virtual edition of me

music. heavy.

2011-02-11T02:09:00.002+01:00

Although I have many other ideas (for which I don't take time to write down) I feel strong need to write about my passions. One is mountaineering, the other is music (there are others, but not in focus of this post). Many people don't understand neither of them. Well, they admire pictures of beautiful mountains. What they don't understand is that I don't count and collect summits I've climbed. I just enjoy the path and the whole way is the goal. A good tour for me is a whole day in the mountains, from sunrise until sunset. And that's actually all I have to say, there's nothing else to add. Let pictures in my past and future posts speak for themselves as much as they can. Everything else is reserved for those who go there and take all the time they have.

And this blogpost was actually meant to be about music. Metal music. The issue with music is different. The more people listen to it the less they understand. Well, did you know that intelligence of people who love metal music is above average? *joke* Although I would like to believe it I doubt this is a statistically proven thesis :) This would explain that the majority doesn't understand why we listen to metal ...

Nick Holmes, Image via Wikipedia

Metal music is so passionate, so full of rhythm and so rich in instruments ... that I just love it. It's in my heart it's in (my) your soul* as written by Nick Holmes from Paradise Lost, my favorite band. It's very amusing when people say that I don't seem like I listen to metal or find interesting that I still listen to metal (like in my teenage years). How should I have to look like, wearing chains or something? Should I change my music taste after becoming an adult? You don't get it. Metal music is not something dark haired, angry teenagers would do out of their rebellion until they grow up. Well, I've changed my taste a bit and prefer clear vocals to rough growling but I still love the rhythm of my teenage favorites, Florida death metal founders Death, Obituary and the darkest Deicide (and still love to see them live – last year Obituary were on Metalcamp in Tolmin and Deicide are coming this year). Today I love some melodic, progressive Swedish and Finnish metal bands, especially Evergrey with Tom Englund's incredible voice and excellent lyrics. Amorphis and Katatonia are quite good as well (they are both having gigs on Metalcamp this year). And I'm still waiting for a chance to see a young but yet great band Trivium** which perfectly combines the heritage of their older Florida (and West Coast) colleagues as well as metal legends like Metallica. They have a great future.

Max Cavalera, Image via Wikipedia

Well, there would be no metal history without legends. My favorite band from 20 years ago, Sepultura with its »father« Max Cavalera (today Soulfly). Metallica, the legend. Megadeth (vocal and lyrics) and Slayer (riffs and rhythm). Have I forgotten anyone? Yes, the greatest metal romantics, Scorpions and Whitesnake. I still listen to them a lot :) (but it's harder to watch them ...) And for me it all started with Guns 'n' Roses (them I really don't stand anymore) and yes, the great and legendary dark gothics The Sisters of Mercy. Oh, did I mention I was in grunge generation and was a couple of years totally in grunge? Some other time about that ...

James Hetfield (Metallica), Image by /amf via Flickr

I've loved gothic and I still love it the most. Paradise Lost, not to forget to mention, are founders and gods of gothic metal. Their genre »founding song« Gothic is just e p i c. And they have the greatest lyrics (they make songs, real songs, said Kreator's Mille Petrozza), written by Nick, their remarkable writer and vocalist and they have the greatest guitar riffs performed by guitar god, composer and band founder Greg Mackintosh.

Paradise Lost, Gothic (video is the property of Paradise Lost)***

One of the greatest Greg's solos (video is the property of Paradise Lost)

Did you know that metal bands go great with classic? Check out some great performances: Paradise Lost with Prague Orchestra, Scorpions with Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Metallica with San Francisco Symphony Orchestra (or just listen to Apocalyptica, but that's a different story).

Metal is a (sub)culture and it's a mindset in some way as we live it. I listen to some other music genres as well but none of them makes me feel like metal does. It's a passion. And nothing can compare to a metal festival. Well, maybe a great two-day mountain tour above 2000m.

Metalheads, do you have any suggestions what else should I listen to?

* From the Paradise Lost song Your Own Reality.

** I love Last FM for following my favorite bands and exploring new music therefore the links go there for more band info

*** I apologize Paradise Lost and Century Media for potential infringement of their copyrights for publishing these videos. They have been published with my best intentions to present PL's work to my readers. Readers please check out the official Century Media channel for more PL videos.

sunset on the top

2010-12-14T19:28:00.001+01:00

In the mountains, sun shines brighter, sky is deeper blue and sunset really sparkles. Especially on a very cold winter day. And this is only confession of a mountain junkie. (Or you could believe it.)*

Sunny Karavanke in the distance with Stol, the highest peak in the middle

A view of Triglav, the highest mountain in Slovenia

In the background, a chain of mountains between Krma and Kot, two valleys in Eastern Julian Alps, Slovenia

A view from the top where sun is still shining

The beginning of sunset

Watching the sun going down ...

... sinking in the horizon

There's just a sunlight left

The same view as in the first picture, after the sunset

*pics are shot with 3.2 MP smartphone camera and despite low quality I couldn't resist sharing it

fairtrade - how fair is it?

2010-08-25T02:08:00.000+02:00

Have you ever heard of fairtrade? Do you buy fairtrade labeled products? Do you trust fairtrade?

It's about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. Fairtrade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. It's an organized social movement which advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as social and environmental standards.*

Sounds idealistic? It probably is for the critics who see it as unnecessary subsidy that just doesn't fit in our economy and even (according to Adam Smith Institute as stated on Wikipedia) as a marketing ploy that impedes economic growth. On the other side, many people are questioning it because it doesn't result in any radical changes of world economy and it doesn't help to cure world poverty.

But the facts are more encouraging. According to FLO the sales of Fairtrade certified products have been growing on an average of almost 40% per year in the last five years. In 2008, Fairtrade certified sales amounted to approximately €2.9 billion worldwide, a 22% year-to-year increase. More than 1 million producers and workers in 58 developing countries now benefit from global Fairtrade sales. FLO estimates that 5 million people directly benefit from Fairtrade. Similar trends are shown in figures presented by UK's Fairtrade Foundation.

Sounds convincing, but ... although I buy a lot of fairtrade products since I buy organic and many organic producers are also committed to fairtrade, I'm not a convinced advocate of this idea (of course I appreciate it). The question raised is whether fairtrade only helps some people to live better or does it significantly contribute to changing the economic landscape which we live in? The purpose is definitely good if some people (and 5 million is more than just "some" ...) have better lives but its mission should result in impact on global economy. It's not enough for me as a fairtrade buyer just to feel better for helping some groups of producers and to express my values while at the same time knowing that I can't change the world economy. What sense does it make in the long run? It's just fixing current problems without solving the actual cause. And there's another issue that fairtrade is not a solution.

For European consumer all fairtrade goods and products are imported or made of imported ingredients from other continents (Africa, Asia) which is not the right practice for the future. We'll have to go beyond globalism buying local (at least food and other basic goods) which will probably be the best way or the only chance to survive. And of course , bringing fairtrade principles from undeveloped world to our local trade relationships.

Anyway, at this moment, if I choose between global products, I prefer faitrade. And if Julia Roberts does it as well, something will change globally, right ;)?

And if Starbucks provides fairtrade coffee along with financing Ethiopian farmers there is some effect on global economy, right? Or is it just sustaining it while making it feel better?

Sources:

- Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International
- Fair trade on Wikipedia
- Fairtrade Foundation UK
- Oxfam, international confederation
- further reading

* According to international Fairtrade Labelling Organizations
fair trade is an alternative approach to conventional trade and is based on a partnership between producers and consumers. Fairtrade offers producers a better deal and improved terms of trade. This allows them the opportunity to improve their lives and plan for their future. Fairtrade offers consumers a powerful way to reduce poverty through their every day shopping. It focuses in particular on exports from developing countries to developed countries, most notably handicrafts, coffee, cocoa, sugar, tea, bananas, honey, cotton, wine, fresh fruit, chocolate, flowers and gold.

hell over paradise, heaven for metalheads

2010-07-20T19:18:00.007+02:00

Tolmin, Slovenia hosted the 7th Metalcamp this year. A unique metal festival or "headbangers holidays" in the world brings together around 10.000 metalheads from all over the world. Metalcamp is a (metal) music enthusiast's dream: one-week summer festival with all the hottest bands, two stages, camping and beautiful venue. One week in a year the confluence of beautiful Soca and Tolminka rivers is a destination for all who live with metal music in their souls.

my "ticket to heaven" ;)

My last Metalcamp "fever" started just after it was announced that Paradise Lost, my favorite band would perform. Metalcamp is either way a great festival (and I'm so lucky that it takes place in my country!) and with Paradise Lost performing I couldn't wish more. Well, I could - Obituary would be performing as well, the "gods" of death metal, the band we all fell for in my earliest metal years.

Obituary performing at Metalcamp 2010

My years of being a dedicated metal fan are over and I only pick up one day at Metalcamp but it remains in my soul and one day at Metalcamp is like my soul gets fed for one year. It feels so good to be part of this culture and express it once in a year. And I have the music for all other days :)

Paradise Lost performing at Metalcamp 2010

And my bands? Oh their performance was fantastic! Paradise Lost are really the best band ever, so damn good! Every new album is the best and their live performance is outstanding. They had great songs lineup at MC and Nick Holmes had the best quote: "Look at those fucking mountains! They're beautiful!" I'll never forget :) And Obituary - they're as powerful as 20 years ago and their rhythm is still unbeatable. Real "gods of death"!

me at Metalcamp 2010

Heaven, not hell over paradise, I tell ya!

perfect breakfast #2

2010-06-17T11:53:00.008+02:00

Since I quit eating yoghurt I found the alternative for my breakfast. I haven't manage to make soy yoghurt yet so I make my breakfast with fruits. I don't get any probiotics this way but I can get them other ways.

My perfect breakfast is now a bit different (and seasonally modified so I don't get tired of the same recipe). Mixed fruits with some grain milk or coconut milk is the base - apple with exotic fruit (banana, avocado or mango) in winter, seasonal fruits for the rest of the year (like strawberries and apples in spring or currently strawberries, cherries and blueberries). Other ingredients I add into this mixture: coconut flour, mixed grain flakes, coconut flakes, linseed and sesame seed, apricot kernels, hemp seed, cacao nibs (yummy!), some almonds or macadamia and wheatgerm oil or coconut oil. Sometimes I replace flakes with cooked spelt or millet (it comes as a by-product when making milk).

you can mix the ingredients with blender (like I do for my little one) or just chop them roughly

be sure to grind the seeds (and nuts) with stone grinder and don't leave them ground for more than 10 min before you eat (they quickly oxidise and after that the effect of their powerful vitamins and minerals diminish)

After breakfast it's time for herbal tea (recently I've been drinking detox tea and rise&shine) or grain coffee (usually spelt).

It's a good start for a good day ...

I linked the ingredients to some online shops, products and resources for readers in Slovenia. Almost all ingredients can be bought at local food market - find organic farmers' stands, you'll be surprised, what they have to offer! Exotic food which is not available on local markets or farms should be consumed only occasionally or in small amounts.

I usually buy from the following farms: Rengeo (Salovci), Pr'Rejcu (Krnice, Gorenja vas) with Demeter certifikate! and Slibar (Kovor, Trzic).

cow milk is for cows, don't you think?

2010-04-25T00:09:00.007+02:00

you probably know and have heard about food being a main drug to humankind. but did you know that majority of so called western cultures are "addicted" to cow milk? based on information I've got so far, we are true milk junkies and we hardly notice that. do you know that many people and especially children have chronic colds, respiratory problems and even asthma because of milk (due to undiscovered milk allergy)? it causes mucus* all over our body and it sticks our respiratory channels together.

I've read enough (just google "cow milk causes respiratory problems and colds" or "cow milk mucus" and you've got a lot to read)** and seen enough people suffering it to be sure of that. I am the case as well. I live a healthy life, including food (fresh, organic, local, home prepared, balanced …) so in recent years after I dumped abnormal working conditions (workaholic driven job) and spent most of my free time in the mountains I managed to build a strong immune system. but it still has a grey spot - I cannot pass a year without catching one or two colds. I manage to cure the symptoms in two or three days with herbal remedies only but something remains with me for a week or two - enormous amounts of mucus so I have to snore and cough my way out of an innocent cold. two of my friends suffered the same and guess what - after they quit milk (and not eating dairy products on a daily basis) such troubles have completely gone. I hadn't really notice it until I've caught my last cold few days ago and I've been like an alien in Alien - really, I feel like a sci-fi creature, full of green mucus. sorry, but that's the way it is. and yes, I eat yogurt every single day! now I also know why do I have to rinse my nose every day to free my respiratory channels. well, I was on a strict non-diary diet one month last year to prevent my baby to develop a milk allergy and I've never felt such a strong detox!

think about all the children with constant colds and even worse disease! you don't believe me? I know, milk is such a right thing for us, we drink it almost from birth, right? we are doped with all the dairy stuff - milk, yogurt, cheese, pudding, chocolates, cakes … everything is so delicious and … yummy. yes, that's milk in it. it flows us with mucus and makes us addicted. and we take it for granted. we don't imagine our breakfast and our dinner without it and our snacks and our coffee and ... what a mistake! I am happy that I didn't make such a mistake with my baby. first year growing up with my milk and then with nature's milk like oat, millet, spelt, soya and rice he's never been ill so far (year and a half).

milk is for cows, not for people. and after mother milk is gone, nature is offering enough. thank you, nature.

