Year: 2009

Laika the Dog!

Hello,

Easter in the West is Cosmonautics Day in the East!

RIA has a good set of pictures on this day. (Link to Pictures!)

One of my favorites is the dog Laika that in Nov. 1957 rode in outer space as a passenger aboard Sputnik II.

This was an interesting time in the world. The Soviet Union and the United States of America were in a race for the stars. The USSR won first in space but America won first on the moon.

Have a nice Easter…

Windows to Russia!
Kyle and Svet

comments always welcome.

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee and looking at the trucks for sale in Moscow, Russia. I came across some really good deals and was happy at the results of my investigation until I found this article on a $6000 new GAZ truck called “The Anti Crises Offer!” (Made me really Happy then.)

“GAZ Group is implementing programs to stimulate sales. Specifically, these programs provide for expanding exports (2009 export revenue forecast – 11 bln rubles), increasing sales of spare parts and services (revenue forecast – 10 bln rubles), and a more active work with corporate clients – about 25% of commercial sales revenues. The company will focus on high-profit margin products and is prepared to make a special “anti-crisis offer” to the market in 2009 – low-cost products, including (Gazelle) GAZel-Farmer light commercial vehicle priced at the equivalent of $6,000, Ural truck at 1,120,000 rubles (1,400,000 rubles in 2008), DZ-98 auto-grader at 3,700,000 rubles (4,620,000 rubles in 2008), EK-12 excavator at 1,870,000 rubles (2,330,000 rubles in 2008), Euro-3 standard engine UMZ-4216 at 25,000 rubles (37,000 rubles in 2008), among others. Prices will be cut up to 20% for a number of products and this will become a major factor in stimulating sales at the time when price is a deciding factor among consumer preferences”. (Link)

The GAZ (GAZel) Truck is a really good truck and price that I have found before this has run around $8,000 – $10,000 but now it is a even better and fantastic deal.

Russia does not have what you in America expect as a pickup truck. This is the equivalent in Russia.

<--- (Truck to left would be perfect!) The designers in Russia of the GAZelle truck did their best to make driving as comfortable as possible. The front disk brakes, power steering and small turning radius enable the trucks to be highly maneuverable even in that urban high-density traffic that Moscow, Russia is well known for. The interior design is basic but wears like iron. Easy maintenance and sturdy design, the robust GAZ (Gazelle) truck is becoming the truck of choice for either a city businessmen or a farmer for which it is often an all-purpose vehicle.

The cargo bed may carry cargo of up to 1,500kg. With a low bed to ground clearence, loading the truck is no problem. Weather protection is ensured by a canopy top or a hard shell for more money.

You see these trucks running all over the place in Russia and delivering goods all over Moscow, Russia. They will move down the highway at a fair pace. I hear also that they use a Andoria diesel engines.

http://www.gaz-company.com/gaz3302model.aspx

http://etco.elaghil.com/heavyequipment/andoria.htm

That is all for now, that is a lot of solid truck for $6000 dollars… (New)

Kyle and Svet

comments always welcome.

I let the picture speak for itself. Questions? Ask and we will tell you about what is not familiar to you. I am always speechless when I go visit the Red Square and you can not get a picture like this from the ground.

Update:
These are links from Arthur in the comments below. He had some trouble caused by our spam filter. So I put the links in the post. They are fantastic pictures of Moscow and well worth the look. They are huge intense sights so be patient when loading. Lots of pictures.

Thanks Arthur!

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=589712

http://pics.livejournal.com/chistoprudov/pic/000dbkrs

Cool!

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Hello,

I took a walk today to get some groceries and took a few pictures along the way. It was a great day and nature is trying to wake up.

The fences are painted…

The street curbs are painted… (That paint stinks!)
The Trees are painted…
The Babuskas are selling flowers, toys and veggies…
Found more flowers starting to grow…

The weather outside was delightful and people were everywhere. I took Boza for two extra walks today and he was very happy.

I hope this weekend is as beautiful as Friday was. So everyone have a nice day and a fantastic weekend!

Kyle and Svet

Hello,

Today while drinking my cup of coffee here in Moscow, Russia. I was checking my e-mail and deleting a slew of hate mail over yesterdays article. I forwarded several to the proper channels after they made very serious offers to induce bodily harm to my wife and I. It is strange how the hate and vile comes from the American side of the Internet and yesterday it came full force from Washington DC!

As I was going through the pile of e-mails I found one that caught my attention that was offering me something other than an early grave…

I received one of those letters that usually say that they (a banker) needs your help to get a huge sum of money out of an African bank. I have gotten these letters increasingly from all over the world and it is not just a African dominated field any more.

