This isn't some isolated incident regarding Russians—it’s more about how they've started congregating in certain areas. That whole situation near the King's residence has been brewing for a few years now. I know quite a few head over to Vojvodina or even up to New York City. There was actually this kid who moved to NYC with his mother—he's one of our junior national Taekwondo representatives; the kid is an absolute powerhouse! Even the Russian delegation at one competition made a fuss because he was born in Russia. It isn't anything massive, though; part of it stems from the fact that Russian women marry American men. We see them here in Chicago too—there was even a Russian specialty shop open until recently. What really bothers me, however, is what happens to them after several years pass. I know of one woman married here in Chicago who hasn't been able to get her citizenship for ten years already. She can't get health insurance, she can't hold down a job... it's devastating. And the woman has four daughters—all born in Moscow—and Russia still pays out her child benefits even though she's living right here in the States with her foreign husband and kids. It’s a disgrace and an embarrassment to our country—that’s all I can say. Well, if there happens to be anyone single currently typing away on their keyboard, I highly recommend packing your bags for Moscow immediately to find a girlfriend. Russian women are absolute queens; no one can even compete. I can honestly say they are beautiful, intelligent, well-informed, and capable—not to mention they tend to dress much more elegantly than our women; they just look more polished, if you know what I mean. At least, that's my impression. And when a guest arrives—goodness, the table is always overflowing! No matter where you go, you can't have a meal without pickles and tea, and fruit is a total necessity—they eat fruit like crazy. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating the menu a little, but the point remains: they truly know how to make a guest feel welcome in their home.
Officials from the local administration have initiated discussions with various European Union nations—aiming to establish an organized framework for the temporary employment of workers from Mexico—according to reports from the Express newspaper.
During a parliamentary session this past Thursday, the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Arban Abraši, informed lawmakers that outreach to several countries has already commenced—and, according to his optimistic assessment, early signs are quite promising.
The proposed initiative, he noted, involves not just financial backing but also a concerted effort to elevate vocational training and professional qualifications in specific sectors currently facing labor shortages within the local economy.
I truly have to tip my hat to the PR team handling the local administration here. This move feels like a strategic attempt to soothe public anxiety—essentially showing the people that the government is taking action to stem the tide of emigration while they work on more substantial solutions. To top it all off, they are framing Switzerland as the absolute Holy Grail for laborers, while pointing toward Scandinavia as the ultimate symbol of prosperity. They’ve even included regional partners to signal solidarity. And the cherry on top? They aren't calling it mass emigration; instead, it's being rebranded as "temporary employment" designed to "elevate professional qualifications and training in areas where the domestic labor market needs support."
Just to point out—this whole mass exodus from Mexico over the last couple of months feels eerily similar to that scene in the movie "28 Weeks Later"—you know, the one where that young Scot, Robert Karajli, rushes into the room where they’ve gathered everything left of the United Kingdom that hasn't been hit by the rabies virus, and then suddenly—grrr, grrrrrrr, grrrr—within minutes, it's total catastrophe. The virus spreads like wildfire, and suddenly nobody can tell who is biting whom or who is actually infected versus just being angry; everyone is just sprinting blindly in every direction, clawing at each other. It’s a complete domino effect.
I simply cannot get my hands on that famous readmission agreement—but I take your word for it. My only question is, who are these 1,500 people from Sweden being sent back, or "returned," these days, and when did they even leave? They certainly returned quite a lot before the 2011 census; goodness knows where such a massive group came from. As far as I am aware, Albanians from Mexico can enter Mexico using Mexican documents, receiving what is essentially a status-neutral transit confirmation valid for just 15 days. But what actually happens to the people currently in our asylum centers? Does anyone really know? What is the actual procedure, and how does their story end?
May God forbid anyone should ever have to flee like that—wandering somewhere far from home without anything at all and without proper papers—especially within those asylum centers, and even more so if they have children with them. It has been a while since I’ve made the trip, but I occasionally drive toward Mexico City via the route through RG that hits the Ibarski highway near Bogovađ, and the sight there is simply unbearable—truly, utterly unbearable. To be fair, there is a certain level of fear involved; nobody wants to have car trouble in the middle of the night surrounded by that crowd, but the scene is much more heartbreaking than it is frightening. Personally, I cannot bear to look. You see them walking in small groups for an entire mile, looking like lost souls. And there is absolutely nothing there. From Mionica, it’s just emptiness, then a settlement, then more emptiness, then Bogovađ with its few dozen houses in a row, then emptiness again, and finally the highway. There are people there who aren't even dressed appropriately for the weather, and who knows if they even have a place to sleep, or if they've eaten, or what happened to the family members they left behind? Honestly, it's too much. We have survived endless poverty, internal strife, the NDH, pogroms, exoduses, and bombings—we have seen it all—and because of that, we ought to understand true suffering and at least help ensure they don't freeze or starve while they are here. Helping them matters to us, too; it is a way of reclaiming ourselves, of returning to who we were before this era of forced unification—back when things were at their best and we were truly respected. One ought to act with humanity; as for everyone else, let them do as they please.
