News on Upcoming Serbian Unity Conference in San Francisco

/ 08.10.2007. u 21:36

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Per our discussion on Serbs in Diaspora that sprang out of comments in my last blog post, I just phoned Ivana Cerovic, who is the Conference Organizer at America's Serbian Unity Congress, for details about the upcoming conference. In case you're interested, here's what I discovered:

* the 17th annual conference is being held in downtown San Francisco Oct 26-28 (most activities are on Saturday the 27th.) You can register online.

* Anywhere from 200-500 US-based Serbs will attend. I'll be there part of the time and blog some notes for B92 of course. Yes, qualified bloggers can get a press pass! There are also student discounts.

* Why San Francisco? Ivana told me that contrary to the popular myth that most US-Serbs are in the Chicago area, actually the biggest group are now in California. A surge in Serb programmers in Silicon Valley in recent years made the difference. Yes, there will be an IT outsourcing, partnering and employment panel at the Conference this year.

* Scheduled keynote speakers are Milorad Dodik, Vuk Jeremic and Milica Cubrilo. I'm most looking forward to meeting Milica naturally.

* My college-aged, Serb stepson who will be accompanying me is not interested in any of the big name keynotes, but he is psyched about the live concert by Bajaga & Instruktori to follow. Ivana says several young people have contacted her asking for tickets to the concert only. She's waiting to see how many gala dinner tickets they sell first to make a decision, but if there is room she may allow some concert-only folks in. To get on the wait-list for that, contact her directly at SUC's DC-office (202) 463-8644

* Not on the Agenda (but it really should be): Changing the name of the Serbian Unity Congress so it's acronym is not SUC. Obviously someone not familiar with American English thought that one up. Anything that sounds just like "Suck" is not good for the Serb national brand... Enough said.

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nsarski 21:40 08.10.2007

I have a suggestion for the new name:

Union of Serbian Americans (USA). SUC on that!

oldtajmer 21:58 08.10.2007

Re: I have a suggestion for the new name:

* Scheduled keynote speakers are Milorad Dodik, Vuk Jeremic and Milica Cubrilo.

SUC, indeed :)

Srki 22:52 08.10.2007

Re: I have a suggestion for the new name:

oldtajmer
* Scheduled keynote speakers are Milorad Dodik, Vuk Jeremic and Milica Cubrilo.

SUC, indeed :)

Thanks God, I am living far enough from those creatures - measured both from SF and Chicago!

"A surge in Serb programmers in Silicon Valley in recent years made the difference. Yes, there will be an IT outsourcing, partnering and employment panel at the Conference this year"...

Hahaha, this is the best joke I ever heard! Now I understand why it is almost impossible to find a decent programmer (or software engineer) in Belgrade.

Mungos 00:10 09.10.2007

Re: I have a suggestion for the new name:

nsarski
Union of Serbian Americans (USA). SUC on that!

:)))))))))

Mungos, The :))))))))

Mungos 00:16 09.10.2007

Re: I have a suggestion for the new name:

Srki
oldtajmer
* Scheduled keynote speakers are Milorad Dodik, Vuk Jeremic and Milica Cubrilo.

SUC, indeed :)

Thanks God, I am living far enough from those creatures - measured both from SF and Chicago!

"A surge in Serb programmers in Silicon Valley in recent years made the difference. Yes, there will be an IT outsourcing, partnering and employment panel at the Conference this year"...

Hahaha, this is the best joke I ever heard! Now I understand why it is almost impossible to find a decent programmer (or software engineer) in Belgrade.

Unfortunately, you are hell right!! Most of them in Belgrade are treated just as "mice", but in reality - they are so powerful processors - quad 128 bit cores! But nobody understands that, there...

Mungos, The Sad & Mad

jumping_genes 02:59 09.10.2007

Re: I have a suggestion for the new name:

Seriously! Dodik, Minister Jeremic and whatshername-diaspora. And Bajaga? Seriously! This sounds like a South Park spoof, serbian style. But, it's totally in sync with SUC.
And, boy, do they suck!

Mungos 03:58 09.10.2007

Re: I have a suggestion for the new name:

jumping_genes
Seriously! Dodik, Minister Jeremic and whatshername-diaspora. And Bajaga? Seriously! This sounds like a South Park spoof, serbian style. But, it's totally in sync with SUC.
And, boy, do they suck!

