Why should I win ~ or ~ Why should you fight

Why should I win ~ or ~ Why should you fight

To make one thing clear from the start... this won't be a short one... so if anyone doesn't want to spend some effort reading these lines, please move to the next topic... I don't want to waste anyone's time...

So... if there is a sigle soul who would like to read these lines... let me start....

Some of you know me from here, know a thing or two about me.. most of you probably have no idea who I am, what I do and how I ended up writing this story here... Well... I'm Ivan Minic and usually recognisable by the nickname SerbianFighter.. I was born in 28th of May, 1985 in Belgrade... Those were the happy times... The only bad thing about those times was the fact that since I grew enough to start remembering things, people and events everything started to deteriorate... One good thing I can remember before the 5 year long civil war in my country started was that a sport club I supported since I know for myself won European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1991... Red Star became european football champion and it happened a day after my birthday... After that problems developed on macro and micro plan... On macro plan the war started... Former Yugoslavia consisted of 6 states in which 6 main nations lived... all spoke basically the same language, had same roots, history... all were mixed and it couldn't break peacefully ... nationalism grew on all sides and it all was like a volcano ready to erupt... I really am not here to disscus the reasons or decisions some people that were entitled to decide in our names made... I can only say that we all together and each nation individualy didn't need those rivers of blood and years of hate.. especially considering the fact that most families were multicultural / multinational and that probably in all 6 countries there isn't a single soul that didn't lose someone close and important in that slaughter. On microplan... away from the fact that our country was in war, and that many relatives were in great danger my dad had serious heartattack and serious surgery on open heart... we were lucky that he survived 4 coronary bypass surgery and still today is with us in good health. My parents had serious problems on their job since the whole country had serious financial problems.. just to ilustrate this... I'll quote Wikipedia....

Yugoslavia went through a period of hyperinflation and subsequent currency reforms from 1989 to 1994. The highest denomination in 1988 was 50,000 Dinara. By 1989 it was 2,000,000 Dinara. In the 1990 currency reform, 1 new Dinar was exchanged for 10,000 old Dinara. In the 1992 currency reform, 1 new Dinar was exchanged for 10 old Dinara. The highest denomination in 1992 was 50,000 Dinara. By 1993, it was 10,000,000,000 Dinara. In the 1993 currency reform, 1 new Dinar was exchanged for 1,000,000 old Dinara. But before the year was over, the highest denomination was 500,000,000,000 Dinara. In the 1994 currency reform, 1 new Dinar was exchanged for 1,000,000,000 old Dinara. In another currency reform a month later, 1 Novi Dinar was exchanged for 12,000,000 Dinara. The overall impact of hyperinflation: 1 Novi Dinar = 1,200,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 pre 1990 Dinara.

