Is Georgia Getting the Cold Shoulder From Western Mass Media?

Looks like Georgia is having some media issues. It seems that the West Media is turning away from Sassy. I have been watching this develop for sometime and has accelerated since the EU report on the Georgian War:

Daniel Kunin, the American advisor, who has been working with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili in recent years, left the head of state.

“In recent times the advisor has preferred not to interfere in the affairs of the President of Georgia,” the VZGLYAD reports citing to the Rezonansi [Tbilisi newspaper], in each turn citing to sources, close to Kunin.

Saakashvili’s administration refuses to comment the message.

Kunin, American political technologist, was one of the closest people to the Georgian leader. His mother is the ex-governor of Vermont, and has good ties in U.S. political elite, the newspaper notes.

“Kunin was the chief advisor to Saakashvili and the connecting link with American authorities,” the Rezonansi says.

Then with in a week Georgia has had two TV stations taken off the airwaves:

Eutelsat, the European satellite company, disconnected the First Channel of the Public Broadcaster of Georgia, from the satellite, said Levan Gakheladze, the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Public Broadcaster – Interfax. The same had previously been done with the First Caucasian Channel.

According to Gakheladze, no official reason was named.

“Meanwhile in Paris, where Giya Chanturia, the general director of the Public Broadcaster of Georgia, currently staying, in informal talks it’s said the decision was made under the pressure of Russian companies, i.e Russia,” Gakheladze said.

Also this one earlier:

First Caucasian TV channel, broadcasting from Tbilisi, yesterday was disconnected from French satellite, belonging to Eutelsat.

According to Zurab Dvalim the director general of the channel, from January 15th to 28th the First Caucasian was working in test regime, and was disconnected due to expiration of that term – BBC Russia.

The channel managers are conducting negotiations on terms of use with the French company, Dvali said.

He believes that the channel could be disconnected “not without Russia’s help.”

Dvali cannot rule out Moscow is exerting pressure on France to prevent it from extending the agreement.

The First Channel [broadcasting in Russian] started its work in Internet on January 4th, later it became available via satellite. Most part of information messages is devoted to Georgia, the rest – to news from Russia [in particular, North Caucasus] and the entire world.

The channel is based on the Public Broadcaster of Georgia. According to the idea of the Georgian side , the main audience must be national minorities in North Caucasus, the channel was available in all its regions.

I really think that Sassy and his ex Ukraine President – Buddy need to just go to another country and live happily forever after on the billions of dollars they stole from Georgia and Ukraine… (Maybe America?)

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

20 Years – McDonald’s in Russia!

This image above is the line to a McDonald’s on the first opening day...

Another reader sent me a link of a subject that has to do with Russia. It was actually a very good article about McDonald’s and her 20th year anniversary in Russia! I do not give The New York Times much credit for capabilities to write the truth but in this case they did a good job. Andrew Kramer the author does a fair job off staying unbiased against Russia!

One thing that is for sure in Russia. Russians love their McDonald’s and McDonald’s is a booming business in Russia.
Svet and I always eat out on our excursions to the malls. In almost every mall you will find a McDonald’s. It will be nested in a food court along with 10 to 20 other eating places. The way to find the McDonald’s is just find the crowd of people. 🙂
A free standing McDonald’s is a disaster on the highways due to such high volume of business. We have one near us that is near a entrance ramp on to a big byway and the people will park all over the byway just to get to McDonald’s. We have seen it so bad that 3 out of 6 main lanes with be parking just to eat at McDonald’s. (Yes that is Freeway style road to Americans.)
If you have never experienced Russian roads then you have missed out on an experience of a lifetime. Russians will park anywhere! I mean anywhere to do anything. 🙂
I will say that I am impressed with McDonald’s in Russia. The help is top notch and Management is very well trained. The food is better than in America and I am not the only one that has noticed that. Friends of ours when they come can tell the difference in food quality…
By the way the reason that there has been such ado about McDonald’s lately in Russia is because Burger King has stepped on McDonald’s toes and entered the market here. Burger King is ready to do war and McDonald’s has to learn how to fight in Russia…
McDonald’s has been king for 20 years!
Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Russia can Have a Peaceful Demonstration – No Really She Can!