* Slovene word for mucus = sluz
** I don't copy the links since Google has enough of it on top hits. and there are also links that of course negate the connections between milk/mucus/respiratory disease and talk about it as a myth.

impressions from Social Media World Forum

2010-03-17T00:31:00.003+01:00

The conference gave us two days of extensive programe. We heard some good workshops and lectures but there were still too many presentations where lecturers didn't stick to key rules: get straight to the point, don't spend time with time consuming introductory slides, don't present theories (we can read them in books), share your experience and present what we can learn from cases. I heard about the number of Facebook users and other stats (too) many times (and no one was evaluating the share of active users), everyone was talking about engage, engage & engage and only few were specific, and Nudge guys (although with some good presentations) had Tango'd us (i. e. presenting their successful Facebook case) again and again.

But to be a bit cynical - regarding the general knowledge and experience level of participants (as briefly noticed) I suppose many were more than satisfied and got to know a lot of new stuff or even the whole new SM world ;) Some of them were setting up Twitter accounts at the venue and such things ...

Well, despite the basics there were presentations with good points - workshop on how to run a social campaign on Facebook was like for dummies but with clear highlights and learnings from successful campaigns - cases showing how to maintain engagement with exclusive content, external events, user to user communication, action and return awards and enforced scarcity.

Adam Graham gave some highlights of social media future with a refreshing presentation of their campaign for Decode - digital art exhibition and Geoff Hughes had a very good though simple presentation on ROI measurement of FB campaigns. The viral loop workshop had some useful points assesing the tools to get things moving like reciprocation, competition, benchmarking, shared opportunity and (user to user) communication. I also liked the idea that social media strategy came out of CRM department (in case of Smart where MB launched its own Smart community).

It's time to replace social media term with simply internet, said Alex Miller when talking about "Social media is out of control". And again we were reminded - social is a feature not a destination.

There were a lot of other sessions and lectures which didn't give any valuable content, at least not to meet my expectations. And panels were disappointment - no in-depth debate, no provocative questions and argumentation and so on. It was a better decision to listen to workshops instead (yes, listen - workshops were just - more to the point but still - lectures).

I expected much more from workshop on direct marketing in social media decade. I was missing issues like offline integration and ethical issues. Anyway, networking and resources are the value of conferences as well. I was lucky to meet some new people like Sanja Rastovac and Davorin Gabrovec.

Social Media World Forum - counting down

2010-03-03T22:37:00.003+01:00

12 days left, over 3000 attendees already pre-registered and most recently confirmed speaker - Patrick Crane, VP Marketing, LinkedIn. Over 120 speakers include MD LinkedIn Europe, people from Facebook, XING, founder of Ecademy, CEO Tweetmeme, people from brands such as Ikea, Virgin Atlantic, Mercedes Benz, AOL, Thomson Reuters etc.

The conference will have three social media streams: social media world forum, enterprise social media and mobile social media. Social media world forum will be covered by the following sessions:

- Examining the current state of social media
- Evaluating social media campaigns
- Building a brand using social media
- Niche networks, games and applications
- Social network advertising and monitization
- Social media and PR
- B2B social networks: Social media in business & politics
- The future of social media

A very interesting program is announced for other two streams as well - it will be hard working two days! The time will be short for everything so a personal schedule is a must! And last but not least - Wiley publishers will be there with lots of books.

Social Media World Forum - see you there?

2010-02-07T00:48:00.003+01:00

Europe's leading social media event. Two day event featuring four dedicated conference streams, workshops and exhibition.

Conference streams include: Social Media World Forum, Enterprise Social Media, Social TV , Mobile Social Media, Cloud Computing Congress.

Key features:

- key speakers from global brands, organizations, social networking publishers and developers, pioneering social media leaders, agencies, content producers

- the latest in brand engagement using social media, social media monitoring tools, new avenues for social network advertising, and building community based management

- social media gaming & virtual currencies. building social media apps - and understanding the market for virtual good and virtual currencies. the opportunities for brands within social gaming

- the impact of social media on politics, the impact Twitter is having in politics and celebrity domains, and the role of social media within PR

- Facebook Developer Garage & Workshops

- Ecademy Workshop: An Introduction to Social Networking

I'm looking forward to attending Social Media World forum.

I'll keep you updated on my blog. You can register here - if you attend, please let me know.

"christmas" shopping out of shopping centers

2009-12-20T09:44:00.005+01:00

December is a very convenient month for shopping - shops are full and Christmas fever brings discounts all around. But many of us don't like spending time in shopping centers, mingling with the crowds, listening to noise of people talking and loud music and last but not least, catching viruses. What if we have a chance to shop in a different way? Sitting on a couch with laptop, browsing cool stuff and checking discounts in no hurry and discomfort? And getting "christmas presents" (or whatever) 30%, 40%, 50% off? Online shopping is just that and much more. This year it was especially successful. Shoes, clothes, tech stuff, toys and cosmetics, we got great prices and some free postage and incentives as well. And last week a "Santa" from Post office, DHL, UPS etc. knocked on our doors almost every day :)

So I'll survive "merry December" and soon welcome beautiful January when everything will calm down, I will bake a first cake for my little son and there will be a lot of snow I hope.

In memoriam. Tomaz Humar, 1969-2009.

2009-11-16T22:06:00.002+01:00

We dream or we live. He lived, living his dreams. Now he dreams, eternally. Himalaya wanted him, forever. We have him in our hearts, in our best memory. R.I.P.

Slovenija 2020, call for action

2009-09-30T12:02:00.004+02:00

Slovenija 2020 has been formed as Facebook, Noovo and LinkedIn groups with more than 500 members at the moment. Members contribute suggestions what should change in Slovenija to make a better future. Everyone should contribute if we want to make our future bright. If we leave it to the politicians, we won't be happy in 2020. Don't wait, don't be shy, wake up, speak up. You can write your three suggestions as a comment to this post or by joining the groups or post the reply on Twitter.

Some additional suggestions have come on my mind:

- additional taxes for high consumption cars (progressive taxation acc. to consumption)
- clear and decisive policy for conserving natural heritage with minimal respect to commercial interests - strict regulation for any intervention in protected natural habitats and natural parks in the means of construction, traffic, infrastructure and events
- national tourism strategy with respect to the nature and the fact it's a small country with limited capacities and nature where there's no place for mass tourism; encouraging eco and nature friendly tourism capacities and arrangements for eco-aware and responsible tourist

Slovenija 2020: my 3 suggestions

2009-09-27T08:17:00.002+02:00

1) subventions for eco building and energy sources
2) reduced taxes for startups and eco companies
3) efficient public transport, free of fosil fules

adding 4.) prohibition of TV advertising

overall: culture (r)evolution from consumerism to responsible citizenship

suggestions by other colleagues that could be top 3:

- high taxes for pesticides
- alternative and mainstream medicine
- equal alternativne and mainstream medicine
- sistematic learning of enterpreneurship for young and elderly
- reduction of public and state adminitration for 80%

cosmetic updates #3

2009-09-17T09:54:00.002+02:00

Great post of Marshall Curtis MD, producer of Raw Organic. About production of organic cosmetics, local ingredients, Soil Association standards ... and caring for the environment and ourselves. That's the producer I support.
Shared from Imperfectly natural site.

Trance heaven @ Ljubljana

2009-07-13T07:26:00.002+02:00

It was a night of trance. Music got us high, dreams were real. Trance god played for us till the morning. Tiesto in Ljubljana, 24.6.09. Full energy, great performance, 4 hours of pure trance. We want more!

official video report:

one of "the best of" videos:

leaders who are not

2009-06-21T00:09:00.003+02:00

A very good HBR article on the worst leaders (or what leaders shouldn't be): Ten Fatal Flaws That Derail Leaders

make your own shampoo #2

2009-05-17T00:01:00.003+02:00

My recent home made shampoo is the following:

- white Ghassoul clay
- neem powder
- peach kernel oil
- almond oil
- coconut oil
- distilled rose water
- ylang ylang essential oil
- chamomille essential oil
- lavender essential oil

I mixed the ingredients together and made a paste which I massaged into scalp and left it on hair for 10 minutes. Then I rinsed it with aritha (soapnuts) brew and nettle infusion.

It feels quite strange, washing hair without any lather, but yet very cleansing. After washing, hair looks great with nice volume and shine. It doesn't feel silky (that I miss) yet very easy to handle and form. What is important is the right proportion of ingredients. Last time I didn't use enough coconut oil (which acts as conditioner) so my hair was too dry (but I could condition it with oil additionally and then rinse it again). But it's not hard to try and figure out the right combination - it's worth it, having my own tailor made shampoo. And I can leave my hair with it for a week or more!

cosmetic updates #2

2009-05-06T22:04:00.002+02:00

Further report on Essential Care: Aloe Vera Body Wash is great. Extremely gentle, nice silky texture, fragrance free allows to add my favorite essential oils (so I prefer it to their other body washes). Chamomille for my baby, Lemongrass for my man, Ylang Ylang for me, a few drops of Patchouli for both ... here we go enjoying bath and shower.

Same way can be used Akamuti's fragrance free soap (Organic Liquid Castille Soap) but I miss aloe vera and the texture is rather oily than silky. Great for hands and hair.

Akamuti: I find their face care products the best ever.

- Rose face cream (Replenishing Face Cream) (now I know why bestseller). This is the first cream ever that doesn't give a feeling of my face being packed into plastic-named-cream or some face fluid feeling like a sticky water. This cream doesn't give a feeling like I put some strange substance on my skin. It feels like a natural part of it. It doesn't spoil the skin's natural activity. And it works great on pores. A mixture of pure cold-pressed and essential oils only with beeswax base obviously does the best job! Works on eye area as well, no need for special eye cream.
- Orange cream cleanser (Sweet Orange Cleansing Cream). A gentle and purifying oil mixture with beeswax base. Efficient, smells delicious, easy to apply, easy to remove.
- Rose and orange (neroli) facial toner (Organic Facial Mist). Not an alcohol kind of toner, just pure flower distillates. Doesn't irritate eyes and nose. Refreshing, soothing, purifying ... I couldn't wish anything else.

Each of these three products is superb and together they make a perfect combination.

Next time I will post a report on my new home made shampoo.

blogging. the next generation.

2009-04-27T14:16:00.002+02:00

Blogging is far from being dead. Although I posted some time ago that it's out. With a smile :) Well it's not, it has just introduced in next generation. No more personal reflections or "dear diary" kind of blogging with irrelevant content that matters to blogger her/himself only. I've never liked this kind of blogs. Although my blog is personal I always have in mind to post information that could be useful to readers in their everyday lives. But blogging has come much further from sharing our lives and exchanging our ideas and experience. Blogging is about business communities, new journalism, social networking and interactive PR. Blogs are where new businesses arise, new ideas grow, new groups form, new thinkers develop, new events happen. Blogs connect to each other and they connect with social networks to join their powers.

Since my blog is personal and I have other things to write than about what I like and how I live, I am developing my professional blog as well. I will let you know when I publish it. Until then, follow me on Twitter for my thoughts or read me as a guest "thinker" on Infa's thinking page.

Recent eMarketer Report on Blogging

what's wrong with what we eat

2009-04-19T21:37:00.004+02:00

Food production as we know it today requires huge amounts of water in the whole production chain.

1 l of milk requires 1000 l of water.
1 kg of poultry requires 5000 l of water.
For 1 kg of pork 10000 l water.
For 1 kg beef 20000 l water.
For comparison, production of average car requires 150000 l water.
1 kg vegetable is loaded with 200 l water and 1kg fruit with 700 l water.

I borrowed and translated the following words from the respected Slovene ecologist Anton Komat: Global nutritional system is collapsing. ... We have to move the energy base of civilization back to the sun and reestablish the local food production with minimal costs.

eco nappies

2009-04-10T10:07:00.003+02:00

I decided to use washable nappies instead of disposable even before my baby was born. The decision was easy due to the following facts about disposable nappies:
- they contribute a substantial share of world's non degradable waste
- they contain chemicals (harmful of course) to make baby feel dry
- the expenses are high, in thousands of euros

So there came the harder job - choosing the nappies. The offer is varied and available online. So I had to define the criteria otherwise I would be lost in the market. I decided the following:

- I want organic cotton or bamboo nappies for better comfort and health
- nappies should be one sized so I won't have to buy new size when baby grows (one-sized nappies are better value for money as well)
- for better convenience I chose "all in one" nappies - without separate nappy cover and with attached soakers (so you don't need to put the nappy together before use)

After reviewing the offer I chose the following for testing:
- ItiitBitti All in One (they're not one-sized but I tested them anyway)
- TotsBots Easyfit
- bumGenius all in one organic cotton
- Pop-in nappy by Close parent

I decided for TotsBots which are far the best due to the features:

- best fit (baby doesn't look as the bottom is the center of his body :)) and shape, it looks as thin as disposable nappy
- best material - very soft bamboo inner material
- fast drying (soaker can be pulled out when drying).

IttiBitti are to thick and they are not one sized. bumGenius are nearly as thin as TotsBots (but not so thin since organic cotton is thicker) but the organic cotton needs too much time for drying. And they are not shaped as good as TotsBots (less trimmed I suppose). Pop-in are very thick, not shaped very well and slow drying. And the soaker material is not soft at all.

Now we enjoy with TotsBots. They are also great for mum to use, very easy to fold and fasten on playful baby. And they have very nice design. We have some white and some colored nappies so that can be washed with either white or color laundry. To be honest, if I wanted to choose even more completely organic nappies, I would buy unbleached bamboo TotsBots with separate nappy covers. But this was a kind of compromise. I tried the disposables as well (Moltex and Bambo, both eco certified). Unfortunatelly the first month my baby was to small for any cloth nappy to fit him. What bothered me the most was that enormous amount of waste. And buying them all the time. Now I use them sometimes when going out (to a doctor or somewhere where there isn't the right time and place to handle the dirty washables).

