Category: Russia

Dear brothers and sisters, with this holy service we start our celebrations of Christmas, we become part of the event, the meaning of which is so grand that understanding it could dramatically change the life of a person, like Christmas itself changed the life of all people and the evolution of human civilization. Christmas opened up new horizons and allowed us to understand the meaning of people’s existence never before acknowledged, even by the most prominent minds. And the meaning of Christmas is that God is not somewhere far, God is not who the ancient feared…

God wished to become man, he came to the World and really became man, one of us. What does this mean for us, for people, for mankind? It means that if God is here with us, it is easy to ask for his help. In the most difficult, unholy times even people who didn’t consider themselves believers would turn to God. Like during war, soldiers would cry “Lord save us”. They would feel their way to God, they found him in the most extreme situations…

We do not need to be in an extreme situation now, repeating the mistakes of previous times. We are free today, we can be next to God if we only wish to be. And if so let’s be close to God, understand him with our minds, find him in our hearts and souls, feel the grace of God. Not through thunder and lightning, not as a powerful Master. God, our Savior came to Earth as a simple man. He became one of us and that is why the fate of each one of us is close and clear to him. He is with us. That is why we say the wonderful words, that will be heard in the upcoming service – God is with us, resign yourselves into his hands, God is with us…

I would like to wish from my heart that you feel God’s presence in your minds and in your hearts and not only in minutes of hardships, but throughout your whole lives. And having felt God, to understand what a blessing it is – the Lord’s presence in a human life. Happy Christmas! May God’s blessing touch upon our nation and each one of us…

Christmas is a major religious holiday in Russia. It is celebrated on January 7 rather than December 25 because the Russian Orthodox Church follows the Julian calendar. More than 30,000 churches and cathedrals are holding Christmas vigil services. Patriarch Kirill is leading the Christmas liturgy in the Cathedral of the Christ the Savior in Moscow…

Windows to Russia!

The start of the day is always good especially when you can get your cup of coffee without any issues. It is necessary to have a good cup of coffee (or in my case chicory) to counter the lacking of keenness that comes across in the news. Now that is news both from the East and the West! The East has its stupid streak for news and it makes me laugh to read the propaganda against the West and that is what is is and not expected to be anything more. The East takes the truth and twists it to look in their favor. Now the Western news is not even an attempt at propaganda anymore, it is just flagrant lies that do not have a inkling of the truth embedded anywhere anymore. What gets me is that people eat the lies up and want the information presented into what they want to hear. They do not want to hear the truth because as always the truth hurts, but a lie is cushioning like a nice sofa…

I remember when news was the way news was suppose to be. As I grew up you knew when a line of bull was being given to you and when it was to be serious and listened carefully to. Lying was considered a poor trait of a Journalist. There was a Journalists code of conduct and we were taught that as we grew up. Journalists were people who had thick skin and walked the line of right and wrong, but they made sure they stayed on the side of right, even if just barely. News had to be verified or else it did not get printed. It was matter of pride of the profession to walk that line in the grey area of it, but step over that line and lie, then chastise is the word that fitted to those who did…

I mean we had lots of propaganda in the old days and you can argue all you want, but it was propaganda to make you aware of things, e.g. – such as the reality of a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. That was a possible fact and even if exploited it was still simple propaganda. e.g. – McCarthyism: Now this was one of the easy to see, manipulated by government for political gain eras that just makes you wanna get sick to your stomach when you understand what was happening then. The term (McCarthyism) is now used more to describe reckless, unsubstantiated accusations, as well as demagogic attacks on the character or patriotism of political adversaries. It was a serious propaganda issue that was allowed to get out of hand by a politician (Joseph McCarthy ) who would fit right in now days in modern politics (like a hand in a glove). But eventually the people who could see through the situation finally got through to things. What was power struggles on an individual basis now has become power struggles on a country wide basis and people are to scared to try to stop it now days…