In Russia they say that people can not have a peaceful demonstration!
They say that the police always break it up and arrest people. (Always?)
The real truth is… Yes – you can have a peaceful demonstration and this was proven once again this weekend. In Kaliningrad 6 to 7 thousand people had an uneventful and peaceful protest. The protest was done within the guidelines and permits were gotten ahead of time. In Russia, time and time again there are peaceful protests that never get much, if any coverage!

This protest was over the transportation tax that Putin has upset many with in the whole country. This was the original issue that opposition parties quickly intervened and tried to turn in into a hate Putin issue…

Regardless of opposition manipulations most people in Russia roll their eyes when a choice few like to spout off to Western press.

There was a rally in Moscow that was not sanctioned and they had a hundred out of 300 arrested, including Nemtsov and Yashin, Other Russia leader Eduard Limonov, veteran human rights activist Lev Ponomaryov and Oleg Orlov, head of the Memorial human rights group. (To speak of ones who manipulate!)
In Moscow the common practice is to intentionally not get a permit or mess up the paper work as to not get a permit. Then hold your rally anyway. (By the way – All these illegal rallies are known about way ahead of time. The opposition parties spend everyday telling us when the next illegal rally is.)
So then the police intervene and arrests are made. That way you can get the Western press to notice better…
The big protest this weekend, verily raised an eyebrow in the Western press because it was peaceful and no one arrested for voicing their opinion!
Now the unsanctioned rally in Moscow made headlines everywhere… They love to get their picture taken with the cops, while being carried off and their face is frozen in a shear terror, help me they are going to kill me – Look! (They are great actors)
Ever wonder how these same guys who are arrested 40 times a year, get back on the street and stir up trouble time and time again?
Think maybe it is because as my Grandma said, “Only half of what you are told is true!”
Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.
PS: I know – which head line sells more papers? Peaceful Rally against Car Tax! or Moscow Arrests 100 People at Human Rights Rally! 🙂

Russia is the Vodka: America and Europe the Alcoholics?

I have written about the concept that “Russia plays Chess and America plays Checkers!” This is nothing new to you if you have followed my blog for years.

I found an article that plays that same theme. The problem with the article is that it is a Western scare tactic article. When you read it it is heavily swayed to a bias against Russia. It does touch upon truths about both sides and their techniques of playing the game. It relies heavily upon the evil Russian and bringing back the “cold war theme!”
When the cold war issue is brought up, it is always in the style of how Russia has not changed from the Soviet Union…
The one thing that J. R. Nyquist tries to push across is that Russia is so much worse than America or Europe. Also that Europe and America are helping to push Russia back to a dictatorship by their lack of policy! (Roll eyes at this point…)
I read this article and in between the lines it says very clearly: Europe and America are no better and no worse than Russia! He defends Europe with a contradictory statement such as

“[The Russian leaders] find support abroad, outside, among the states that are citadels of democracy, in the countries that actually make a big effort to protect freedom and democracy at home; but still, the totalitarian regimes find support there….”

How can you praise them for making such a “big effort at home”? While at the same time makes a statement that should make Europe proud:

“Under the existing system, it is very easy to buy off the European leadership. It costs very little, and is easily done, so it is not a problem to achieve results with this method in Europe.” In fact, Illarionov asks if the statesmen of any system can remain independent in the wake of sweetheart deals they cannot refuse to take. The Russians look at European politicians the way a shopper looks at goods in a store. They see one they like, examine the price tag, and pay the cashier. In fact, they use oil money, which allows them to buy whatever they see. Illarionov noted: “The largest export that Russia delivers is corruption. It’s not oil or gas, but corruption. And this is in greater demand than even oil or gas.” The politicians of Western Europe love corruption, because it makes them rich.” (Really, Bad Europe not bad Russia!)

But not to leave America out of the limelight,

“Illarionov speaks out boldly, and has warned American politicians that their policy toward Russia is worse than appeasement. In an article that appeared in the Washington Post two years ago, he characterized U.S. policy toward Russia as “enabling” dictatorship.”

I will expand this last statement above one step farther: Americans are in the same boat as the Europeans and Russian buys off American politicians. – Medvedev said before that Russia will buy You! (meaning America) Everyone thought he meant buy up all the companies – Not hardly!