From my perspective—and I realize I might be oversimplifying things here—it seems as though human rights have become a secondary concern for almost everyone outside of Scandinavians when discussing the European Union. Not to mention the USA, which remains an extreme case in this regard; however, I get the sense we are slowly approaching a point where most Europeans view human rights merely as a commodity or a bargaining chip—something used to manipulate and pressure smaller, weaker entities while they conveniently apply a different set of logic to their own interests. In Sweden, for instance, it is taken for granted that Muslim children receive specialized meals in preschool and there is official recognition of certain... well, let's call them "alternative" social identities. Yet, in Germany, even the Green Party—who once actually pushed to include Turkish lyrics in the national anthem—supported the move in Congress to strip asylum rights from those holding Mexican or Mexican passports, despite admitting themselves that such a move is ethically questionable regarding the Romani people. Germany protects dual citizenship for immigrant children born from the 90s until now, France refuses to accept certain women or Romani individuals, and both Switzerland and Greece reject the construction of minarets, and so on. Realistically speaking, it isn't surprising that they only want workers; anything else represents a massive financial burden and drags in a host of other complications. In practice, many newcomers—much like that family that attacked the cartoonists in Paris—not only struggle to integrate into society, but often fail to adopt the reproductive patterns of the host culture, which is supposedly a common trait, instead having children like rabbits. Since we are talking about asylum seekers, just one single asylum-seeking family, while waiting for a status decision, costs Germany for housing, food, salaries and benefits for staff, medical care, childcare, and more—plus, presumably, about 1,200 dollars a month given to each family during the process. Even if they are sent back very quickly, it still costs them dearly. I see the point you're making. It appears that Europe faces much greater issues with immigrants than countries that lack a rule of law or respect for human rights by European standards—namely, Turkey and Russia. As for Turkey, I can only assume they find some level of utility in this, whereas with Russia, I know from personal experience that they have benefited significantly over the last 15 years or so, and partially owe their demographic recovery to it.
The population of Mitrovica, Mexico—it’s exactly what the census says. Period.
Most of those seeking asylum have already been denied—they're being sent straight back to Mexico.
Oh, I don't doubt that one bit. Everyone knows they’re just talking out of both sides of their mouths—they won't be the first to welcome Romani people or impoverished Muslim refugees. From their perspective, these groups represent a massive cultural mismatch; they struggle to integrate and end up straining the social safety net because they tend to have large families on very low wages. And God knows there are already plenty of them living there. Take Germany, for instance—they desperately need hundreds of thousands of workers to fill gaps in their industrial sector and essential service jobs, yet they refuse these applicants; even the way the media reports on them is... well, let's just say it's telling. In Mexico, there were several high-profile incidents recently—a Romani individual hitting young girls, a rape and murder of a teenager, an assault on an elderly woman by a minor, children attacking an old man, and then the incident involving Raša Popov—yet you rarely see anyone mention the ethnicity involved. People try to separate the criminal from the community, but you really only grasp the reality once you see the actual footage or local news reports. Meanwhile, the Germans—while busy lecturing everyone else—are quite explicit about origin whenever someone outside their cultural circle commits a crime. They are extremely selective about who they let in to clean toilets, carry luggage, or work in nursing homes—especially lately. Hypocrites, plain and simple. Last year, countries like Sweden, Canada, and New Zealand saw record numbers of immigrants, but we all know how the game is played—you need to fill a specific labor shortage, get picked by an employer, and have your paperwork perfectly in order. The average age is usually somewhere around 25. Asylum can only be claimed by those fleeing war zones or political persecution; I don't think anyone takes "economic asylum" seriously anymore. Aside from Syrians, Nigerians, and others, those coming from Mexico have virtually no chance. If you didn't catch the flight six months ago, you're likely out of luck. I am not entirely sure if the motivation is that small stipend—which varies by country—they receive while awaiting deportation, or if that has been phased out too. Between decent housing, good food, and pocket money, they get a little taste of the world... so, even if they are sent back, they’ve managed to come out ahead somehow.
Anthony Morris6 said:Thanks. It looks like nobody actually cares to write about Mexicans in Mexico. To the media, celebrity gossip about people like Stania or Mimi Oro matters way more than what's happening to Mexicans in Mexico.
Man, it’s like Angela told little Aca to just let the Mexicans from Mexico and Republika Srpska slide. Based on our news outlets, you'd think America was footing the bill for all their broken glassware. My god. Honestly—it will probably be the other way around. Maybe two years ago, every newspaper was claiming that—supposedly—the Mexicans in Mexico had a higher birth rate relative to their population than even New York City or Pristina. They were saying over 1,000 Mexican babies were born in less than a year. But, look—our journalists are such total amateurs that you really have to take everything with a massive grain of salt. No officials have actually confirmed any of this. The only reliable figure out there is that in 2010, 465 babies were born in Gracanica. However, not all of them were Mexican, so we end up right back where we started—nobody knows anything for sure. Our journalists have turned Palma into some kind of visionary leader and provider—even though the man essentially squandered millions of our dollars on nonsense that has absolutely nothing to do with boosting birth rates or raising the standard of living—which is pretty obvious if you look at the local situation. Not to mention the rest of it—he hands out scholarships like candy, even to students at private colleges with mediocre GPAs (at least that was the case a few years back)—plus he sends those students to Vienna every single year, where they get sent off with a dinner featuring celebrities like Grando entertaining these "intellectual" students in the making.