There are many online shops with washable nappies so I only refer here to those where I bought them: www.softbots.co.uk, www.babipur.co.uk and stoffwindelcompany.de. Or just google the "washable nappies" or "eco nappies" and you'll find many offers. In Slovenia, washable nappies are available in online eco shops (e.g. Ekolife), in online baby shop Soncek and by nappy vendors Racman and Storklja (both online as well).

Critics say that washable nappies contribute to higher energy and water consumption due to washing and drying. I wash them with other laundry and I bought enough nappies so I only have to wash them once or twice a week. I don't use laundry dryer. And I use soap nuts instead of any harsh washing powders. The only disadvantage I see is a little more of a "dirty job". But it's worth it.

cosmetic updates

2009-04-02T10:27:00.003+02:00

I found out that Akamuti's cream moisturizers and balms are just great (up to now I was only eager to use their butters). Recently I'm especially beeing amazed with Tangerine Twist Foot Smoothie although I've thought so far that Shea Cocoa Mint Foot Butter is the best foot product ever. And I am extremely enjoying their delicious Buttered Rose & Almond hand cream.

I tested wide range of Essential Care products and it's definitely my top choice for hair and body wash. I like their purity (they characterize as "purists in skincare") and the high Soil Association standard. More info will follow.

make your own shampoo

2009-03-30T18:48:00.002+02:00

Yes, I make one. It's not a simple one considering ingredient list, but it's simple to make it.

You need:
- herbal powders
- floral/herbal distillates (optional)
- essential oils
- cold pressed oils

This is it. What makes it hard is to choose and combine the right ingredients in the most efficient amounts for your own hair and scalp. I am still trying out the best formula.

My recipe for dandruff and itchy scalp:
- aritha (soapnut) powder
- amla and neem powder
- tea tree distillate
- olive, coconut and avocado oil as base oils
- essential oils: bay leaf, tea tree, ylang ylang, peppermint, eucalyptus and lavender
- neem, manuka and myrrh oil as additional oils
- himalayan salt (or natural unbleached sea salt)
- warm water

Mixed together in a soft, thick liquid, it's great for shampooing.

Here is another recipe I will try for long, normal hair:
- aritha, shikakai and neem powder
- olive and coconut oil (maybe I will use the mix of saponified olive and coconut oils offered by Akamuti), red palm oil, peach kernel and macadamia oil
- essential oils: ylang ylang, sweet orange, rosemary, lavender and chamomille
- nettle extract (made by my own)
- himalayan salt
- warm water

I'll report how it feels.

cosmetic ingredients

2009-03-30T13:48:00.003+02:00

Since I am a fan of organic cosmetic and I recently especially favor Akamuti due to its purest ingredients without any additives (and it works great) I feel obliged to raise awareness about cosmetic ingredients. Following is a typical list of chemical ingredients used in conventional cosmetic which has no place in organic cosmetic and it should have no place on our skin and consequently, in our bodies. The list and descriptions are copied from Akamuti's site since I find it very brief and clear. I've already written some words on chemicals in cosmetic in this post.

Parabens
Parabens are synthetic preservatives which can be found in most skin & hair products. They are usually derived from petrochemical sources & are easily absorbed by the skin. They are known skin irritants & have been shown to disrupt hormone activity & lower male fertility. They mimic the actions of the hormone oestrogen. Parabens come in the form of methyl, ethyl, butyl & propylparabens.

Preservatives
Apart from parabens, there are many other preservatives to be found in your average skin & hair product. These include alcohol denat, BHT, EDTA, polythene glycol, propylene glycol & many more. Many are known skin irritants & very toxic to the body. Some preservatives enhance the skins absorption of other poisonous substances.

Petrochemicals
Petrochemicals are the by-products of the petroleum industry. This includes paraffin wax (see below). Petrochemical ingredients include perfume & fragrances, emulsifiers, petrolatum, propylene glycol & mineral oil. Mineral oil is manufactured from crude oil.

Paraffin
This common ingredient comes in the form of a wax or a liquid, derived from the petroleum refining process. Paraffin wax is a grey sludge which needs to be bleached & processed before it is deemed suitable to work with. It forms the base of many creams. It is used to work as a lubricant & emulsifier.

Phthalates
Phthalates are a group of synthetic chemicals used in cosmetics as solvents & fragrance enhancers. They have been found to be toxic & have been linked to cancer. Two phthalates have now been banned for use in cosmetics by the EC Directive because of their toxicity to the human reproductive system. If phthalates are added to a product as perfume enhancer there is no requirement by law to list them as 'ingredients' on the label.

Perfume
Perfumes can very easily be inhaled & absorbed through the skin. However, they take a very long time to be removed from the body once they enter. They accumulate in fatty tissue & are toxic to many of the body's internal organs. Most perfumes are toxic solvents with volatile compounds, that are as common in the garage as they are in your face cream. In fact the same solvents used to make perfume/fragrance are found in glue. In concentration these scents are addictive. Cosmetic companies do not need to disclose the chemicals they use to make up their fragrances. Perfumes are environmental pollutants, carcinogenic & damaging to the central nervous system. Many are now labelled by the Environmental Agency as 'hazardous waste'.

Ingredients Tested on Animals
Be aware of claims such as "Not tested on animals". This can mean that the finished product is not tested on animals but the individual ingredients may very well have been.

A-Z List of Commom Cosmetic Ingredients
Acetone - a chemical component found in fragrances, termed a hazardous waste.
AHAs (Alpha-hydroxy-acids) - chemical antiaging exfoliant that burns away the top layer of skin.
Alcohol denat- used as a solvent & preservative.
Bentonites -
BHT - a carcinogenic synthetic preservative & antioxidant which release formaldehyde.
Benzaldehyde - a chemical perfume found in skin & hair preparations.
Benzyl acetate - a chemical component found in perfume, a known pollutant & carcinogenic. Benzyl alcohol - found in perfume, soaps & shampoo it is a respiratory tract irritant.
Benzophenones - chemical fixatives which slow the rate of perfume evapouration.
Carbomer - A synthetic gelling agent which also increases shelf life.
Collagen - animal derived insoluble protiens which suffocates the skin.
Cetearyl/cetyl alcohol - isn't actually an alcohol but a thickner & emulsifier.
DIA (Diethanolamine) - readily absorbed chemical which reacts with preservatives to form highly carcinogenic substances, called nitosamines.
EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid) - a toxic preservative.
Ethanol - Listed as 'hazardous waste' it is found in many perfumed products.
Formuldehyde - a poisonous colourless gas used as a preservative. Carcinogenic & neurotoxic.
Nitosamines - these are not intentionally added to cosmetics, but form when certain chemical ingredients are blended together, particularly 'amines' family. (eg. Diethanolamines)
Propylene glycol - a cosmetic form of petroleum oil, used in antifreeze. A preservative, fixative, solvent & surfacant.
SLES (Sodium laureth sulphate) The alcohol form of SLS see below. *
SLS (Sodium lauryl sulphate) A rapidly absorbed detergent which is reatined in th body's organs.*
*Both SLES & SLS are potentially carcinogenic if they react with other chemical ingredients.
Talc - (magnesium silicate) is often contaminated with asbestos.

This list is constantly being updated & is by no means exhaustive!

spring is here

2009-03-15T19:38:00.001+01:00

And it's never been so beautiful. Long walks with Vid, weekend trips to somewhere, tea&cakes on the sunny cafe terrace, longer days and more sunlight, early flowers, trees and grass turning green and finally, jogging season (for me starting today).

Vid is enjoying it, too.

perfect breakfast

2009-03-04T11:31:00.005+01:00

Breakfast is the best meal. With good breakfast, mornings can be the best part of the day so I never skip it. Recently, I feed my baby and play with him in my usual breakfast time so I usually have late breakfast (almost kinda brunch) with additional ingredients and it's even more enjoyable.

My breakfast is as healthy as it could be and I stick to some rules, such as:
- always eat fruits first
- never skip fruits, linseed, grains and yoghurt, other ingredients/dishes are optional
- all ingredients should be organic (fruits, bread, yoghurt, grains ...) or if not possible, at least completely natural, additive free
- never drink juice (other than freshly squeezed fruit) or any drink with caffeine.

My breakfast must have ingredients are:
- fresh fruits (organic apples, oranges, kiwi etc.)
- mixed grain, corn and spelt flakes with linseed and sunflower seed and yoghurt: flakes and seeds are without any additives, organically grown and produced - such as Demeter; yoghurt is home made - I make it with fresh (non-homogenized) organic milk (by Slovene producer)

My "extended" breakfast includes home made bread (made with organic full-corn wheat, spelt and rye flour, natural emulsifier-free yeast, organic seeds - linseed, sunflower and pumpkin and a little himalayan salt), organic hazelnut cream (a delicious alternative to Nutella!) or fruit spread (be careful that you choose one with no sugar added, no other additives and no jelly - I like St. Dalfour), sometimes butter from local organic farms and additive free honey, some additional fruits and organic grain coffee (such as Vogel's Bambu, Naturata or Rapunzel) which is a very healthy and delicious alternative to coffee or black tea. Recently I've also been taking vitamin supplements for pregnant and breastfeeding women - natural, in juice form.

Healthy, balanced, energetic, delicious!

readers of this blog come from 52 countries

2009-03-03T13:01:00.004+01:00

You're reading a really global blog, as far as Google Analytics shows. If I can believe the statistics, readers of virtual edition of me come from 52 countries. The top 5 countries from which visits originate (not unique visitors) are:

- Slovenia
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Finland
- India

It was a good choice that I write in English. Otherwise there will be no such statistics and information flow would be limited to Slovenia.

I also present the distribution of visits from top 2 countries (see pictures below).

Another stats I found interesting: browser usage of my visitors. It's very much in favor of Firefox and I like that. Anyway, I use Safari and it's been represented by 7% of visits.

I find it quite good although I don't have any benchmark - my blog has 62% of returning visitors who spend on average 2 min 44s on site. Nearly half of visitors come directly on site and the third of traffic is sourced from referring sites (primarily from Blogger, Facebook, and blogs by authors who include me in their blogroll or where I put my comments). Around 16% of visits come from search engine. It could be improved I guess.

Distribution of visits in Slovenia and USA

baby cosmetics. organic.

2009-02-16T11:07:00.002+01:00

After one month use, following are my first findings for baby cosmetics. I've tried Dr. Hauschka, Essential Care, Akamuti and Weleda. I haven't tried (yet) The Organic Pharmacy since prices are much higher and according to my experience products couldn't be so much better. So, the first month results are here:

- Akamuti's Shea Baby Bottom Butter is the greatest for little bottom - it's shea butter with some nice oils (smells of peach and chamomile). Be careful if baby is sensitive to essential oils (well, it only contains chamomile and goes very well with my baby's skin). Great also for face and massage. Quite similar to Akamuti's Shea Baby Bottom Butter but without delicious smell is Essential Care's Soothing Salve. Also multi-purpose.

- I will also try Akamuti's Coco & Almond body butter for face and massage since it's not really appropriate to put hands in the same pot when changing the diapers and moisturizing the baby's face. Well, I tried Akamuti's Soft Peach Baby Moisturizer as well but I don't like it. Actually I am not very fond of their moisturizers and balms - I love their shea butter and cocoa butter based butters.

- For baby bathtime I use Essential Care's Baby Gentle Wash & Shampoo. Very gentle, nice smell, efficient (two drops make a bath and are enough to wash the baby) and multi-purpose (body wash, shampoo & bath) so there's no need for several products. Also good for mum's shower. Convenient package with pump. Dr. Hauschka's Rose Body Wash is also great for washing the baby (and mum's shower), but less convenient for the bath (in this case Akamuti's Bedtime Baby Bath Milk would be fine).

- Dr. Hauschka's Rose Day Cream for baby's face is a choice if you want the best for your baby :) It's also great as a bottom cream but the price is not appropriate for this use. Weleda's Calendula Pflegecreme is also quite good - not as good as Hauschka but much cheaper. And multi-purpose (face, body, bottom).

- For baby massage it's best to have one of the above mentioned products (creams and butters). I think solids (i. e. butters) are better since they're easier to control on the baby's body than liquid oils. Anyway, I also have Akamuti's Peach and Chamomile Baby Oil but most probably I will use it for myself. As I said, liquids are not convenient to care for a baby who is always moving on a changing table.

Well, I also have to mention the products for pregnant (and after labour) tummies. For me, the greatest product is Akamuti's Mum's Tummy Butter. Based on shea butter, great coldpressed oils, the perfect smell (never have it enough), the perfect texture. I still use it as a body moisturizer, I can't stop. For those who prefer oil to butter, Dr. Hauschka's Blackthorn Body Oil is great and it smells gorgeous (but it's a quite heavy smell). I tried The Organic Pharmacy's Stretch Mark Oil and Weleda's oil as well. They're a good but not so great (and The Organic's is far too expensive).

sales management in times of crisis

2008-12-23T11:55:00.002+01:00

This is a followup to my post from March this year, sales management in times of excessive demand. It seems like in crisis all problems that sales management copes with are gone. Top management supports sales and even marketing activities and encourages proactive sales management. They are responsive and affirmative to sales team suggestions compared to their previous passive or even negative reactions to proactivity (although in theory and until it comes to actions they support it or even demand it). It seems that the crisis wakes up the management in so far successful and growing businesses. Finally it drives them to support the real actions so sales and marketing can do their job and if well prepared, just activate the plans already designed before. Unfortunately, it could be too late for the required effects.

