#Rumen Petkov

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

[misterradio]

please oh please look at this dog news anchor's talking animation

"Don't worry, Boko is in perfect health condition. He will recover in a few months." - The Adventures of Choko & Boko, episode 5, translated by Midoled on Youtube

[montagne-russe]

choko and boko (and many others)...!

[arconinternet]

The Treasure Planet (Video, Rumen Petkov, 1982)

Absolutely wild Bulgarian animated sci-fi Treasure Island adaptation, twenty years before Disney did it. Rumen later designed characters for Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, which is no surprise. You can watch it here. Fanart by Chopfe.

[mariacallous]

Bulgaria is bracing for a seventh general election since 2021 after the “There’s Such a People” party on Monday returned the third and final government-forming mandate unfulfilled to President Rumen Radev. 

Following June 9 elections, the winning centre-right GERB party was unable to form a government as its partners from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms entered a sudden leadership crisis; coalition talks led by its opponents from “We Continue the Change” / Democratic Bulgaria also failed. 

“There’s Such a People”, founded by entertainer Slavi Trifonov, and known for making often unpredictable moves, also attempted negotiations to form a government in vain.

On social media, Trifonov blamed Borissov’s alleged dependency on the oligarch and Movement for Rights and Freedoms co-leader Delyan Peevski, who is currently at loggerheads with his own party’s founder.

“Borissov made Peevski’s wish for new snap elections true, so I hope he will take full responsibility for this decision,” he wrote.

Each faction in the Bulgarian parliament now seems isolated from the others. 

Since 2021, amid widespread frustration over the governance of GERB and its leader Boyko Borissov, Bulgaria has witnessed the decline of the party, the birth of new entities opposed to GERB, and increased friction between pro-EU parties and the generally pro-Russian President, Radev.

The stalemate saw two short-lived coalition governments under the mandates of reformists “We Continue the Change” led by Prime Ministers Kiril Petkov (2021-2022) and Nikolai Denkov (2023-2024). 

While emotions are running high between the parties, leaders will have a hard time motivating citizens to cast their votes yet again in such a short time. In April 2021, 50.61 per cent of those eligible to vote cast ballots, while in June 2024 the percentage had dropped to 34.41 per cent. 

In the same timespan, Bulgarians also voted in presidential elections in 2021, in local elections in 2023 and in the European elections in 2024.

In the coming days, President Radev should issue a decree on when the next election will be held. According to the constitution, polls should be organised in the next two months.

Also on Monday, the President started talks with Speaker of parliament, Raya Nazaryan of GERB, who is likely to become the next interim Prime Minister, according to Bulgarian National Radio.

[beardedmrbean]

The leader of “There Is Such a People” and former showman, Slavi Trifonov, announced that President Rumen Radev has nothing to do with his party's idea of the signature initiative started by them to convene a national poll to change the country's form of government - from a parliamentary to a presidential republic.

"I haven't seen him since he's been president, maybe I've seen him once, we haven't talked about this idea of ours, it's about our idea of majoritarian elections, and the presidential republic is the highest form of majoritarian vote," he insisted at a specially called press conference at his party's headquarters.

Trifonov was categorical that the head of state has nothing to do with "this whole story".

"I guarantee you this, we supported him in the last elections, not only us and other parties too, but our support was as a political formation, but I have not had any such talks, which concerns this idea of a referendum," he said.

We remind you that on Monday, "There Is Such a People" launched a signature initiative for a national poll with the question: "Do you support holding elections for a Grand National Assembly to resolve the issues of changes in the form of government from a parliamentary to a presidential republic?"

The party admits that the vote can be held together with the local elections in the fall of this year.

“There Is Such a People” (TISP) now has 3 months to collect 400,000 valid signatures to be submitted to parliament, which in turn must schedule the referendum.

"We will not form a coalition with anyone in the upcoming elections, there will be no such pre-election coalition, it is impossible," said the TISP leader.

Regarding the missing billion, which Kiril Petkov spoke about during a TV interview, Trifonov pointed out: "This is an absolute lie, why did he say it - I don't know, when he was prime minister he also lied, but this is an absolute lie. There is no such billion, I did not call him about any billion and I did not ask him ‘where is my billion?’".

In this regard, Trifonov announced that April 21 was his first defamation case against Kiril Petkov.

"I think that the change in the results of TISP in the elections is related to unsatisfied expectations of the people towards us. We did not have the opportunity to form a government, because the parties with which we could have allied publicly refused - BSP, DB and Stand Up BG. In the next parliament we could do, but you are witnesses of what happened. We will do everything possible to make the next parliament work," he added.

Slavi Trifonov insisted that he has time to decide whether to be a candidate for deputy, but "I still have time to think", but "’There Is Such a People’ will do everything possible to enter the next parliament with a decent result".

