Category: Russia

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has proposed Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to run for Russian president in next year’s election, ending months of speculation over which man would run for the post.

Speaking at the annual congress of the ruling United Russia party on Saturday, Medvedev said he was ready to make way for Putin and do “practical work in the government.” That means Putin could still be running Russia in 2024.

Earlier, Putin told the congress that Medvedev should top the party’s list of candidates in parliamentary elections on December 4. The party is led by Putin and dominates Russian politics.

“Given the offer to head the party list and engage in party work, and given a successful run at the elections… I believe that it would be appropriate if the congress approved Vladimir Putin’s candidacy for the post of the president of Russia,” Medvedev said to a prolonged standing ovation at Moscow’s gigantic Luzhniki sports complex.

“This applause spares me the need to explain what experience and authority Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin possesses,” he told thousands of flag-waving delegates.

Putin was constitutionally barred from standing for a third consecutive term in 2008 and anointed Medvedev as his successor.

“I have always been asked: when are you going to make up your mind?… I and Vladimir Vladimirovich have sometimes been asked: have you fallen out with each other?”

“What we propose to the congress is a long thought-out decision,” Medvedev said. “We were actually discussing this course of action as early as when our union was being formed.”

There had been intense speculation that Putin may seek a return to the Kremlin when elections are held in March next year. Both Putin, 58, and Medvedev, 46, have said they could stand for president, but ruled out running against each other.

Medvedev said he would be ready to take over from Putin as prime minister if United Russia were to win in the December polls.

Putin took the floor after the announcement to address concerns over population decline and unemployment.

“I want to thank you for the positive reaction to the proposal for me to run for Russian president,” Putin said. “For me this is a great honor.”

The premier said he had “no doubts” Medvedev would form a “new, effective, young and energetic” cabinet when he headed Russia’s government and “continue his work on modernizing all aspects of our lives.”

Windows to Russia!

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As Sveta and I travel to the village of ours in Russia. I always talk with Sveta about the humongous increase in agriculture that I see going on in Russia. It has been a powerful driven force over the 5 years that I have been traveling Russia…

MOSCOW, September 23 (Itar-Tass) — Russia may not only satisfy fully its own demand for food, but it may become the world’s leading supplier, Chairman of Russia’s State Duma Boris Gryzlov told the United Russia Party’s congress on Friday. “Russia has a territory, where we may use agricultural lands to provide food, as experts say, for 20 percent of the world population,” Gryzlov said. “We may not only satisfy ourselves, but we may be major suppliers of food in the world.”

That got me thinking and the last village trip a few weeks ago, presented me with no less of a stipulation that enforced my thinking’s. We saw hundreds of new John Deere tractors being delivered to farms all over the place. I was just stunned at the millions and millions of dollars in tractors that I saw everywhere. Then we started to see the fields with green John Deere tractors plowing the fields for Winter wheat. Then I discovered…

Deere & Company has officially opened in 2010 its new manufacturing and parts distribution facility south of Moscow in Domodedovo. The John Deere Domodedovo facility is the company’s largest single investment to date in Russia. The facility will manufacture agricultural, construction and forestry machinery as well as distribute service parts in the region…

This is part of the revamp of Russian agriculture and smart companies have jumped on the band wagon. There is an agricultural explosion happening in Russia…

We also have watched as thousands and thousands of acres of once dormant land left from the Soviet era, has been plowed and replanted again. I remember that Putin and Medvedev had said that farms are to become a priority and we must become self sufficient to feed us and the world…

We also have been seeing at least 6 new huge chicken farms open up on our trip to the village. I have been studying that the increase in cattle farms is exponentially growing and something that seems trivial but is not, the old decrepit farm buildings are getting new roofs put on…

Now this has been a silent non obtrusive expansion of farm capabilities by Russia. Russia has an incredible amount of farm land that is not being used and I see that fact being exploited back into production. That is smart…

I always think about several good friends in America who are farmers. I think about how they need these guys here in Russia to help with the implementation of increasing the production. One of these guys in particular wishes to live and farm in Russia. The fact is that he could fulfill his dream because Russia is a growing agriculture society, that just might obtain the title of world food producer…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

PS: The hints at what I say are for you to see. The chicken wars, grain wars etc. etc. Example: The little store on the corner of our block has nothing but Russian grown chicken and they are proud of that…

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When a Patriotic American becomes an Expatriate you Know it’s Time to Escape From America…

Susan Beverley: I am sorry to start off with this question, but there is a small part of our audience that will want to know this: Do you hate America?

