at the development of combat on land, sea, and air, as well as the machines of World Wars I and II and the Cold War. Information on inspirational leaders of the past is also included. |
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Prime Targets: The Unauthorized Story Guide to Transformers, Beast Wars & Beast Machines $17.97 "You’ll be an instant expert on all the original Transformers, Beast Wars and Beast Machines shows with this guide in hand… Prime Targets is] a must have for anyone whos a Transformers fan " –TF Exchange Prime Targets delves into the little-known details and history of the "Transformers," "Beast Wars" and "Beast Machines" TV shows, offering extensive plot summaries, reviews, top 10 lists, a toy checklist, price guide and scads of categories on over 150 TV stories. |
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Star Wars: Slave-1 Vehicle $19.99 Hasbro produced this line of die-cast micro vehicles based on the ships and vehicles from the Star Wars Saga. Collect them all, each sold separately. PARENTS NOTE: These vehicles are not compatible with the 3.75 inch Star Wars action figures. |
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Star Wars: AT-AP Vehicle $8.99 Hasbro produced this line of die-cast micro vehicles based on the ships and vehicles from the Star Wars Saga. Collect them all, each sold separately. PARENTS NOTE: These vehicles are not compatible with the 3.75 inch Star Wars action figures. |
This entry was posted on Friday, February 25th, 2011 at 12:13 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.