Year: 2017

Boza has been a learning lesson for me. A lesson about life…

I realize that sometimes you have to laugh about what life feeds you and accept that as a-okay…. This morning was one of those moments…

Boza and I stood at the elevator and waited for it to open. Boza was listening to the elevator coming and normally he stands in the correct spot, blindness or not and waits for the elevator. This morning he got turned around, maybe my fault and maybe not. I am not sure, but he turned around and faced the back wall if the hallway and stood waiting. He was staring at the empty wall…

I asked him, “What you doing?”

He looked up at my voice and gave me a look like, “What? The elevator is coming!” He is stubborn at times and did not move. He just knew that the door was in front of him and I just waited…. The door opened in a few seconds and he looked behind him…. Then he looked up at me as if to say, “Hey, they moved the elevator!”

I had to laugh, you know? Visa card for all else, but the look on Boza’s face, Priceless…

I let him sniff around and the door closed and he finally got his bearings. Then he looked at me as if to say, “Excuse me, but the door is closed!”

See it became my fault at that point…. So I pushed the button again and he walked onto the elevator and off we went to the ground floor…

We got off the elevator and Boza sniffed around and checked out both sides of the hallway. After a few minutes, he decided that everything was still where it should be and or where it has been put for now and off we went to walk. But I watched him and he showed how blind he was this morning. Somehow he had gotten turned around and he really was very sure that the elevator was on the opposite side than what it was. The look on his face was priceless…. He was kinda shocked at the situation, then he adjusted and accepted that us humans must have done something stupid and moved the elevator. I am not sure as to why this happened, but he, when we returned after the walk, once again knew what was what and led me, as the alpha wannabe he is, to the correct door…

Then he looked up at me, wagging his tail and I said, “You are the best smart boy in the world! That was a bad elevator, but now you know where to go!”

Boza pushed his face against my leg, his way of telling me that life is good and we went home to the flat. I started to laugh, for he just takes life with a grain of salt and takes what life gives him. He is a happy doggy. That is one thing I worried about with his blindness, “Will he adjust?”

I realize that you have to know Boza well to understand his facial expressions and dogs have expressions, but he was sure that we did something, akin to moving a chair in the way of where he walks in the flat and he simply accepts such human mistakes as normal. He is use to me doing something like putting a sack I just carried in, in the wrong place and he runs into it. It makes me feel bad and he always gives me that look. The look of, “You did it again!”

Therefore, we got into the flat, I asked him, “Hungry?” Nope, he said by actions. Lets do your eyes? Yes, he said by actions. I worked on his eyes, hugged him until he started to growl at me. He growls when he has decided that you are acting the fool, for hugging is only a short time span thing. You know?

I laughed and he rubbed his face against me to tell me that it is all okay and he went to bed again…. He is tolerant of his humans that wait on him hand and foot. Even the king has to bend to the wiles of the peasants. You know? 😉

Maybe if us humans would take life the same way as Boza does, we would be happier and less worried about trying to mold life into our dreams. For life is a roller coaster and maybe, just maybe we should enjoy the ride, instead of trying to rebuild the ride all the time…

I guess you had to be there?

WtR

Drugs have been used all through history as a weapon:

A weapon to control the masses at home and or control other countries. When we talk about Afghanistan we ignore for the most part the issue that the USA has in the Opium trade around the world and the CIA’s involvement. Yes I know it is just a conspiracy whatchamacallit…

Or is it?

If we studied history, we would find that another empire used just such a drug to enslave China. Used the drug to get concessions and push to have changes made within China. It really is easy once you get millions hooked on Opium…

Very simple and it is in our face history…

[contentcards url=”http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/the-opium-wars-the-bloody-conflicts-destroyed-imperial-china-17212″]

In 1839, England went to war with China because it was upset that Chinese officials had shut down its drug trafficking racket and confiscated its dope.

Stating the historical record so plainly is shocking — but it’s true, and the consequences of that act are still being felt today.

But…. What does that have to do with the USA?

[contentcards url=”https://www.juancole.com/2016/02/afghanistan-washingtons-twenty-first-century-opium-wars.html”]

This is that same ole same ole, that I talk about. That circle of life…

I realize that life is just a circle…

Therefore:

[contentcards url=”http://mediaroots.org/opium-what-afghanistan-is-really-about/”]

I know about this kind of stuff. I have sat in meets about how to control the masses. This is a common issue when it comes to empires and the USA is one of best at using it and most likely the worst at trying to use it. The opium simply comes home to roost, too many times and it shows in America…

It is a simple known fact that is ignored by everyday people, the USA, CIA and many other three letter demons, use opium to try to control everything from home to abroad. Opium is extremely addictive…

