Windows to Russia

Somewhere around a thousand years ago someone in Russia who liked cold water. Founded the tradition of diving into freezing cold water. This act was to cleanses himself of all his sins.

The idea has stuck over the years, and nowadays people all across Russia gather to plunge into sub-zero waters just for fun? Just watch the video if you do not believe me and be on the look out for the brave reporter in the video…

They call themselves “morzhi”, which means walruses, and say that the practice is good for the health. This tradition is done all over the world and in America we use to do this on New Years day and called our selves polar bears! Of course it was never -20 degrees Centigrade (-4 F.) below zero in Missouri where I lived at that time. 🙂

You going to be ice swimming this year?

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

PS: I read that some people seem to think that hot tubs does a better job of cleaning the sins????

In America we have a stuffed egg called “deviled eggs” In Russia they have sorta the same thing. When I first tried these stuffed eggs, I was taken back by the fact that they were cooked again after preparation! Then I found out that they are delicious and when you eat one you will be grabbing another one, real quick…

Now lets remember that Russians also make stuffed eggs like the deviled eggs and there is about one trillion stuffed egg recipes. This recipe is picked to give you a different flare than what you may have encountered before. All I can tell you is that these are really good!

So lets make “Stuffed Eggs”:

Ingredients:
8 to 10 eggs already hard boiled
2 to 3 tbsp fresh parsley and fresh dill chopped into very fine pieces
1/2 cup real cream
1/2 cup white or yellow cheese grated to a very fine texture
3 tbsp real butter (margarine for Americans)
mayonnaise (not salad dressing)
salt (to taste)
fresh parsley not chopped but destemmed

Lets Cook:
Cut eggs in half.
Take yolks out. (put yolks in a bowl)
Thoroughly mix yolks with butter, chopped parsley and dill, salt and fresh cream in the bowl.
Put the filling back into the halves.
Put two halves together to make a whole egg again. (You can leave them apart if you so desire)
Then put eggs in a baking dish.
Sprinkle with grated cheese. (I butter the sides of the baking dish before putting the eggs in)
Bake in the oven at 300 degrees F. for 10-12 minutes.
Before serving pour mayonnaise over top of the eggs and decorate with parsley.

Yummy Lets Eat……..

Notes – I let cool 10 minutes before putting the Mayo on top that way it does not melt and run off… In America Miracle Whip could be substituted but remember that is not real Mayo and the taste will change!

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

When I find a good Russian UFO story – I post it. I found this video on You Tube that is pretty cool. Just watch it. At first you will say that is just a reflection but then you keep watching and find out that it is not…

The rumor is that this is what caused the super cold that we have been going through because the cold happened at the same time. 🙂

The rumor is also that this same object has just appeared above Moscow today in broad daylight! According to rumors this is like the 4th or 5th appearance since the 9th of December?

Anyone have more information on this strange occurrence?

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

PS: Picture from daylight spotting!

Russian cities are cold, even colder than usual:
The last time Russia saw exceptionally low temperatures was in the winter of 1997. It dropped as low as 28 degrees below zero Celsius in the early hours of December 15 and 16. Similar temperatures were recorded last week.

Russia approves construction of its leg of Nord Stream:
Russia’s environmental regulator approved on Friday the construction of its leg of the Nord Stream gas pipeline to be built in the country’s Baltic Sea waters, the project operator said.

What the Russian papers say:
NATO chief rejects Russia’s idea of European security treaty/ Russia to benefit from global warming/ Russia to limit foreign weapons and components purchases/ Russia revisits its largest Soviet-era nuclear missile program.

Russia to launch ESPO pipeline in last week of December:
The first tanker with 100,000 metric tons of oil will arrive at a Russian Far East port in the last week of December, symbolizing the launch of a major new pipeline, the pipeline operator said on Friday.

Iran to launch new-generation uranium centrifuges in 2011:
Iran plans to start using a new generation of uranium-enrichment centrifuges by March 2011, the head of the country’s Atomic Energy Organization said on Friday.

Daimler in talks to buy another 6% in Kamaz truck maker:
Auto giant Daimler AG is in talks with KamAZ to purchase another 5-6% stake in Russia’s largest truck maker, a Russian shareholder said on Friday.