Mac, Linux or Windows? (or is there a question at all ...)

2008-12-10T08:10:00.005+01:00

I have been a Mac user for almost a year now and Tomaz finally switched our home mainframe (supporting home LAN, 3 users, serving NFS, Apache, Samba and others) to Linux Ubuntu. So at home, we are off Windows completely (well at work we are both still bound to it). Instead of describing our excitement and satisfaction I rather quote one of his thoughts: "Windows? What is it? How is it used?". Well, maybe we are just the two enthusiasts who have always been searching for alternatives and who are not really understood by Windows users. Anyway, I feel like I need to tell you why we switched (and we have friends, too :)).

Why Mac? It has always been state of the art with its user interface, user experience, security and simplicity. It was simply always a step (or two or three) ahead of Windows as well as a choice of people with strong aesthetic touch.

Why Linux? It combines all the strongest virtues of reliable and customizable OS. And it's open source. I support it and it's a great model for the future (not just for computer development).

And why bother at all about the alternatives if I use Windows at work and had been using it at home since I'd had my first computer?
1) I cannot forgive its major disadvantages (performance, security, dummy-kind user experience ...) and in the same time also pay for it. Besides, every improvement and update comes with a delay.
2) I find trying a different, potentially better OS good for me and the time I spent for getting used to it is not a waste of time. The process itself is good for my knowledge and experience. And the result might bring me a better user experience and higher satisfaction.
3) And I've always been keen on trying alternatives - if there is an alternative to one thing, why not try it? Maybe it is better, different, something new at least, with different kind of experience etc. It's not hard to be satisfied with one thing if one has not tried any other.
4) It's also about the possibility to choose. I want to have it and if I have it I use it.

online shopping rules ... again

2008-12-10T07:37:00.004+01:00

Recently I was occupied (of course ...) with selecting and searching for baby stuff ... furniture, equipment and other accessories, eco clothes & nappies, organic cosmetic ... there's a lot of it all. And I decided to buy everything online. Again, I found online shopping much more convenient than going into stores. More user friendly, less time consuming and less stressful, more deliberate and with much more choice. With plenty of time for decision without a need to go out and drive to the store. And the offer is endless. One of Slovene online stores even offers advise and has a place where customers can see the products (upon the announcement which is even better). The worst store I found on this pre-shopping trip is a leading Slovene conventional baby store. High prices with loyalty program instead of more attractive discount policy, too much to check everything with one visit (I don't find any excitement in visiting it more times), their staff is not competent enough (or at all - they just sell, not advise and they don't have enough information), sometimes they're even unfriendly. Btw, they have online store as well but it's too complicated to use (and takes time to find something) and the prices are as high as in the main store. On the contrary, staff in other online-only stores is friendly, responsive, advisable, proactive and flexible. I contacted some online stores by email and by phone and received personal response and a very good treatment. And I can do all this in my living room or in my bed. And finally I will be comfortably waiting to receive all the packages. At home. (and rather go out for a walk than for shopping)

organic and natural personal care

2008-11-10T20:31:00.006+01:00

As I already found out, organic and natural cosmetic seems great and I don't use any other at all. It's friendly to my skin, efficient and enjoyable, and regarding ingredients, healthy. After I've explored the cosmetic (I'm still exploring it, also in the direction of buying high quality and pure ingredients for home made cosmetic) I continue with hygiene products, household cleaning, dishwashing and laundry, the next step would be personal hygiene textile (underwear, towels ...), baby products ... and so on. And food of course (this will be a special topic some other time, including home production ...) Since I've discovered some great products I will put here some references for cosmetic and cleaning.

Organic and natural cosmetic:

Akamuti. So far, definitely the best. I've been using the first set of products I ordered and I couldn't be more impressed. So far, I haven't found any better and more quality cosmetic in terms of pure (and efficient) ingredients. NO chemical compounds at all! Their body care products are perfect (body butters, foot and hand balms, soap bars) but I haven't tried other products yet. I'm also hardly waiting to try their raw ingredients for home made cosmetic. I also like their business model with fair trade elements and their packaging style (all products in glass pots with printed labels on non-glossy paper). Shopping: nice online shop, fast delivery to Slovenia, affordable delivery costs (from UK).
Dr. Hauschka. It's highly efficient, one of the purest (minimal content of chemical compounds). I especially appreciate it for encouraging self-cleaning and self-balancing processes of the skin. I especially love their face care and body oils. And I like their business policy, production process and quality assurance. Shopping: good prices - very affordable, good value for money. Good availability on Slovene market and very competitive regarding the original prices.
The Organic Pharmacy. A bit high class, I disapprove their luxurious packages (probably too manufactured and dissipated) designed very attractive of course. Great to combine with Dr.Hauschka, I prefer some of the "Organic" products to "Hauschka". Great intensive face care products (anti-aging, eye care) and hair shampoo. Some of the products contain too much of chemical compounds although it's still high % natural and organic and thus one of the purest cosmetic. Shopping: fast order processing and fast delivery to Slovenia, quite high delivery costs but still quite lower prices than in Slovene shops.
Living Nature. Quality comparable to "Hauschka" and "Organic". Product range suits me a little less than that of the first two. Shopping: great customer service in their online shop and free delivery to Slovenia for orders over 100 $ (which is no problem with their prices). But they're New Zealand manufacturer and despite great online customer service they have very uncompetitive prices on European market so they are hardly affordable.

I know and I've tried also other natural cosmetic brands. But these that I refer to have fascinated me with their specific concepts which other brands lack. Encouraging self-processes of the skin, sticking to the purest ingredients, fair trade, taking care of the transport, community business model, limited production, good customer service are some of these concepts that are unique to either of these brands and for which I like them besides their great products and prefer them to others.

Not to stick just to cosmetic, here are the two referrals to organic and natural cleaning products - I am very satisfied with products of both brands:

- Sodasan
- AlmaWin

All cosmetic and cleaning products I refer to are available on Slovene market (in online and/or traditional shops). But I usually (well, always if possible/available) buy them directly from the producers (in their online shops) since the prices are much lower (despite of the delivery costs!). Taking into account of course that producers are European since I also try to stick to them due to transport pollution of the global trading.

I will also collect references for other products (hygiene, baby, ...) and post them later after I have at least as much experience as with cosmetic and cleaning.

Keep it natural!

save the planet ... eco clips from Animal Planet

2008-11-09T10:07:00.001+01:00

The legendary Animal Planet clips are fun and raise eco awareness. Very nice.

old-fashioned

2008-11-03T15:03:00.003+01:00

It seems like I'm old-fashioned. Blogs are out :) Well, at least my posts are beeing imported on my Facebook profile.

home sweet office ... (by Wired)

2008-11-03T14:56:00.002+01:00

Interesting view on working from home and its benefits, published in Wired: Home Sweet Office. I support the idea.

Wilko Vriesman in Ljubljana

2008-10-27T18:51:00.004+01:00

I wasn't on tatamis this time. I participated at the seminar behind the camera and took photos of Wilko and my colleagues. I couldn't imagine that just watching the seminar can give one so much of aikido spirit :) Of course nothing can beat the feeling and experience of attending the seminar with four to five hours of training per day. But being there only to observe for two hours is an interesting way of connecting with aikido practice if one cannot train. A different point of view and different kind of receiving what Wilko is giving us. It's less intense and with no exciting pressure what puts one in a position of maybe being able to absorb it in the mind without expressing it with body. It's like piling up the concepts in the head and storing them for a time to be able to express them. Thank you, Wilko, again. Looking forward to your return.

we are what we eat

2008-10-23T21:07:00.002+02:00

I say we became pigs (or cows). And at least two people agree with me. One of them is talking publicly about it, confirming my belief that changing our eating habits would banish our most widespread disease.

a healthy lifestyle

2008-10-23T20:47:00.002+02:00

It's what I believe in. So I like to spread the ideas of this kind.

I have no idea who is Dr. Dean Ornish. But I like what he talks on TED. Wiki says this about him.

the image of paradise

2008-10-19T20:25:00.005+02:00

Poljana is a place in the southern chain of Bohinj mountains. It's located under the mountain Raskovec. Since the path to Raskovec is unmarked and a bit hard to trace, Poljana is pretty solitary. It's so quiet and so beautiful that I need to go there every once in a while. Furthermore, Poljana is surrounded with other pasture-like places that can be found only by the most curious hikers who are not afraid of stepping off the path. For me, these solitary places are like an image of paradise and being there is like stepping into it.

tea time #2

2008-10-02T15:29:00.002+02:00

Reading Aljazek's tea journey reminded me it's been quite a long since I wrote my only post about tea. And since I take some time for tea in my life I will contribute some words here as well. Well, it's not my intention to describe and analyze in detail different sorts of tea - I will leave this to others like Aljazek and include Wiki links. I just want to share which sorts of tea a like and have been drinking recently so to continue my story of "tea time". I will actually update some info from my first tea post since tea drinking habits are a never-ending story ...

So, I still love Japanese green tea and now I've tried all sorts that are available in the tea shop where I buy it (Cha) except for Matcha - I have to try it! I'm still a fan of Gyokuro which is actually the best one available on our market and this sort is usually brought as a gift from Japan as well. I've also tried Bancha which derives from the same tea tree as Sencha. Both are light and have lower caffein. Bancha is very light tasted, Sencha is a bit stronger. Tasty for almost everyone I would say. I will probably drink a lot of Bancha further on for its lightness (of taste as well as caffein content, especially important in time of pregnancy). Tamaryokucha is also a sort of high quality Japanese tea which is quite similar to Gyokuro, but I still prefer the latter (it's also higher quality). My next step would probably be tasting all sorts of Chinese green tea which are more various than Japanese, with a high range of different tastes and aromas although as much as I've tried them so far (not much) I wasn't fascinated.

My habits of drinking black tea have changed a bit. I don't drink aromatized tea at all and I became a fan of Chinese sorts, especially Yunnan. Yunnan SFGFOP is a superior quality and it's delicious and so tasty I just cannot describe it. Keemun is also fine, I like to drink it due to its low caffeine content. I've also tried all Darjeeling sorts. This Indian tea is relatively light (especially 'first flush' sorts) and better to drink without milk. I usually drink green tea instead. My next step would be experimenting with stronger Assam tea (black Indian) and I'd really love to try Nepal and African black tea. And then I'll continue with white and oolong ...

There's nothing that would make more harm for tea than rush has been a Chinese wisdom. And I would say the same for tasting and experimenting with different sorts. It takes time and there's no hurry ...

cleaners

2008-10-01T13:06:00.002+02:00

I hate household chemical cleaners like 'kitchen cleaner', 'bath cleaner' etc. And I even more hate the ads for these cleaners. They are awful and they teach us about the necessity to have our home 'CLEAN' - clean of what? The cleaners are full of dangerous, unhealthy, harmful and toxic chemicals. Where is the logic to clean something with a poison???

The most of all I hate the oven cleaners. Those specialized spray cleaners 'especially for the oven'. Kills all bacteria and cleans even the toughest grease. Well, let's see some facts.

The oven cleaner sprays its 'rich foam' (lol!) in micro parts to every part of the oven. I wonder how is it possible to clean every micro part of this cleaner out after it finishes its job (=makes the effect)? It has been sprayed all around so it cannot just simply be wiped. This cleaner is really strong - how should one wipe it? With hot water? I strongly doubt that hot water dissolves it. Furthermore, not just the whole oven, the whole kitchen smells of it! The whole kitchen is poisoned although one opens all the windows. And then I should bake the cake in this oven?? Well of course, one has to air the oven thoroughly, leave it open, heat it and leave the air circle around. Yeah right, this should drive away the poison I suppose :) And besides I should waste the energy for heating the empty oven.

So let's summarize the result of cleaning the oven with the oven cleaner:

- the oven is polluted with toxic cleaner which will for sure penetrate into the food
- the kitchen is polluted with toxic smell for hours
- additional energy and water is wasted for cleaning the cleaner (?!?) out of the oven
- my hands, my throat and my respiratory organs are irritated (and with continuous use poisoned)
- well, and the oven is CLEAN (of what?!) and SHINY (yeah, shiny, that's what we need)

What the ....?

And what's wrong with vinegar and soda?

up and down around Bohinj mountains

2008-09-30T13:59:00.004+02:00

It was one of our usual trips that didn't start according to our plans. We changed our minds when we saw dark clouds upon southern Bohinj mountains (Spodnje Bohinjske gore) where our planned destination was. So we headed north-west where the sky looked brighter. It was a good decision. We had a great time and prolonged our tour for couple of hours. We went to the valley of Triglav lakes through the endless and mysterious land of Fuzinske planine and made a beautiful round tour lasting ten hours (cca. eight hours net). We walked a path full of spectacular landscapes and incredible views. And spent one of the most unforgettable days.

