Tuesday, September 30, 2014

BOSNIAN FUNDRAISER FOR FLOOD VICTIMS IN BIH BY CHRIS MATHIEU AND BOSNIAN AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MILWAUKEE


The Bosnian American Association of Milwaukee and Chris Mathieu have organized a fundraiser to assist a few families who suffered from the devastating floods in BiH in May of this year. Chris Mathieu is a journalist with eurobasket.com and a member of the Institute Research Genocide which specializes in dealing with the war in Bosnia and its aftermath.
On October 11th 2014 they will hold a Fundraising dinner, cultural event and silent auction to benefit families affected by the flooding. 100% of the money raised will go directly to help families affected by the flooding. There will be a dinner, music, documentaries about Bosnia and Herzigovina and a silent auction. A selection of traditional Bosnian food and music will be included and some important documentaries about Bosnia and her history will also be shown.
Contributors to the silent auction include the Milwaukee Bucks, Bill Carter of Miss Sarajevo fame, Jasminko Halilovic, Abdullah Pejkic, Roger Richards, Harun Mehmedinovic and representatives from Davison College among others have contributed to the silent auction and fundraising efforts. The Milwaukee Bucks donated tickets to be raffled off; Bill Carter donated a signed copy of Miss Sarajevo documentary and a signed copy of his book “Fools Rush In”. Jasminko Halilovic donated three signed books; Abdullah Pejkic donated an original photograph as did Roger Richards and Harun Mehmedinovic. Others donated some money that was unable to attend the event.
The Bosnian American Association wants Bosnians who know people in desperate need to contact them via their Facebook site or the fundraising link on Facebook and to nominate people who are in desperate need of help. They will evaluate who needs help the most and will select 4-5 families who are in desperate need of help. The funds raised will be sent to someone in BiH who will oversee their disbursement process and will ensure the money gets to the families and will be properly used for supplies, medicines, food or materials needed to rebuild their homes and lives. Pictures will be posted on the Facebook site and you will be able to follow the people that you help.
A link to the Bosnian American Association of Milwaukee….
A link to the fundraising site…
 
What we are hoping for is to raise awareness that the need is still there to help the people of BiH after the devastating flooding. Due to the problems facing Bosnia before this catastrophe it has made recovery much more difficult. We are also hoping to give some hope to families affected by the flooding that they know that they have not been forgotten about, that people are aware of what happened and that we want to give them hope that they are not alone in their time of need.
Ultimately we want to encourage other expatriate communities to organize similar fundraisers in their communities, to realize it doesn’t have to be a difficult process and that they can do the same thing in their communities around the world and in the US. When you give money to organizations the trickle down aspect means your donation doesn’t always reach those in needs. In this setting we plan on 100% of all proceeds going to directly help those affected by the flooding and to give some hope that they will have a better future.
I know people who have died from the stress related to this flooding that has left too many feeling abandoned and hopeless. We are hoping restore a bit of hope in the lives of people that have already faced too much in their lives.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014









20 years ago few thought Bosnia and her people would survive, even fewer actually cared. She and her people did though against impossible odds. She survived and her people, even though scattered around the globe and starting over have survived and thrived. They have become incredible people who overcame incredible odds to bring life to communities that were once left for dead (St.Louis).... Bosnia...n Zmajevi overcame the same calamity and impossible odds. Just a few years ago it appeared the team would collapse, they were threatened with being kicked out of FIFA. Bosnia and her people once again faced the impossible and overcame and beat the odds once again. Bosnia has become one of the most feared teams in the world and took the favored Argentina to the brink today. There is nothing to be disappointed about the history, the result or the people. Bosnia and her people will continue to defy the odds and make the world believe in the impossible. Today was just the beginning for Bosnia, echoes of the past of the war, the '84 Olympics can be heard but this history is being written today, less than 20 years from the calamity, is just the beginning for Bosnia and her people. Thank you Zmajevi for showing the world that Bosnia and Herzigovina is here, it has always been here and it will be a power and a people to be reckoned with for all of history...Bosnia the strong, Bosnia the bold, Bosnia the metaphor. It is a metaphor for survival, for fearlessness, for overcoming incredible odds and defying the laws of history...Bosnia is Greatness...Thank you for being one of a kind, a diamond.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

13 THINGS I WOULD DO TO MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

We live in a country with a one party system with a liberal and a conservative wing, neither party truly represents the people but divides the one party on "wedge issues" if I could change 13 things about the government this is what I would do...