Anyhow... You have to live... so you do... you work as hard as you can.. and it if isn't enough you start selling stuff you own and cutting all expences as much as you can... so I have 6-9 years... I have sick father and sick mother.. there is war ongoing... there is moral, financial, and any kind of crisis there can be... and you hope that it might end sometimes... and so... it ends... a few years of life in unhuman conditions... and it finally passes.. there is financial reform.. there is peace agreement... and then you expect... ok.. something will be better... And it starts being... the school continues to be good... everybody considers you some kind of prodigy... you still have best marks in school... your marks are flawless year by year.. you win lots of competitions in many fields from sport to maths... you start growing up like a normal child.. start being serious about your plans for life.. your interests in sport and science become serious... you get some money from relatives ... you think between sega and pc... and you buy yourself a computer and then.. another war.. 3 months of bombing terror simply because one idiot decided to say to NATO and US "I won't play this game by your rules, I'll make my own"... and then you spend 3 months 20 meters under ground in overcrowded atomic shelter with constant water, food and electricity supply failiures.. so again.. you have nothing more than hope to hang onto... and... months pass and finally you come out... half of the most famous buildings you know is distroyed.. other half is damaged... and as always.. you are expected to forget that fact and continue living... like nothing happend... and you try.. you finish elementary school as the best in you school.. you get many awards.. one among them is to be selected as one of the best students in the whole city that year... you have nice ongoing sport activity... you play very important role in one of the biggest volleyball teams in Yugoslavia in their junior squad.. you have a great future as a athlete and as a student, you start being serious about your computer.. learn a few things in spare time.. start serious surfing thru your blistering 14.400 modem... There is a big decision in front of you... what high school to enter.. you have full choice.. while waiting for final decision you have serious knee injury and have to stop serious sport activity for at least 6 months if not couple of years (as it later turned out)... you take a look at full spectrum of possible schools.. and you decide.. I'll go for robotics... you prepare your application.. prepare for acceptance exam.. you pass with 100% success.. and your school year starts.. you are full of expectations.. full of hope... full of energy... then your parent come into situation that they will probably loose their job if they don't retire.. and if they do they will recieve minimal retirement... in few days there are big elections.. you just started your school... elections pass.. after few days when the results were published people make a revolution.. big riots on streets... fights... another small war.. another big stress... so... it calms down.. they dethrone one regime.. another crisis in whole land.. parents decide to go for those retierments.. you decide to try helping them as much as you can financially.. you go to that school... learn bunch of out-of-date science / mechanical / techincal facts.. all you were told that you'll learn there never comes out... you decide to finish what you started.. you get a chance to start, with your basic web skills, some website.. someone decided to award you with domain and hosting.. so well... you give it a try... you create an internet forum so all your friends from all over the world can meet talk to each other... you take care of that... work couple of part time jobs... go to school... the pressure is rising... then you make someone special... you feel like you never felt before... love and girlfriends from past aside... you feel like the happiest man alive.. like superman on steroids... you manage all your responsibilities with ease... you feel so free that you don't see mistakes you make.. small mistakes... small grains of sand in her beautifull eyes... and you loose her... you loose everything you ever had that really mattered to you.. but you keep pushing.. and you keep working... you get insomnia ... in that everyday halfsleep you still keep runing your life race... your community grows... you build some reputation among IT people ... there is a big hole where your heart was... but you keep going... everyday you spend all spare time managing your forum... helping your users... your friends... your family.. you finish that school and become robotic techinican.. whoever in that school could screw yon in your brain used his chance... but you don't stop.. you keep fighting... in the meen time someone again decides to change the name of your country.. another civil war in one part of your land starts... but you don't stop... even though public... tv.. newspapers never said anything about all your work.. you keep pushing.. you start again with using opensource.. you first change your netscape with mozilla suite.. and after a while fun some fabulous new browser... browser that hepled you to organise most of your work as neat and simple as possible.. so the school is done.. your emotional wound won't heal, you managed to get few jobs online and you can't practice serious sport.. so you start spending enormous amonut of time working around your community... you place all your energy in that one spot... and finally make something good.. still no one says good about your work.. but you know that your users are gratefull for every second you spend helping them... it grows... it becomes the biggest free cafe forum in your country... bigger than all those who had all kind of support... your unprofitable project becomes the best.. and still no one will give you any credit for that... no one wants to help financially... and forum can't bring money since web advertising here isn't formed yet.. and us / eu advertisers won't work with you.. so you work to cover expences and then work to help it grow... you make extraordinary thing.. your forum reaches abnormal number of visitis and active / passive users for a country in which 2-4% of people use computers... and you still go.. even though you are considered Don Quixote.. just this time fighting web windmills... so... you draw a line.. and see that you actually spend 15-17 hours everyday working all kind of jobs to make it all work ok... months pass... and one day while updating your favourite browser you find out that there is a big project ongoing... a project in which you can participate... and you try... one small step after the other.. after all everyday work... just... this time.. you actually get credit and recognition for your work and contribution.. as little as it is ... you meet some fenomenal people ... you continue.. and someone is following your everystep and stimulate all you work with lots of good words and feedback... so even though your life sucks... and you spend a lot of time working for most of the people completly illogical stuff... you still have the energy to push... and someday... that will result with something good... that one day.. maybe.. something good will turnout from your life... that maybe.. one day you will live to see the recognition of your work... but.. you have to keep on fighting...

And you do.. day by day.. when you see you can put 100% of your energy in something... you then try putting 110%... and it will work.. one day... it should... it must...

So... to finish this.. Maybe I'm not the perfect guy to showoff on some big screen... maybe I don't deserve a moment of glory... yet.. but.. I'll keep running .. and one day I will deserve...