Now in this day and age we have skipped the propaganda part and just present all lies we conjure up as facts and that is that, as simple as it pleases. e.g. – We have been steadily increasing the numbers of dead in Syria now by 500 a week. It is not true anymore than the deaths (10,000) claimed that happened in Libya were true. Nothing is verified and nothing is attempted to be verified. It just becomes fact and that is that. The number will increase on Syria like it did on Libya until we have to go in and save Syria, or all of the people are going to die at the hands of the Syrian government. Then the Libyan scenario will happen and the West will kill vastly more people (Like in Libya) than have even been attested to be killed at the hands of the Syrian government.  That my friend is the way the Western press/Western governments are now in this world and it looks to get a whole lot worse before it gets better…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

Today is Orthodox Christmas eve in Russia….

Merry Christmas everyone…

Kyle, Sveta and Boza…
Windows to Russia!

On January 24th the Senate will vote on their version of the internet censorship bill SOPA.  This is our best chance to kill the internet censorship bill.

The problem?  We need 41 Senators to agree not to rush a vote, and right now we’ve got 2.  That’s why we’re asking you to take an unusual step: We need you to request an in-person meeting with your Senators.

Can you ask for an in-person meeting with your Senators? Click here to get started.

Most Senators are home right now for the January recess.  And most–even those who’ve signed on as cosponsors–do not understand these bills and the terrible consequences they’ll have for the internet, the economy, and free speech.  If they’re blindsided by the strength and clarity of our objections, we can bring them over to our side.  The future of the internet depends on it.

If you do get a meeting you won’t be alone– post it to the forums and we’ll organize others to join you.  We can also provide materials and help with preparation.  Leading up to the vote we’ll also be swarming townhall meetings and public appearances, as they’re announced.  But right now, we need to set up these in-person meetings.

Please, click here to ask for a meeting.  We’ve got your back.

We’ve taken the time to ask each Senator’s office the best way to request a meeting.  But we need you to take the plunge– it’ll only take a few minutes.

After you set up your meeting, be sure to share information on the forums. Did you get a date and time for a meeting? Did you learn any other information that will be useful for others trying to set up a meeting?  If you can take on an organizing role, say so.

And please, stay active and keep spreading the word about the need to meet your Senator.  There is an absolute firestorm of news and energy around stopping SOPA/PIPA on the internet, but it’s not always visible to Senators and their staff.

Be visible.  Schedule a meeting. This is our best chance to stop SOPA, and it could be our last.

Thanks for everything you do this month,
–Holmes, Tiffiniy, Donny

P.S. The Reddit community has been an anti-SOPA firestorm.  These meetings are our best hope for beating SOPA, and we think Reddit needs to know about it.  If you agree, help us spread the word on Reddit.
P.P.S. Please use these links to ask your friends to help fill up your local events too.  Everyone needs to know the game plan: schedule meetings, and swarm townhalls.

Windows to Russia was in company of sites down this last few days. It is getting out of hand and I am embarrassed to be associated with America at times like this…

So the bottom line is, if you want to blog – talk only about sock monkeys and needle point and no one will bother you…

And heaven forbid telling a little bit of truth…

24 hours of crap is what Sveta and I have gone through to keep a semblance of a site going…

Happy New Year and get ready to lose a lot of sites that will not fight the system…

They will go after you next…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

As you read this you will realize that they tried to shut us down again…

Over the Cry Wolf article about the Iowa Caucasus…

I have been noticing lots of websites are being hit across the internet and it is a crying shame that we have no say in anything anymore…

The world is getting freedom-less and America is leading the way…

I am still on line because I am a fighter. Yes this is from another server and we will be on another by tomorrow…
Just hope I can get the rest of the post for the last month….

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

Real simple people! America sang the song of morality when Russia had an election. Now we watch the Iowa Caucus in America and see exactly the same thing happen. This is just the start of the rigged voting that will portray the 2012 elections…

Tonight’s final vote tally for the Iowa caucuses will take place at a secret undisclosed location, an announcement that has stoked fears of vote fraud amongst Ron Paul supporters, concerns that were heightened following a Republican insider’s claim that the GOP establishment will not allow Paul to win.