I collect these e-mails and have about 1200 of them non duplicated. If I had all the money they say I won or could get, I would be a billionaire. 🙂

But today the I got one that stopped me in my tracks and made me think…

from Mr.Richard .A. Kinees
reply-to richardabig@live.fr
to peppy100@mail.ru
date 10 April 2009 14:35
subject American Investment

Good Day Sir/Madam

I am Mr. Richard A. Kinees, I work with Union State Bank USB and I have an amount ($12,500,000.00 USD) that I will want you to assist me to transfer out of America for investment purpose in safe world banks.

Please if interested to know more send me an e-mail via (richardabig@live.fr)

so that I tell you more.

Mr.Richard .A. Kinees

So you ask what is the big deal? It is like all others.

No it is not – It is about an American bank and transferring money out of America. I have never received one until today, from America. (Not really though, the fr ending to his email is that France?)

This is a big sign to me that things have gone from the frying pan to the fire! It all started years ago with Nigerian Scams and getting unsuspecting Americans to help.

So America has joined the African Bank Scam List!

If you see what email that he sent it to, it is my peppy100@mail.ru that is my e-mail site in Russia. (Mail.Ru) So it seems that they now think that people in Russia and the world will help out American bankers who need to get money out of the country. 🙂

I guess the recession is that bad…

Kyle and Svet

Hello,

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee here in Moscow, Russia! The big stir on the airwaves is the riots in Moldova. The Western Press has so called them the “Twitter Revolution!”

As you know America does not export much in the way of material goods any more. The days are gone that TV’s and appliances are shipped out of America and sold all over the world. The companies that use to be American have moved over seas with the same name and make products in other countries. I call it “American Made in Taiwan.”

The one thing that America does make at home still is revolutions that they spread all over the world to disrupt governments that America does not agree with. I know about this stuff in life because at one time in my life, I helped to spread the word of democracy around the world!

Lets lay out what is happening in Moldova, courtesy of the good – ol – USA…

First lets look at a The Huffington Post article a reprint of NYT: The protests apparently started on Monday, when Natalia Morar, one of the leaders of ThinkMoldova, described the effort on her blog as “six people, 10 minutes for brainstorming and decision-making, several hours of disseminating information through networks, Facebook, blogs, SMSs and e-mails.”

“And 15,000 youths came out into the streets!” she wrote. (Link)

Then we should add that they proceeded to try to destroy and burn the Parliament…

Pictures of the riot… http://en.rian.ru/photolents/20090408/120973616.html

The New York Times like the rest of the Western press is proud and triumphant over the slam against communism. (There is that evil word again.) They had a “Twitter Revolution!”

Moldova is one of the poorest countries in the world. I have traveled extensively in Moldova and have to say that having a phone to twitter with is not a big priority for the average Moldovian. My wife and I found the most wonderful people in the world but money is not something they have. Even in the Capital of Moldova. They do not even have water half the day much less fancy cell phones.

How does this “one of the worlds poorest” nations afford such luxuries as Twitter capable cell phones and the internet service that goes with it? (I am glad you asked!)

That leads us to the groups websites that has caused some of these revolution issues…

I came across these websites by a friend in the government. I was given a heads up about the possible riot situation over a week ago. I was told that travel to the Moldova area would not be advisable for the next year. If you remember Our last trip to Moldova we had very interesting time at the border and we had doubts then about easy passage.

Take a look at this website and notice the domain that it comes from and check out the bottom of the page. (Read this Website!) Now study the areas that I just told you about…

OK! Now take a look at this website… (Read Here!) and (Here) and (Here)

Internet Access and Training Program
Implementer: International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX)
Project period: 09/2005 – 09/2010

IATP provides local communities with free access to the Internet and to extensive training in all aspects of information technology. The centers in Moldova will concentrate on local governance and e-government initiatives and web sites for increased accountability and transparency. Target groups include local government officials, journalists, students, local NGO representatives, professors and health care providers, but all citizens of Moldova are welcome to IATP’s free services.

That is the same organization that is providing the web page, phones, internet service and money for the “Twitter Revolution!” Free to Moldovians, all Moldovians! My and your tax money supplies Moldovians with free internet service, computers, phones and many other wonderful political devices to disrupt a country with.

Now lets look at the main website out of Ukraine… (Read Here) This is a American sponsored by Millions and millions and millions of our tax dollars. The only reason for this organization is for promotion of Democracy “American Style!” It even says so and makes no qualms about it. The site reads from beginning to end as a USA Government sponsored propaganda machine that has unlimited funding:

Since 1992, the USAID Regional Mission to Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus has worked with government, non-governmental organizations and civil society to further the processes of democratic development, economic growth and social sector reform in the region.

Do you realize that if all the money spent overseas for programs such as this, Stayed at home, that America would not be having financial problems right now. We are talking about billions and billions of dollars. It makes me mad!