Pictures:
Picture 1 - Low-res - Hi-res
Picture 2 - Low-res - Hi-res
Check below for more and better

p.s. For all who actually read this... few small conclusions...
1. I'm not a robot... simply a man with a goal... and a man who is ready to go for it.... And this isn't shameless selfpromotion.. this is simply one unortodox (for most of you) lifestory...
2. This story is simplified version of my life, and my fight.. Many important things are left out... but one for sure shouldn't be... I'm not the best man on the world... but I do have 3 best friends anyone could ever have and a couple of persons that are very important for me.. persons that I love, respect and need beside me... and even though I'm a fighter.. without them I'll be gone a long time ago... They make my fight possible.. they give meaning to my life even when no other person or thing can..
3. This text is true... the sad thing is the fact that even though many think this is hard , sad or even more than that.. this story is much better than many stories of people who lost all they had in this country.. but some of them still manage to keep fighting...
4. Once again I would like to thank all Opera members and especially few My.Opera developers / employees for all support they gave me, for all moments I felt happy and proud, and those moments were frequent lately... it's not only that I had many frontpage showoffs... it's all those little moments of joy.
5. This will be the last one.. Now.. you people.. kids and youngsters especially.. who live in normal conditions.. who didn't live in 3 different countries without making one single footstep from home, who didn't have to go thru all me and most of other people my age here went, who live in lands full of opportunities.. Fight for your life.. make something out of it....
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Edit - Some pics I posted later:

Originally posted by SerbianFighter:

Shot couple of minutes ago by a friend: nightshift.jpg

Originally posted by SerbianFighter:

A man who walks alone

Originally posted by SerbianFighter:

Pictures 2: (from last year)
Picture 3 - Low-res - Hi-res
Picture 4 - Low-res - Hi-res

Originally posted by SerbianFighter:

2 More fresh pics:
915lb.jpg
im00000711wp.jpg

... ... ... ... ...

Pictures 2: (from last year)
Picture 3 - Low-res - Hi-res
Picture 4 - Low-res - Hi-res

Pljeskavica ?

Seriously now, you have my vote.
Also, I fear for the other contestants (and me). But yes, you inspired the fighter in me. So watch out.

You'll get my vote!

This is simply... wow.....

@SantaClausESP


@dantesoft
No food in the world can compare to this one

@Deathfragger


@AntwanJameson

Cutie as always xx

I don't know what to say man.. wow..

Pure heavy metal... to the bone... Rock on, man...

You should go
Not only that this text is great.. but also your head looks exacly like the big red O in Opera's logo

I am sorry to hear of your rough times. Life sure isn't fair all the time. Some people have everything handed to them and others have to struggle for everything be it do to their countries political issues or do to general problems. It is nice to see someone dealing with the issues and keeping one foot in front of the other. Just about everyone goes through hard times at one point in their lives or another.. some way more than others.

I sure hope things begin looking up for you!

The point of that message was the fact that no matter if your life is easy or hard if you really want to make something good out of it, you need to fight... the situation with me is much worse than I displayed.. there are serious health problems with my mom, with me and so on, but that is not that important since there isn't much anyone can do about it...
Life isn't fair and the main problem with it is the fact that many people fight the whole life and never have their big moment of glory or happines.. but... is there anyone who could actually live without hope and without trying to make things better when they are bad...
To be 100% honest, I spend few hours everyday chating with people my age or older whose greatest problem in life is when their parents won't give them money for new "Need for speed", or when they can't find matching t-shirt and socks.. they actually are depressed about that... people talking about financial problems when they can't go 2 weeks on Cuba or Hawaii this year... financial problems are when you live in a country where average salary is 120$ and prices are the same as in US... those are real problems...
It is a luxury when you don't have to puch hard to make a decent living... still it doesn't mean you shouldn't push.

Shot couple of minutes ago by a friend: nightshift.jpg

Great pic!

Beautiful eyes!

I'll shoot some more later

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (from Monty Python)
words and music by Eric Idle

Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best...

And...always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life...

If life seems jolly rotten
There's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you're feeling in the dumps
Don't be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle - that's the thing.

And...always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life...

For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow.
Forget about your sin - give the audience a grin
Enjoy it - it's your last chance anyhow.

So always look on the bright side of death
Just before you draw your terminal breath

Life's a piece of shit
When you look at it
Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true.
You'll see it's all a show
Keep 'em laughing as you go
Just remember that the last laugh is on you.

And always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the right side of life...
(Come on guys, cheer up!)
Always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the bright side of life...
(Worse things happen at sea, you know.)
Always look on the bright side of life...
(I mean - what have you got to lose?)
(You know, you come from nothing - you're going back to nothing.
What have you lost? Nothing!)
Always look on the right side of life...

Background: This song is from Life of Brian and later from The Meaning of Life both by Monty Python. From what I heard, they were filming the last scene of Life of Brian and were all bored and hot sitting up on their crucifixes. So Eric Idle started singing a little ditty. Everyone (but Eric) liked it so much that they decided to use it. It has sine become one of our most popular songs as well.

well, Red eye?