Dave vonKleist: Maybe that part of the audience is not so small, because that question is raised frequently. I fought for many years and tried to contribute to the effort to bring the USA to what it once was and to bring attention to the problems our government and country was experiencing. This resulted in small minded individuals coming to the conclusion that I must somehow hated my country, when in fact it is my love for my country that motivated me to draw attention to its weakness in the hopes that we could correct the direction it was taking. For many of us who became vocal activists, we had to endure the same negative assumptions that we endure now as expats. If those who had been active participants in the rumor mongering and ridicule game had directed their efforts in to effecting the real change, it is likely people such as myself would not have felt the need to become expats. If someone truly loves their country, then it is their duty to do all they can to correct problems as they develop, rather than condemn those with the courage to do so. Sadly, the majority of the American “sheeple” fail to understand this essential philosophy, which is why things have gotten so bad and folks like myself are pegged as “hating their country”. Those who parrot and subscribe to the phrase, “America, love it or leave it” are a major reason why things have gotten so bad.

To answer your question, I do not hate America – I hate what America has become. The corruption and the deprivation of our civil rights have destroyed my personal American dream.

Read complete interview:

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

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The truth hurts and it shows when the children (Western Empire) walk out of the room. Regardless of what we’ve been programed to think about Ahmadinejad here in the USA, he brings up serous points and I’d like to hear how the Western world leaders respond to the serious questions that have been raised…

I have never in my life seen such a childish thing as to what the countries from the Western world did. The USA led the procession and were followed by France and Britain. They decided that they did not have to hear what Iran had to say. That is wrong because unlike us lowly peons that are plentiful in the world. These people who have jobs as important delegates fronting the world stage. They have to have skin as thick as leather and be tough as nails. In this case I feel that the West stands and spouts the propaganda and rhetoric that they are number 1 and democracy is the cats meow. They need to take it when the going gets tough…

This is something that I have written about before and now you see a real rift that has developed between the East and West. This rift is real, not made up and the people in the East see a whole different side of the Western Empire that the West can not accept and face as any form of reality…

Russia and China did not walk out and from what I am seeing on LiveJournal and such type of Russian social networks. The Eastern opinion of the West just dropped as fast as the stock market did yesterday…

By the way like it or not, Ahmadinejad had some good points. Even though he can rile up the soul a little bit. He knew what he was telling and is no fool when it comes to facts. It is just that those facts are unsaid and muted in the West and said daily and openly in the East. That is what is partly separating the West and East…

I have seen so many warmonger articles from the West lately that I am beginning to wonder if the Western world has slipped a cog lately. It seems that we are in a repeat of history and the Holy Wars and such are going full tilt again…

When can we grow up and become civilized?

Anyway: The theatrical walk out by the US and her allies was very childish!

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

PS: The Russian commentators are discussing a good point on line. The West (USA) likes to retaliate and now the question is when will Iran get theirs…

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BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – the fastest-developing emerging economies, are meeting in Washington to talk over the ways of helping out the eurozone debt crisis, which has still no actual solution and no end in sight. Recently, South Africa has suggested that BRICS countries buy euro bonds to help out Europe. Maksim Shein, an analyst at Brokkreditservis in Moscow, thinks it’s the only and most obvious idea they can put forward at the moment and the option that European countries themselves hope for. However, the consequences of buying European debt are not very clear…
Source: http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/09/22/56570109.html

Windows to Russia!

I have to say that I am totally surprised at the price of a vacation for Sveta and I to go to Turkey for 14 days. Airline tickets for two, hotel is three star, all food included (three meals, plus two snack times) and it is located 50 meters from the beach. Price is around 800 American dollars for two…

Russians have a huge array of specials at their disposal to travel in Turkey and they are reasonably priced. We could go even cheaper but decided for the middle of the road and get near the beach. We also could go much more expensive, but that seems like a waste of money to Sveta and I…

So it looks like we will be leaving around the first of October and returning sometime in the middle of October. Here is a good site to give some information about Turkey…  Article >>>

It looks like Sveta and I both have to have a visa but it is a formality at the border. The cost is 20 American dollars each. The border visa is good for 90 days and that is definitely enough…

We decided last night to go to the Mediterranean side. It looks to be the best choice for this time of the year. I looked last night and temperatures are lower thirties right now. That sounds good to Sveta because Moscow is trying to stay in the single digits especially at night. That is centigrade by the way…

We definitely will have WiFi and I plan on posting about Windows to Russia trying out one of Russia’s favorite vacation countries – Turkey…

Kyle and Sveta
Windows to Russia!