Visevnik

Dedno polje

Ovcarija

Velika Ticarica

Dvojno jezero

Ovcarija

Tosc

2008-09-26T16:04:00.006+02:00

At 8.30 we were finally on a road but we still didn't know where to go. The weather didn't look good. Yes we did count on rain and we were prepared but anyway we wanted some sun, too. Where is the justice on this world if only when we have time to go to the mountains there is no sun? As usual in such uncertain weather conditions we took all the main maps and headed to Gorenjska. The plans are made during the ride when we check the weather live from the car. We were watchin all around how it looks up there in the mountains. Cloudy :( Where should we go? We must count on rain so we should decide for a pretty safe destination. Just at the end of the highway I decided to go to Kosuta. But soon after we left the highway we saw dark clouds up there ... no, Kosuta just wasn't the right place for that day. So we turned back and headed further to Gorenjska. It was getting better. The sky upon Julian Alps was becoming clearer and we knew this was it. We're going there. But where to exactly? hm ... I was thinking ... we have 8-9 hours. It's been quite long since we've been to the most beautiful places ... it's been quite a while since the last time on Pokljuka ... yes, I have a destination! "Why shouldn't we go to Tosc?!", I said and Tomaz supported me immediately "yes, let's go to Tosc!". Great, deal! Suzi and Ziga didn't exactly know what we suggested but according to their experience with us and seeing our enthusiasm they didn't doubt our decision. So we went to Tosc.

Actually, Tosc was one of my "most wanted". Well, the most wanted is still Miselj vrh, but it has to wait for the right occasion (a difficult pathless terrain). Tosc has some features which I find it very interested for:

- The starting points are Uskovnica and/or Konjscica - one of my favorite walking route. It's very nice there and peaceful.
- The tour to Tosc from Uskovnica which we took for descent is pretty unpopulated.
- There are majestic and very close views from Tosc to the valleys and peaks around Triglav.
- Tosc is surrounded by many popular peaks and thus quite univisited (the path to the top is unmarked and I love unmarked and pathless tours).
- There is a large meadow top with a lot of place to rest and enjoy the views.

And I've never been to Tosc before. The last time we went there we stopped at the foot of the top since it started to rain and it was in summer (thunderstorms danger).

So it seemed like a perfect destination that day. And it was. It was the last summer weekend and it was very cold (temperatures were the same as in winter). We didn't meet many people (but we did meet three Scandinavians in jogging suits and one of them was wearing Teva-like sandals ... they fortunately turned back after they'd reached Studorski preval) so we really had a peaceful tour. We made a round tour - there we went from Uskovnica over Konjscica (first we intended to take the western path and return over Konjscica but we missed the western path so we made a reverse tour). It was a beautiful sunny morning and we were all alone. We had a rest on Konjscica. It was a clear, sunny and cold day indeed. Then we headed to Jezerce which is situated on the bottom between two saddles - Srenjski preval and Studorski preval. Beautiful. I always love this place, especially in the winter. From Jezerce we climbed to Studorski preval. The views were great. We continued along usually very populated (not that day) trail to Velo polje (and further to Triglav) when we soon turned right and took a path to the top of Tosc. It took us half an hour to the ridge top - we didn't head directly to the peak since we rather turned to the western side of the ridge. Tomaz was ahead of me and when he reached the ridge I heard a happy and admiring exclamation ... of what a view! I could hardly wait to make my final steps and see for myself. A majestic view of Velo polje, Miselj vrh, Vernar, Kanjavec, ... and Triglav of course. And we saw the sea. I cannot describe this view neither the feeling of enjoying it.

That day was great. The weather was ideal and stable, the air had a great transparency, one could see far away all around. We spent the whole day hiking around, saw the sunset and it was already dark when we returned. We were very tired, but why bother? It was all that happy feeling and we finished a day with a good dinner at last.

The route: Rudno polje - Uskovnica - Konjscica - Jezerce - Studorski preval - Tosc - the path below the western slopes of Ablanca - Uskovnica - Rudno polje

Pictures are not from this trip (we forgot the camera). Maybe the day was so beautiful that the pictures could only stay in our memories.

books about media and communications

2008-09-11T11:50:00.003+02:00

I have many of them:

Kennedy & Bell: The Cybercultures reader
Curran & Park: De-Westernizing media studies
Durham & Kellner: Media and Cultural Studies: Keyworks
Marris & Thornham: Media Studies: A Reader
Boyd-Barrett & Newbold: Approaches to Media: A Reader
Dickinson, Harindranath & Line: Approaches to Audiences: A Reader
Morley: Television, Audiences and Cultural Studies
Gauntlett & Hill: TV Living
Mackay & O'Sullivan: The Media Reader: Continuity and Transformation
Branston & Stafford: The Media Student's Book
Hall, Hobson, Lowe & Willis: Culture, Media, Language
Webster, Phalen & Lichty: Ratings Analysis
Seiter: Television and New Media Audiences

and some other in Slovene (published by Studia Humanitas, Koda, Javnost) ...

If you need any, contact me.

organic

2008-09-09T14:28:00.005+02:00

Since I am not only a great fan of natural and especially organic cosmetic, I am a supporter and I recommend it to all my friends, it's time to continue and spread my findings and ideas about its use. In my first post about natural cosmetic I wrote about which cosmetic is really natural among those that I have tried. I've continued since using Dr. Hauschka, Living Nature and Weleda and I've also tried Logona. Among these Dr. Hauschka is the only which is completely organic but others use many organic ingredients as well (especially Living Nature). I am really satisfied with all these and I am totally sure that it makes a big difference. Now I cannot imagine using all that chemical stuff anymore after trying the effects, user friendliness, fragrances ... all the great features of organic or at least natural with controlled ingredients. I am also planning to try Suki and maybe some other brands but I will think about it twice before trying it. For the first time I am completely satisfied with my choice and I actually have no need for a change. Organic is great.

holidays in the mountains

2008-09-08T13:34:00.003+02:00

There was no sunny weather but there was a lot of piece and beautiful landscapes. Relaxing, inspiring, energizing, unforgettable.

addicted to sport? ... no, to enjoy life

2008-09-01T14:11:00.003+02:00

Everything I do in my leisure time is some kind of sport. Well, there is something else like web surfing, reading, watching movies ... which I consider as 'doing nothing' or it is often connected to one of my sport activities. Mountaineering and hiking, aikido, sometimes jogging and cycling ... What I want to do in my leisure time is to go in the mountains or to train aikido. And this is what I actually do almost all of my leisure time.

I'd never done sports before I went to college. My parents didn't do any sports after they got me neither they didn't encourage me to do it (my mom was a lot into sport in her high school but my father drop out and had to work instead). So I started by myself, quite late. In my college years I was jogging and cross-country skiing in the winter. It was great and I hardly passed a day without either of them. Later I began mountaineering (and spent a lot of my earned money for equipment :)) and it was one of the best things in life. Furthermore, we were doing it together with my boyfriend and later with other friends. I even skipped the cross-country skiing since mountaineering in winter is such a special experience. Two years ago I've started practicing aikido and this is another one of the best things in life. My jogging practice has reduced since but I almost notice it. Aikido means much more than jogging and last but not least 1,5h training lesson is much more intensive than 1h jogging.

Anyway, for me it's strange to say that I do sports. Aikido and mountaineering are much more than that. I don't compete in neither of them, I don't strive for achievements like 'collecting' the summits, I don't test my capabilities and limits. I only want to enjoy each moment in the mountains, on tatamis (where we practice aikido) and share it with my friends since we can do all this together. And I'm probably addicted to both.The first and only thing I thought of when I got to know I'm having a baby and got aware that my life will change was 'how long I will not be able to train aikido' and 'when we will be able to go to the mountains with baby'. This is my life and it makes me who I am and what I am. I enjoy it, it connects me with people, with nature, with my body and soul and it makes me satisfied. For me, it also means to enjoy life.

'do you have a website?' - wrong question

2008-08-29T15:06:00.005+02:00

back in 2000: 'each company should have a website. if it's not present on the web, it doesn't exist'.
back in 2005: 'just by having a website a company hasn't done anything for its web presence. a website should be useful for its targets. it's not about the message that a company wants to deliver. it's about the message that targets want to receive.'

And then came web 2.0. Blogs, wikis, video sharing, social networking, browser games, virtual worlds ... every day something new ... every day more users online. As far as I am concerned, it's great. As far as business, institutions, social movements ... are concerned, it should be great as well.

There's more happening on the web than ever before. In 2000, we didn't have our virtual lives yet. In 2005, we started our parallel lives online. Today, we live them together. It's not offline and online anymore. It's everywhere. It's mobile life any way. And I hardly doubt it is less social. At least it's not meant to be. It could be more if we live it right. The same rules apply as in old-time offline-only life. Common sense and no exaggeration, taking opportunities, be yourself and be respectful. Be selective, keep a proper distance, have a self criticism and take care.

now in 2008: 'Do you have a website?' is not a relevant question anymore. The right question is 'what's happening on your website (or blog or Facebook profile)?'. Not this month, not this week, not today. This moment.

alpinism

2008-08-26T12:57:00.003+02:00

According to the unofficial news Slovenia and alpinism have lost another incredible guy, Pavle Kozjek. The news isn't officially confirmed (it says he's missing) so there is some hope left for him.

Every alpinism accident echos in the public and opinions always crash. It's a very controversial topic. Some say 'if they're crazy and stupid enough to go there let them die there as well'. Others say 'poor guy, he just wanted to climb there where his heart was, he lived for that'. Colleagues say 'we lost a hero and he will be alive in our hearts forever'. And if accident doesn't have any death casualties it is even more subject to pro & contra. Indeed alpinism is extreme and it is dangerous. It is more than extreme sport. For them, it's a way of life. For the country and for the alpinism world they contribute to the national, professional achievements and heritage. For people who stay at home alpinists are either heroes doing something they would never dare or crazy souls looking for troubles in distant high mountains and who usually go mad if they don't die young.

The truth is in our heads, as we want to see it. And alpinism has existed and will always exist. It will always have its actors, supporters, admirers and critics. Human beings have (more or less) a passion to explore, a need to feel the nature (many people have forgotten it), a need to test our survival skills and tendency to walk on the edge. And alpinists enjoy all this. It of course requires a portion of egoism as well which is probably quite easy as we know.

There are many ways how people die and alpinism causes just some of them. And many alpinists die some other way (although they would probably prefer to die in the mountains when the time comes). Maybe the moments before the death differ significantly (for instance from dying in the car crash) and maybe this is something it is worth to live and die for. And who are we to judge?

Pavle's blog: http://pkozjek.blogspot.com/

Soca*

2008-08-25T14:53:00.004+02:00

Soča is one of the greatest treasures of Slovenia. With a lot of hidden treasure chests. Wild and peaceful. Nice and dangerous. A place for holidays, any kind (well, just not for swimming :)). A river to respect. A muse to many artists.

My friend decided to be a photograph. For fun, for her soul, for money ... any kind. And Soča is one of her objects as well.

Photos by Darja Vresk. Copies are not allowed.

* Soča

Crna prst

2008-07-28T14:22:00.006+02:00

Meadows, pastures, rocks and flowers ... a lot of flowers. Beautiful views on two contrasting regions, Gorenjska and Primorska. All this can be found on the way to Crna prst. It's a well known mountain in eastern Julian Alps but it always surprises me with peace. According to my experience, there are no crowds as known from the Triglav surroundings, even on sunny Saturday. It's one of the rare Slovene summits with a hut which are not crowded anytime. And there are even more hidden beautiful places in its neighborhood. These places have a special charm, reserved for the rare visitors, for those who are able to appreciate it.

Kriski podi

2008-07-13T19:38:00.011+02:00

July 12th. 8am-6pm. Vrata - Sovatna - Dovska vratca - Kriski podi.

The Wall

Sovatna

me & Tomaz

a nice resting place

a close encounter ... what a beauty

giants surrounding Kriski podi ... Planja & Razor

on Dovska vratca

Metalcamp TV - HellOverParadise 08

2008-07-08T13:16:00.003+02:00

beautiful mountain flowers

2008-06-30T18:26:00.009+02:00

natural sunscreens

2008-06-29T22:16:00.005+02:00

it's the time of many minutes, meters and bytes of sunscreen ads. since I had to buy one of them (sunscreens) it reminded me again on natural cosmetics. I have been exploring it further since I wrote my post on this topic and I can confirm my findings about the brands. the same as other cosmetics, natural sunscreens are provided by Hauschka, Weleda, Burt's bees as well and The Organic Pharmacy. as far as I know. for me, Hauschka works well (tested on 2000m ;)), smells great, is good even for the face skin (this definitely doesn't work with chemical sunscreens) and as it is with all their products, it has a very good price/ performance. and I am not payed by them :)

Srebrno sedlo

2008-06-25T13:49:00.006+02:00

Saturday, 6 am. Friends are already awake, preparing their equipment. I get up and prepare myself as well. Shower, breakfast, food to go, extra clothes, climbing equipment ... At 8 am we are at our starting point. An hour later, we are 400 m higher. Other colleagues are leaving us behind since we are enjoying a great weather and beautiful nature. We reach 1700 m around three hours later and stop by beautiful pools for a while to prepare for the 'difficult' part. It gets kinda serious then.

First climbing part, some exposed places. We reach the toughest part but it should be fun. Last time it wasn't since we didn't find the right passage. We want to find it this time. We wait for some colleagues going downwards and then we start. We remember that we have to keep left. We keep left looking for the passage. There doesn't seem any. I try a crack on a right since it seems possible and I saw a woman descending there. It's too late when I'm already in finding out that it's not the right passage. I have to go back but it's too complicated. Tomaz helps me with the rope and Suzi finds the right passage in the meantime. They are both helping me to get back and after some long scary moments I am out of the crack, prepared to take the right passage. Everything goes well then. We climb the passage and half an hour later we reach our goal, Srebrno sedlo. It's windy there so we continue our way to Planjava. Suzi wants to try the ferrata part on the other side over Sukalnik. But our plans are broken when we come to the dangerous snowfield. We don't have any cramps and ice-axes so we decide to go back and descend to the north. It was a great decision since we've never been on this side of Korošica so we find beautiful grass planes with fresh water, ideal for camping. We have some troubles with the descend, I slip on the snowfield but it's not dangerous. It's good that I've practiced in the winter ... so I descend a bit faster, on my but ... At 9 pm, after 13 hours, we are back from the mountains. But we need another 2 hours to reach the road and we are more than 1 hour drive away from our car. Fortunately, our friend is on a way to pick us up and a climbing colleague who has been descending in the same time gives us a ride to the main road. At 9.30 we meet our friend on a half way. The day ends with a good dinner and the greatest feeling in our heads and muscles.