Well.. only on first pictures, and they were taken just seconds after writing this.. other are much better

don't be afraid, you're not alone
I can feel the pain you're hiding
counting the days, don't give up hope
enjoy dreams of silver linings

you're heart is like the raging sea
faith holds your bags of misery
so if you're broken and shaterred
and nothing else matters

remember what is promised to you

'cause I know
the times are changing
and I know
the hearts are breaking

and if it all should fall to pieces tomorrow
you know I'll be there for you
love's got to be the answer
when times are changing

look at the world, see how it turns
everyone have some sad story
love have died young and bridges were burned
still there's a few who found there glory

behind the clouds the sun is shining
some day I know that we will find it
so if you're spirit is broken
and faith had been stolen

remember what is promised to you

I know
the times are changing
and I know
the hearts are breaking

and if it all should fall to pieces tomorrow
I will be there for you
love's got to be the answer
when times are changing

when times are changing
you got to look around

when times are changing
it can drag you down

when times are changing
you got to make you're move
'cause time won't wait for you

(sarasvati sanskrit song)

times have changed
oh yeah,
I know
times have changed

I know
the times are changing
and we will
keep on praying

and I know times have changed

A man who walks alone

You'll get my vote:)

2 More fresh pics:
915lb.jpg
im00000711wp.jpg

In the end, everything through which this life of ours is expressed - thoughts, efforts, glances, smiles, words, sighs - is all reaching out to another shore, as towards its aim, and only there will it be granted its true meaning. Everywhere there is something to overcome or to bridge: disorder, death, meaninglessness. Everything is a transition, a bridge whose ends are lost in infinity, beside which all the bridges of this earth are only children's toys, pale symbols.

And all our hope lies on the other side.

Thank you for....!

Crazy story..

Everybody, thank you for your support

The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.
Pierre de Coubertin

Is it a coincidence that 90% of posts made in this forum are from users that are posting first time?
It is a front page news both on my.opera.com and www.opera.com and most of people who wrote here either commenting others submissions or submiting their applications are users who never spent any time in this community who just want to win a trip for free.
People who work in Opera Software ASA will decide who should win this one, and I will support every decision they make and be happy for everyone they choose, I already recieved many good words and good vibes from them, and I'm thankful for that!

p.s. This post was a reply to the post that was above this one in which user suggested that I was cheating since most of people who commented this topic are first-time posters. For my oppinion about this competition read bellow. I made this edit because now with that person's post censored it looks bad without few words to explain it.

Man, I think you are not right there. Opera community actually bigger that that counter on the top of the MyOpera home page. Many people read Opera forums, journals, look at photo albums, but don't have time or desire to register and post there.
First, my thought was as yours... But there are fans and users of Opera. So, I think competition is for both. Opera guys will decide who will present Opera community. We all are need good representative from Opera, because this action will advertise Opera to huge number of people. They have had a easy choice to use some model from "photo clipart", but thankfuly they decide to use real Opera user(s) here.
And all this recent competitions stuff is genius PR move to entertain not only registered community users but also attract new users to this playground.
Good luck!

I believe you will agree with me on this one... situation is here the same as on a football game.. just that some of us are club owners, some are managers, some are players and some are spectators The game is pointless without any of these
I personally do my best here to make something for guests (and I do since my blog/photo albums had 499087 visits in last 2 months, and it would have couple of 100 thousands more if there were no outages) and for users (I try to report every bug, try writing usefull tutorials and so on). And many people are there that IMHO are more important for community than others (for example jere, scipio, non-troppo). Those guys are esential parts of this community, many of us others who are active members would not invlove with this project and would not contribute as much as we do... Some are helping with tech problems, some are simply kind and help new members with getting along some do other stuff but all are trying their best... so... I don't think anyone who registered today or yesteday has the right to troll around... especially not with as delicate matter as this topic is... Not the competition, but this topic for me personally.
I said it before and I'll repeat it.. This competitions isn't made as a public elections so there is absolutely no reason why I or anyone else should spam around people to visit and vote (?!). We all are here to make our submissions and there are people who will make the choice... And I believe they will make the right and fair choice. It shouldn't matter much how many people viewed or replied because most of people here do not have as much activities here as some of us do, don't have that visited profiles and so on... the only thing that should (and I think will) matter is their reasons why should they be selected....
I wrote this because many people asked me about who I am, and one night I felt very emotional and decided to write couple of lines about that... I got much more private comments than public and I really am glad that some very young members found the true point of that post... and that (for all those others) is to fight and you will get your chance to make something of your life. That post wasn't part of my propaganda or anything.. there are much more effective things in life than being honest in this kind of situations.. but if I wrote something different than this that wouldn't be em and I wouldn't feel good about all that and myself. If I win.. cool.. if I don't cool too People generally don't like my country (the reason is usually ignorance and propaganda), and especially heavy built bald guys, so I'm probably not the best marketing choice.. but... who knows