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Mr Putin had this to say: “The purpose of the People’s Front is to supply Parliament with fresh blood. Its creation has also brought fresh blood to the United Russia party. I hope the party will continue to support this process, with a view to stimulating political vigor in its ranks.”

Hummm, from my studying of the situation. I see just a revamp of the old into a new package and it is working. Putin’s power-base has grown exponentially…

Everyone equates this move to a presidential run by Putin. I am not so sure anymore about if he will run for president again. He might and has every right to run and most likely will, if he so desires. But why run for president of Russia when he is in charge of Russia anyway? (That is my opinion only and really think he will run for president anyway regardless of what I think. :))

You must understand that you have to look at the ruling tandem in Russia in a simplified way, not the complicated way that the West tries to look at it. Medvedev is in charge of foreign affairs and Putin is in charge of internal affairs. That is the part (internal government) that Putin wants anyway. I do not see Putin as being a happy go lucky man of international delight. Medvedev on the other hand adores traipsing around the world…

So while the Western world is mortified at the thought that Putin will take the command chair of presidency again! That is not where the real power, at this moment in Russia is located. If he did take the presidency again then I assure you that international and internal affairs would fall under the president again…

I am seeing the possibility of Medvedev staying right where he is at as president of Russia. He is the Western loved face that the West wants to see. Putin in the meantime has built his power-base not to take over presidency again but make his position one of raw power with in Russia’s borders…

It is the same thing to me that happens with a large school district in America. You have a superintendent, principle and vice principles. The superintendent who is the top dog on paper is only a political figurehead but he is the top dog. Then you have a principle that is the more localized figurehead. He is half political and half hands on. Then the people who run the big school are the vice principles. He does all the dirty work and deals with all the crap that makes a school run. The saying that you are only as good as your employees is very true. Russia reminds me of that type of system…

I have done some thinking’s and realize that Putin may not want to be president again. Why would he? He has all the power and a base of power that makes him top dog without having to do top dog things that he does not like to do. Like meet the president of America and act like he likes him… 🙂

It is almost a case of “have one’s cake and eat it too”…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

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Windows to Russia has seen China take the number three spot for countries viewing Windows to Russia. Germany was knocked to number four spot after a surge by China. America is number one and Russia is number two. I started to investigate what caused this big jump in Chinese viewers. Yesterday I discovered that my work has paid off in China. Baidu the largest Chinese search engine has indexed me and they are indexing Windows to Russia everyday as far as I can tell. The cache is up to date and they have the whole site indexed. All 3000 articles… 🙂

This has been a project of mine to get into the Asian search market. It has not been easy to be accepted and they have a very closed idea of what should be allowed or not. But I never gave up and kept applying every 6 months with a site submission. Finally it paid off! We have always had some articles indexed by Baidu and you will find they index lots of sites all  over the world. But to be indexed and Baidu for our name (Windows to Russia) like we do in Google is a great honor and privilege…

So what it means is that Windows to Russia does not have just a few articles in view of the Asian world, we have all of our articles available to be searched…

Baidu competes with Google Hong Kong, Yahoo! China, Microsoft’s Bing and MSN Messenger, Sina, Sohu’s Sogou, Wikipedia, NetEase’s Youdao, Tencent’s Soso.com and PaiPai, Alibaba’s Taobao, TOM Online, Xunlei’s Gougou and EachNet.

Baidu is the No. 1 search engine in China, controlling 63 percent of China’s market share as of January 2010, according to iResearch. The number of Internet users in China rose to 338 million by the end of June 2009, according to a report by the China Internet Network Information Center.

In an August 2010 The Wall Street Journal article, Baidu has played down its benefit from Google’s moving its China search service to Hong Kong, but Baidu’s share of revenue in China’s search—advertising market grew six percentage points in the second quarter to 70%, according to Beijing-based research firm Analysys International.

