Originally filed under "must be some kind of joke" but then after a bit of investigation it was refiled under "dear god it is true!" - wonder if there will any protesters against this parade? Not only the parade elicits a wtf but also the fact there is a website for Latvian Blondes - http://www.goblonde.lv

RIGA, Latvia, May 27 (UPI) -- The head of the Latvian Blondes
association said a planned parade of about 2,000 blond women is aimed
at cheering the country up amid economic woes.

Marika Gederte, head of the club for women with yellow hair, said
the parade planned for Sunday in the Latvian capital Riga will be held
under the motto "make the world a brighter place" and will involve an
orchestra comprised entirely of blondes, RIA Novosti reported Wednesday.

"People need positive emotions, and I hope this event will cheer them up," Gederte said.

She said the parade will lead up to a ball that will feature
contests in categories including Latvia's best blond lawyer and best
blond journalist.

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/05/27/UPI-NewsTrack-Quirks-in-the-News/UPI-44851243459800/

We’re in talks with YouTube to come to an agreement, that their operations in Latvia are licensed. There is no licensing agreement yet, so, as I already mentioned, we think that all of YouTube material is illegal in the territory of Latvia. But, we’ve started correspondence, and hope that an agreement will be signed as soon as possible, and YouTube will be available legally to all residents of Latvia.

AKKA/LAA

Seems that the Latvian copyright agency has written emails to over 500 local bloggers asking them to pay copyright fees for displaying YouTube videos. That means even embedding a YouTube video means you have to pay licensing fees! Another example of an agency not understanding the medium - its a marketing vehicle you idiots, use it as such..... the bloggers are doing the work for you!

Read more here ( English)
Google translated Latvian pages here

Just when you thought there is nothing that can surprise you anymore in this country, comes this. LNT's "Degpunktā" reports that Valmiera state prison had four special guards dogs shot as part of the "economy regime". Apparently, the guards couldn't bring themselves to do that so they called in an outsider and gave him a gun. I wonder if that's the kind of measures that Mr Slakteris, the minister of finance, meant when he famously told the Bloomberg TV that "we will be ...taupīgi [economical]."

Politiki.lv

Security police uncover group planning more violence in Riga

RIGA, Jan 18 (LETA) - Having been tipped off by a person who overheard a conversation in a trolley-bus, Security Police have uncovered a group of persons planning more violence in Riga, as "LETA Video/TV 21" was told by Interior Minister Mareks Seglins.

"I must express thanks to the person, who informed the police abut the conversation he overheard. The group had discussed where they would meet in order to organize more rioting. In checking out this place - what one could call a headquarters, a meeting on further action was being held," Seglins informed. He underlined that the group has not been detained, but that the police "thwarted more possible disturbances."

He did not mention how many exactly were involved or what they were planning.

"No details from me, I can't tell you. This borders on a state secret, i.e. this criminal case's fact are a state secret. I, as a politician, have no right to say anything," he stated.

------------------

At face value, the above article sounds like a hasty PR campaign created by a recent graduate.

I mean, a conversation overheard on a trolley-bus mentioning a) intended antisocial actions and b) intended location of a meeting where members would further discuss these antisocial actions. Then, when the security police swoop in on the 'headquarters', surprise,surprise the meeting is in progress and they are caught red-handed. Gotcha!

But, no one was arrested, just plans thwarted...... and no further comments.

See, this dramatic event shows how well the security police are in control. Forget all about the trouble last week, twas but a minor riot. Back to work!

OK, so the bongs and bases occurred separately but they were both two small episodes which elicited a wtf whilst I was watching Panorama's reporting of the riots in Riga's oldtown on Tuesday evening.

During the peaceful part of the demonstration - 10,00 people calling for the current Government to be dissolved - the sign above was shown a number of times whilst the camera scanned the crowd. "All your base are belong to us", the internet John 3:16! Did they have some inside information about who actually runs this country?

The second part, below, was of a live cross to a very nervous journalist trying to describe the post-demonstration events - about 100 people decided to finish off the evening by throwing cobblestones through Parliament's windows and overturning vehicles.

Unfortunately for him, one of the 'protesters' who just happened to have a bong with him decided to add an extra microphone to the interview!

Who brings a bong along to a demonstration?

These stunning images show mysterious columns of light streaming into the sky above the town of Sigulda in Latvia at the end of last month.

Taken by designer Aigar Truhins with a standard digital camera, the photographs have prompted excited online discussions among amateur astronomists all over the internet.

But experts are agreed there may be a more prosaic explanation - ice crystals in the air.

The air above the town was notably cold and filled with suspended ice crystals.

It is believed that the columns were formed by those reflecting light from the bright streetlamps and other lights on the ground - beaming it back downwards again.

Skies all over Europe have been filled with such natural phenomena during the cold snap of recent weeks.

Scientists at the website spaceweather.com said: 'Truhin’s pillars are not the ordinary kind. Even eading experts in atmospheric optics can’t quite figure them out

'These pillars are mysterious. They have unexplained curved tops and even curved arcs coming from their base.

'Arcs in rare displays like these could be from column crystals to give parts of tangent arcs, others could be the enigmatic Moilanan arc or even the recently discovered reflected Parry arc.

Original article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1117264/Beam-Scientists-left-baffled-mysterious-columns-coloured-light-appear-night-skies.html