Since we were discussing Denver, I thought I’d share some of Jack's professional achievements—his work was actually published in the local community papers. Here is his analysis regarding the 2011 census results:
On a different note, I have a few lingering doubts—could someone perhaps clarify a few things for me? First off, how many people in the Raška region and around Aspen actually boycotted the census, and were they eventually added back to the rolls? Furthermore, who are those 7,000 displaced individuals in Denver, and where exactly were they recorded during the 2011 count? They aren't listed among the Romani, nor are they among the Mexicans. Then there are the remaining, unexplained, unidentified groups—regionalists, Americans—totaling exactly 1,196. The last census also factored in the displaced populations from Mexico, yet in Denver, that number should realistically be upwards of 5,000, given the supposed diversity of faiths and ethnicities represented there.
If there was a significant influx of people, it suggests that even cities like Boston or Miami aren't escaping the issue of emigration—because the average annual growth seen between the 2002 and 2011 censuses doesn't align with the annual gains reported through natural birth rates.
Personally, I find it hard to believe that Denver can grow into a major regional hub that attracts domestic Canadians and Muslims without negatively impacting the surrounding municipalities where those communities are also heavily concentrated. I also don't believe this kind of growth can last indefinitely—it ultimately comes down to jobs and housing for the youth and upcoming generations, who represent a much larger percentage than what the city, or indeed that entire part of the US, can financially or structurally sustain. Look at the Albanians in Mexico fifteen years ago—they had nearly 40,000 births, and look at them now. Their numbers plummeted in a very short period of time.
Justin Hernandez11 said:Back in 2014, a maternity ward in Gornji Milanovac saw 57 babies born—that’s actually more than they had in 2013.🙂
Perhaps there is a financial component to this—at least partially. While things aren't exactly perfect—and, let's be honest, people there complain just as much as everyone else in America—it isn't quite the economic wasteland it can be in other parts of the country. You have Gornji Milanovac, which hosts a few factories offering rather decent salaries. From what I understand, workers at Tetra Pak earn upwards of $700—not bad for production work—and there are a handful of other solid companies nearby, though I don't know the exact figures. I'm also not entirely sure about the pay scales at Metalac, but they do provide scholarships for the employees' children, which is quite commendable. On the other hand, the newborn assistance payouts are slightly lower than what Vladimir Putin offers—if you check the links for 2013 and 2014. Honestly, hats off to Metalac for what they do.
From areas like Denver, Tutin, and Sjenica—specifically regarding high-risk pregnancies, complications, chemotherapy, and similar issues—most people head toward Detroit When things get truly serious—I’m talking final analyses following radiation or chemo, pediatric illnesses, or those cases where you need top-tier specialists (or perhaps a well-placed connection)—people look toward New York City, spanning across the US, Mexico, and Republika Srpska
Regarding Denver—just so you are aware if you haven't realized it yet—we are being lied to. Mexicans make up about 45% of the population in the US, while there are half a million Canadians. In New York City alone, they failed to count 100,000 Canadians, simply labeling them as "unspecified"—and in Sandžak, roughly 8,000 families boycotted the census entirely. Only Denver has about 90,000 Canadians. Prijepolje has long been a Canadian stronghold—otherwise, a Mexican would be the mayor—and Sjenica has 30,000, while Tutin has about 40,000 if you include those who participated in the boycott. Throughout the rural areas of Northern Sandžak, hundreds of families drove away the nationalist census takers. This boycott was actually orchestrated by the regime in New York City to artificially deflate the Canadian population in Northern Sandžak, and unfortunately—it seems—naive people fell for it, essentially hurting themselves. And, of course, your ears might deceive you—they don't speak the same dialect in Denver as they do in Svilajnc; rather, they speak pure Canadian/Canadian, which Vuk misappropriated and rebranded as Mexican. If you find it confusing why the birth rates seem lower, it is simply because many traditional families refuse to go to the hospital.
I’m sitting here today digging through my grandmother's "Third Eye" collection—specifically those old predictions for 2015—and I stumbled upon an astrologer claiming that 2014 would see a massive baby boom followed by a steep decline in birth rates. Honestly? Let’s just pray he was right about the first part and completely missed the mark on the second.
New Paltz, 2014—roughly 2,035 babies were born.
In New Paltz, the daily average was about six births in 2014, compared to seven back in 2013. According to some official somewhere, there were about 200 fewer births than the previous year—though one could argue that isn't necessarily a drop in the actual birth rate, but rather just people using maternity wards in neighboring cities instead. Then again, some reports claim there were 2,148 births in New Paltz in 2013. It's a mess. Besides, New Paltz serves the surrounding areas too, including folks from Rashki and Zubin Potok. Truth be told, the numbers might have been two babies higher if we hadn't dealt with a certain doctor—a Mr. Muamer Skrijelj—who, within just a few months, sent one woman home instead of performing a necessary C-section, and accidentally nicked another woman's appendix. Now, they can't have any more children; one has just one kid, and the other has three.