America and Europe is as corrupt as Russia! Russia uses the power of greed to control. Does that make Russia bad? (America did it to Russia.. have we forgotten?)
Seems to me that this article is talking about America and Europe as if they are alcoholics and Russia is the Vodka! America and Europe want that vodka so bad that they take it at any price. I learned along time ago that you can not blame the liquor for no one forces you take a drink…
One last thought on this subject:

The West is asleep. A game of “divide and conquer” is advanced against us. The days of the NATO alliance are numbered. Russia has been buying politicians all over Europe, and if those politicians stay bought, there will be no one to oppose the Russian plan. America will then find itself isolated, economically vulnerable, and militarily inferior.

“Russia plays Chess and America plays Checkers!”

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Evil Russia Rises Again: Thank Goodness China and America are such good Friends?

I had a good laugh at this article:

Russia tried to talk China into waging financial war on the US in 2008, as the country was mired in a mortgage crisis.

According to a forthcoming book by former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, Russian leaders wanted the Chinese government to dump billions of dollars worth of bonds tied to ailing mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

That would have thrown the entities, which grease the wheels of America’s mortgage market, into a crisis and forced the US to spend emergency money on a bailout.

“The report was deeply troubling — heavy selling could create a sudden loss of confidence in the GSEs (government-sponsored enterprises) and shake the capital markets,” Paulson recalled in his upcoming book “On the Brink: Inside the Race to Stop the Collapse of the Global Financial System.”

If this is true then why does America continue to antagonize China? Looks like a big storm brewing in the future on trade wars with China.

Maybe China will take Russia up on her offer…

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

PS: Blame it all on Russia.

Piss off the Big Powerful Countries Next Door with our out of Date Weapons Sale!

Lets see: A few weeks ago Russia was wondering what was Americas issue with putting Patriot Missiles in Poland and then putting them on the Russian Border…

Now this week China is pissed about Obama signing the OK to sell Patriot Missiles to Taiwan. In fact even more than just missiles:

The Obama administration announced the sale Friday of $6 billion worth of Patriot anti-missile systems, helicopters, mine-sweeping ships and communications equipment to Taiwan in a long-expected move that sparked an angry protest from China. (The Washington Post reports)

What the hay! Does America have a new slogan? – “Piss off the big powerful countries next door with our out of date weapons sale!”

Give the world a break America and stop the games…
Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Russia and her Fifth Generation Fighter Plane: Sukhoi PAK FA – T-50!


When a good reader of our blog gave me a link to this fighter jet. I usually take that as a hint to post something about it. 🙂 His link was from BBC, but BBC does not let me use their videos and RIA does. In fact RIA wants you to use their videos. So without farther due…

MOSCOW, January 29 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s fifth-generation fighter performed its maiden flight on Friday.

* The T-50 is the domestic name of Russia’s fifth-generation fighter plane which has been developed as the Advanced Front-Line Aviation Complex (PAK FA) for Russia’s Air Force.
* The project started its development by the Sukhoi design bureau since it won the tender in April 2002.
* The Tikhomirov Institute of Instrument Design, which developed the Irbis radar for the Su-35BM Flanker, has been working on the T-50 radar. The new fighter’s radar and fire-control system will be designed on the basis of the Su-35BM’s systems.
* The new fighter’s exterior design was approved on December 10, 2004.
* Last summer, the fighter’s design was approved, and the prototype blueprints were delivered to the KNAAPO aircraft building company based in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where three experimental fighters will be built for testing.
* In February 2009, the first prototype was constructed. After the plane was successfully tested on the runway, a decision was made to stage the maiden flight in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, rather than in Moscow.
* The prototype fifth-generation fighter made a 47-minute maiden flight on January 29, 2010, in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
* Although T-50 specifications remain classified, fragmentary data on its engines imply that this heavy-duty fighter will have a take-off weight of more than 30 metric tons and will be close in dimension to the well-known Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker.
* The new fighter’s exterior was designed using Stealth technology, also known as LO technology (low observable technology).
* The combat aircraft is fitted with 117S (upgraded AL-31) turbofan engines from the Russian aircraft engine manufacturer Saturn.
* The PAK FA can carry either eight next-generation air-to-air R-77 missiles, or two large controllable anti-ship bombs weighing 1,500 kg each.
* The new jet can also carry two long-range missiles developed by the Novator Bureau which can hit targets within a 400 kilometer range.
* The jet can use a take-off strip of just 300-400 meters, and perform sustained supersonic flight at speeds over 2,000 km/h, including repeated in-flight refueling. The highly-maneuverable plane has a range of about 5,500 kilometers.
* The fifth-generation fighter is equipped with advanced avionics to combine an automatic flight control system and a radar locator with a phased array antenna.
* The newest combat aircraft are planned to be mass produced in Komsomolsk-on-Amur from 2015.
Looks like a winner and is Russia’s only known fifth-generation project. Called PAK FA and the current prototype is the T-50. It is designed to compete with the U.S. F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II.
Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Russia and Nord Stream – Facts and Figures!