Sapsan, Russia’s fastest train:
Sapsan, Russia’s first train capable of traveling at a speed of 250 kmph (155 mph), made its first commercial run between Russia’s two largest cities in a record time of 3 hours and 45 minutes.

Russia sets the terms for coming in from the cold:
The latest buzzword in Moscow is modernization. Everyone in Russia’s chattering classes is using it, from President Dmitry Medvedev to assorted economists, commentators, bankers and businesspeople.

All week long I have heard nothing but how wonderful the relationship is between NATO and Russia. I have heard major press releases about the helicopters and shipping weapons through Russia. I have heard about how Russia is warming up to NATO…

Then it all fell apart:

Nato fails on Russian Afghan aid: NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has been unsuccessful to benefit from any joining with Russia and assistance to win the fight opposite the Taliban insurgency.

On Wednesday Mr Rasmussen asked Moscow to yield helicopters to Afghanistan and additionally requested Russian assistance in training the Afghan air force.

But he told the BBC he had perceived no certain reply from the Kremlin.

And…… what did he expect?

Because what you may not know is that his answer he wanted had conditions that he was put on the spot about:

“NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen also said on Thursday the Western military bloc was not prepared to compromise with Russia on Georgia.”

OK – NATO you want help?

Lets not forget: Russia Plays Chess – NATO (America) Plays Checkers!

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

The realization that main stream media has hoodwinked the American society has sunk into my head over the last few years as being not just a know commodity but a fact! I watch a video like this one that Russia Today has just aired and then I sit and ponder what has become of the America that I knew?

I then, while drinking my cup of coffee realize that America has not changed but I have!

So when I see a man like Bernanke the chairman of the US Federal Reserve and then I see a man like Jorge Munoz who is a school bus driver by day, but by night, Munoz cares for his community and his own personal home has become a kitchen for food prepared non-stop for hungry strangers.

The Munoz’s of the world are the “Real Persons of the Year” and we all know a Munoz somewhere…

I now know that Time Magazine’s Person of the Year award is the biggest farce on earth next to the Nobel Peace Prize that was just given to Obama.

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

PS:

“When you hand a meal to somebody who didn’t eat in the last eighteen hours and you see their smile, you see God right there,” Munoz says.

“Two years ago, it was sixty guys. Now, some nights I’ve got 150-155 people. I’ve seen people of 18 different nationalities lining up to eat,” Munoz says.

This video just posted above touches on all the rumors, facts and fallacies that surround Putin.

“Vova”, commonly known as Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, is a superhero according to Ukrainian band Dress Code, who have released a song devoted to the merits of the James Bond-defying, child-saving, universally adored Russian. Banned in Ukraine, the video is causing quite a stir. (Read More)

Thanks to Blackseabrew for putting a copy of this video on Facebook (He beat me to posting this particular video!) and I hope that all of you enjoy watching, Putin (Vova) the Super Hero!

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Well we have to continue with this story because it involves a little tiny country – The Republic of Nauru!

Nauru just recognized South Ossetia, a day after recognizing Abkhazia. This was expected because of statements made by Nauru on Tuesday. The little country followed through on their words and have made a bigger spot in history these last few days.

These announcements has been slammed by Georgia. Georgia is in a real tissy over this and have tried to pull all the strings they can to discredit Nauru. Georgia has been trying to declare that Russia has bought Nauru off. (When I hear that kind of stuff, I laugh because I am American and America buys off everyone and Georgia is in the top 10!)

Georgia needs to learn that South Ossetia and Abkhazia are gone and will never be back. Georgia is also hearing the news that several more countries will be following Nauru’s recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia…

As South Osseitan President Eduard Kokoity is telling journalists: 10 more states will soon recognize his country’s sovereignty. That rumor is being backed up from other sources that I have in Russia! (We will see)

So far UN members Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru have done so.

Think that we will see more? (I do!)

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Vietnam has just upped the ante (so to speak) in this part of the world. My news sources here in Russia have expressed the confirmation of this data…

“Vietnam signed contracts for the purchases of submarines and planes from the Russian side,” he said without elaborating after Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport signed an agreement to supply “special material” to the Vietnamese navy.

The Inter-fax news agency said that Russia will sell Vietnam six (6) diesel-electric submarines of “Project 636” type, more widely known under its NATO codename “Kilo”, for a total of around $2 billion. These subs will be built at a rate of one per year until completed at a shipyard in St. Petersburg.