The final Iowa vote count normally takes place at state party headquarters in Des Moines, but following dubious “security concerns” about Occupy protesters disrupting the tabulation process, the Republican Party of Iowa announced that it would be moving the final vote count to a secret undisclosed location.

Ron paul 21% and that is what he predicted that he would get. 25% per Santorum and Romney both…

I really think that people need to ask each other in Iowa and find out how did the neighbor vote. If they do they will find a big lie has happened…

I hurts to see my country do this stuff and then they think they have the gall to point fingers at the rest of the world…

As I keep saying, “Look in the mirror and there you will find the problem!”

Shouldn’t Iowans be out in the street like they were in Moscow? Shouldn’t the country preaching the morals all the time, be getting this under control before it gets worse?

Shouldn’t it?

And you all pointed fingers at Russia…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

PS: They hid the votes because of security! In the name of security we have lost our country…
PSS: So you understand where I come from – I lived in Iowa for awhile and during working at the Republican Caucus of 1988 – I learned a whole new world of political cheating, but it looks like we have taken the old ballot stuffing to a new flagrant level…

Grab a cup of coffee and lets do some thinking’s this morning…

At this time of the year Russians have a week off from the toils of life. The whole country is literally on a holiday. Now of course there are some places open but in general everyone is goofing off. It seems like a wonderful thing to do and I enjoy the opportunity to be able to associate with different people while they have different schedules at this time of the year. But…

No school and no work means the under 30′s are bored and restless. All night parties and that means tons of alcohol and drugs. No one has to get up the next day and everyone who is bored, parties and parties and parties. These parties lead to fights, destruction and mayhem half the time. It gets worse as the week goes on because many are in a week long drunk or drug session that will not end (if ever) until work starts back up again…

Example: Last night there was a massive fight in our buildings foyer and when I walked the dog this morning. The elevator was covered in blood, the foyer was soaked in blood, blood on the walls, blood outside the front door and blood in the snow in the kids playground. It looked like someone was beheaded and ran around like a chicken with its head cut off…

I went and got a trash sack and picked up 20 needles and anyone who follows my blog knows that pisses me off. I despise idiots in Russia as much as the idiots in America, that do needle drugs, much less when they toss the needles in children’s playgrounds. This is normally much more under control but with a week off, nothing to do and friends from out of town. It gets out of hand…

As Sveta says, “Two or three days being off is fine but 10 days is way too much and people do not have enough sense to handle that much time off!” I believe she is correct…

I still have a hard time getting use to a country shutting down. I say things like, Lets go to the store to buy…! Sveta says, They are not open…! I say, Lets go look at…! Sveta says , They are not open…! I say, Lets go take care of business about…! Sveta says, They are not open…! (I think you get the drift.) So I see how there are problems when all you can do is buy food, drugs, alcohol and well that is it…

But I will say that driving around is easy right now. No one goes to work and no one is on the road. Just have plenty of fuel because many petrol stations are closed…

Good I am glad to get that off my chest because it really upsets me to find beer bottles and needles in little children’s playgrounds…

I asked Sveta last night, “What has happened to our younger generations?” She was quiet and was thinking…

I know! I sound just like my dad…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

Well it is 2012 in Russia and I am assuming if all went well it is 2012 where you are also. So I was doing some delicious chicory sipping and thinking’s this morning, while the snow falls deep. I was doing some thinking’s about what I plan on doing with Windows to Russia during the 2012 year…

You will have to pardon me over the next year while I always slip and call my chicory drink – coffee. I have truly stopped drinking coffee and that was something that I never thought I would be able to do. I now enjoy my chicory so much that I do not even want coffee. Coffee has the wrong taste to it now and when I drink a cup while traveling in Ukraine, it just taste wrong anymore. Kinda like when I switched from regular coke to diet coke years ago. Regular coke just has the wrong flavor now…

