Pouring petrol on the pyre

While it will likely come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Belarusian bully Alexander Lukashenko, the crackdown on peaceful demonstrators last night in Minsk hits home a bit harder in this part of the world.

After shaking and shivering out on the streets of Kiev for ten days and nights a little over a year ago in support of Ukraine’s Orange Revolution, for the first time in my life I saw first hand the true power wielded by the conscientious constituent. The idea that democratic change could be brought about throughout the former Soviet space was not only brought home here, but it also appeared to set a spark to kindling in Ukraine's neighbor to the North.

As Belarusian whispers for change in their own country became battle cries on the streets of Kiev late in 2004, an end to the reign of Europe’s last dictator seemed not only possible, but reasonable to expect.

Following Sunday’s farcical election sweeping Lukashenko back into office for a third consecutive term with more than 80 percent of the vote, a movement inspired by Georgia and Ukraine seemed too good to be true. And maybe it was.

The throngs of protestors dwindled from 10,000 the first night to half that number by Monday as scores of activists were arrested either entering or leaving the makeshift camp, and only numbered in the hundreds as the storm troopers under Lukashenko’s command descended on the peaceful tent city early Friday morning.

After witnessing the orange uprising, this news leaves one more than a little sad and angry. Well, really fucking pissed off might be an even better way to put it. But as striking and inspirational as Ukraine’s popular revolt was, this first step in Belarus may mean even more.

Only weeks ago, Lukashenko’s grip on this nation viewed by many around the world as a backwater of Soviet-era repression looked so solid that any protest seemed doubtful. Through all his threats of crushing any movement against him, and his no doubt relishing in his lone and (very) vocal backing from the East in the form of the Kremlin, Lukashenko appeared invincible.

But Mr. Lukashenko is, in reality, anything but. For as the rest of the world has condemned him, and it appears that European and American leadership now stand ready to isolate him further, Moscow and Vladimir Putin will not be enough to save him. No one will be able to save him from his own people.

Just as was the case in Ukraine and Georgia before it in recent years, France more than two centuries ago and in the world’s oldest democracy in the United States…you can only stand on the neck of the people for so long. They will get up at some point.

As ‘order’ is restored for the moment in Lukashenko’s Minsk, the funeral fire has already been lit and no amount of huffing and puffing from this tyrant will be able to put it out.

well, ya know...we all want to change the world.

Into the breech, dear friends

As this whole pregnancy thing continues to run along unabated, with my little "chimp" off the old block now a little more than a month out from his (or her's) expected touch down on terra firma, terms I had perhaps heard in passing through expectant friends but had absolutely no knowledge of like 'breech birth' and 'Caesarian section' have suddenly taken on a weight greater than anything else in mine and Wendy Lu's lives.

This entire experience has just been so smooth and hiccup-free thanks to my bride's superb health, her ongoing exercise regime and eating habits (that frankly put mine to shame)...that somewhere, somehow in my mind, it's almost as though I expected the kid to pop out not only without any sort of complications, but toilet trained, walking and already asking me to take the car out Saturday night.

Each doctor's appointment has been better than the last, as the quasi-Western Isida Clinic has lived up to the billing as the best option (by far) available in Ukraine's capital.

As evidenced by the latest ultrasound photo included in this transmission, our wee one has developed into quite the adorably sleepy baby bundle o' joy (patent pending).

And yeah, talking this way about a kid still requires more than a bit of wrapping around the cerebral cortex for me...I'm a guy, dammit. A man's man. I never felt this way about babies, nor did I ever have any plans to... and I was fine with that, thank you. But it seems that Mother Nature had other plans beyond just getting mama all revved up and ready to go with the nesting and the milking. Rebuilding the dad-in-training here piece by mental piece has actually put me front and center in this whole baby thing.

I've found myself actually enjoying being around kids ever since we found out that we were parents to be while visiting the Emerald Isle last fall. I can't stress this enough...I've actually LOVED being around other people's offspring, much less our own baby to be. Even writing it now, it still surprises me.

But back to my fears and the way I deal with the subsequent anger that unfortunately seems to always bubble up to the surface and get blasted at Wendy Lu...the absolute last person in the world that should have to deal with my shit in that regard right now. Does this breech thing scare me? Oh, you better know it. I understand how important natural childbirth is to my wife, what it means to her in not only concluding this part of the parenthood experience, and in that initial bonding with our new family addition. Thankfully, we've still got time for the baby to turn before we even have to consider the possibility of a c-section.

In the meantime, I've simply got to buckle down, get over this feeling of helplessness and grit my teeth to keep my focus where it should be...on caring for the two most important people in my world.

Call it my first lesson in being a dad. Those salad days of living for me and my small scale gamma irradiated-like tantrums are over. Selfless is the new sheriff in town, ya big dumb bastard...selfless.

you wouldn't like me when i'm angry.