1) Tax everyone for healthcare, or make them sign a waiver if they refuse to, that if they need medical help they have to pay in advance or no treatment.... Then I would open it up so everyone could buy health insurance on exchanges even if you have insurance and you just don't like yours.

2) Legalize marijuana, gambling and prostitution and tax them to the max. I don't do any of the three but I don't understand why people can't legally gamble on the super bowl or the NCAA tournament in almost all of the states.

3) Allow people to not wear a seat belt or helmet if they sign a waiver and become an organ donor (as long as they are 18 years old).

4) Eliminate the penny, round up to the nearest nickel on all transactions and the extra pennies go to the national debt. Sounds like nothing, but how many monetary transactions happen in the US everyday?

5) eliminate the $1 and $5 bill and replace them with coins. They are way more durable plus you can't bleach out a coin and turn it into a $20 bill.

6) If you get government benefits you get drug and alcohol tested. If you can afford either then you don't really need the benefits, do you?

7) Make it so you can't buy soda, candy or junk food with food stamps, or steaks and lobsters.

8) differentiate between violent predatory criminals who are menaces to society and the rest of the people who make mistakes. Longer sentences for the first category and shorter sentences and more treatment (which is cheaper) for the second.

9) CEO's of publicly traded companies should be capped at making 100X what the average worker makes. This sounds like on obscene amount anyway but when you realize CEO's make 400x this is a huge limit. Private companies would be exempt from this.

10) If you make more than 500k per year for 10 years (on average) you automatically opt out of social security and other retirement benefits. You still pay in but you need a hardship exemption in order to collect the money.

11) Universal background checks, drug tests and mental health screening for all gun purchases in the country.

12) De-incentivize people having kids they don't take care of. If you are on government assistance or disability every kid you have after the first one you lose some of your benefits not gain them. Also your benefits are tied to your kids attendance and test scores while in school.

13) Change it so that the only way the government can spend more than it takes in is in case of extreme emergency, like WWII or the Great Depression

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Toronto Canada the perfect place to start your international travels







Toronto Canada is the perfect place to start your international travels. If your an American and unsure if you would enjoy or be able to master international travel, Toronto is the perfect place to test yourself. I would say it is about a quarter international compared to travelling to a European country were they don't speak English.
Montreal too is a good place to test yourself except you are likely to run into quite a few people than only speak French, or just refuse to speak English to you. Montreal I would rate at about half European and half North American culture wise.
Toronto features a well developed public transportation system that includes a subway, buses and tram system. This is a perfect way to test yourself in a international setting.
Also proving more difficult is the currency conversion, which holds steady at about a 1 to 1 ration currently. Getting used to using foreign currency is easier in Canada than in European countries that may or may not use the Euro.
They also have different credit/debit cards, using the more secure ones with the micro chip in them. Yours will work at almost any stores but you may have to find international bank machines (like the green TD bank locations) in order to withdraw cash. Also I did have some problems paying at the pump at certain gas stations.
We enjoyed staying at Hilton Gardens downtown, the rate was over $200 a night but included valet parking and breakfast for the whole family. They also had a pool and a hot tub.
Staying downtown is more pricey but is worth it if location and convenience is important to you, driving 20-30 minutes a day to get downtown didn't sound like fun to us.
Toronto is  a pricey city but still cheaper and way safer than a comparable US city like Chicago or New York.
Toronto offers a wide variety of fun thing to do for the entire family. A few of the highlights for me...

1. Go visit the CN tower, expensive venture but if you are adventurous you can do the sky ledge and on outside of the tower for a premium.

2.Tornto Islands take a ferry and enjoy the day, the amusement park is expensive and a bit overrated but overall a fun experience. You can pack a lunch and have a picnic if you choose. The beach is excellent and safe and you have wide open green spaces on the islands to explore.

3.Shop in Yorkville, very surprised by how nice they were at Prada and Hermes two of my favorite brands. They were very nice at both shops, a far cry from the usual reputation both establishments have. Holt Renfro is a great department store with many exclusive brands.