The US tries to push Opium to Russia, China, Europe and many more. The issue is that this substance gets out of sight and out of mind and ends up on our doorstep, just as it ends up on their doorstep. Money talks and America has a bunch of Opium users and I mean a bunch…

[contentcards url=”http://www.advancedped.com/american-opium-epidemic/”]

What was much more controllable in the British Empire days, due to transportation, internet and just plain smaller world through technology, has backfired on the USA. The CIA does not care and will not care. The country is and has been as long as I remember heroin addicts… But lets play with Oxycontin also. Nasty crap people, nasty crap…

Therefore, some more:

As we sit around and fear North Korea, Venezuela, Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan and dozens more…. We have a “Thousand Pound Gorilla” sitting among us and he is higher than a kite…

Russia is realizing what happened, just as Europe realized that drugs were being shipped through from Afghanistan to Europe and when this was realized, Mexico took on a role of even greater importance, Mexico is mainlining the stuff into America. This is big business and the USA instigators really do not care, as long as they get their money to garner their power structure and grow up to be as big as a “Thousand Pound Gorilla”…

I talked years ago about heroin issues in Russia.

This has receded and has become much better controlled. They people woke up for the most part..

Russia: A Hard Core Drug Problem is in Russia!

And…

Drugs – A Big Problem in Russia For The Children…

Again Russia has woke up, but that circle of life has deposited it on another doorstep. Can’t make enough money from Russia, Europe and China? Send the crap to America…

[contentcards url=”https://www.wired.com/2016/03/americans-addicted-prescription-opiates-forever/”]

You are being played for the fool:

And we cultivate, guard and export the Afghanistan cream of the crop. That is why we have guards in the fields of Afghanistan. That is why we use our own cargo jets to transport it…. Gotta protect that money…

Just one last link to info…

Makes me all warm and fuzzy feeling… ;(

WtR

They rebuilt the back wall of the Tiny Russian Village home. This was a job that I was planning on doing, but with Boza having eye issues, It became set to the back burner for me. But it had to be done. The two guys who did the work, had done some work on a nearby village home and I liked their abilities. Therefore, because they had good work ethics and cared about the quality of their work, they got the job…

All our lumber we had from two years ago has gone to its usage it was bought for. Thank goodness, the village home needed the back wall rebuilt…

Looks nice…

WtR

“The morning cup of coffee has an exhilaration about it which the cheering influence of the afternoon or evening cup of tea cannot be expected to reproduce.” ― Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

* * * * *

Ode to Coffee

O! coffee, where art thou
When I need thee now?
In thy many flavored blends
A hot cup would be godsend.

I cannot keep awake
Without a short coffee-break.
With thy life-giving aroma
Save me from going into a coma.

Java, Colombian or French Roast
Thy every flavor, I will toast.
To the end thy loyal slave
Three cups a day I will always crave.
(source: Ranjit Nair)

* * * * *

When 3 a.m. comes and Boza is by my side?

There is one thing that inspires…
It would be a lie,
to say that getting up and walking Boza,
doing his drops in his eyes is such a pleasure,
that I leap out of bed and break the mires…

That would be a false expression,
the thought of a cup of coffee,
laced with cream,
strong, rich,
is the revelation…

Coffee,
wakes the quintessence of life,
motivates and lets the soul,
accept strife…

Coffee is…

WtR

[contentcards url=”https://asia.nikkei.com/Markets/Commodities/China-sees-new-world-order-with-oil-benchmark-backed-by-gold”]

I guess we know now why the Chinese have been accumulating gold hand over fist for the past 8 years or so…. So all that “blustering” from North Korea is really just a slight of hand distraction while China/Russia started to sneak their monetary weapons into place…

As The World Turns…

WtR

Nothing special, just a few pictures. The ones of Boza and I walking where actually magical and we had a nice unopposed walk…

The other two are pictures of two kids going to the first day of school. Young or old, they all had flowers, with a few candy boxes and other gifts. Russians are into cut flowers. I mean seriously, Russians are into cut flowers…

Gotta friend with a hangnail? Send flowers to them. Visiting your mom? Take flowers to her! Show up at the first date? You better have them flowers…

By the way. I met Svetochka at the airport in America, with one rose…. She smiled…

WtR

Now Merle Haggard had it correct. Just listen carefully and I put the words to the song for you. He hits it on the nail head with this song…

We’ll all be drinking that free Bubble-Up and eating that Rainbow Stew…

Merle Haggard Lyrics

“Rainbow Stew”
There’s a big brown cloud in the city
And the countryside’s a sin
And the price of life is too high to give up
Gotta come down again
When the world wide war is over and done
And the dream of peace comes true
We’ll all be drinking that free bubble up
And eating that rainbow stew