He also commented on the subject of the tax declaration he did not submit: "The authorities who should know, know, they are doing the necessary checks in an absolutely legal way. And I said to myself that it is high time to act purely legally, I apologized, I did that. I will submit the declaration, you will be witnesses of this thing".

The leader of "There Is Such a People" believes that Bulgaria should return the veto over North Macedonia's membership in the European Union.

"This is the only mechanism by which the anti-Bulgarian campaign can be affected and stopped," he said.

At the beginning of the briefing, a sociological survey was presented, conducted in the form of a telephone interview among 1,000 respondents between December 19 and January 10, announced the host of the press conference, Katya Ilieva.

The study was commissioned by TISP of the sociological agency "Ipsos" in Germany, which, according to TISP, is the third largest in the world.

Slavi Trifonov's idea of a referendum receives 53% support, according to the survey. 50% of those asked support a change in the country's form of government, and 46% are against it.

The study also ranks the parties for which people would vote in the upcoming early elections: GERB, WWC, DPS, DB, "Vazrazhdane", BSP and TISP, with "Bulgarian Rise" remaining behind.

In this regard, Toshko Yordanov expressed his doubts that TISP received a result below 4% in the previous elections, after the scandals that broke out months ago in the plenary hall with the codes of the voting machines.

[head-post]

Bulgaria issues EU arrest warrant for former head of state bank

A Bulgarian court issued a European arrest warrant for Stoyan Mavrodiev, the former head of the state-owned Bulgarian Development Bank (BDB), according to Euractiv.

Mavrodiev has been missing since 22 August, when he was reported missing in Bulgaria. He faces charges of serious embezzlement of public €75m in connection with a loan provided by BDB to Roadway Construction.

This is a crime punishable by effective imprisonment. Furthermore, there is a risk that the banker will abscond or commit another crime.

The company is owned by Bulgarian businessman Rumen Gaitansky, nicknamed Vulka (the Wolf), but the investigation has taken a political backlash. The loan money was not repaid, and the state bank returned only a small portion of it.

Gaitansky was released on €125,000 bail in October after two months in custody, but Mavrodiev is still missing.

Mavrodiev was one of the authors of the first economic programme of the GERB party when its leader Boyko Borissov first won the elections and was elected Prime Minister in 2009. In the same year, Mavrodiev was elected as a GERB deputy and later appointed chairman of the Financial Supervision Commission.

During Mavrodiev’s rule, the state-owned bank issued loans worth around 500 million euros, which Kiril Petkov, former economy minister and former prime minister, later labelled suspicious. Petkov linked the loans to the interests of MRF-New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski, but there is no direct evidence of this.

However, investigators note that about 15 million euros of the money loaned by the state bank eventually went to MRF founder Ahmed Dogan, Peevski’s main political opponent.

Read more HERE

[artlimited]

ART LIMITED features Rumen Petkov with the art work "Des Escaliers". Visit the artist's profile https://www.artlimited.net/13356 Published Wednesday 21st, August 2024 at 17:40:19. Art Limited is an artists' community since 2005. For a chance to be featured follow our rules in the profile description of our Instagram account. Featured artists are welcome to respond to any comments posted for their art works. Thank you to our curators for their selections. #contemporary #longexposure_shots #blackandwhitephoto #construction #camera #visuals #longexposure #longexposurephotography #pontoon #bnwphotos #bw_life #blackandwhitephotography #edifice #blackwhite #blackandwhite #photography #irox_bw #digital #fineart #contemporaryphotography #pier #mystery #passion https://www.artlimited.net/13356/art/photographie-des-escaliers-numerique-construction-edifice-jetee-ponton/en/328085

[marsnolias]

I was bored so I compiled a list of my favourite-ever media.

Books

Proofiness: the Dark Arts of Mathematical Deception, by Charles Seife

A nonfiction book about how statistics and math can and will be used for nefarious purposes.

Humble Pi: When Math goes Wrong in the Real World, by Matt Parker

(The UK version of this is subtitled “when Maths goes Wrong in the Real World”). Another nonfiction explaining how many disasters in many different areas of science and technology are caused by seemingly minor errors with basic math and geometry.

Flatland, by Edwin Abbott Abbott

The journey of A. Square, an inhabitant of a 2d plane called Flatland, and his encounter with a sphere from the third dimension. Though fiction, it presents a good picture of how two, three, and four dimensions are represented in math. It's also a satire of Victorian class structure.

The Cyberiad, by Stanislaw Lem

A collection of short stories about a pair of androids named Trurl and Klapaucius, who fly about the galaxy building machines and robots for various kings and such. A very nice blend of sci-fi and fantasy.

Mortal Engines, by Stanislaw Lem

Similar to the Cyberiad, except there are no recurring characters. Describes itself very aptly as “fairy tales for the cybernetic age”.

