TBLPOD17march2016

Dunbar visit, University protests, sex tapes, lari up, Karasin BS, Gvenetadze replaces Kadagidze, new AZ gas deal, SO road, Otsneba marriage inequality amendment, Levan Gach Maestro director, visa free update, Petriashvili attack arrest, al-Shishani dead again, Daesh arrests, governors resign, Otsneba strife, prisoner exchange, Margvel econ adviser, Japan highway cash, EU cash for association deal, Bobokhidze Tsulukiani exchange, Army Muslim mosque, Tech park in Zugdidi, Crowne Plaze Borjomi opens, Tskhaltubo development, replace Radisson parking lot finally, Larsi checkpoint update, Saudis get Delta trucks, rich guy wants Jvari in Jerusalem, Beigbeder visit, Riga parrots, loud noise law, Beidul Rustaveli

4 thoughts on “TBLPOD17march2016

  1. The MEME this week is a photo going viral posted to facebook by British model Richard Biedul — of him side by side looking very much like the iconic photo of Shota Rustaveli. Link: http://bit.ly/1LCOsxP

    In JAMnews, political analyst Ghia Nodia looks at the role of the Republicans in the Otsneba coalition and the recent infighting with other coalition parties. Link: http://bit.ly/1ZmLjVb

    Georgia Today follows up on Russian telecommunications company VimpelCom which is looking to buy Georgian internet provider Caucasus Online. Link: http://bit.ly/1pGRIyC

    Voice of America speaks with Muslims in Georgia to uncover what lures people to join up fighting with Daesh. Link: http://bit.ly/1RPdg4N

    Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reporter Liz Fuller writes that the South Ossetia leadership is not happy about the military agreement that is part of the treaty on integration with Russia. Link: http://bit.ly/1pwvIWo

    DfWatch’s photos from the TSU student protests. Link: http://bit.ly/1Rh162B

    Civil.ge’s photos from the TSU student protests. Link: http://bit.ly/1T4LGTz

    RFE/RL video report from the TSU student protests. Link: http://bit.ly/1MyODFe

    In Eurasianet, Monica Ellena has an interesting piece on bread and status in Georgia. Link: http://bit.ly/1XJ3fYE

    In the Huffington Post, analyst Armine Sahakyan writes a generous commentary about Georgia saying that public protests in Georgia were able to thwart the Gazprom deal. Link: http://huff.to/1P3iy8o

    Stanford Alumni magazine has a bit on the university’s Special Language Program, including Georgian. Link: http://stanford.io/1Sevg8S

    ANNOUNCEMENTS:

    The Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia in Tbilisi has an exhibition of rare coins used in Georgia, dating from the 6th century BC to the 19th century.

    In Tbilisi: until 27th of March, the British embassy is hosting a documentary photo exhibit looking ‘beyond the headlines’ in Pankisi Gorge. It’s at Europe House on Freedom Square.

    In Vienna there is an ‘Architecture at the Intersection of Continents’ exhibition running until the end of April. It features a scale mockup of the Bank of Georgia head office in Tbilisi, which was initially the Soviet-era Roads Department.

    In Tbilisi on the 19th of March at 8pm, there will be an ‘Earth Hour’ at the Round Garden hosted by the UNDP.

  2. Your confusion as to who could be responsible for the distribution of the videos is understandable. They damage society and democracy in equal measure and therefore seem to favor no faction.

    I was however drawn to this quote from a recently published paper. The action could be seen as an pro “Traditional Values” anti EU play.

    It would not be the first time that Georgians have looked internally only to find that they were being mainipulated from overseas.

    “A particular example is the redirection of malware originally intended for cyber crime to manipulating viewer figures to promote pro-Russian online video clips”.

    https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/files/chathamhouse/publications/research/2016-03-21-russias-new-tools-giles.pdf

  3. Anyone remember when the last large-scale student protests where in Georgia? Off the top of my head I can think of the 2001 protests initiated/led by students against the Rustavi 2 shuttering (See Paul Manning’s Rose Colored glasses article on it for background), but can’t think of anything this large since (I’m probably wrong though) .

  4. I really enjoyed this pod cast – Missed your informative ‘take’ on things when you had your week off. I am not surprised you needed a rest… all that sextaping going on in Georgian must be exhausting!!

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