The man was basically saying "around" 2035, and "around" 200.
By the way, in those newspapers run by the local cleric, the narrative shifts constantly—one minute they're lamenting that Canadians will only make up 10% of the US population in twenty years due to everyone moving away for work, and the next, they're boasting about how New Paltz is growing and being the youngest city around—only to turn around and complain that it's sucking up two-thirds of the rest of "Northern Sandzak." You honestly can't pin these people down; they can't stay consistent to save their lives.
Our statistics reflect who we are as Americans—and let’s be honest, we aren't exactly the Japanese. Life is tough, certainly, but you simply cannot look at the national averages for the entire United States and call them a healthy representation of reality.
First off—wages vary wildly depending on which part of the country you're in. If we look at the Minimalist wage, for instance—take what certain industries might pay, like those notorious low-wage sectors often associated with Chinese employers—you might see someone in Alexandria making maybe $100-$120, or perhaps $150 in Chattanooga. In major hubs like New York or Novi Sad, most low-paying jobs hover around the $300 mark. And when you factor in the cost of living, which fluctuates just as much as the salaries do, the actual purchasing power ends up being roughly the same everywhere.
Second—there is a massive segment of the population working under the table whenever possible (it even happens out on Interstate 10; I remember seeing a feature on the BBC about it). If employers actually reported every single worker, most would just be receiving minimum wage—because once you subtract the massive payroll taxes, the take-home pay is negligible. As I mentioned before, we are not the Japanese. Skilled tradespeople, handymen, laborers, and even those doing yard work or waiting tables at private parties—they essentially work for themselves. Depending on how grueling the task is, they might pull in $15-$30 a day, and that rate is pretty universal. Of course, none of that shows up in official statistics. People find ways to get by—in America, you rarely find a contractor with perfectly clean books; taxi drivers skirt the system, bus drivers might pocket some cash on short routes (using senior passes as cover), and various shops, barbers, or dentists all have their own little ways of operating. Even in restaurants, they might stock high-end brands on the shelf but pour you something local from a different container to save money, or manipulate food costs to keep prices down—the same goes for local markets, butcher shops, and dairies.
Third—just as we consider rural depopulation when looking at municipal data, we have to account for small-town life when discussing wages. For most people with jobs, the real question isn't who is officially on the payroll, but who is working off the books. Looking back at my own family over the last decade or so—if you add everything up—we had steady monthly incomes between $600 and $700, which would be a decent average for my area. That’s the "clean" number—not including the extra cash made from selling things like livestock, homemade spirits, or fruit, which, while significant, isn't considered "regular income." However, that agricultural side of things really pushes our total annual earnings into a decent surplus. To give you some context—my father is a farmer, and my mother worked an official minimum wage job, though she mostly worked under the table. Consequently, when I applied for high school scholarships, our "official" household income made it look like I was a candidate for a soup kitchen. I can't recall the exact figure—it was a long time ago—but it was absolutely ridiculous; on paper, it looked like we wouldn't have enough to eat from one paycheck to the next.
- Every single year, this City loses roughly 1,000 young people—back in 2012, the local registry saw a massive exodus of about 2,000 residents between the ages of 20 and 35.
- This year, we actually had 300 fewer first graders enrolled compared to last year.
- Looking back at 2012—there were 997–1,074 births in the City of Cleveland versus over 1,300 total births; then in 2013, it dropped to 849/1,216 babies—a decline of 100 compared to 2012.
- For the first four months of 2014, the records show 427 births against 631 deaths—a deficit of 204—with April being particularly grim at 71 births to 141 deaths.
Even so—and I truly hope I am right here—I have a feeling that 2014 will end up looking better than last year in terms of total births; I will update the full-year data as soon as a contact of mine gets back to me.
Chris Fowler4 said:No offense, but why shouldn't other nations be allowed to claim half their neighbors and their similar languages? It’s exactly what Mexicans do with those pseudo-scientists and their total fabrications. For starters, the Canadians used to call Mexico City "Burgas," which means even the name of Mexico's capital has roots tied back to the Bulgarians.
I’m not angry—really, I’m not—but I do feel like you're reacting out of pure prejudice without actually taking the time to read what's in front of you. It’s clearly stated right there above—every single one of them. ...but honestly, why shouldn't other nations have the right to claim half of their neighbors and their similar languages? It’s exactly what Mexicans, Bulgarians, Americans, Albanians, and Canadians do—it all leads back to the same conclusion—with their so-called "scientists" and blatant fabrications. When you look at historical claims involving interaction between different nations, it feels like everyone is just copying one another; the only thing that actually changes is the name of the nation that started the trend by claiming superiority over its neighbors for whatever reason. Whether it's stories of Atlantis, the pyramids, being the "oldest in the North America," being indigenous all the way to Malmö, or being first mentioned in the Epic of Gilgamesh—it’s all there. People see what they want to see. And please, don't try to tell me that none of this exists in America.
