RIGA - A man fatally shot another man at a Latvian cinema as the credits rolled on the Oscar-nominated film Black Swan, police in the Baltic state said Sunday, reportedly in a dispute over popcorn.

Police said they had arrested a 27-year-old man suspected of shooting a 42-year-old fellow moviegoer who later died of his wounds.

The conflict arose over how loudly the deceased man was eating his popcorn, witnesses told the Latvian news agency Leta. The suspect had a gun licence, news agencies reported.

Gun violence is relatively rare in Latvia, a European Union nation of 2.2 million. The shooting occurred on Saturday evening in the central multiplex cinema in the Latvian capital, Riga, at the end of the psychological thriller about a ballet dancer who loses her mind succumbing to pressure to perform.

Read more: Montreal Gazette

Again, another nightclub that has a rather dubious name

Recently thieves stole 5 slides from the childrens playground in Mezaparks. Latvian electricity provider 'Latvenergo' also have reported their highest level of  theft in recent years. Sad and disappointing.....




 http://www.apollo.lv/portal/news/articles/217845

Easy isnt it - you just spraypaint a bike and a dash and the footpath magically transforms into a bike path. Watch for poles though.

Thank god they have a talented mechanic. Get him to work on the computers!
...........................................................................

Prosecutor's office loses valuable information in a criminal case due to computer crash

RIGA, Sept 22 (LETA) - The prosecutor's office has lost all information in a high-profile criminal case as a result of a computer crash, Prosecutor General Eriks Kalnmeiers said at a meeting of the Saeima Defense, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Committee today.

Kalnmeiers said that he had been informed about the incident yesterday. He revealed that politicians were not involved in the said criminal case.

The committee members expressed their indignation at the poor technical support at the prosecutor's office, its obsolete computers and car pool.

Kalnmeiers did not deny that this was a major problem. 244 computers, some of which were manufactured back in 2001, need to be replaced. These obsolete computers cannot be switched to computer systems that prosecutors use in their daily work, said Kalnmeiers.

Old cars of the prosecutor's office are also a serious cause of concern. Some of them were made in 1994 and 1995 and many will have to be written off in the near future, which means that limited-access documents will have to be delivered by messengers on foot, Kalnmeiers said.

The prosecutor's office though is lucky to have a talented mechanic who, for instance, will have made one "new Audi" from three "Audi" cars that have been written off.

Spotted this place in a small town on the way down from Kolka. Judging from the name it could either be a disco club featuring scantily-clad dancers or the place winos end up late at night. As an added bonus it looks like the club is actually in someones bedroom.

I dont think this line painter will get his contract renewed. More at Diena

So dont vote for Vienotiba OK!! This piece of blatant homophobic trash arrived in the mailbox the other day. Its a 'newspaper' produced by one of the parties that are running in the upcoming election - Par Labu Latviju! ( For a good Latvia). The gist of it is that the local gay/lesbian support group, Mozaika, have invited their members to vote for Vienotiba. Par Labu Latviju! decided that Latvia needs even more divisiveness and intolerance. How could you seriously even consider voting for a party that uses these kinds of tactics? What kind of 'good Latvia' do they want to create??  

The rest of the newspaper has a decidedly Ainars Slesers weighted angle with multiple page interviews and  childhood photos, and even a joke section. The level of humor is painfully bad as you can gather from this example....

Teacher asks Johnny
- Who do you want to be when you grow up?
- Slesers, who else?

Seems the 'curator' of Latvia's only erotic museum is branching out into hand-made furniture. An addition has been made to museums sign and now proudly advertises 'Sex furniture'!

Want to have a quick peak at the workmanship??

If youre still interested more can be found here - as well as video

Roads are notorious in Latvia for being terrible.
This one decided to actually eat the car!

Old Spice guy has apparently been crowned King of Eastern Latvia....which is good because he loves grapes !?

A few summers ago, about 60 km outside of Riga, some signs appeared on the road pointing passing travelers to an Erotic Museum in Dzukste. I havent managed to visit this rural cultural institution yet but judging from the risque hand-painted graphics Ive got a feeling its just a local farmer and his porn collection!