4.St. Lawrence Market is an excellent place to get food, snacks and desserts. We tried one of the specialty sweet shops in Toronto and the fare was no better than what you could find at the Market. The seafood restaurant is a must see attraction. On Sundays next to the market is an interesting Flea/Antique market.

5.Mr Fleas flea market, an interesting place to checkout they have a ton of bootlegs that are hard to come by in the US. Get 10 bootleg dvds for $20 if you are interested.

6. Check out the ethnic neighborhoods downtown.  There are a bunch and they are all fun, even the non ethnic ones are great the gay neighborhoods and the gritty urban areas are fun as well.

Overall Toronto is a great international city and a great place to visit.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Help deport war criminal Cedomir Kljajic from Canada back to Bosnia to face justice!

Help deport war criminal Cedomir Kljajic from Canada back to Bosnia to face justice!

(Photo of Cedomir Kljajic testifying before the ICTY in defense of Radovan Karadzic)

Mr Klajic has been living in Canada since 1995 when he emigrated to Canada  and in his application he claimed he had worked from 1985-1995 as a lawyer. He made no mention of his belonging to RS MUP police force which was responsible for much of the ethnic cleansing campaigns and Genocides committed in 1992 and later in the war.

Cedomir Kljajic was third in command of the notorious so called RS MUP chain of command, subordinate only to interior minister Mico Stanisic and his deputy Stojan Zupljanin.

A little background on his two superiors...

Mico Stanisic:
From 1 April 1992, Minister of the newly established Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs in Bosnia and Herzegovina (RS MUP) Convicted of persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds, murder and torture!
Sentenced by the Hague to 22 years of imprisonment.
 
Stojan Zupljanin:
Chief of the Regional Security Services Centre (CSB) of Banja Luka, located in north-western Bosnia and Herzegovina; member of the Autonomous Region of Krajina (ARK) Crisis Staff, and an advisor on internal affairs to the President of Republika Srpska (RS) Convicted of persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds, extermination, murder and torture!
Sentenced by the Hague to 22 years of imprisonment.
 
 





Please contact the below officials and offices of the Canadian Government and tell them why he should not be allowed to continue to live in Canada as a free man, granted the same status of many of his victims....





Dear (recipient),


Mr. Cedomir Kljajic was third in command of the so called Republic Srpska Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) this criminal organization was responsible for organizing and carrying out of much of the Ethnic Cleansing campaigns and Genocides committed in Bosnia. Especially in 1992 when 70% of all war crimes were committed against civilians of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The MUP was responsible for creating the Serbian Crisis Staffs which carried out the orders of Radovan Karadzic in murdering, raping, interring in camps and expelling the rest of the non-Serbian populations in territory they controlled. They were directly responsible for organizing most the war crimes committed against the civilian population of BiH.

They were directly in control of the notorious camps of Bosnia Manjaca, Trnopolje, Omarska among numerous others. Mr. Kljajic no doubt played an integral role in establishing these policies and the reign of terror that followed.

Even if he has not been convicted or arrested for these crimes (yet) Canada must not be a safe harbor for criminals of his kind who have been linked to some of the gravest crimes committed in the history of mankind. His participation in the war, his admission of lying on his application to come to Canada and the very real chance that his victims who were granted asylum in Canada and received the same status as their tormentor, makes it of utmost importance that Canada takes a hard line on him and anyone in the future found to be responsible or at the very least partaken in such grave crimes against humanity at best, Genocide at worst.

Please do not sully the reputation of the great Canadian nation by turning your backs and ignoring this war criminal and his crimes. Please do not victimize the victims one more time by allowing this man to remain free one day longer on Canadian soil.


                                                                                          Sincerely,
                                                                                        (your name here)












 
Contact these offices and share your thoughts with them...
 