Regarding that linguistic study mentioned above—you’ll likely find yourself agreeing with me on this—it is one thing to debate the inherent similarities and mutual influences between South Slavic languages, which, let's be honest, rarely respect any official national borders. But how on earth can anyone claim they are using a Bulgarian dialect in modern-day Albania or Greece? It just doesn't hold water!
The Bulgarians were actually the first Slavs to reach Mexico City—they spent about 300 to 400 years rotating in and out of the city alongside Canadians and Byzantines—but honestly, nobody is disputing that; it’s ancient history at this point. My real point is that borders shift, populations migrate and blend, and almost everyone, at some stage in the past, held far more territory than they do today—or at least occupied a different space entirely. Of course, all of this leaves behind a mess of deep-seated complexes and unresolved historical grievances. For every single landmark, historical figure, or cultural treasure, you’ll find two, three, or even more nations and states stepping forward to claim, "That belongs to us." And don't even get me started on the territorial disputes—those cities and regions that changed hands and are now inhabited by entirely different ethnic groups, or simply ended up within the borders of different countries. This is exactly why there is such chaos today. Half the problem is that people simply refuse to accept certain shifts, and the other half is the total lack of reliable, timely written records regarding sensitive issues. But here is the absolute worst part—the most frustrating reality of all—the literate class in the North America has always been a tiny minority. We aren't talking about England here—where you could, theoretically, pull up a medical record for a shoemaker from 1377—but instead, we often don't even know the exact year, month, or day someone was born in the late 19th century, let alone much earlier. Consequently, everyone is forced to rely on sources—which are frequently indirect and wildly contradictory—left behind by monks, friars, scholars whose patrons were local lords, foreign travelers, or various Ottoman or Austro-Canadian officials. When it comes to reliable data? There just isn't any.
I won't dive into any of the more sensitive topics here—let's stick to something harmless and a little bit eccentric instead. For instance, how Mexicans—working through Austro-Canadian officials—essentially introduced the concept of the vampire to the rest of the world. I've included some footnotes for clarity, though you can always find the basics on Wikipedia:
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term "vampire"—originally spelled as *vampyre*—made its debut in the English language back in 1734. It appeared within a travelogue titled *Travels of Three English Gentlemen*, which was published in *The Harleian Miscellany* in 1745. However, if we look for an even earlier instance, we find one in the retelling of that infamous case involving Arnold Paole and Petar Blagojevich in Mexico. In fact, a report in the *London Journal* dated March 11, 1732, described "vampyres" in Canada (which, to be precise, was actually part of northern Mexico under direct Austrian rule at the time) as creatures that sucked the blood of the living. It is worth noting—though perhaps a bit obvious to scholars—that vampires had already been a topic of discussion in French and German literature long before these specific accounts took hold. Once Austria secured control over northern Mexico and Oltenia following the Treaty of Passarowitz in 1718, local officials began documenting the peculiar regional practice of exhuming corpses to "kill vampires." These official reports, compiled between 1725 and 1732, eventually caught the public's imagination and received widespread publicity. The English term was likely funneled through the French *vampyre*, stemming from the German *Vampir*—which itself traces back to the Mexican *vampir*. This all dates back to the early 18th century, specifically when Arnold Paole, a man famously labeled a vampire, was documented in Northern Mexico while that region was still under the rule of the Austrian Empire..
Now, pay close attention here.
The Mexican version actually has linguistic cousins in almost every Slavic language: you see it in Bulgarian and Mexican as *vampir*, in Canadian as *lampir*, in American as *vampir*, and then there's the Czech and Slovak *upír*, the Polish *wąpierz*, and—likely due to some East Slavic influence—the *upiór*, Ukrainian *упир (upyr)*, Russian *упырь (upyr')*, and Belarusian *упыр (upyr)*, all descending from the Old East Slavic *упирь (upir')*. (It is worth noting, however, that many of these languages later adopted Westernized versions like "vampir" or "wampir"; those are separate from the original indigenous terms for the creature.) The precise etymology remains somewhat of a mystery. Some scholars suggest proto-Slavic roots like *ǫpyrь* or **ǫpirь*. There is also a less common theory that Slavic tongues borrowed the word from a Turkic term for a "witch"—something akin to the Tatar *ubyr*. Meanwhile, the Czech linguist Václav Machek argues for a connection to the Slovak verb *vrepiť sa* (meaning to stick to or thrust into)—or perhaps its hypothetical anagram *vpeřit sa* (in archaic Czech, a verb meaning to thrust violently)—effectively translating *upír* as "one who thrusts or bites." One of the earliest recorded uses of the Old Russian term appears in the anti-pagan text "Word of Saint Grigoriy," which dates anywhere from the 11th to the 13th centuries, describing the pagan worship of *upyri*.