Local knowledge here in Latvia states that if you are ever pulled over by the under-paid traffic police a quick slip of a fiver will usually get you out of the situation. Inflation and deflation trends also affect these transactions and a few years ago the price would have reasonably higher but, thanks to the 2009 crisis, bribery has returned to the more traditional 5 lats. The inadvertent placing of a fiver in your passport is so in-grained in local folklore here that at shops you can buy an air-freshener shaped as 5 lats with the name ' Give it to your Policeman'.

I'm assuming the Latvian Stuntmens Association was trying to promote their 'skills' with their website address but to me it was a reminder of the dangers that these stuntmen face - always remember stunts kill! http://www.stuntskill.com

A few questions to ask yourself whilst reading this news item... WTF was this inspector doing with a gun during work? Why werent police called to the scene - is a gun being fired on the street down low on the police priority list? And afterwards how do the police justify driving around looking for the ticketless offenders with a guy thats just fired a gun in public? And lastly, to the Rigas Satiskme press secretary is the use of a firearm unacceptable for a ticket inspector but the actual carrying of one allowed??

Whilst Im at it can I say that this morning our bus was stopped and inspected by 4 controllers. Perhaps they are resorting to safety in numbers from stone throwing passengers!

Also, Riga Transport has been in the news lately for the bus accident on Sunday which killed 3 people ( driver and 2 passengers). Seems the driver was drunk with reports of blood alcohol level being around 2.4 ml (0.24??). Apparently he had been tested at the start of his shift and was ok to drive but along the way must have been drinking hard whilst on the road.

......................................................................................................

"Rigas satiksme" ticket inspector dismissed for using firearm

RIGA, April 27 (LETA) - Last weekend on Gogola Street, a ticket inspector for public transport company "Rigas satiksme" produced a firearm during a struggle with ticketless passengers, firing a shot into the air. For this, the ticket inspector was yesterday dismissed by the company's management.

The opinions of "Rigas satiksme" and of ticket inspector Roberts Akermanis himself over the incident differ significantly.

Akermanis told LETA that on Saturday, April 24 at around 10 p.m., on Gogola Street by the former synagogue, a conflict broke out between him and some ticketless passengers, who attacked him with stones. "To save my life, I took out my gun and fired into the air," said the inspector, adding that earlier he had worked for institutions where it had been necessary for him to own a firearm.

"We have come this far - to protect themselves, ticket inspectors have to use firearms," said Akermanis mournfully, adding that the conflict could have had an even worse ending. "The work of a ticket inspector is thankless, the salary is low, and there is no health or life insurance," complained the inspector.

According to Akermanis, the police were not called out to the scene. Later, the inspector unofficially requested the police to drive around the neighborhood, but none of the fare dodgers could be found.

The inspector indicated that the public transport company's management had borne a grudge against him ever since he had turned up uninvited at a press conference at Riga City Council.

"Rigas satiksme" press secretary Viktors Zakis told LETA that information in the company's possession indicated that the inspector had provoked the attack himself by his inappropriate behavior. Moreover, the use of a firearm in any situation was inadmissible, and so the company's board of directors had yesterday decided to dismiss Akermanis.

At the same time, "Rigas satiksme" plan to approach the State Police today with a request to investigate the incident.

At the beginning of April, Akermanis had turned up uninvited at a press conference at Riga City Council, called after a conflict between inspectors and a fare dodger, and proceeded to express his bitterness at the difficult work of the inspectors and the harsh attitude of the public towards them.

The Latvian yacht 'Kaupo' has been out of contact for the last seven months, fears for the crew have now intensified and it seems the expedition team here in Latvia have asked a psychic for any ideas as to what might have happened to them.

The psychics response certainly covers all bases with 3 possible versions:

1. They are alive
2. They are on an island trying to survive
3. They have drowned

Wouldnt do good for the psychics professional credibility if they have been taken hostage by pirates.

Perhaps Valdis Zatlers, ex-surgeon and current President of Latvia, believes in the 'wipe with the left, shake with the right' protocol.