It is also evident that Baidu is attempting to enter the internet social network market. As of 2011, it is discussing the possibility of working with Facebook, which would lead to a Chinese version of the international social network, managed by Baidu. This plan, if executed, would face off Baidu with competition from the two popular Chinese social networks Renren and Kaixin001 as well as induce rivalry with instant-messaging giant, QQ. Wiki Article >>>

While this may not be high on your list for important things in life and Google rules on your side of the world. It is important to the life of Windows to Russia as a world site and this acceptance by Baidu into their system as a full fledged site means that China could take the number one spot next month as the biggest viewers of Windows to Russia. This also leaves Windows to Russia now able to utilize the Baidu advertising system and try to make enough money to pay for server fees and such…

A site like Windows to Russia does not get to utilize free hosting or even for that matter cheap hosting anymore… 🙂

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

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The broom industry is not a booming industry in Russia. I have written before about how they make their own brooms in Russia. It is just the way it is and somethings are not going to change that fast…

A Broom in Russia…

Snow and Ice Removal in Russia…

As I was walking the dog at around 9 am this morning. I came across 20 people sweeping at various places, but not a single one had a store bought broom. The old gentleman in the picture I took this morning at a children’s garden, was even more adaptive than most. Usually they pull all the leaves off the branches and make a broom, but this guy left the leaves on and swept away… 🙂

So what else did we find while Boza and I were walking this morning? I can tell you what we did not find and that upset my day a little bit. We did not find our milk truck to buy milk and cottage cheese at. It looks like they were there but it seems that they sold out before I got there and by the time we got to the other place to buy milk it was sold out also… 🙁 (Early bird gets the worm!)

So Boza and I kept walking and then I took a picture of a fruit and veggie stand. Now these stands are very common in Russia and they are literally put anywhere that they can think of putting them. Usually right in your way if they can get a way with it. But they are a great way of buying veggies and fruits. The price is always fair and quality is good. You just have to make sure you watch them because like any vendor they will try to put at least one bad apple in the batch to get rid of such things. I do question the validity of their scales that they weigh produce with. But that is why you get to know the vendor or you carry your own scale…

Boza loves to walk so I just kept going this morning and looked at the sights to be seen. It is always very interesting to walk near the train station in our town. The one thing about Russia is that trains and train stations are still in use and the usage seems to be growing. I can remember when I was little and the train station at our tiny town was shut down. It fell in disrepair and started to crumble soon after that. I use to ride my bike and sneak into the old station. It was like an era gone by and it was stopped in time inside. I also remember that they bulldozed it one day. That kind of stuff teaches you things about life…

Near the train stations you will find babushkas selling a variety of things. Some things they make and somethings they sell for a bigger company. You will find usually a market by a train station and in that market you will literally be able to buy anything. These markets are fantastic. This is the market that Sveta and I like to go to on Sundays. We stock up on fruits and veggies for the week…

I guess that is enough for today. Boza and I have things to do and get done. I have been making a table and it is time to finish that table. It is taking up a lot of room in the middle of the floor. I think Sveta wonders if that is its new home… 😉

Kyle
Windows to Russia!

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I can say without a doubt that I have broke the caffeine habit. Just like when I stopped smoking 5 years ago, by just plain stopping, cold turkey as we call it. I did the same with coffee, cold turkey. There is a half a jar of coffee still left and it has been untouched for months now. I have no desire to even make a cup of coffee. But I really like my chicory and that I will drink 3 or 4 cups a day of it…

Well as the title says, “still thinking’s” and that is what I am doing right now, along with that cup of chicory…

First thing that I was thinking about is the country Turkey. As I wrote before, Sveta and I want to travel to Turkey. It looks like we will try around the beginning of October. Looking like a go ahead in our book for about two weeks. That is going to be fun. Turkey is a huge vacation place for Russians…

Second thing or things that I am thinking about are items like Fukushima in Japan, NATO meddling in Libya, the Western war drums beating over Syria, Palestine’s bid for statehood at the UN and lots of other things that just mill around in my head…

I mean for example that did you know that they now have pronounced that the Fukushima nuclear accident is worse than Chernobyl in the Soviet times? They even are starting to wonder about relocating part of Tokyo. (Article) It is true but I forget that you don’t see this stuff on the main media and that is a disgrace. You need to step out of the box…

Just like you get no truth on Libya, Syria and the Palestine’s situation. You do get a one sided view that is programed just for you and it is designed to make you happy with what you see and hear…

But enough of that. As I always say: I have got people to see, places to go, a dog to walk and cats to chase…

I think Sveta gets tired of hearing me say that… 🙂

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

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