Srebrno sedlo is a great place in Kamnisko-Savinjske Alpe. The way there leads through picturesque Repov kot full of crystal pools. It is a pathless way with easy climbing parts, surrounded with great walls and mountains.

on luck*

2008-05-06T22:23:00.004+02:00

I won't be saying anything new, not a single word. The reason why I'm writing it is that I am beginning to truly believe it and really getting it. So I think...
I always thought that one needs to have wishes and expectations in life. Wrong. One is really free when one doesn't have any. Free to feel happy and satisfied. I really believe it and I kind of felt it recently.

A wish come true and luck do not correlate. Dalajlama said (I don't cite him exactly, it's just my understanding of his thoughts) that wish is a temporary fulfillment of one's desires which do not contribute to satisfaction and thus doesn't create the feeling of luck. What brings us long-term satisfaction is what creates luck.

A logical consequence then is that luck is not caused by wealth and material goods. I believe that the majority of people would agree. But I don't believe that they truly believe it. Furthermore, I believe luck is not caused by fulfillment of expectations although the latter are not of material kind. It is only a fulfillment of the desire. After it is fulfilled we need a new experience, a new food for our soul, ... And if it's not fulfilled, we are angry, sad or something.

I think that being free of expectations is the closest to what we name as live for today, live for the moment (but not in the extremely hedonist terms:)). And we can feel it as luck. We don't find luck if we search for it. We don't find luck if we are hardly waiting for tomorrow. But tomorrow will not always bring us what we expect. That's life.

Although it's hard to understand and to believe I think I'm kind of getting it, at least some pieces of it. I feel like the more pieces I find the more lucky I feel.
I recently read the definition that we are lucky when we don't think of anything particular. We don't think about ourselves, we just think about the moment. Feel the air. Enjoy the nature. See the rainbow. Listen to the sounds of forest. Watch our step and care our griff when climbing the mountain. Admire the mountain peaks. Touch the clear water in the spring of river. Listen to the waterfall. Feel the wind...

Being really in touch with nature brings us luck just because we don't think of ourselves when we are there. It's the only force that overcomes us.

* I mean happiness, as the first comment teaches me :) Replace luck when reading.

natural cosmetics

2008-04-04T09:37:00.003+02:00

How natural are the natural ingredients in cosmetic? This post suggests that we should make our own cosmetics if we want it natural.

Loyalty?

2008-04-02T21:49:00.003+02:00

Some say it once existed. Employers say they want loyal employees (what the f... do they think they are). Brands say they want loyal customers (yeah, right). People want loyal partners (good luck). Loyalty is one of many social constructs which doesn't have much in common with a human nature. It's our fiction, illusion. And it has never existed.

Maybe we have reasons for loyalty in partnership. Like respect, safety, promise, doing to others no such things one wouldn't like others to do to him.

Why would one be loyal to employer? Why would one be loyal to a brand? What does one get for it? Get payed and awarded by an employer? It's a payment for work and an award for results. Get better service by a brand? One pays for it anyway. Could the reason be safety? commitment? satisfaction? fear? Yeah you wish.

There's no loyalty. We just think there is. We just wish there would be.

If we are doing as best as we can in person, we can establish some kind of feeling of loyalty to a partner, an employee, a customer ... and that's all. It's developing a good relationship. But if we don't even try and strive to ... what the f... do we think we are?

don't fade to black

2008-03-27T07:45:00.006+01:00

We all probably know someone close to us or we alone are in some phase of our live when one doesn't know how to continue with life. It all seems like a sole battle without the end and any support either from inside (self) or outside (others). It's easy to say and hard to execute but - please don't give up and fight. Ignore all those people who don't turn out as real friends in these life battles. Count on yourself and find support that is given (or hidden since you maybe don't see it) by those rare friends who stand beside. And don't follow the path of fading to black.

For all souls who seem to be or think they are lost. Believe in yourself and don't let your soul fade to black.
Listen to this beautiful song and don't let it happen to you.

Fade to Black

Life, it seems, will fade away
Drifting further every day
Getting lost within myself
Nothing matters, no one else

I have lost the will to live
Simply nothing more to give
There is nothing more for me
Need the end to set me free

Things not what they used to be
Missing one inside of me
Deathly lost, this can't be real
Cannot stand this hell I feel

Emptiness is filling me
To the point of agony
Growing darkness taking dawn
I was me, but now he's gone

No one but me can save myself, but it's too late
Now I can't think, think why I should even try

Yesterday seems as though it never existed
Death greets me warm, now I will just say goodbye

Words and Music by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Cliff Burton and Kirk Hammett
Copyright © 1984 Creeping Death Music (ASCAP)
International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

This song is dedicated to you, my Friend (The one will know it). Raise your head up and go on with your life. You deserve the best of it.

Hombu Dojo Shihan visits Slovenia

2008-03-23T17:00:00.007+01:00

Last Tuesday 5 pm. After I had finished my job in a hurry I finally arrived at BuBa center and fortunately found a parking place. I was a couple of minutes late according to my plan but a queue where my colleagues were waiting to pay for the seminar of Yukimitsu Kobayashi Shihan before entering the 'dojo' was quite short. A lot of them were already inside and prepared, some of them hadn't arrived yet. I saw Shihan for a moment at the door, he was still wearing the suit and laughing, with a calm and merry face. He was joking with our Sensei Wilko. The atmosphere was tense and jolly at the same time. While waiting in the queue and greeting some of the friends I found out that I forgot to go to the ATM. I forgot cash in a hurry. Damn it ... I knew this would happen. I asked a colleague to borrow me the money but 'sorry, I forgot one, too and I borrowed it'. And the other one didn't have any more left. I asked a third one and the same answer again 'sorry, I forgot cash at home, this is all I have'. Unbelievable. The preparations for Shihan's visit was a real challenge for our nerves and this was one of logical consequences. Well, I finally managed to raise enough for the seminar fee just when it was my turn to pay. 5.30 pm. We are all prepared in a dojo and waiting for the Shihan to enter. All other teachers are there and prepared. 5 to 10 minutes later Shihan enters. A bit confused and kind of cute though, in a moment he entered tatamis I was overtaken by such feelings that only those who were present can understand. It can hardly be described and shared. It was a feeling of complete calmness, concentration, commitment and respect, followed by an hour and a half of concentrated training. The seminar was great but what else could one expect? Kobayashi Shihan found out how many beginners are there among us so we had a 'back to basics' training. Only if one is prepared to go back to basics over and over again one has a chance to follow Aikido principles and maybe someday understand them. 7 pm. The seminar ends too quickly. I feel like we would be able to follow the Shihan for the whole evening and more. But we have to prepare for the demonstration. We have half an hour to prepare the scene. We are in a kind of chaotic mood but it seems everything is quite under control. At 7.29 everything and everyone is on the right place and we are prepared for the public event. Saša, the president of Slovene Aikikai Federation, opens the event and makes some introduction. He's followed by Wilko's speech who I think should have impressed everyone in the hall. He's incredible. His presence, his words and his message, his smile, his kindness and openness ... Respect! We are hardly waiting for Wilko to return to Slovenia every time he leaves. He will be with us again next month. 7.45 Demonstration. It's our turn. First us, the beginners with just as much practice that we are able to show some basic techniques. Then our experienced colleagues' and our leading instructor Jasmin's performance. After the first part, Kobayashi Shihan's speech. It's fantastic to hear a Japanese speaking so close and so real and with a message that we understood although we don't speak Japanese at all. I think we all knew what he was saying even before we heard the translation. His kindness and simplicity and in the same time his greatness was unforgettable. His speech was followed by Wilko's demonstration with Jasmin and our teacher Dejan. The final demonstration was performed by Kobayashi Shihan. He was presenting with Jasmin and Veljo who I know couldn't be more honored for this. 8.10 Demonstration is closed, our task is completed and the mission continues in each one's head. I am sure we are all happy and honored for having a chance to participate and to be involved in such a unique event for Slovene Aikido. Of course each success brings new challenges and responsibilities. As Saša has written in his blog post to thank all of us, 'now we have to continue with what we (Aikikai Federation) are there for, to train'. To work on tatamis where is our primary place. And someday we will be honored again with Hombu Dojo's attention and knowledge.

See the following impressions from the greatest Slovene Aikikai event, a visit of Hombu Dojo Shihan and Aikido demonstration. Thank you all who supported us with your visit!

Photos 1
Photos 2

Excellent report on national TV (Slovene, Japanese, English) (3,5')

Demonstration movie (10')

Promo movie (in Slovene) (1,5')

Heroes of Might & Magic

2008-03-12T21:56:00.009+01:00

As a female member of one of the youngest group of generation X I didn't grow up with computers but I fell in love with them in my teenage years. Amiga 500 was my first one and it introduced me to the world of computer games. I loved Alcatraz, Settlers, Pang, Dune, Swiv, North&South ... then came the first PC which brought me Simon the Sorcerer, Warlords, Discworld and Heroes of Might & Magic. I loved Discworld but even more I loved 'Heroes'. I had been playing it during all years of studying at university. Part I, II, III and IV and almost all addendums/additional chapters. I was playing it days and nights. With computer players and hot seat. With one, two, three ... friends. Campaigns, maps, self-customized maps, with and without cheat codes ... I was dreaming of my heroes and campaings at night, once waking in a dream shouting 'where's my hero, my hero!' ... The game is full of tactics and strategy. And it's a fairytale full of magic spells, treasure chests, dangerous creatures, neat castles and cities, beautiful landscapes, interesting battlefields and exciting battles. With beautiful graphics and music. I'm not sorry for spending so many hours playing, it was worth every single minute. And if I play now any game it would be 'Heroes' V (or maybe I or III :)). They still own!

see some screenshots ...

digital world bringing back the music experience

2008-03-11T22:39:00.003+01:00

Finally more and more sceptics are getting that digital world is changing music business as well. We finally realized that music is not about selling a product rather than experience. We are getting back to buying the experience. Maybe even paying for it just as much as we value it. It's not all about selling and buying cd's anymore. David Byrne wrote an article on this issue in January edition of Wired.

sales management in times of excessive demand

2008-03-09T23:15:00.005+01:00

I'm talking about b2b market with high level intellectual goods, consultancy type of services. I have experience with sales on the market where supply is greater than demand and suppliers have to fight for their customers or even build trust in the services at all. For me, it means a great game where winning is always sweet (although according to my experience always with lack of resources for the execution) and loosing is always a great lesson of gaining additional experience points.

What to do then in the case of excessive demand? With lack of resources for all the projects one could or should sell. One should think it's like a test environment for preparing for the times when demand will decrease. To learn on mistakes without causing any damage. No, it's not since the market environment is not the same as it will be in harsh times and services are subject to dynamic changes.

Sales management when demand exceeds the supply means no exciting short-term results. To win the project is only to choose among those in the pipeline (and even pipeline is controlled and filled selectively). It's like a competition with no winners and loosers. It's finding the way to manage sales and increase business without selling too much or choosing wrong projects. And in the meantime imagine the market in harsher times and search for the future strategies.

I would appreciate any hints on the topic (recommended readings for instance).

disco lies

2008-03-03T23:18:00.003+01:00

Moby will release a new album 'Last night' by the end of the month. I'm looking forward, I like his music. A single 'Disco lies' is very Moby and that's why I really like it. Watch it:

moby 'disco lies' from moby on Vimeo.

lack of attention (my favorite movies)

2008-03-02T20:22:00.008+01:00

I watched several movies recently. As usual I don't remember all of them. I remember Next, The Return, The Reaping and Fracture. None of them had left any impression. Well, one would say what else do I expect from h-wood production but anyway I am used to get more from it. And I don't believe that h-wood production is worse than ever before (why should it be?).

The reason I see is that I am overloaded with movies and kind of spoiled and therefore nothing is good enough anymore. I find my attitude as a 'good' example for what the last Gregor's post is about - the redundancy of information. To have information doesn't mean to be rich anymore. Too much information results in lack of attention. Attention and 'attraction' to movies is only an example, a manifestation of this fact. The more movies I see the less attention I give to them and the harder I find the movie interesting.

Anyway, there are some movies that drew my attention recently or a long time ago. For some reason. Jet Li's Fearless. It's All Gone Pete Tong. Anything Else. Blue Velvet. Anger Management. Kozure Ôkami: Kowokashi udekashi tsukamatsuru (Lone Wolf, 1). The Matrix (1). Star Wars. Anchorman. The Pianist. The Truman Show. A Lot Like Love. The Game. Pulp Fiction. Closer. Crna macka beli macor. Annie Hall. Rane. Starship Troopers. Alien (1, 2, 3). Psycho ('60). Kill Bill (1, 2). /... /

I strongly recommend some of my favorites: Blade Runner. Requiem for a Dream. Le dernier trappeur. Lost in Translation. LOTR (1, 2, 3). Touching the Void. The Descent. Boogie Nights.

my favorite songs by Evergrey

2008-03-02T18:16:00.003+01:00

A touch of blessing

The Dark I walk You Through (my favorite Evergrey lyrics)

Evergrey are coming to Tolmin!!!