Immigration Minister
Honourable Chris Alexander at Minister@cic.gc.ca
 
 
The Honourable Peter Gordon MacKay
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
284 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H8
 
Policy Centre for Victim Issues
Fax: 613-952-1110
Email: pcvi-cpcv@justice.gc.ca
Address: Policy Centre for Victim Issues
Department of Justice Canada
284 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H8
 
Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Section
Fax: 613-952-7370
Email: wc-cdg@justice.gc.ca
Address:  Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Section
Department of Justice Canada
284 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H8 

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Documentries on Srebrenica




SREBRENICA-A CRY FROM THE GRAVE-THIS IS THE SAME DOCUMENTARY THAT I HAVE BEEN SELLING (STORY OF SREBRENICA) EXCEPT THIS IS THE BRITISH VERSION (THE BETTER VERSION I MAY ADD).THE FOTOS ARE OF NASER ORIC AND RATKO MLADIC. IT IS A RARE LOOK INSIDE THE WORST ATROCITY IN EUROPE SINCE WWII. THERE IS BETTER FOOTAGE AND MORE COMPLEX STORY THAN AMERICAN VERSION. EVERY TIME I VIEW THIS DVD I AM SHOCKED AND AMAZED. A UNIQUE CHANCE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND ONE OF THE WORST CRIMES IN THE MODERN WORLD. 90 MINUTES IN ENGLISH.

STORY OF SREBRENICA-THIS IS THE SAME DOCUMENTARY THAT I HAVE BEEN SELLING (STORY OF SREBRENICA) EXCEPT THIS IS THE BRITISH VERSION (THE BETTER VERSION I MAY ADD).THE FOTOS ARE OF NASER ORIC AND RATKO MLADIC. IT IS A RARE LOOK INSIDE THE WORST ATROCITY IN EUROPE SINCE WWII. THERE IS BETTER FOOTAGE AND MORE COMPLEX STORY THAN AMERICAN VERSION. EVERY TIME I VIEW THIS DVD I AM SHOCKED AND AMAZED. A UNIQUE CHANCE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND ONE OF THE WORST CRIMES IN THE MODERN WORLD. 90 MINUTES IN ENGLISH.

SREBRENICA THE UNBURIED WAR
TRIUMPH OF EVIL SREBRENICA-TELLS THE FOLLOW UP STORY OF THE DVD "SREBRENICA A CRY FROM THE GRAVE. THIS DVDS SHOWS SERBIAN RECORDINGS AND DUTCH RECORDINGS OF THE TAKE OVER OF SREBRENICA AND WHAT HAPPEND NEXT. THIS IS A RARE LOOK INSIDE ONE OF THE WORST CRIMES IN THE WORLD HISTORY. A RARE AND INTERESTING DVD FOR ALL THOSE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE. IT IS 90 MINUTES AND IS IN BOSNIAN AND ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.

 SREBRENICA INFERNO-THIS IS AN INTERESTING LOOK BACK AT THE EVENTS IN SREBRENICA IN 1995. IT IS MORE THAN THAT THOUGH. IT LOOKS AT THE AREA SINCE THEN AND THE ATTEMPT OF THE PEOPLE WHO FLED WHO HAVE SENSE RETURNED AS THEY TRY TO REBUILD THEIR LIVES. IT SHOWS THE ATTEMPT AT JUSTICE AND FINDING THE VICTIMS STILL MISSING. IT ALSO SHOWS THE 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EVENTS IN SREBRENICA AND AROUND THE WORLD. IT ALSO TALKS WITH SURVIVORS. IT IS A 3 PART DVD AND IS IN ENGLISH. IT IS ABOUT 2 HOURS IN LENGTH.

SREBRENICA KRIK 1995-2005-THIS IS AN EXCELLENT HISTORICAL DOCUMENTATION OF THE FALL OF SREBRENICA AND THE AFTERMATH. THIS DVD HAS THE COMPLETE SCORPIONS MASSACRE OF CIVILLIANS PLUS SO MUCH MORE. IT IS DIVIDED INTO 5 PARTS. IT IS 3 HOURS IN LENGTH AND IS IN BOSNIAN.

SREBRENICA 11.07.1995-11.07.2005 The unburied war


SREBRENICA THE LOST IMAGES- t Everyone remembers the harrowing footage of the Srebrenica massacre shot by Zoran Petrovic, the only cameraman to capture the events on film. But this week’s fascinating documentary shows that the very worst of his pictures never reached our TV screens. Key scenes from Petrovic’s rushes were ‘lost’ or blacked over, presumably to prevent reprisals. We unearth the lost images, and the completed jigsaw is even more heinous than the already blood-spattered picture. Amazingly, Petrovic has never been interviewed by the War Crimes Tribunal about what he saw. For the first time, his incriminating material is available for scrutiny. Under the watch of Dutchbat soldiers, queues of Muslim men and women are separated by one of General Mladic’s men. They are familiar images, broadcast by TV stations around the world in the wake of the Srebrenica massacre. The War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague used Zoran Petrovic's tape to secure several prosecutions for the massacres in the early 1990s and to investigate the involvement of Dutch peacekeepers Dutchbat. It is 30 minutes in length and is in English.