But coffee is not what I started to write about! So lets get on track here…

Windows to Russia has started to finally come into its own during 2011 and in 2012 I will continue to fine tune the website to enable it to withstand bigger and higher traffic peaks and spikes. 2011 was a year of flabbergasting numbers for me as far as statistics go. I still remember 5 years ago and was excited when we peaked at Christmas the first year with 200 actual page views. I remember it was that same Christmas that Google decided to let the world find Windows to Russia on a search engine. For a year or so search engine was the life blood of Windows to Russia. Then readership started to grow and I watched the search engine rankings grow but as a percent of total views decrease, due to readers regularly stopping by…

I have a long history with Windows to Russia now and one day I expect to have it syndicated. Or I should say I hope to live that long and see it happen. We already have several sources of original material and I am always looking for anyone who has a desire to have articles posted that go along with my feelings on things. We now have a Pakistan writer that I have seen that many of you have read his works already and he brings another whole side to the Eastern world that I can only attempt to equate to. I am looking for someone from China, India, South America, Iran and any other country that would like to express a political opinion about the state of the world and what is happening. My ultimate goal is to have a Windows to the World situation…

As far as the website of Windows to Russia is concerned the internal structure is stable and as I have said before it is based on a very light weight CSS structure. This has been a major issue solver to withstand website attacks and the last few times I was attacked. No one knew it happened. That is why I continue to work on the site all the time. Now I still struggle with the cosmetics of the site and I hope that one day I find the correct combination of colors and styles to satisfy me forever. That may be a hard thing to achomplish because I am always looking to make something look better. Yes I know many times I make it look worse… , But as I said the internals are stable and the whole site consists of only three php files in the template. If you know anything about WordPress then you will understand how compact and simplified I have made my template. It actually is much more a webpage than a blog anymore. I also have installed two compressions plugins and the site is delivered compressed over 70% to your door step (If your doorstep accepts it that way!) and that makes life a whole lot better on bad width. Just in the last two months I have cut bandwidth by 65% and seen a 20% increase in page views. I still have a whole lot to learn about making the site better and faster but that is part of the fun…

I have several plans for 2012 and will give you a hint about some of them! The hint is pod-casting and lets throw a touch of video-casting in to the fray. Not sure if I can do it but we will see what happens in this new year…

I also have a desire that may or may not happen and that is to get Windows to Russia in a Russian language form. Machine translation does not work for things like that and I seriously could not see myself with good enough translation skills to go from English to Russian. Maybe from Russian to English but not the other way…

I am going to end this long post and quit boring you to death today. If you are like all my friends whether in Russia, America, China or anywhere else in the world then you are hung over from too many drinks of champagne from News years eve and day…

I am so glad I do not drink alcohol. Sveta and I toasted the New Year with a mug of chicory. I remember Sveta giggled and said, “I have never brought the New Year in with chicory before!”

Maybe that is a good sign for 2012…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

Dear people of Russia,

Dear friends,

In a few moments the Kremlin tower chimes will strike and we will wish each other a Happy New Year. Now a festive mood and a very special atmosphere reign in every home across the country.

Traditionally, we use these moments to bid farewell to the outgoing year. It was not an easy year but its outcomes for our country have been positive. This was the result of our joint efforts, and what next year will bring also depends on us.

Exactly 20 years ago, we celebrated our first New Year in a country called Russia – a name glorified by the remarkable achievements of our great ancestors, who over the centuries have built a huge and mighty power, our great country. It is our duty to preserve it and to build a progressive state, where all of us have the opportunity lead comfortable lives and carry out stimulating and interesting work.

Yes, we are all different, but this is precisely where our strength lies. It also lies in our ability to hear, understand and respect each other, to overcome challenges together and achieve success.

Dear friends,

The New Year is approaching. It’s time to open the champagne and make wishes. Tonight I wish health and prosperity to you and your loved ones, for your lives to be full of love and all your dreams to come true.

Believe in yourself, and I believe in each one of you. We will succeed!

Happiness to all of you!

Happy Holiday! Happy New Year 2012!