Aliens: Phalanx, by Scott Sigler

The first Alien media I ever experienced. It features a colony of humans on a planet where the most advanced technology is a crossbow, and where humanity lives in underground networks to avoid xenomorphs (which they call demons).

Alien versus Predator: the Rage Wars trilogy, by Tim Lebbon

Consists of Predator: Incursion, Alien: Invasion, and Alien Vs. Predator: Armageddon

Features the Rage, a rebel group of humans that have found strange alien technology that not only prolongs their lives, but allows them to control xenomorphs. The climax ends with the Rage returning to earth to attack the human sphere of colonization, and they fight against the earth humans and their temporary allies, the Yautja (predators). One of my favorites. It breaks from the antagonistic humans being Weyland-Yutani for once.

The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas

A classic. I love how the letter that lands Dantés in prison also sets in motion a series of events that basically ruin the people that conspired against him.

Short Stories

In the Hills, the Cities, by Clive Barker

This is the only media I've ever seen that emotionally moved me. It's incredibly vivid, and equal parts terrifying and sad.

The Transformers: Showdown! (US #20) by Bob Budiansky

My favorite issue of Marvel G1 Transformers. It features the Autobot Skids falling in love with a human woman named Charlene.

Movies

Quasi at the Quackadero by Sally Cruikshank

A somewhat surreal and very fun animation about a couple of strange creatures and their adventures at a fair.

The Treasure Planet (1982), directed by Rumen Petkov

A Bulgarian animated film, not to be confused with Disney's Treasure Planet. Basically a retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel, with a sci-fi twist. Contains some of the strangest, most off-the-wall scenes I've ever seen. In the English dub, Felipe, this movie's version of Jim Hawkins, is voiced by Bryan Cranston. Yes, the same one that would go on to play Walter White.

The Swindlers, directed by Jang Chang-Won

A Korean movie about a group of Swindlers banding together to take down another, bigger swindler that was the head of a giant ponzi scheme. Absolutely needs to be watched twice because, boy. The twists in this one.

Bongyi Kim Seon-Dal | Seondal: the Man who Sells the River, directed by Park Dae-Min

A movie set in the Joseon Era of Korea about Kim Seon-Dal, a legendary con man of Korean folklore.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, directed by Robert Zemeckis

The only one I like for the cinematography and behind the scenes stuff more than the actual plot.

Kshay | Corrode, directed by Karan Gour

A black and white Indian movie about a woman who desperately wants to conceive, and becomes obsessed with a statue of Lakshmi, Hindu deity of fertility and wealth.

[inprimalinie]

Cum se fac jocurile politice în Bulgaria. Canal de Telegram: Acesta este motivul pentru care este un „fost” ministru. El nu a vrut să urmeze politica SUA

Fostul ministru de interne bulgar Rumen Petkov, a făcut o declarație care nu a fost deloc pe placul mai marilor occidentali și pentru care a plătit scump. Georgiana Arsene Europa închide ochii la acțiunile SUA în Ucraina și se comportă ca un „ambasador al morții”, înarmând și mai mult Ucraina, a spus Petkov. Acesta este motivul pentru care este un „fost” ministru. El nu a vrut să urmeze…

[animatejournal]

The Treasure Planet (Планетата на съкровищата) Director: Rumen Petkov | Studio: Sofia | Bulgaria, 1982 Watch the full film on YouTube

[freetimesketchbook]

Happy Anniversary to The Treasure Planet

[misterradio]

"The Adventures of Choko and Boko", episode 7: "Choko and Boko and Roboko" (dir. Rumen Petkov, 1983, tr. Midoled on YouTube)

[lizardtaro]

The Treasure Planet (1982)

Well uh... I watched The Treasure Planet... not that Disney movie though, no! It’s original title is “Planetata na sakrovishtata” and it was directed by Rumen Petkov, the one who also did those “The Adventures of Choko the Stork and Boko the Frog“ cartoons.

The Chad Walk

To say that this is the most bizarre cartoon I have ever watched is an understatement! I watched it yesterday with friends and I have just watched it AGAIN to actually fully understand what was going on. It features a plethora of plot twists, making this a very unpredictable movie. The main story is as follows: Nature has pretty much disappeared from planet Earth and a crew must find a certain pirate’s treasure in order to restore nature.

Nice map!

One thing that is immediately noticeable is the animation style. Some may call it quite ugly with it’s erratic movements and constant changing of character’s proportions. Many animations are also often reused. I got used to it after a few minutes though and on the second viewing it didn’t really bother me anymore. Still, the movements could have been less erratic.

A parrot that is said to be “toonfully retarded”. (Yes, this is a direct quote from the movie)

The sound effects are very other-worldly - definitely not something you would expect from a cartoon. They are artificial; kinda synth-y. The soundtrack is definitely the best part of this picture. I have always loved 80′s synth movie soundtrack and this is no exception!

