slobodan means freedom, how ironic

I just sat with coworkers drinking beer watching Slobo's coffin being taken off the airplane in Belgrade. It felt very much like watching the State of the Union and cursing my dumb president. So he's being buried here [most likely - anything can change.] with a service this saturday a few blocks from my house. I might wander by, but I don't want to see anyone there. I would love for there to be a service and have no one show up. . . very unlikely.

I saw yesterday that people are saying that Slobo killed himself by taking anti-leprosy medication in order to be sent to Russian for medical care. As someone quoted in the article said, "from there, he is not likely to return. . ." It is where his wife, brother, etc. live. I would dismiss the story, but it was in the NY Times. It seems too strange to be believed, but so did last year's Ukrainian dioxin poisoning. What is it about this place that makes everything seem like a badly written thriller plot?

And more of my thoughts - probably more coherent thoughts - and some other people's about the region in the "post-Milosevic era" - a phrase I will never repeat - can be found here if you scroll down. (It compromises my anonymity, but I might get on NPR - keep your fingers crossed.)