Nothing changes it just gets worse… (I call it the “Twit revolution!“)

Windows to Russia!
Kyle and Svet

comments always welcome.

• Moldova (windowstorussia.com)
• ROAR: Russia makes position on Moldova & Transdniester clear (rt.com)
• Russian Foreign Ministry is Disenchanted with statements by the USA… (windowstorussia.com)
• From Russia: Ukraine’s President Viktor Yushchenko will save Moldova and Bulgaria from Russian Evil! (windowstorussia.com)

That morning cup of coffee goes great with this article:

Thanks to a good reader and commenter of ours. James left me an e-mail about this movie. I started to investigate about it and found out a strange truth…

Movie “Olimpius Inferno” (Олимпиус Инферно). Action Movie about Georgia-S.Ossetia War and Documentary evidence against Saakashvili:

An EU inquiry investigating the events of last summer’s conflict between Russia and Georgia is shining an unfavorable light on Mikheil Saakashvili. A secret document may just prove that the Georgian president had planned a war of aggression in South Ossetia.

08.08.08. Young entomologist from USA, Michael, and his girlfriend, Moscow journalist Yevgenia, come to South Ossetia to shoot a film about a rare species of butterflies.

But on this night the Georgian army started attacking South Ossetia and Michael’s cameras set on automatic record the beginning of the operation.

Our heroes understand that they have proof of “who dun it” in their hands, which will put an end in coming “Information War”.

But the Georgian special armed forces have also learned about it. So to inform the world about the truth, Michael and Yevgenia need to break through an Georgian occupied territory Tskhinval.

A film made by Russia, inspired by last year’s Georgia war and shot in the same style as the Bourne trilogy will be airing soon on Russia’s top television channel, a spokeswoman for the station said on Wednesday.

This the trailer for “Olympus Inferno,” the latest Russian interpretation of last August’s events, shows its two young heroes ducking gunfire, explosions, and a raging Georgian officer firing his pistol.

The film is with out a doubt going to highlight the debate between Moscow and Tbilisi about who started the five-day war over the pro-Russia region of South Ossetia, which broke away from Tbilisi in the early 1990s. Diplomatic ties between Russia and Georgia remain cut to this day.

The entire production was shot over the winter months in Georgia’s second breakaway region of Abkhazia, because its temperate climate resembled South Ossetia in summertime.

Director Igor Voloshin has said it should be seen simply as an action film about two young people who get caught up in the war.

“Debates have begun … ‘bad Russia or bad Georgias’, but I keep saying it is just a film. You should look at it as a film, as a work of art, which is what I made,” Voloshin told Reuters.

“People love buying films like Apocalypse Now, masterpieces about war in Vietnam. Hollywood masterpieces and nobody remembers that the heroes of these films invaded Vietnam and burnt it with napalm — for some reason that is forgotten.”

But he said the historical record shows clearly who was to blame for last summer’s war: “If you look at the facts of the conflict, about who started it, it was Georgia.”

Thanks James for the link because I do not watch many movies and I would not have wanted to miss this one. James informed me he found this link at:

http://thepresidentofrussia.blogspot.com/

This is Hollywood Russian Style…

Kyle and Svet

Double Fruit Layer Pie!

Hello,

Today in Moscow, Russia lets make a very simple fruit pound cake or as Russians many times call everything like a cake – a pie. In Russia you have pies and torts…

Ingredients:

* 0.5 pound shortening or butter
* 3 eggs
* Flour
* 1 teaspoonful of baking soda
* 1 lemon or 1 orange
* Cinnamon
* 1 cup of sugar (or less)
* Berries (choice of black currant, cherries, cranberries, black berries, goose berries – or the mixture of any) or any berry jam!

Mixing:
First make the dough -Put melted shortening, eggs, sugar, a bit of cinnamon (if you like), and some flour. Mix till no lumps.

Then add baking soda and real lemon juice. Or as a substitute orange juice for a flavor change. (Mix by hand) “The need for orange or lemon is for citric acid to activate the baking soda. You could use a lime if that is what you have.”

Now slowly add more flour as you mix until the dough’s not sticking to your fingers. (not gooey)

Baking:
Now take a bread style baking-pan, oil it on bottom and sides. Then dust flour all over the oiled surface and spread two thirds of the dough on the bottom evenly and create a wide indent down the middle of dough layer.

Fill indent with berry jam or berries or both. If you add berries with no sugar added, you need to put some sugar on them.

Put the rest of the dough on top of the berries until you have created a solid cover. (If desired you can make several layers) Then bake for 30-35 minutes at 375F. (190C)

Let cool before removing from pan and if you oiled and floured correctly out will pop the pie or cake.

Makes enough for several people or one hungry guy! 🙂 Yummy!

Kyle and Svet

comments always welcome.