Facts & Figures

Route: Offshore pipeline from Portovaya Bay near Vyborg, Russia to the coast of Germany near Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Constructed by Nord Stream AG
Gas capacities: 55 bcm per annum (2 pipelines with 27.5 bcm capacity each)
Pipeline length: 1220 km – Nord Stream is one of the longest offshore pipelines in the world
Max. water depth: 210 m
Project start: 2005
Completion of the first line: According to plan – in 2011
Completion of the second line: According to plan – in 2012
Pipeline diameter: 1,153 mm
Design pressure: 220 bar/ 200 bar/ 170 bar
Pipe steel standard: DNV Offshore Standard OS-F101; Steel grade: X-70
Wall thickness: 26.8-41.0 mm
Coating: Interior antifriction coating of 0.06 mm epoxy layer; Exterior anticorrosion layer; Passive anticorrosive protection is ensured by aluminium sacrifice bracelet anodes
Gas supply resources: Yuzhno-Russkoye oil and gas reserve, Yamal Peninsula, Ob-Taz bay and Shtokmanovskoye fields
Estimated investment: € 7.4 billion

Shareholders:

OAO Gazprom (51%), Wintershall Holding AG (20%), E.ON Ruhrgas AG (20%), N.V.Nederlandse Gasunie (9%)

Have some facts and figures dug up on the web about the Nord Stream pipeline. Looks like this pipeline has huge help by Germany and Germany seems to have a vested interest in selling gas to other countries…

Poland, Belarus and Ukraine are left out in the cold and by warrant of their actions over the years. These three countries have show less than a desire to work with Russia when it comes to transportation of energy reliably. The transit money is a huge part of their budgets and without this money, many social and growth programs will be hurt.

My thought is: The USA does not have a problem doing business with Communist China and America is fighting hard at this moment to keep Russia on the hook buying chicken. America knows that Russia is her largest buyer of chicken and loss of billions if allowed to cease.
The former countries of the Soviet Union should have learned a this lesson from this. It seems even Germany which did so much serious damage to Russia during WWII has now some of the best relations with Russia, politically and financially. In a diminishing high cost energy world you better make friends everywhere or be “Out in the cold.”
Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

From Russia the World Looks Like it is Going to "Hell in a Hand Basket"!

I guess today I am fed up with the lying news in the World. I guess I am fed up with the lying governments in the world. What do I mean by that? Just look around and read some news. It will confuse you, it will piss you off, it will make you cry…

Last week the news was how the housing markets were looking much better. This week the housing markets took a sudden drop and surprised the experts.
Last week Obama was slapped in the face with a major defeat for the Democratic party. This week Obama is sliding back to the center and getting tough. (Lions, Tigers and Elephants – Oh My!)
The Health Bill will save America and now the Health Bill is all but dead in the water! (They sure got quiet about the bill!)
Last week Obama was fighting for the Health Bill and this week he has gone into campaign mode.
The Democrats and the Republicans are like two, 2 year old’s in a room with only one toy to play with and they both want the toy.
Years ago, I use to be a hardcore Republican but I would not align myself with either the Democratic or Republican party anymore. They both suck…
The news tells us how broke America is and (she is). She is more in debt than anything or anyone or any country, in the past or present, has ever been in the worlds known history.