The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.
Pierre de Coubertin

Nas i Rusa...puno miliona...
Odoh da ga skenjam:)
Skrati malo postove ispadose mi oci:)

I za anglosaksonce:


YOU HAVE MY VOTE!

It's a bit offtopic, but anyway...

Originally posted by SerbianFighter:

People generally don't like my country

Man, here you are wrong too! You probably told about americans... I don't know (and don't bother) what they think about it. But I can say that all the people that I know supported your country!
Don't gave up and fight.

Originally posted by SerbianFighter:

for example jere, scipio, non-troppo

I don't see their submissions here... It would be fun to see their photos there.

@markoturso
Hvala brate Nasa populacija ovde polako ali sigurno se povecava

@FaTaL
In general, most nations have very bad oppinion about us because of civil war and Nato bombing. Slavic nations maybe don't (Russian, Ukrainians, Slovak etc), but in general.. sure.. I had many problems because of my nickmame...
I too am a bit sad that many very active and very respected members didn't make their submission.. but... That's life

Originally posted by FataL:

Man, I think you are not right there. Opera community actually bigger that that counter on the top of the MyOpera home page. Many people read Opera forums, journals, look at photo albums, but don't have time or desire to register and post there.
First, my thought was as yours... But there are fans and users of Opera. So, I think competition is for both...

This is partially right. I love Pearl Jam and follow this band over 10 years. Let's say PJ make contest who will step on stage with them on next concert. What if I lose and some guy wins who is actually Britney Spears fan and join the contest just because he heard it from friend yesterday, and he wants to be famous no matter what? That would be stupid.

But you can follow your favourite band silently - just buying every album, every single...
My point is that you can be fan of something, even if you not sending letters, not spread stuff that you like.

Ok, we are talking hipotaticaly since the contest is over and the winner was chosen the right way, for the right reasons. Dan is the man

But still topic is interesting... so I'll make a comment...
Example markoturso made is very clear case... It is simply unfair...
If you are a fan or a supporter of an idea, project, group, anything and you are doing it from the right causes you never expect anything in return since you support it because you agree with it, like it, love it and so on.. but.. if there is a hipotetical situations when you can get a chance get something in return... you or someone else same as you.. and a guy / girl who never did / said / made anything to deserve it wins it.. it is simply heartbreaking.
You don't expect or need anything but still if someone who doesn't deserve it gets something special you feel bad.

Originally posted by SerbianFighter:

if there is a hipotetical situations when you can get a chance get something in return...

Than it's Opera guys fault. They suppose to clarify things, and not talking just that: "All Opera users have the opportunity to be spotlighted"... or that: "The bigger / more clear your photo, the more likely you are to be considered". And that's all terms to go.
I'm not complaining there, for me it was fun just preparing photos to contest. But I think many of contesters would like to know rules before they sign up for submission.

We were talking about hipotetical unfair situation not this contest

So, we are talking about nothing than.
Actually what do you think about clip? I found that idea of clip is good, but implementation baaaaad. I really can't say to anyone from my friends in NY - "look that IS an AD of Opera!". It's a shame IMHO.

The idea is good, part of it is done very good.. yet one part looks pretty cheap...

Last black screens is good. But main (first) part of the clip...
Ok. That what they have...
I will be in NY before New Year. Will go to Time Square to see AD of Opera anyway.
Maybe capture video and take a photo if I will be lucky to catch the moment. Clip will be showing 8 times a day, but what a schedule of showing?

I like photo 4. What a nice (and somewhat mischievous) smile you have. Ivan, I cannot even pretend to know what you and others in your country went through. I live in the fattest, laziest and most complacent country on the planet. We got a small taste of it during Hurricane Katrina, but that is probably a walk in the garden compared to what some people go through, not just for a few weeks or months until they rebuild, but for the rest of their foreseeable futures.

Take care and thanks for sharing this inspiring (in a "get up off your a$$" kinda way!) story!!

J

Glad you liked it and got the point of it