2008-02-26T21:36:00.003+01:00

the guys are coming to town! Metalcamp owns! Evergrey will be there with us again! they confirmed the date! July 6th, Tolmin, Slovenia. one of my favorite bands. with their new album. Swedish progressive metal. I can hardly believe it. nirvana ...

music corner

2008-02-18T07:32:00.006+01:00

Paradise Lost have all their videos available and downloadable on their official website.
There are also many of their audio clips. I appreciate that a lot. Lyrics can be found here. Guys, you're the best!

is all cosmetic natural or is there no such thing as natural cosmetic?

2008-02-17T22:50:00.003+01:00

I have ambivalent attitude towards cosmetics. I enjoy using quality cosmetics in a reasonable sense and I hate all low cost cosmetics doing more harm than benefits and promising the effects that no cosmetics could bring. And I hate all those 'n-steps' skincare stories that recommends n-pieces of cosmetics for one single purpose (cleaning, moisturizing etc.). Why should I clean my face with three or four different products? Why isn't there one product that cleans good enough? Why should I put more than one cream on my face in the morning? I raise many such questions.

I hadn't been using moisturizers (neither body nor face) until recently. I really didn't. And I was sure that I don't need them. I believed in a theory that skin itself provides enough moisture to itself. And it worked. Well, than I noticed that obviously I should use something on my face. I saw the first line under my eyes and my skin started to dry out during the day ... and then I started a 'project' to find out a perfect skincare cosmetic for me.

I didn't want to repeat my teenage odyssey of searching for a perfect skincare. That time, after a couple of years of unsuccessful search for a perfect thing and many experiments I found a cosmetician who taught me that there's no such cosmetic that would save my skin. She saved it only with purifying treatments and recommendations for daily skincare (which was clean it regularly with water and mild totally natural soap, wipe it with an each day fresh towel and don't touch your face:). I learned that time to be very skeptical to use cosmetics.

If I use cosmetic I want to use the best of it. And then I began to discover ... I am very responsive, almost obsessed with everything natural so there's no surprise that I wanted a natural cosmetics. I've also been using natural cosmetics for hair and body care as well. At least that's what I thought ...

And I found out interesting facts. Of course I am not an expert at all and what one will read further is my common-sense thinking based on my experience and research as a consumer.

The majority of cosmetics that declares to be natural is NOT NATURAL. Well, depends what one understands to be natural. Almost all cosmetic ingredients derive from natural essences. Of course, where else could they derive from? Everything is natural, even PVC. It derives from oil. So all brands could state their cosmetic as natural - depends only on their story. It's the same as every oil doesn't contain cholesterol but some brands state it. Another story is - what is really natural?

My 'research' includes the following cosmetic brands that declare to be natural:
Lush, Nuxe, L'Occitane, Burt's bees, Weleda (to some extent), Dr. Hauschka, Organic Pharmacy (these two are based on holistic homeopathic approach) and Living Nature. I tried all (of course not all products) except the latter (but I will). I am sure there are others but I chose these.

Let me state some of my findings.

As a consumer, I understand natural cosmetic to be completely natural, i. e. with no artificial ingredients.

The really natural cosmetic brands of those stated above are Dr. Hauschka, The Organic Pharmacy, Living Nature and probably Weleda (I checked the ingredients for just a few of their products). Dr. Hauschka and The Organic Pharmacy use some artificials in some products, but they are rare. Living Nature seems to be the most purely natural. But all of these brands certainly don't use any of those artificial ingredients that are assumed as carcinogenes or toxics (especially sulfates, stearates, parabens, propylenglycol ...).

Of course 'black lists' of carcinogenes and toxics are made by non governmental institutions since all the ingredients on 'black lists' ARE allowed by different food and health authorities to be used in food and cosmetics. Other artificial ingredients' safety concerns usually refer to possible allergic reactions.

Most frequently one can find the following artificial ingredients in natural cosmetic (found also in Dr. Hauschka and The Organic Pharmacy): glutamate, sodium glutamate and glutamic acid (it can often be find in food as flavor enhancer and it's on a European 'E' list, no.621, according to US research it could be toxic and causing 'contemporary' diseases and aches). There are benzoates which are the preservatives with E no. from 200-299, natural gums (E no. from 400-499) and (cocamidopropyl) betaine, which is a more natural substitute for cocamide DEA (which can be found in the majority of usual cosmetic) but still artificial and potentially allergen but declared as safe. There are also talcs and some other artificials.

The products of Dr. Hauschka and The Organic Pharmacy that contain some artificial ingredients are those that could hardly be made with no use of such ingredients (such as hair conditioner for instance). Well, the most important products such as face moisturizers and cleansers do not contain any of those artificials if talking about Dr. Hauschka, The Organic Pharmacy or Living Nature. And body washes as well and surprisingly the majority of decorative cosmetics.

What about other brands I listed? Lush and Nuxe have all those carcinogenes and toxics which are widely used in cosmetics (parabens, sulfates, glycols ...) but not as much as other usual cosmetics. Nuxe doesn't contain artificial fragrance. Well, Nuxe is declared as 80% natural so they clearly state that there's 20% of artificial ingredients. One can find some purely natural products at Lush: some solid soaps and shower creams (not all - check the ingredients!), some face cleansers (Baby face - it really feels like completely natural!, Angels on bare skin, Aqua marina, Herbalism, Sweet japanese girl), all hennas, the following body butters: The soft touch, Buffy, King of skin, fresh face masks (but watch for colors and talc!), Snake oil, Ultimate shine shampoo bar (except for sparkles), some bath ballistics (watch for colors!), conditionally powder deodorants and all massage bars except for Play your cards right (and those with sparkles).

Weleda? I didn't check all the products but those that I checked are almost completely natural.

Burt's bees? Some products are, the majority are not. But they are more natural that many other cosmetics. Close to Lush, probably.

L'Occitane? NO GO!

One has to know that there is a big difference in using natural cosmetics from using any other. They do not use soaps, foaming ingredients and artificial fragrances. So they don't smell deliciously and they don't foam (even the toothpaste doesn't foam and it's great since one doesn't have a mouth full of foaming paste). But that's the 'price' (besides the price itself) of using the natural cosmetic. And one becomes used to it and gets to like it. One can find out then that all other cosmetic smells too artificially and it feels strange ... artificial ... like washing with plastics.

I will not discuss here why I want to use natural cosmetic. If you don't believe don't bother. And I will not discuss why I am prepared to pay more. What is not even true if considering how longer it lasts.

But if you think it's worth to think about it, check Wikipedia for a start.
About E ingredients. Here one can find almost all (or completely all?) artificial ingredients used in food and cosmetics, listed and described in detail.

Of course I am aware of possibility that all cosmetic is a lie. But I rather use the one that states 'there's no such thing as anti-aging cream' (like Living Nature says) than the one that promises 'visual results in 4 weeks'. I just prefer the first story to the second. At the end of the day, all that matters is what story one decides to believe. Some in a good will to do the best for oneself, others in a good will to stick to one's principles. Whatever ...

don't ignore #2

2008-02-13T22:11:00.003+01:00

Too much of waste. Please separate them and use the proper waste boxes for recycling. It's the least what you can do.

I agree with Seth. I want more of such awareness.

don't ignore

2008-02-13T19:05:00.003+01:00

Contribute to reducing CO 2 levels. Slovenia is reducing CO 2 levels:
in English
in Slovene

Konjš'ca

2008-02-11T07:28:00.001+01:00

It's a great place in Julian Alps. There's peace and harmony in the winter time. One can only hear wind and birds. And the sound of footsteps from time to time of those rare winter visitors. Konjš'ca is a well known Slovene mountain pasture. It's usually crowded in the summer when people are passing by on a path to Triglav. In winter, there is still a true feeling of being alone close to the nature. Last weekend the sun was shining and the snow was sparkling on Konjš'ca as much as it could.

Konjščica in late spring

There exist other mountain places of course where one doesn't meet a single human for a whole day even in the summer and even much more beautiful. But I won't tell you about the place(s) neither I would post a photo. It exists only for those who find it.

Metalcamp

2008-02-10T21:48:00.001+01:00

If there's anyone out there who still doesn't know, I am a metal soul. I also listen to other music but nevermind ... I've been faithful to metal for more than 15 years now. The issue with metal is the same as with alpinism - those who weren't 'there' will never understand. And those who were there they will always return.

Metalcamp is a metal festival in my vicinity that cannot be missed by any metal soul from our part of the world. The greatest place - Tolmin, Slovenia, where two of the most beautiful Slovene rivers meet. The greatest time - always hot July. One week, camping possible, two stages. Music, peace and love.

I can hardly wait for this July. Metalcamp 2008. It's so much exciting to visit the official site once in a while and check the latest band confirmations.

I am mostly looking forward to: Soilwork (met them on Metalcamp 2006), Ministry, Tankard, Morbid Angel. It will also be interesting to see Apocalyptica.

Wishing to return: Soulfly (I cannot tell how much I would like to see Max), Obituary, Evergrey, Caliban
Wishing to come: Paradise Lost (of course!), Trivium

Draški vrh

2008-02-04T16:37:00.001+01:00

One of my favorite winter destination in Slovene Alps. Where winter still exists. Where one can spend a real sunny day and breath fresh air. And meet with birds. Only 4 hours away from home.

on the top

a local settler

beautiful Krma

a view from Studorski preval

Twin Peaks

2008-02-03T14:57:00.002+01:00

Today I'm gonna watch an episode of Twin Peaks and I can hardly wait as always. It's my favorite TV series ever. I have watched it all over for four or five times now, I am not sure. I watch it every couple of years and each time I understand something more. I notice more crucial details, I get to know more secret codes and get a better 'big picture'. Of course I still haven't got it all. There's much left to think. Much more than one could imagine. Most people see Twin Peaks as one of those soap-opera-kind of TV series with first 5 episodes interesting enough to watch one evening per week but then drop out for the following 30 or 40 episodes on no more than family intrigues, love stories, murders and cheats. You're wrong. Of course it has some key ingredients of a classic soap opera but these are just a part of the game. Lynch's game.

I like everything about Twin Peaks. The scene, the atmosphere, the colors, the nature, the characters, the styling, the music, the places, the plots, the relations, the wind and the weather, the woods, the intro, the signs and the symbols ... My favorite characters are Audrey and Ben Horne and my favorite place is The Great Northern. It's a place where good and bad meet and live together. Like Audrey and her father. Ben Horne is involved in every bad thing that's happening in Twin Peaks. Audrey is the purity of Twin peaks in person, exciting and teasingly vulnerable in dealing with all the bad that is happening around.

Audrey is the most charming female character in Twin Peaks. Forget Laura, empty as she was, forget confused, dramatizing and childish Donna, a doll Shelly, Josie trapped in the darkness of her life or symbolic surrealistic Annie ... And the most charming male character? I don't know. I would mix them all :) Well, Dale Cooper's character is special in a good way.

Twin Peaks is about the good and the bad, the burden of our actions, the darkness of our souls, the innocence of our desires, the power and weakness of love ... nonetheless, it is a kind of soap opera. But the true messages are much harder to get in Twin Peaks and that's what makes it different.

Twin Peaks is one of the greatest Lynch's masterpieces. As it is Blue Velvet, Lost highway and Mulholland drive which you probably don't know or at least don't like. But Lynch tells something, something about life one should understand or at least listen to. I don't know what. Watch it and think. And enjoy. (Or continue thinking that Lynch is crazy and his fans are crazy and stay out of it. As simple as that.)

Bob is all over us. The more burdens we bear the more vulnerable and prone we are to it.

See Twin Peaks promo from 1990 (the music in this promo is my favorite Twin Peaks theme music):

Trailer for Twin Peaks Gold Box Edition (sorry, it's a commercial):

More about Twin Peaks:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_Peaks
http://www.cenedra.com/twinpeaksmain.htm
http://twinpeaksfirewalkwithme.blogspot.com/

Tiësto

2008-02-02T22:39:00.001+01:00

Here's something for party animals. And for all who sometimes need a pure rhythm and electronic sound. Without any deep lyrics and quality real music performance. And a good-looking DJ :)

One of my favorite Tiësto's remixes (Dj Rui Da Silva - Touch Me):

One of my favorite Tiësto's clips (Empty streets):

Tiësto live at Damsquare Amsterdam (skip to 11'30"; the best part starts at 12'41", the greatest part from 13'10" to 15'20"):

Enjoy it aloud!

Misogi

2008-02-02T22:15:00.003+01:00

Aiki spirit is strong in Misogi this year ... looking forward to follow the aiki way further.
Read the recent posts (text and comments in Slovene, pictures speak for themselves):

The 5th anniversary party
The latest exams
Misogi and Slo. Aikikai on TV
Peter, a fresh Hakama
Vele'je goes ahead
The most honorable visit in Slo. Aikikai history

Domo arigato gozaimashita.

Choosing to lead*

2008-02-02T21:12:00.001+01:00

... so what is leadership then? you didn't explain it, you missed the most important information, said my colleague a couple of days ago when discussing my recent post. Well I told that quotes will follow. But when Gregor posted a comment I took it as a completion of what I wanted to tell and I thought there's nothing more to add. Gregor, you couldn't have posted a better comment ;). But Miha reminded me on my promise ... so read further what Carly Fiorina has to say about leadership.