Is that supposed to be a robotic dragon?

Albeit being a children’s cartoon with a unique story and some slapstick-comedy (such as characters getting squashed or characters dancing), due to the overall theme of it and especially some quite disturbing scenes I find this much more suitable for adults. Like, if I watched this as a child I’d probably get nightmares. There are also on-screen death scenes, some disturbing images and something that can be seen as sexual content.

The captain is fighting off optical illusions that try to seduce him, which is part of a trap on the Treasure Planet. Boobs and butt are prominently shown.

The best scene in the movie was one where the main protagonist has to make a choice that would impact his life and the future of an entire planet. I don’t want to spoiler too much so I’ll leave it at that

Back in the day this probably wasn’t meant to be offensive but these days a movie like this could never air on TV. These would be seen as downright racist caricatures. Also a big WTF-moment for me

Well, not sure what else to add to that... keep in mind that this post isn’t meant to be a roast or anything - given the fact that it was made in 1982 in Bulgaria you simply cannot expect top-notch animation and editing but it’s no surprise that this got meme’d pretty hard. This movie only caught my attention because someone on Twitter posted a clip of one of the more hectic moments in the movie, where the erratic animation is visible on full force. My first thought was: “I have to watch this movie!” And whadda ya know? It’s available on YouTube!!

For some reason, the movie kinda loops in this video. The actual length is only ca. 61 minutes.

Sadly the video quality obviously isn’t the best, and there is probably better source material somewhere but if you are curious about this movie, you should give it a watch. Bonus points if you love sci-fi and obscure things.

[stevos-stuff]

Calling for People to Be Featured in a Podcast

Yo, I'm starting a podcast for Treasure Planet (The really good version :^) ). If you wanna be on the podcast for episode (or the whole thing), hope on here and tell me a thing or two about yourself: 

 https://forms.gle/BJNs66w9cp5oXovc6

By the way, please reblog to spread the word. Thanks!

[mariacallous]

Bulgaria is bracing for snap elections: after weeks of tension between the two blocs of the country’s governing coalition, GERB on Monday said the planned rotation of power won’t go any further and it will return the government-forming mandate unfulfilled. 

Designated Prime Minister Mariya Gabriel blamed GERB’s coalition partners’ “coordinated refusal and unwillingness to participate in a cabinet” as the main reason for the failure of the talks.

Last week, We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria criticised GERB for announcing a project cabinet which had not been coordinated with them.

“Was a functioning judicial system, functioning regulators and reformed national security services the whole problem all along?”, We Continue the Change leader Kiril Petkov said on Monday on his socials, hinting at deeper reasons for GERB’s reluctance to implement reforms.

The current cabinet was established in June, following a two-year stalemate which yielded five general elections and a short-lived cabinet, again headed by We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria. 

The coalition, consisting of two opposing blocs – GERB/UDF and We Continue the Change/Democratic Bulgaria –  agreed on a strategy that would see the first nine months governed by Denkov of We Continue the Change and then replaced by GERB’s Gabriel, with further rotations between them until the end of the mandate. 

Gabriel, a former EU Commissioner, returned to local politics last year as a fresh face for GERB, at a moment when the party was increasingly dogged by corruption allegations and in need of a rebrand. With Boyko Borissov, GERB leader and a Prime Minister for much of 2008-2020, temporarily putting himself in the backstage, Gabriel was appointed Foreign Minister and was expected to succeed Denkov in the Prime Minister’s position after the rotation. 

Now the rotation strategy seems doomed. GERB’s decision essentially sends Bulgaria to another round of elections, while voters are increasingly election-weary. 

When GERB returns the mandate to President Rumen Radev, he will hand it to the second force in the parliament, the alliance of We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria, who have no chance of mustering a majority without GERB’s support. 

In that case, the President must select a party of his own. During the 2021-2023 election spiral, this was always the pro-Moscow Socialist Party, BSP, which has supported his two presidential campaigns. 

However, on Monday, BSP clarified that even if Radev hands it a mandate, it won’t attempt to form a cabinet. “Knowing [GERB leader] Borissov, who talks one thing in the morning, a second by noon and has a third different position by evening, I think that all options for a government have been dried up,” Georgi Svilenski of the BSP told the media, describing Bulgaria’s politics as a “schizophrenic situation”. 

Outgoing PM Denkov on Sunday accused GERB of “sending the country into chaos”.

The looming dissolution of the coalition has been welcomed by nationalist and pro-Russia parties. “This criminal gang has compromised Bulgaria’s politics and parliamentarianism – new elections is the best outcome”, far-right Revival leader Kostadin Kostadinov said.

According to the Central Election Committee, only 40.56 per cent of Bulgarians voted in the last general elections in April 2023, which were followed by the mayoral elections with a turnout of 36.04 per cent.