When they find out how to burn water
And the gasoline car is gone
When an airplane flies without any fuel
And sunlight heats our home
One of these days when the air clears up
And the sun come shining through
We’ll all be drinking that free bubble up
And eating that rainbow stew

Eating rainbow stew with a silver spoon
Underneath that sky of blue
We’ll all be drinking that free bubble up
And eating that rainbow stew

You don’t have to get high to be happy
Just think about what’s in store
When people start doin’ what they oughta to be doin’
They won’t be booing no more
When a president goes through the white house doors
An’ does what he says he’ll do
We’ll all be drinking that free bubble up
And eating that rainbow stew

* * * * *

Trump has become exactly what we voted against. America does not have a president; it is official, America has only puppets for president…

When a president goes through the white house doors
An’ does what he says he’ll do
We’ll all be drinking that free bubble up
And eating that rainbow stew

* * * * *

Now this video below is simply exactly what America is in the eyes of the world…

“Come on, Barbie, let’s go party!”

WtR

“On August 31 (2017),  US authorities announced unprecedented measures to restrict the activities of Russian diplomatic and consular missions in the United States . We were asked to close one of the largest general consulates in San Francisco and shut down visa, notarial and other consular services to Russian and US citizens living in several densely populated states in two days. The US has also prescribed to immediately cessation of the activities of the Trade Mission in Washington and its branch in New York. The requirements for the movement of Russian diplomats and official delegations are becoming much tougher.

This step represents a new gross violation of international law, including US obligations under the Vienna Conventions on diplomatic and consular relations. It even surpasses what it was thought of earlier in Washington, including the expropriation by the Administration of Barack Obama in December last year, despite the immunity, of the residential complexes of the Russian Embassy and the Permanent Mission to the United Nations .

In addition to the regular raider seizure of expensive Russian state property, which we have been urged to sell after they (the FBI) blocked access to such property, this time the demands of the US authorities create a direct threat to the safety of Russian citizens. American intelligence agencies set out on September 2 to conduct a search at the Consulate General in San Francisco , including in the apartments of employees residing in his building and having immunity, for which they ordered that they and their families, including minors and even infants, vacate within 12 hours. This is an invasion of the consular establishment and the home of diplomatic workers, and they are left to fend for themselves, so as not to interfere with the FBI agents.

With such defiant actions, the US continues to burden the already difficult atmosphere of the bilateral dialogue, undermining opportunities for cooperation, including in the interests of solving pressing international problems.

It is especially depressing that tens of thousands of ordinary citizens of both countries, far from the political situation, will suffer from such measures. The US demonstrates that they have absolutely no interest in the development of ties between people-first they stopped issuing visas to Russians in their consulates in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok, and now they deprive Americans of the opportunity to obtain Russian visas to San Francisco. In essence, this is a continuation of the same line of the Obama Administration, according to which, in 2013, the FBI intimidated American participants in study trips to Russia, organized through Россотрудничества, and in 2016 the State Department stripped five of our honorary consuls in different states, actively engaged in the expansion of public (in this case educational) exchanges.

We strongly protest against Washington’s actions that ignore international law, and, as is customary in diplomatic practice, reserve the opportunity for retaliatory measures. This is not our choice. It has been imposed upon us”.

Original…

31 августа американские власти объявили о беспрецедентных мерах по ограничению деятельности российских дипломатических и консульских представительств в США. От нас потребовали за двое суток закрыть одно из крупнейших генеральных консульств, располагающееся в Сан-Франциско и оказывающее визовые, нотариальные и прочие консульские услуги гражданам России и США, проживающим в нескольких густонаселенных штатах. Также предписывается незамедлительно прекратить деятельность Торгового представительства в Вашингтоне и его филиала в Нью-Йорке. Существенно ужесточаются требования к передвижению российских дипломатов и официальных делегаций.

Данный шаг представляет собой новое грубейшее нарушение международного права, включая обязательства США по венским конвенциям о дипломатических и консульских сношениях. Он даже превосходит то, до чего в Вашингтоне додумывались ранее, включая экспроприацию Администрацией Б.Обамы в декабре прошлого года, несмотря на иммунитет, загородных жилых комплексов Посольства России и Постоянного представительства при ООН.

Помимо очередного рейдерского захвата дорогостоящих объектов российской государственной собственности, которые нам после их блокирования настойчиво предлагают продать, на этот раз требования властей США создают прямую угрозу для безопасности граждан России. Американские спецслужбы вознамерились 2 сентября провести обыск в Генеральном консульстве в Сан-Франциско, в том числе в квартирах сотрудников, проживающих в его здании и имеющих иммунитет, для чего предписали, чтобы они и их семьи, включая малолетних и даже грудных детей, на 10-12 часов покинули занимаемые помещения. Речь идет о вторжении в консульское учреждение и жилища дипломатических работников, причем их самих выставляют вон, чтобы не мешали агентам ФБР.