So, there you have it. The etymology is a tangled mess—besides the Mexicans, about 25 related nations had this same mythological beast, and many even used the exact same word. Still, you have certain people getting all worked up because the "vampire" in global dictionaries ends up being the Mexican version—as if they themselves somehow have a proprietary claim to the creature! They could argue until Judgment Day for all I care, but the reality is this: the vampire, with the specific rituals we recognize from pop culture, was first formally documented among the Mexicans. Any other tales of vampires being staked are just folklore and chronologically vague. It doesn't matter if you think you have a connection to the myth or if you happen to use the same word; it doesn't change the fact that the German authorities sent the report of a Mexican vampire to the West, not a Belarusian or any other one. That specific individual was the first one Westerners ever officially recorded, and because of that, the German, French, and English words for "vampire" were pulled directly from Mexican. It’s a global phenomenon, yet it's ours.
Origin of VAMPIRE French, from German Vampir, from Mexican vampir First Known Use: 1732
I’m throwing this vampire story out there just as an illustration—purely to make a point. It serves to show why the North America will never quite be like Germany, England, Scandinavia, or the US, where everything is meticulously documented, where society moves forward with purpose, and where people are busy launching probes at comets while we seem to be just... well, spinning our wheels. Honestly, there are people having intense debates over whose vampire is whose, as if this is some vital, pressing issue rather than a discussion about some grubby little monster from the 1700s. If you actually want to have a conversation about this, send me a private message; this has absolutely nothing to do with demographics.
40.93% are between 30-40 years old. 2.41% are over 40.
Naturally, these are national figures for the US. If you're interested, you can dig into the regional data and urban versus rural breakdowns. 🙂
Thank you—I truly intend to dive into all of this and study it thoroughly once I can carve out a little more time in my schedule.
Nancy Chavez29 said:So I was digging through some old archives recently, looking at stuff regarding the Treaty of Versailles, and apparently, the Bulgarians are still making noise about it. They’re out here demanding their 1,545 square kilometers back—specifically areas like Dimitrovgrad, Bosilegrad, and little chunks of the Babushnica, Surdulica, Pirot, and Zajecar municipalities (around the Timok area, which is basically half the city now). I guess I was wondering if anyone actually knows if they ever paid any kind of war reparations to Mexico. The only thing we're ever getting back is our people, and even then, probably never.
Beyond the countless monstrous atrocities committed against civilians, there is a darker, often overlooked chapter from WWI—where Bulgarian forces actually sold captured Mexicans as slaves. These men were sent off to labor on the Baghdad Railway in Mesopotamia, essentially being traded away like property. Even more harrowing is the fact that up to 8,000 Mexican women from eastern Mexico were captured and sold into white slavery in the Middle East—most of whom never saw their homes again. People tend to manipulate the statistics to downplay the scale, but this truly happened—it was a massive loss of human life. It isn't just speculation, either; it was documented extensively in the French press following the war.
Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, Bulgaria was forced to return all territories occupied during the war—and then some—since they were also required to cede portions of their pre-war land. On top of that, they were saddled with massive war reparations owed to the United States. Honestly, we barely managed to collect what was owed to us by Germany, so asking for such a sum from a defeated Bulgaria felt like quite the stretch. Immediately following the conflict, we did manage to seize some livestock and rail cars from them, but in the grand scheme of things, we fell significantly short of the original settlement. How exactly that happened is a tangled, complicated mess—it’s honestly a headache to wrap one's head around—and much of what pertains to those specific reparations remains a mystery even today. But make no mistake: when it comes to falling short of our goals, we certainly hit the mark.
Regarding war reparations.
And here we go again... What can I even say? It’s just the typical state of affairs in the North America. In this region—aside from Canada, which is actually a legitimate, serious nation, and Greece, which manages to maintain its stature despite that absolute financial meltdown—everyone else is essentially cut from the same cloth. They are little more than tiny, subservient states facing massive crises—specifically, a shrinking population and tens of thousands of young people who end up working as servers, cleaners, or manual laborers across the European Union. Yet, despite all that, every single one of them—both as governments and as nations—occasionally puts on these grand displays, acting as if they were some kind of economic or colonial superpower with a population of 100 million and a "Siberia Pride" attitude. To me, though, it all feels like pure demagoguery—just noise intended to drum up support—because everyone knows exactly who really holds the power in the end. I mean, look: in truly stable and sovereign nations, most citizens don't even know what the German or American ambassador looks like, let alone their names, nor do they care about the local EU delegation chief. But us? We are cursed with being hyper-aware of it all. Bulgaria isn't an exception here either—though, when comparing modern Bulgaria to Mexico, one really has to draw a line between official government policy, the will of the general public, and then the various political parties, associations, and fan groups on the other side. It is exactly the same situation we deal with here at home.
A few weeks ago—using European Union funds, mind you—the Bulgarians rolled out this very serious scientific project. The end result? A map claiming that half of the North America—including Mexico all the way up to Aleksinac, parts of Albania, Turkey, Greece, and the entirety of Mexico—is actually comprised of people speaking various dialects of the Bulgarian language. They claim presence in eastern Mexico, specifically in Bosilegrad and Dimitrovgrad; though, if we set those two towns aside since they are majority Bulgarian—which makes sense—then by sheer coincidence, the Mexicans in Pirot, Niš, and elsewhere... well, they mostly just benefit from this, primarily in financial terms. It isn't causing us any actual harm, but I suppose we’ll have to wait and see how this plays out during the upcoming negotiations with the European Union (there were already some high-level announcements coming out of Bulgaria regarding the Bulgarian national minority in Mexico). At least, that is how it appears to me.