Inter-fax also said that Russia had also discussed a deal for delivery of eight Sukhoi Su-30MK2 jet fighters to Vietnam. With a possibility of twelve more in the future.

Vietnam, China and other countries have longstanding competing claims of sovereignty over parts of the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea, including the potentially oil and gas-rich Spratly and Paracel island chains.

Changing the balance of power in this area may take more than a few subs and jets, but Vietnam just purchased a pile of bargaining chips that you can not ignore…

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

PS: The claim that China says they own rights to is the red outline in the sea area. Kinda looks like China went a little crazy when they drew that line. All those other countries got a little bit upset. Oil is one of the roots of all wars…

From BANGKOK, December 16 (RIA Novosti):

The Kazakh and Belarusian crew of a plane caught transporting arms from North Korea may face the death penalty, a Thai paper said on Wednesday, citing police.

The Il-76 cargo plane, carrying about 40 tons of weaponry, was seized after landing for refueling at Bangkok’s Don Muang airport on December 12. Officials said the weapons included missiles and rocket-propelled grenades.

The paper quoted a senior police official as saying that the crew would be charged with the illegal possession of explosives, punishable by “from two years to death.”

The plane’s five crew members, one Belarus national and four Kazakhs, were taken to Bangkok’s Klong Prem Central Prison after their arrest.

The Bangkok Post quoted investigators as saying the crew were planning to offload part of their cargo in Sri Lanka and the Middle East. However, the suspects reportedly refused to name the buyers or locations.

The plane’s Belarusian commander earlier said that the plane had flown from Ukraine, and claimed that neither he nor the other crewmembers knew of the military nature of the cargo.

Mikhail Petukhov was earlier quoted by the Thai news agency TNA as saying the aircraft refueled in Azerbaijan, then in the United Arab Emirates, and then in Thailand while en route to Pyongyang. The plane’s commander said the aircraft was scheduled to refuel in Thailand and Sri Lanka on its way back, after which the cargo was expected to be delivered to Ukraine.

From MOSCOW, December 16 (RIA Novosti)

Yegor Gaidar, one of the leading architects of free market reforms in post-Soviet Russia, has died at the age of 53, his aide said on Wednesday.

“Yegor Gaidar has died, I cannot currently give any more details,” Gennady Volkov said.

A source told RIA Novosti that a blood clot was the cause of death.

From MOSCOW, December 15 (RIA Novosti):

The head of Russian energy giant Gazprom said on Tuesday that Russia expects no problems with Ukraine’s payment for Russian natural gas in December.

“I presume Gazprom officials will be celebrating New Year at their homes,” Alexei Miller said.

However, he said concerns remain over January payments, with the first installment for 2010 due on January 7.

From TBILISI, December 15 (RIA Novosti):

The recognition of Abkhazia’s independence by Nauru, the world’s smallest island state, is utterly irrelevant, the Georgian minister for reintegration said on Tuesday.

Nauru, an island in the South Pacific Ocean, recognized the independence of the former Georgian republic earlier on Tuesday, with both countries signing an agreement on establishing diplomatic relations.

Nauru is the fourth country to recognize Abkhazia’s independence, joining Russia, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

“The recognition of Abkhazia’s independence by Nauru is more like a comedy… it changes nothing in the international arena,” Temur Yakobashvili said.

Nauru, which has a population of about 15,000 people, is the world’s only country with no capital. It became a member of the United Nations in 1999.

Russia recognized Abkhazia and another former Georgian republic, South Ossetia, as independent states shortly after a five-day war with Georgia in August 2008 that began when Georgian forces attacked the latter in an attempt to bring it back under central control.

From MOSCOW, December 15 (RIA Novosti):

A man in southwest Russia’s Samara Region has been jailed for seven years for murdering a woman who snored too loudly, national media said on Tuesday.

Viktor Rudakov, 46, had been drinking with friends at the woman’s house on August 13 and was invited to stay the night. But he was unable to get to sleep due to her loud snoring. After failing to wake her up, he took a plank of wood and beat her around the head and body some 30 times.

The woman died the next day of her injuries.

Rudakov, who will serve his time in a maximum security jail, confessed to the murder.

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.