Подобными вызывающими акциями США продолжают отягощать и без того непростую атмосферу двустороннего диалога, подрывают возможности для взаимодействия, в том числе в интересах решения насущных международных проблем.

Особенно удручает, что от таких мер пострадают десятки тысяч обычных граждан обеих стран, далеких от политики. США наглядно демонстрируют, что совершенно не заинтересованы в развитии связей между людьми – сначала прекратили выдавать визы россиянам в своих генконсульствах в Санкт-Петербурге, Екатеринбурге и Владивостоке, а теперь лишают возможности американцев получать российские визы в Сан-Франциско. По сути это – продолжение той же линии Администрации Б.Обамы, в соответствии с которой еще в 2013 году ФБР запугивала американских участников ознакомительных поездок в Россию, организовывавшихся по линии Россотрудничества, а в 2016 году Госдепартамент лишил аккредитации пять наших почетных консулов в разных штатах, активно занимавшихся расширением общественных обменов.

Выражаем решительный протест в связи с действиями Вашингтона, игнорирующими международное право, и, как принято в дипломатической практике, резервируем за собой возможность для ответных мер. Это не наш выбор. Его нам навязывают.

WtR

Kids all over the place. Boys in suits and girls in dresses. Hair is cut and all are at their best behavior…

School in Russia starts back into session. The kids for the most part all have gifts for the teachers. From apples and oranges, flowers and boxes of candies. The days of summer are over and kids are back in school, here in Russia…

Boza and I have walked twice this morning and the second walk at around 7:30 a.m. gave us a view of a Russia that is amazing. Kids dressed in their Sunday best and soon teachers all over Russia will have more than a few gifts to deal with. I am not sure how they will get these flowers and candies all home, but happy teachers they will be…

School is held from September 1 until the final week of May, with exams in June. The school day normally starts at 8 a.m. and finishes at 1 or 2 in the afternoon. Students generally attend class 5 days a week, although some schools require extra study on Saturdays.

For your information most kids go to school six days a week…

The girls have big white flowers in their hair and the boys for the most part have ties on…

Education General education is free and available to all Have mostly state schools but private schools have recently been establish. Starts at preschool before the age 6 3 stages of compulsory general education Primary Education- 4 years Basic General Education- 5 years Secondary Education- 2 to 3 years General education is 34 weeks of the year, 27-36 hours of study per week School year is from September 1 to the beginning of June

[contentcards url=”http://player.slideplayer.com/18/6097118/#”]

Now you have some more facts on Russia…

WtR

Boza was at my side of the bed at 3 a.m. and he was having eye issues. I had a bad night and he had to be persistent to get me moving, but I always get moving, just sometimes faster than other times…

I put drops in his eyes and we took off to walk in the cool early morning of Moscow…

I was still damp from having night sweats. I most likely had run a fever last night and it was just as well that I got up. I walked the dog and realized that once again, I was just thankful to be alive. Pain and whatever are a small price to pay for waking up once again and having another day with my sweet pea of a girl and a good doggy…

I see the same attitude in Boza. Any day that he and I can get up and walk, is a day worth writing home about… 😉

Thus we got back from walking at around 4 a.m. and Boza went immediately under the bed on Svetochka’s side. It is very important to Boza to be near Sveta. He sleeps under her side at night…

I made a cup of coffee and sat down at the computer to see what shenanigans that the world was up to…. I am never disappointed, yet always saddened by the extreme of chaos that is constant around the world…

* * * * *

In an act brainlessness by America (Again and again!); I call it “Bear Baiting”…

[contentcards url=”https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/08/273738.htm”]

The United States has fully implemented the decision by the Government of the Russian Federation to reduce the size of our mission in Russia. We believe this action was unwarranted and detrimental to the overall relationship between our countries.

In the spirit of parity invoked by the Russians, we are requiring the Russian Government to close its Consul. General in San Francisco, a chancery annex in Washington, D.C., and a consular annex in New York City. These closures will need to be accomplished by September 2, 2017. (Today is Sept. 1st, 2017 by the way and this was just announced…)

This is an example of the brainlessness that I talk about coming out of America on a daily bases for many years now. The US Gov. started this escapade and when Russia finally after months responded to the initial illegal act by America, we get a child’s response to the Russian response…

America started it by illegally closing consulate properties of Russia. Russia finally responded after a very long time, to allow America to change her mind about what she did. America threw a temper tantrum and has now responded as a child does in the playground…. It was not even hardly a month and the tantrum came forth…

Huge difference in maturity levels between Russia and America…

Guess who the child is and who the adult is?

WtR