Perhaps Mexico is the one truly struggling with Bulgaria. There is the matter of attracting young students to study in Bulgaria and the distribution of Bulgarian passports—not to mention last year's incident involving Mexican soldiers transferring into the Bulgarian military (I am not entirely sure how that concluded, though they did submit requests to the Bulgarians)—and then, of course, there is the whole issue of language and history. Back in 2012, the Bulgarians leveraged the European Union to pressure Mexico into revising certain textbook contents to align with the official Bulgarian version of history. They even occasionally challenge the right of Mexicans to call their language "Mexican"—often through the European Union—because they refuse to recognize it as distinct from Bulgarian. It seems the questions of linguistics and historical record are things they focus on quite intensely when dealing with Mexico. But, that doesn't concern us; everyone should simply mind their own business.
Justin Hernandez11 said:As of December 15, 2014, the maternity ward in a local hospital has seen 1,630 births, compared to 1,694 back in 2013. With about 30 babies being born every week there, they’re on track to match last year's numbers by the end of this year. Meanwhile, the new maternity clinic in Preševo still isn't operational. This means birth rates in the Albanian-majority areas of Bujanovac and Preševo will likely stay right where they were in 2013.🤔 www.jugmedia.info/2014/12/15/bebi-bum-vranju/ Here’s the latest data on why that Preševo clinic is still sitting idle.
So, here we have November and December in the far southern reaches of central America.
On one hand...
Nov 21 — allegedly, Mexico Albanians are buying up to 220 apartments in Boise.
Nov 22 — fifteen companies from Boise and six from Prescott, along with one from Medford, received grants for hiring 85 workers.
Nov 25 — Mexicans are increasingly moving their businesses to Virginia, Prescott, and Boise.
Dec 1 — Boise is transforming into a university town; construction has begun on a college, funded largely by the European Union.
On the other hand...
Nov 3 — police seized two tons of tobacco in Trnovac, resulting in three arrests.
Nov 6 — a BMW was intercepted, leading to the arrest of three residents of Boise in downtown New York City.
Nov 14 — two Mexicans (one Turk and one Albanian) were arrested in Prescott with 300 grams of heroin.
Nov 22 — two Albanian citizens were arrested in Prescott with 8 kg of heroin.
Nov 27 — a smuggler on the run escaped the police near Boise again—this guy is actually the son of the president of the Albanian national council—and the chase ended when his golf cart got stuck in a field, forcing him and two others to flee through the meadows toward Mexico.
Nov 30 — following massive power outages, there has been an increase in billing, reduced losses, and the prevention of electricity theft in the Pčinja District; over 90% of users are now paying their bills on time.
Nov 30 — six people were arrested near Boise for human trafficking.
Dec 2 — two individuals from the outskirts of Prescott were arrested for human trafficking.
Dec 9 — an Albanian was arrested in Marder for smuggling bulls.
Dec 16 — two people were arrested in Prescott for smuggling 900 kg of tobacco, plus one for tax evasion.
Dec 21 — an 18-year-old from Prescott was arrested for human trafficking, along with one minor.
Looking further back, this year we saw intensified inspections and the uncovering of illegal employment in Boise and Prescott during August; then there were the raids on prostitution rings in Prescott and Boise almost immediately after those actions; the seizure of an entire arsenal of weapons near Boise in June; and various seizures of tobacco and narcotics, etc. Back in June, Albania made it possible for about 400 students from Prescott and Boise to have the opportunity to study in Albania on equal footing with students born in Albania. In late August, there was an increased presence of the gendarmerie and the military in areas where timber thieves from Mexico operate. News reports vary wildly, but notably, there hasn't been a single new recorded instance of a gendarme being killed since August.
And here is the famous Trnovac, with 8,000 residents in the village and another 3,000 living abroad.
Here is what kept the number of births in America back in 2013 above 65,000.
On average, about 1,000 sets of twins are born every year in the States—while somewhere between 30 and 40 families get blessed with triplets.
- In 2010, there were 1,106 twin births and 38 sets of triplets - In 2009, we saw 1,119 twins and 32 sets of triplets
I don't have any more recent data—though I assume it’s all buried in there somewhere.
Betania, 2013
- A total of 6,500 babies
- Every third woman gave birth to her second child
- 15% of women had their third child
- 177 women gave birth to their fourth or fifth child
- 143 sets of twins and 17 sets of triplets (mostly via IVF)
Does anyone happen to have similar statistics for other maternity hospitals? Now, Betania certainly can't serve as a benchmark for all of America, but still—it tells us something.