Leaders are defined by three things: character, capability and collaboration. Leaders are candid and courageous; they know their strengths and use them; they bolster their weaknesses by relying on others with complementary skills and by constantly learning and adapting; they know when they need help and seek it; they know when help is required by others, and they provide it. They have strong peer networks and are not afraid to share with others. Leaders come in all shapes and sizes and colors from every walk of life and level in an organization. They can emerge anytime and anywhere, but they are consistent and steady in their actions and approach. Leaders recognize, support and encourage other leaders.*

I agree with every single word. I know that all these are the features that I miss with someone I recognize as no leader. For a moment I thought that Carly missed communication but isn't it what the above is nearly all about?

I couldn't identify the way I chose and strive to follow more with these principles and features. But there's something that confuses me. What if one is expected to be a manager? Could he act as a leader? Is it a wrong if manager in striving for excellency takes a path to leadership? Shouldn't a manager follow his or her objectives and bring the current results rather than developing long-term leadership? Well, Carly was searching for leaders among managers when becoming CEO of HP. But she chose a leadership probably because she was a leader. And she was a CEO and she had a strength and capability to choose it. What if organization is not led by leaders and doesn't encourage or give way managers to become leaders - is developing of the leadership then left to each individual for his or her sole personal growth, thus using and expressing it in some other organization in the future? I will answer myself some day ...

Let one quote be enough for one post. There's a lot to think and a lot to discuss. Feel free ...

* quoted from Carly Fiorina, Tough choices, 2006, Nicholas Brealey Publishing

Tough choices

2008-01-24T08:08:00.001+01:00

Carly Fiorina, sorry and thank you for borrowing your title. Indeed, life is full of tough choices. Well, maybe not for someones ... and I don't need to know them.

What Carly taught me in her book is something that I have been thinking about for quite a long time now but I didn't know what it is: a leadership. That's the issue that the most of leaders who I met in my career are not aware of and don't practice it so they are staying and will always be only managers. To be a leader is to chose to lead, not to manage everyday issues from day to day. If you know what I mean and what Carly means, you are on the right way. If you don't, you may still be catching the last train to get aware of it and maybe read Carly's book for additional comprehension. Or maybe you're too late - if this is the case, I'm sorry, but that's your (tough?) choice. Stay (at least good) manager and don't pretend to be a leader. Leave the leadership to someone else - to the leader.

I won't place the summary of Carly's book here, but I'll place some quotes I highlighted (all quotes from: Carly Fiorina, Tough choices, 2006, Nicholas Brealey Publishing). Maybe one will find them too common sense, but what is it all about those things we most usually make mistake about - it's all common sense! The first quote is here, the others will follow:

It is not the strongest of the species who survive, nor the most intelligent, but those who are most adaptive to change. ... Change is not bad, change is necessary. Standing still is dangerous.

Thank you friends, for giving me this book for a gift!

Futurama

2008-01-24T07:41:00.001+01:00

I am a Futurama fan. For those who don't know it, look at Youtube for samples (and find them below in this post) or check it out on Sky. But if you're not a self-irony, environment conscious, tech-savy and sci-fi loving geeky kind of guy/girl, forget it. You won't like it and you won't get it.

Well, Futurama's back on the scene after some years. Great! All Futurama fans, don't miss this great article in Wired. And before you're getting to read it, grab a can of slurm :)

See the selection of some great Futurama quotes:

See Futurama on global warming (if you don't believe in it, go off my blog!):

See the Futurama theme:

Tea time

2008-01-12T21:26:00.002+01:00

I'm a tea addict. No, I'm a tea fan. I can pass a day without a tea and I also pass every morning without it. Tea before 10 am is not enjoyable so I rather avoid it. Breakfast first. Two hours later - tea time.

For me, tea is a drink, food, social event ... I like to share tea with my friends. I like to drink tea with a friend. I have a wide choice of tea at home. My friends know that they will always have a good cup of tea when come to visit me. And every time they can try something new. The only alcohol free drink one can get at my home is tea. And no one is missing any other drink.

I mainly drink black and green tea, sometimes white, herbal and fruit, almost never oolong (red) or pu-erh or roiboos and I haven't tried mate yet (I will try it only when I buy that special pot for mate). I love Japanese green tea (Japanese tea is green only), especially Gyokuro which is probably my favorite. Of course it depends on occasion and time of day. I especially like that one with rice flavor Genmaicha. Recently I tried an interesting Kukicha (recommended for its low essence of caffeine).

I don't like Chinese green but I'm getting used to black Chinese. I am surprised how good they are if consumed at appropriate occasions. I didn't like them at all by now. I drink a lot of Indian (black) of course and Ceylon (black from Sri Lanka) as well (the latter is not as good alone as with added flavors). Fyi, English breakfast tea which is probably the most popular (especially among those who don't know much about tea) is a mixture of Indian and Ceylon and it's a very strong tea (that's why we mix it with milk). Orange Pekoe is a strong Indian.

Many people enter the world of tea with English breakfast tea or with flavored black (earl grey, vanilla and fruit flavors are very popular) and green tea (jasmin, lemon). It's a good start but after trying all others one can easily forget those popular tastes. The problem is that tea in bags is very low quality. Another problem is that flavored tea in bags has artificial flavors (it's awful!) and the basis is Ceylon tea which is not so good. Compare earl grey in filter bags (Ceylon) with earl grey superior with bergamot flower pieces (Indian) and you will taste the difference. Compare 'chinese green tea' in filter bags (for me it is disgusting!) with jasming dragon pearl (chinese green tea in small balls where each ball contains a piece of jasmin flower) ...

My recommendations:

- buy tea in tea shop; don't be seduced by packaging of tea in tea bags, in nice boxes with cute pictures on the shelves of ordinary grocery stores - tea in tea bags is far not as good and usually more expensive (although it doesn't seem so - but - watch the weight of the package and you'll understand!)
- only buy high quality tea - the only rule is: the higher the price the better the tea (if a tea shop has two or three versions of one tea sort, buy the most expensive) - there's a huge difference in taste and usually the more expensive tea needs smaller portions for a cup of tea
- use smaller portions than recommended (I never stick to the rule 'one spoon for each cup plus one spoon for the pot' because it's too much); and thus 100g of tea could be enough for a long time
- never use boiling water for any sort except for fruit tea (boil the water first and then wait for 1 or 2 minutes before you put the tea in it)
- don't prepare the tea in inox pots since the taste will not be as good
- add milk only to the strongest black teas of lower quality (such as English breakfast, Ceylon unflavored, stronger Chinese - to the latter only add a small portion)
- be very careful how long you leave green tea in hot water (try 1, 2, 3 minutes - no more! - and decide what you prefer) - only some exceptions are not sensitive to this (for instance Jasmin Dragon pearl which is so good that time doesn't matter); duration is not so crucial for the highest quality black tea (at least 2 minutes but no limitation - maybe you'll like it even after 10 minutes ...)

Enjoy your cup of tea! learn more

Paradise Lost

2008-01-12T21:07:00.001+01:00

Paradise Lost has been my favorite band for more than ten years. No matter what's on the scene and what I like in some period or moment in time, and regardless of all other types of music and artists I prefer, Paradise Lost remain my favorite. They have something. Especially Nick Holmes. And they invented gothic metal (with their second album Gothic dating 1991). Every time I listen to their music I know this is it, it gives me something only they can give.

One second is one of my favorite songs.

Lyrics:

"One Second"

And for one second, I lost my head
And for one second, I wished that you were dead
And for one second, you wish that you were here all alone
Hold back the tears that could fall for me

And for one second, I lost my breath
And for one second, I cherish what you said
And for one second, it seemed that I was here all alone
Hold back the tears that will fall for me

And for one second, I understand
And for one second, my life was in your hands
And for one second, you wish that you were here all alone
Hold back the tears that could fall for me

They fall alone...

announcing my music corner

2008-01-08T13:38:00.001+01:00

this is a song which announces my music corner on this blog ... coming soon

we listened to Megadeth many years ago, but they're unforgetable ... this song is from 1995 and it's great. I know that for many it's hard to listen ... if you're one of them just read the lyrics.

Don't remember where I was
I realized life was a game
The more seriously I took things
The harder the rules became
I had no idea what it'd cost
My life passed before my eyes
I found out how little I accomplished
All my plans denied

So as you read this know my friends
I'd love to stay with you all
Please smile when you think of me
My body's gone that's all

A tout le monde
A tout mes amis
Je vous aime
Je dois partir
These are the last words
I'll ever speak
And they'll set me free

If my heart was still alive
I know it would surely break
And my memories left with you
There's nothing more to say
Moving on is a simple thing
What it leaves behind is hard
You know the sleeping feel no more pain
And the living all are scarred

A tout le monde
A tout mes amis
Je vous aime
Je dois partir
These are the last words
I'll ever speak
And they'll set me free

Solo - Friedman

So as you read, know my friends
I'd love to stay with you all
Please smile, smile when you think about me
My body's gone that's all

A tout le monde
A tout mes amis
Je vous aime
Je dois partir
These are the last words
I'll ever speak
And they'll set me free

2008

2008-01-03T09:52:00.000+01:00

srečno 2008!
happy 2008!

why English?

2008-01-03T09:42:00.001+01:00

I know there will be questions about the language of my blog. So here's the simple answer. I want the blog to be available to foreign colleagues or other people abroad who would be interested. Of course people in Slovenia feel free to comment in Slovene. We can continue discussions in our mother language.

thanks for understanding ...

Aikido

2008-01-01T19:41:00.000+01:00

Aikido has been my major leisure activity for more than a year now. Thanks to Tomaz who turned our wish to reality when signing us up into Misogi dojo. Well, it's much more than a leisure activity but I will rather not explain this since it would probably sound religious or something like that ...

I rather do not write about what it is since it's too hard to express it in words ... Please take a look here and come try it or at least watch it in dojo. You will find the contact here.

What can I say about Aikido anyway? It's changing my life and myself in a way I'm not really aware of but I know it's great. But it is a long and hard way. The first thing is to believe and to let it influence. And to practice of course, without resistance, doubt, arrogance, competitiveness and without a need to prove yourself. Yes, it is definitely not a sport although including intense physical activity.

I am happy and proud that I practice in Misogi dojo which is a really good community with great teacher and instructors. I wouldn't find the right words for our respected, honorable, great sensei Wilko Vriesman. I can just say I'm honored that I can participate on his seminars. And our instructors are really trying hard for their and our growth in aikido. Thank you Wilko, Dejan, Denis, Veljo, Jasmin and all other aikidokas that I can practice with you.

Misogi dojo is a part of Slovene Aikikai Association.

blog(s)

2008-01-01T19:07:00.000+01:00

I decided to have a blog for two reasons:

1) I love to write. My dream job is to be a writer. Maybe someday ... For now, I have my blog. I will write everything I would like to. And if my posts will find some readers who will want to read them, even better.
2) I am quite obsessed with internet. And something had been missing in my life ... I had my virtual life but I didn't have my virtual self. So now I have it. And I take it as my ny gift to myself. And to all those who will find anything interesting or useful in my posts.

I find other blogs interesting and useful. Especially Gregor's (a friend who I respect very much), David's (my geeky co-worker :)) and of course Misogi's (our aikido club). Quite often I also read Fras's blog (no personal connection with me; for those who don't know him, read his blog or visit e.g. iTIVI, Blogorola).

I will be posting links of the blogs I find interesting.

virtual edition of me

2007-12-31T16:39:00.000+01:00

is finally here. one of my frustration is thus resolved ...

virtual edition of me

music. heavy.

sunset on the top

fairtrade - how fair is it?

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hell over paradise, heaven for metalheads

perfect breakfast #2

cow milk is for cows, don't you think?

impressions from Social Media World Forum

Social Media World Forum - counting down

Social Media World Forum - see you there?

"christmas" shopping out of shopping centers

In memoriam. Tomaz Humar, 1969-2009.

Slovenija 2020, call for action

Slovenija 2020: my 3 suggestions

cosmetic updates #3

Trance heaven @ Ljubljana

leaders who are not

make your own shampoo #2

cosmetic updates #2

blogging. the next generation.

what's wrong with what we eat

eco nappies

cosmetic updates

make your own shampoo

cosmetic ingredients

spring is here

perfect breakfast

readers of this blog come from 52 countries

baby cosmetics. organic.

sales management in times of crisis

Mac, Linux or Windows? (or is there a question at all ...)

online shopping rules ... again

organic and natural personal care

save the planet ... eco clips from Animal Planet

old-fashioned

home sweet office ... (by Wired)

Wilko Vriesman in Ljubljana

we are what we eat

a healthy lifestyle

the image of paradise

tea time #2

cleaners

up and down around Bohinj mountains

Tosc

books about media and communications

organic

holidays in the mountains

addicted to sport? ... no, to enjoy life

'do you have a website?' - wrong question

alpinism

Soca*

Crna prst

Kriski podi

Metalcamp TV - HellOverParadise 08

beautiful mountain flowers

natural sunscreens

Srebrno sedlo

on luck*

natural cosmetics

Loyalty?

don't fade to black

Hombu Dojo Shihan visits Slovenia

Heroes of Might & Magic

digital world bringing back the music experience

sales management in times of excessive demand

disco lies

lack of attention (my favorite movies)

my favorite songs by Evergrey

Evergrey are coming to Tolmin!!!

music corner

is all cosmetic natural or is there no such thing as natural cosmetic?

don't ignore #2

don't ignore

Konjš'ca

Metalcamp

Draški vrh

Twin Peaks

Tiësto

Misogi