Souvenir Srebrenica-A path through the memory of the last European genocide in the year of its 10th anniversary. Souvenir Srebrenica looks for a thread among the fragments of the tragedy, juxtaposing theatre, home movies from the siege, inedited archives, and nude documentary on the present life of the survivors. The exceptional film is mainly based on fragments of historical footage from 1995 and interviews with both Muslim and Serb survivors still living in Srebrenica today. This award winning documentary on Srebrenica and what has happened afterwards. It is 90 minutes in length and is in Italian with English subtitles.

Srebrenica: Autopsy of a Massacre In July 1995, at the height of the Bosnian war, French policeman Jean-René Ruez, arrived in Sarajevo tasked with hunting down snipers. But after hearing rumors thousands of Muslim men were being tortured and executed, he quickly abandoned his original mission. Appointed Chief Investigator by the Hague, Ruez has spent the past 13 years working tirelessly to prove the massacres were planned in advance. Haunted by all he has learnt and worn down by the weight of his responsibility, Ruez has sacrificed everything to try and hold the guilty to account. Through his eyes, we gain a fresh perspective on what happened at Srebrenica. 52 minutes in English.

RATKO MLADIC ZEPA, VLASENICA AND THE WHITE WOLVES RARE FOOTAGE OF MLADIC IN EASTERN BOSNIA IN 1995 BEFORE THE FALL OF THE EASTERN ENLCAVES. 2HR 30 MINUTES OF RARE FOOTAGE! IN BOSNIAN/SERBIAN! It shows Mladic in Srebrenica after the fall and talking to the victims of Srebrenica genocide as they are about to be taken away. It also shows the VRS forces around Srebrenica after the fall.

skies above srebrenica! 101 minutes w english subtitles! On the 11 of July 1995, the most mortifying crimes after World War II in Europe destroyed the Bosnian town of Srebrenica. Shootings and deportations beyond imagination were preceded by a betrayal of humanity: while 40,000 civilians were looking into the sky of Srebrenica, waiting for a sign from the international community, guaranteeing their protection, the headquarters of the United Nations decided to surrender. The betrayal kills 8,372 men, women and children. Sky above Srebrenica is based on protocols of the secret crisis meetings of the UN headquarters. In a unique way never before released original material of the consequences is shown next to those who are responsible for these.

CANDLES AGAINST THE NIGHT  a great documentary that shows  how young people in Srebrenica, regardless of ethnicity are trying to create a better future for themselves and their town. It asks the question who is trying to hold onto the past (politicians and religious leaders on all sides) and keep Bosnia from moving forward. 55 minutes in English w some subtitles.

Srebrenica the Fall this video has been used at the Hague tribunal that shows a timeline inside the besieged town of Srebrenica before the fall, during the fall and after the fall. A rare deep look at the genocide that happened in Bosnia in 1995 in Srebrenica over 3 hours in length.

Srebrenica A Town Betrayed 60 min. made by Norway TV Documentary movie of the truth about Bosnian town of Srebrenica in July 1995 and the destiny of the Serbs in Sarajevo during the civil war in Bosnia & Herzegovina, 1992-1995. Movie is made by Norwegian directors and shown for the first time in Sweden and Norway in summer 2011. Movie is in English and Serbian language.

SREBRENICA WHAT REALLY HAPPENED: DVD IN ENGLISH FROM SERBIAN VIEWPOINT MOSTLY PROPAGANDA

Village of forgotten windows

Srebrenica never again
 

PHOTOGRAPHS FROM SREBRENICA AND POTOCARI BOSNIA AND HERCIGOVINA

A collection of photographs from Srebrenica and Potocari, Bosnia and Herzigovina...
 
































































































































































































An excellent site that shows the breakdown of the genocide in Srebrenica...
 
 
 
 

 
A link to the Potocari memorial website.....
 
A link to the Srebrenica genocide blog...