But then the news tells us about all the money being spent all over the world and a military budget that is larger than the rest of the world put together. Then we are told that said military budget was increased $100,000,000,000 dollars this year (2009) over last year (2008).
The news last week also tells us that the Taliban is weakening and hurting, but now this week America and NATO are trying to figure can they buy the Taliban off. This week the war is considered non winnable …
Now Obama wants to put on a spending freeze. That is great but he is going to have to do more than freeze spending because the budget is so far over that a freeze is still trillions in debt. We need to trim a couple of trillion of the budget. Oops that means freebies are over…
Now we find out that Russia will be selling weapons to NATO countries. Isn’t that just ducky? Russia just keeps playing chess and America plays checkers! So now we know why Russia has smiled at NATO this year. (Money makes the world go around!)
Lets take a glance at this tidbit of information:

We believe the Treasury Department is in desperate demand for investors to buy Treasuries. After many years the world has finally awakened to the fact that the US is broke and has been for a long time. Now fewer and fewer investors consider Treasuries as a safe haven. Who in their right mind would buy a Treasury bill with a negative or zero return? We would guess because the buyer perceives them to be safe, perhaps willing to lose some 7% to 8% to inflation. These sales are averaging $50 billion weekly. As the buyers dry up and in order to avoid Fed purchase and monetization, government is eyeing your retirement investments to be the source of their new annuity scheme. (Link)

Do you realize that the USA is buying her own Treasuries? (If you did that yourself you would be in big trouble…)

I have a hundred friends in America and 75% of them have lost their jobs or at least one of their jobs. Most people I knew had to work several jobs to make it. Many are lucky to have kept one of the several that they have. This is part of the unemployment that you do not see.
I guess I will shut up now because I will most likely say things that really irritate me.
Like: The new plan of Obama’s entails freezing $447B of discretionary domestic spending, which is only about 1/6 of the budget. The freeze would NOT include military, foreign aid, national security and mandatory-spending programs such as Social Security and Medicare.
Wake Up People!
Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.
PS: Now take what I just said and apply it to your country. All countries are in the same boat to some degree or so…

Part 2 – Ukraine Visa Trip! (January 2010)


If you follow along with this blog then you know that I am sorta an expert on getting a visa to Russia from Kiev, Ukraine. Remember I said sorta…

I will again post what it takes me to get a visa in Ukraine for Russia. This visa is a same day, dual entry (2), Business visa and it is good for three (3) months. It cost me $400 dollars.

Yes – you can spend less on a visa and stay longer in Ukraine. So unless you have a very cheap place to stay for 10 days, the bargain is same day visa. I have the cheapest hotel that I could find and it runs $36 dollars a day for single economy.

What is needed for me to get a visa in Ukraine to Russia?

Two applications for Russian visa. (Link)

Two Russian approved passport size photos.(paste to appropriate spot on application) (Link)

A copy of your passport. (black and white is best for clarity)

A copy of your immigration card received while crossing the Ukraine border. (Link)

A letter of invitation, in telex form. (Important – Telex – Important) (Link)

$400 American dollars (only – America dollars – only)

Get to the consulate by 9am and be prepared to wait a few hours. Once accepted by the consulate they will take your money and tell you to come back between 3pm and 4pm for same day visa. They have a lot of people getting visas so do not be late, because you will be moved to the next day. (I stood an hour out in -20 C in a line to make sure that I could catch my train that night.)
These links are a few of the past posts of mine to get a Russian visa:
http://www.windowstorussia.com/2009/10/get-russian-visa-from-ukraine-part-1.html
http://www.windowstorussia.com/2009/10/get-russian-visa-from-ukraine-part-2.html
http://www.windowstorussia.com/2009/07/pickpocket-we-all-think-that-it-will_29.html
http://www.windowstorussia.com/2009/07/pickpocket-we-all-think-that-it-will_31.html
http://www.windowstorussia.com/2009/08/pickpocket-we-all-think-that-it-will_07.html
http://www.windowstorussia.com/2009/04/windows-to-russia-kiev-visa-trip-4-21.html
http://www.windowstorussia.com/2008/07/russia-visa-part-1-business-visa.html
The best way to get all my articles is to just search the blog and you will find almost a hundred articles about Russian visas…
Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.