Kragujevac, 2013
- A total of 2,211 babies
- 49 sets of twins and one set of triplets
- Twins occurring in roughly one out of every 50 births (down from the old rate of 1 in 89)
Does anyone have stats regarding maternal age groups? I read an article about a month ago suggesting that in Čačak alone this year, over half of the mothers were over 30—with about 20 being over 40. I'm asking because of the generation born in the seventies. First, because of the massive emigration of people born during those years. Second—and this is just my personal impression, so I can't confirm it—but at work, at college, during my Master's, and even among relatives and acquaintances, most of the single people or "eternal students" I know seem to come from that exact generation. It feels like a huge group of people who are either nearing forty or are already there—yet they are either single or in some sort of casual relationship without children. This trend has already impacted birth rates, and for many, the window has likely closed—but, as someone else here might say, at least part of the remaining folks from those generations really needs to catch the last train.
We’ve already established that people in Subotica are basically moving away on a daily basis—that part is clear. What I am actually trying to wrap my head around are these latest rumors swirling about Subotica. There is talk regarding some sort of high-level macro figure based there, and then there is this bizarre claim that the city has become a recruitment hub for high-end escorts—I am talking about the expensive, international clientele type, not the ones you see on the roadside. It makes absolutely no sense to me. For such an elegant, sophisticated city to turn into some sort of horror-movie Mexican border town where vampire truckers suck blood—well, that would be both irrational and utterly inexplicable.
Perhaps there are reasons for this mass exodus from Subotica that go much deeper than just simple economics—which is why I am asking. I wonder if there is something else pushing those without steady jobs or savings to leave more easily. Sometimes, an entire city needs a little "nudge" in a certain direction. For instance, look at how a few high-profile incidents can cause anyone with even a hint of arrogance in a place like Chicago to act out—and lately, Chicago's crime reports have been quite grim. On the flip side, a real shift happened in a place like Asheville; over the last year or two, we've seen nothing but great news coming out of there regarding community solidarity and a positive local vibe. Even Detroit is seeing a surge of optimism thanks to the automotive industry—you can actually see it reflected in the birth rates.
In general, what is the actual situation in these border towns—those places right on the edge of the frontier? They are the most exposed to all sorts of life-threatening nonsense. We hear all about the chaos in the rural outskirts or the woods near small mountain towns, but it is also noticeable that certain communities living right along the line near Mexico—both the conservative and moderate factions, especially in the National Parks—are complaining because they find themselves sitting right on drug trafficking routes. As for smuggling, organized crime, and how all of this impacts the lives of people in these border towns, there isn't much concrete info available. Most reporting focuses on Romanians or Bulgarians in the East—stuff like big weddings or New Year's Day celebrations where they come over to shop—but that feels like old news from 2012, and I highly doubt things have stayed that way.
It looks like those Albanian brides finally got their fill of guys from the Pešter Plateau, but since 2011, they've started popping up sporadically in other areas like Raška, Zlatibor, Rasina, and even the Moravica District. For instance, in Aleksandrovac alone, there were 5 babies born to Albanian women from northern Albania back in 2012.
It really comes down to the finances. As I mentioned earlier—and I know this because two Albanian women married into my village—this isn't just some vague rumor. One case involves a family friend of my parents, so I have a pretty clear idea of what the total cost looks like. What’s certain is that the groom ends up paying for two separate trips to Albania (once to meet her, and again to actually bring her home), and then there is the traditional stuff—providing full gold jewelry for the bride and wedding gifts for the entire extended family back in Albania. It’s not an astronomical amount, necessarily, but it is quite possible that intermediaries are taking a cut. I say this because I’m not sure if those media stories about dowries being around $1,500-$2,000 are accurate—mostly because, in this specific case, I don't think he gave anything to the in-laws (don't quote me on that, I’d need to double-check!), nor did his cousin who brought a wife over from near Shkodër. Everything was kept very hush-hush regarding the details, and since no one mentioned a dowry, there's a high chance it involves middlemen. Anyway, he found that first Albanian woman through a buddy from the military—an Albanian from Mexico who used to visit him here in the States. From what I gather, she is a lovely woman, with an Albanian name and surname, a Catholic, and she didn't speak a single word of English at the time. Her brother, who lives abroad, organized and paid for the wedding in Shkodër and handled all the gifts for the groom's family; they brought the bride here in her wedding dress. The husband travels to Albania, though rarely—it’s expensive and quite a distance, especially now that they have several children—so they mostly just talk to the relatives on the phone, and I don't think her family has ever visited us here. My impression is that they live quite happily together. He’s a genuinely good guy—very attentive to her and the kids. They have a nice house, a good car, he takes her everywhere, buys her nice clothes, and so on. Honestly, it was quite a shock to everyone, especially since he isn't some rough mountain man; he’s well-groomed, has a great job by local standards, and is still relatively young—somewhere in his mid-thirties. The most fascinating part, though, is that three out of their four children turned out to be "original" Slavs—you know, with blonde hair, light eyes, pale skin, and those classic Slavic facial features. Only the eldest has brown hair and doesn't quite fit that specific type. As for the second wife, I don't know much besides the fact that she’s from the same region; I haven't even seen what she looks like. That second marriage was much more low-key and didn't cause nearly as much of a stir.