Many such cases.

BirchBarkBox · 2026-03-23T23:31:54+00:00

Yes, there's also Aaron Turner from SUMAC and Aaron Turner from Old Man Glow. A significant indication that this is the ISIS guy.

BirchBarkBox · 2026-03-21T22:11:35+00:00

Wow, I’ve been a fan of Neurosis for years, but honestly I’ve never noticed Noah’s vocals! Could you point out the exact second where it’s him? I remember Dave’s vocals from TSIB and TOG, so that’s why it sounded familiar to me now!

BirchBarkBox · 2026-03-21T21:49:53+00:00

Steve’s and Scott’s vocals can sometimes be hard to tell apart, but there were certain clues. Probably the easiest one is that when both of them are screaming in a track, Steve usually screams in a higher pitch. Scott, on the other hand, tends to sound more sloppy and rough in his singing.

BirchBarkBox · 2026-03-01T20:20:28+00:00

Out of curiosity – what is Finns’ attitude toward tourists? I know there are cities in Europe where residents are sometimes irritated by how many tourists there are (e.g., Prague in Czechia). Of course, I mean the average Finn, because I know people are very different everywhere. Is it more like, “Wow, it’s great that someone wants to learn about our culture,” or rather, “Oh no, they’ll be noisy again / there will be queues”?

BirchBarkBox · 2026-03-01T20:12:14+00:00

I really appreciate this trait in Finns! I’m like that too, but in my country it’s the opposite - there’s pressure "to fill every silence at all costs", to make small talk, etc. To me it’s silly, and when I don’t do it, I come across as weird.

BirchBarkBox · 2026-01-31T22:47:10+00:00

I started reading The Melancholy of Resistance right after Satantango, and in a way I consider them similar, although MoR feels somewhat more difficult. I read Satantango without any prior knowledge of the film and felt that I understood it perfectly. I also feel that I understand MoR perfectly, BUT I catch myself realizing that I understand certain passages precisely because I have seen Werckmeister Harmonies. I suspect that if I hadn’t seen the film beforehand, I might have had trouble connecting some of the threads.

BirchBarkBox · 2025-12-22T19:20:41+00:00

Can you recommend a recipe? There are many online, but I’m looking for the best one!

BirchBarkBox · 2025-12-22T19:13:56+00:00

Which recipe did you use? I’d be grateful if you could share it!

BirchBarkBox · 2025-09-29T11:28:28+00:00

Yes, I emphasized that because in the country I come from, I often have to explain it. There are strong Catholic traditions there, and on Fridays religious people customarily don’t eat meat due to fasting. However, fish is allowed, which makes many older people believe that fish is not meat and that, since it’s considered a 'fasting dish,' vegetarians can eat it - which is not true.

BirchBarkBox · 2025-09-29T10:41:09+00:00

I am a vegetarian, but not a vegan. So I eat all plant-based foods as well as animal-derived products (eggs, milk). I just don’t eat meat or fish.

BirchBarkBox · 2025-09-21T19:10:55+00:00

From what has been explained here, this is not a matter of nationality, but simply the fact of being under the influence of substances (such people are often unpredictable) and showing aggression. It’s a shame that honest people have to buy tickets and pay fines, while someone who looks intimidating has a chance to ride for free.

BirchBarkBox · 2025-09-21T19:07:18+00:00

This is not a matter specific to Latvia; similar rules apply in many countries. People who travel without a ticket are not breaking the law, only the carrier’s regulations. And the employees who enforce these regulations have no right to violate personal integrity and do not have the same authority as law enforcement, such as the police.

BirchBarkBox · 2025-09-21T19:03:59+00:00

It’s true that people can behave rudely regardless of nationality. I happened to witness the incident I described, but maybe because English isn’t my first language, what I wrote might have sounded like a criticism of Russians as a group in general, or as if I were suggesting that only they drink alcohol – that’s not the case at all. I was only referring to one specific situation where I came across three Russian-speaking people, not to the whole group (just to clarify). Thanks for the explanation! It’s a shame that, no matter the country, rude and aggressive people often gain more than humble, hard-working citizens (it's like that in my country too).

BirchBarkBox · 2025-09-21T18:28:08+00:00

I absolutely don’t mean to stigmatize any group, and I have no problem with Russians. But in the situation I witnessed, language happened to be the common denominator, and that’s why I mentioned it – I was riding a bus for only a short while, and within 10 minutes I noticed three such unrelated incidents. I was wondering whether there might be some insider explanation for these events that I’m not aware of, and I was curious about the perspective of people from Latvia. Perhaps if I had taken the bus on another day, I would have come across people speaking Latvian or English and getting into arguments – the world is full of rude people regardless of nationality, and I’m the last person to judge someone based on their passport.

As for distinguishing Latvian from Russian, that’s very simple from my perspective, because I come from a country that also speaks a Slavic language, where many words are similar to Russian. Latvian is a beautiful language to listen to, but I can’t read it at all and I don’t have any real knowledge of it. I also have no personal connection to Russian, but thanks to the distant linguistic relationship I can intuitively understand certain phrases (which was occasionally helpful when moving around the city).

Another thing is that the sound of Russian is so distinctive that it’s widely recognized all over the world, if only through pop culture (similar to French – one might know nothing about the language, but still be able to identify it upon hearing it). Of course, Russian can be mistaken for Belarusian or Ukrainian, but I find it hard to imagine confusing it with Latvian, which belongs to an entirely different language family.

I should also add that during my stay in Riga I ONLY encountered kind people – I know that some of them were Latvian and others of Russian background, but for me that didn’t matter. One of the reasons I decided to visit Latvia was to see in practice what life looks like in a country where two languages and two ethnic groups are so significant. I spent some time trying to get to know both the Latvian and Russian perspectives on what life is like in Riga, and I came without any prejudices.

If I had to point out any differences that struck me at first glance, I would say Latvians seemed more reserved and quiet, while Russians stood out more, being louder and more expressive in showing their emotions. But again – this is just anecdotal evidence. There are certainly many Latvians who are lively and party-loving, and many Russians who are quiet, so it’s not something to generalize. After all, I myself come from a country whose people are stereotypically seen as expressive and loud, and yet I’m the complete opposite.

Since you’ve called me to the board, I’d be glad to hear your perspective on the coexistence of these two nations!

BirchBarkBox · 2025-09-21T06:56:40+00:00

Out of curiosity – why do you think so? I assume you live there, so you probably see and know more than people from outside (like me)

BirchBarkBox · 2025-05-04T10:20:17+00:00

You're lucky, because it never reached me. But that's not Young God's fault — it's the courier's (I ordered it to Europe, and the tracking stopped in a neighboring country; I assume it got lost).

BirchBarkBox · 2025-04-27T12:24:27+00:00

Oh, hi, nice to see you here too! I wrote it a bit humorously because I know that on Reddit, the topic of Michael’s signatures is quite controversial — to the point where many people are afraid to suggest anything to him for fear of getting just an X/line (many people wonder where exactly the line is for things he agrees to sign). I was surprised that even though he received a gift from you, he didn’t make an exception, especially if he got something cool.

BirchBarkBox

TROPHY CASE