Mungos, The Understadns (who is who)

DejanOz 04:02 09.10.2007

Re: I have a suggestion for the new name:

jumping_genes
Seriously! Dodik, Minister Jeremic and whatshername-diaspora. And Bajaga? Seriously! This sounds like a South Park spoof, serbian style. But, it's totally in sync with SUC. And, boy, do they suck!

Well, what can you do. It's the people's choice. And be happy that it's not Ceca. Bajaga's an improvement (however small). At this stage, I don't see a possibility of formulating any Serbian team that would satisfy the ordinary folks (in diaspora, or at home) and the intellectuals of all denominations, at the same time. That is quite impossible, which speaks a lot about the alleged "Serbian Unity". What unity?

jumping_genes 03:56 10.10.2007

Re: I have a suggestion for the new name:

DejanOz
Well, what can you do. It's the people's choice. And be happy that it's not Ceca. Bajaga's an improvement (however small). At this stage, I don't see a possibility of formulating any Serbian team that would satisfy the ordinary folks (in diaspora, or at home) and the intellectuals of all denominations, at the same time. That is quite impossible, which speaks a lot about the alleged "Serbian Unity". What unity?

I don't think that we should succumb to the sort of black-and-white portrayal of the Serbian diaspora. I know what you're trying to say, and I understand, but it's not the [b]people's/b] choice. Most people from this S-A diaspora have no clue that there's a SUCing session going on soon. It's just a choice of a small group of people who decided to, sic!, spruce up the Serbian shenanigans freak show.

I do want to say, however, that I am somewhat pleasantly surprised to see that there's actually a meaningful session on IT and ways it can be used to help businesses and young IT professionals and entrepreneurs in Serbia (continue to) carve a niche for themselves in the global economy. Perhaps it's just one baby step in the right direction. Of course, the other SUCing sessions, I'm willing to bet, are going to be a lot more popular with this crowd.

And finally -- Serbian unity. Ha! I just have never cared much for silly declarations and empty phrases. So here's a shout-out, for all of you who won't be in San Francisco but are willing to shoot the breeze on everything under the sun, including Serbia, lets grab a pint somewhere in Brooklyn on the 27th!

DejanOz 04:05 10.10.2007

Advaita

I don't think that we should succumb to the sort of black-and-white portrayal of the Serbian diaspora.

I agree - the first part of my message was a bit tongue-in-cheek. The second part just stated the obvious, ie that whoever the "keynote speakers/performers" are, there will always be reason for someone to complain. The new name, if there will be one, should do away with that divisive "unity" (lol).

Srki 22:56 08.10.2007

SUC

Man, let's face it: we do SUC!!! Why change the name? Goes well with the funny list of how dumb and uncivilized Serbs are, presented in the previous blog

Domazet 23:42 08.10.2007

Well...

...some Serbs are definitely dumb. Uncivilized as well…

Mungos 04:00 09.10.2007

Re: Well...

Domazet
...some Serbs are definitely dumb. Uncivilized as well…

Domazet, give us a break, pls!

Mungos, The Sick and Tired

Хаџија 09:05 09.10.2007

Thanks Rosy

Dear Rosy,
We just got back fighting Nazis in Novi Sad. We are exhausted there was this Serb shouting at us for fifteen minutes in German! It was intolerable! We demanded the resignation of the whole Serbian Government for they are the main instigators of this UB (until-social behaviour). The police just stood there. We had to shout “KILL NAZIS!” as we had nothing better to say. But then some of our pacifists noticed that this is wrong and started asking question like “how can we shout KILL, we will lose our funding if they hear of this in the Central”. So we stopped and went home.

In any case dear, what I want to say is that we cannot make it San Francisco for another anti-Nazi demo. And our Rainbow Peace flag-pole was vandalized so we had to report this to the dumb Serbian police who just cannot get it right. Now we have to apply for new funds to repair the flag-pole.

Let American progressives fight their own Nazis. But thanks for the info, its always good to keep tabs on the enemy, lest they find us unprepared.

I miss San Francisco. Oh.

PS I got bad news, another comrade was sent to the "prison" last night for speaking up on this Blog. I sometimes think there might be some truth in AUCH STOP HELP HELPPPP!

DejanOz 09:13 09.10.2007

Re: Хаџија

Surprisingly, this is almost funny. :)

Хаџија 09:51 09.10.2007

Re: Хаџија

Sorry, It was just my anti-fascist granny forcing me to drink kamilica!

Anyway the guy on the left is Vuk Jeremic, your speaker in SF (I think). Just to demonstrate the simplifaction of Serbian politics as done by our "colleagues here".